In other news - we load the truck tonight and hit the road tomorrow! Columbia, MO here wer come!
14 years ago
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Mt. Greylock
The entire year we've been here, Brad has been wanting to go up to Mt. Greylock, or ANY higher location. We've done a lot of things, but just hadn't made it there yet. So Monday evening I surprised him. We picked up pizza from Hot Tomatoes (gonna MISS that place!) and had camping chairs and stuff for a fire in the trunk, and took him on up to Mt. Greylock. His dreams came true... kind of. Instead of the endless sweeping views of the Berkshires, we got up close and personal with some dense fog. And I mean DENSE... we could see wisps of it floating around in front of us. There is a tower at the summer that you can climb up in to see even better. We climbed up the little winding staircase, but it didn't really improve the view. Oh well, I tried! It was still a fun activity. We had to be careful not to lose Eli in the fog and tall grass. After walking around in the mist and rain, we all squished in the front seat together and ate cold s'mores because you can't have fires at the summit afterall =).
In other news - we load the truck tonight and hit the road tomorrow! Columbia, MO here wer come!
In other news - we load the truck tonight and hit the road tomorrow! Columbia, MO here wer come!
Monday, June 22, 2009
New Hampshire, Maine, Cape Ann
We weren't exactly planning to take a trip this past weekend. We figured Eli would still be recovering from surgery - but since we didn't have his adenoids removed and he recovered so quickly from the tubes (post coming about that), we thought we might as well spend one more day sight seeing! A little insane considering we are moving on Thursday? Yep! But that's how we roll around here =).
It was supposed to be rainy, but we figured we'd rather see a few things in the rain than not at all, so we packed up our sweatshirts and gear and took off around 7am on Saturday. We headed up into New Hampshire and stopped at Hampton Beach to checked out the sand sculpture carving competition. I can't believe people put so much work into creations that will just be bulldozed after a week, but it was interesting to see. The beach was nice, but way too crowded for my taste. I also didn't care for the "touristy" atmosphere of all the shops and hotels crowded around. But, it was a good stop, and really tough to convince Eli to come back to the car so we could move on.
Our next stop was the Nubble Light House on Cape Neddick in York, Maine. We planned on this being a quick pit stop, but Brad and I were both so impressed with the scenery we ended up spending over an hour there eating our PB&J picnic lunch and walking around on the rocks. The lighthouse was really in a picturesque location - perched on a large rock outcropping adjacent to the rocky shore with the waves crashing spectacularly all around it. There were a few tidepools with seaweed and snails that caught Eli's attention. I think we all got a little sunburned on this stop.
From there we drove a bit further up the coast of Maine to Ogunquit Beach. Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea" and I have to agree! The homes we saw on our little coastal drive inot the town are by far the MOST beautiful I have seen in New England so far! The town itself was very charming, and the beach was beautiful. The tide was out, so the beach stretched on FOREVER! It was bordered by granite cliffs with some gorgeous homes perched atop. It was a lot less crowded than Hampton. Thank goodness the predicted rain held off, because we were able to actually put our swimsuits on and enjoy the beach for a couple of hours. Eli was so excited to start digging in the sand that he sad down with his shovel as soon as we stepped onto the beach - right in the walkway! We had to drag him kicking and screaming further down the beach to a better location. The waves were really gorgeous here, and we had some fun wading. Eli loved chasing the gulls and picking up shells, but didn't want to walk near the water. I think the waves make him nervous, because everytime one could come close to our towel, he would say "you OK??" in a nervous voice. Once while Brad was holding him in the water a big wave got him wet, and that was the end of wanting to go near it. Owen's favorite part was eating the sand. He has really developed a taste for it and was trying to shovel it in by the chubby fistful! He got a couple really good bites, and I've got the pics to prove it. He's now tasted sand in three different states,a nd he definitely liked Maine's the best =). I also really enjoyed Maine and would LOVE to take a romantic getaway trip out there someday to stay in some B&B's along the coast and actually relax on the beach =).
We hosed the kids off and packed up the car around 6pm. Any sane person would have started the 4+ hour drive home at that point, but we thought, "why not go for it and see Cape Ann too?"So we headed down to Cape Ann which is back in Massachusetts just outside of Boston. We went down through Portsmouth, NH which was an adorable seaside town - wish we'd had time to stop! Cape Ann wasn't even on my radar until two weeks ago and I wish I'd known about it sooner! We went to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. It was close to 8pm when we got there, so by that point in the day it would more appropriately have been named "Mosquitos and Nats Beach!" Seriously, the bugs were SO BAD. There were clouds of nats just trying to crawl into our hair, and my feet got eaten alive by mosquitos - I'm still in pain. But aside from that, it was a GORGEOUS beach. I wish we could have been there during the day (aka before the bugs were out) because it would have been fun. To get to it from the parking lot, we walked on a little wooden walkway through the grassy dunes. The sand was WHITE and SO SOFT. It was like walking in flour! The beach itself was like a little cove, so the waves were calm, the water was shallow and crystal CLEAR, and there were lots of neat rock outcroppings to climb on. There were sailboats parked in a little harbor to the right, and a lighthouse and open ocean views straight on and to the left. There were tons of great shells on this beach, which thrilled Eli of course. I've been having to tell him bedtime stories about seashells now, and I'm currently bleaching the ones he brought home to play with because they were stinky. We stayed until it got dark at 9pm, and thankfully the bugs were dying down at that point. The boys got their jammies on in spite of all the sand in their hair, and we started home. Three beaches in three states all in ONE day - not bad eh? We've now been to all 6 states in New England!
We drove through the Boston area on the way home and made a little detour to see the Boston Temple. Dedicated on October 1, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley, the Boston Temple is the 100th operating temple. Really, I think one of the prettiest temples I've ever seen (they're all pretty though). The spire definitely had a "New England" look to it. My camera is on the fritz because of sand getting in the lens, so I couldn't take any pictures (argh!). We hadn't made it to see the Temple yet, so it was worth the stop.
(See this photographer's work here.)
From here, the drive home really just went downhill. Suffice it to say that we should have been home around midnight, but didn't make it home until after 2am (and yes, we still made it to church the next morning - only 10 minutes late!). The boys were both sleeping peacefully in the backseat when we had to stop for gas. BIG MISTAKE. DO NOT ever stop for gas in the middle of the night when you have a sleeping baby in the back! Eli was totally konked out the whole time, but the stop woke Owen and he was really upset that he wasn't home in his bed - in fact, hysterical. And his hysteria lasted the rest of the 2 hour drive home. We stopped a lot, it finally started raining - no POURING - and we were both tired so we had to keep switching drivers so we didn't wreck. So, not the most pleasant drive home, but the rest of the trip was great! I'm glad we had the chance to see a couple more things before we leave New England. We've really learned to like it here and are going to miss it!
*PS - My camera really IS broken now! I think some sand got in the lense mechanism. I am a true "photo-aholic" so this is very, very bad. Especially with our 3 day road trip coming up. Grr... guess I'll have to bust out the old camera.
It was supposed to be rainy, but we figured we'd rather see a few things in the rain than not at all, so we packed up our sweatshirts and gear and took off around 7am on Saturday. We headed up into New Hampshire and stopped at Hampton Beach to checked out the sand sculpture carving competition. I can't believe people put so much work into creations that will just be bulldozed after a week, but it was interesting to see. The beach was nice, but way too crowded for my taste. I also didn't care for the "touristy" atmosphere of all the shops and hotels crowded around. But, it was a good stop, and really tough to convince Eli to come back to the car so we could move on.
Our next stop was the Nubble Light House on Cape Neddick in York, Maine. We planned on this being a quick pit stop, but Brad and I were both so impressed with the scenery we ended up spending over an hour there eating our PB&J picnic lunch and walking around on the rocks. The lighthouse was really in a picturesque location - perched on a large rock outcropping adjacent to the rocky shore with the waves crashing spectacularly all around it. There were a few tidepools with seaweed and snails that caught Eli's attention. I think we all got a little sunburned on this stop.
From there we drove a bit further up the coast of Maine to Ogunquit Beach. Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea" and I have to agree! The homes we saw on our little coastal drive inot the town are by far the MOST beautiful I have seen in New England so far! The town itself was very charming, and the beach was beautiful. The tide was out, so the beach stretched on FOREVER! It was bordered by granite cliffs with some gorgeous homes perched atop. It was a lot less crowded than Hampton. Thank goodness the predicted rain held off, because we were able to actually put our swimsuits on and enjoy the beach for a couple of hours. Eli was so excited to start digging in the sand that he sad down with his shovel as soon as we stepped onto the beach - right in the walkway! We had to drag him kicking and screaming further down the beach to a better location. The waves were really gorgeous here, and we had some fun wading. Eli loved chasing the gulls and picking up shells, but didn't want to walk near the water. I think the waves make him nervous, because everytime one could come close to our towel, he would say "you OK??" in a nervous voice. Once while Brad was holding him in the water a big wave got him wet, and that was the end of wanting to go near it. Owen's favorite part was eating the sand. He has really developed a taste for it and was trying to shovel it in by the chubby fistful! He got a couple really good bites, and I've got the pics to prove it. He's now tasted sand in three different states,a nd he definitely liked Maine's the best =). I also really enjoyed Maine and would LOVE to take a romantic getaway trip out there someday to stay in some B&B's along the coast and actually relax on the beach =).
We hosed the kids off and packed up the car around 6pm. Any sane person would have started the 4+ hour drive home at that point, but we thought, "why not go for it and see Cape Ann too?"So we headed down to Cape Ann which is back in Massachusetts just outside of Boston. We went down through Portsmouth, NH which was an adorable seaside town - wish we'd had time to stop! Cape Ann wasn't even on my radar until two weeks ago and I wish I'd known about it sooner! We went to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. It was close to 8pm when we got there, so by that point in the day it would more appropriately have been named "Mosquitos and Nats Beach!" Seriously, the bugs were SO BAD. There were clouds of nats just trying to crawl into our hair, and my feet got eaten alive by mosquitos - I'm still in pain. But aside from that, it was a GORGEOUS beach. I wish we could have been there during the day (aka before the bugs were out) because it would have been fun. To get to it from the parking lot, we walked on a little wooden walkway through the grassy dunes. The sand was WHITE and SO SOFT. It was like walking in flour! The beach itself was like a little cove, so the waves were calm, the water was shallow and crystal CLEAR, and there were lots of neat rock outcroppings to climb on. There were sailboats parked in a little harbor to the right, and a lighthouse and open ocean views straight on and to the left. There were tons of great shells on this beach, which thrilled Eli of course. I've been having to tell him bedtime stories about seashells now, and I'm currently bleaching the ones he brought home to play with because they were stinky. We stayed until it got dark at 9pm, and thankfully the bugs were dying down at that point. The boys got their jammies on in spite of all the sand in their hair, and we started home. Three beaches in three states all in ONE day - not bad eh? We've now been to all 6 states in New England!
We drove through the Boston area on the way home and made a little detour to see the Boston Temple. Dedicated on October 1, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley, the Boston Temple is the 100th operating temple. Really, I think one of the prettiest temples I've ever seen (they're all pretty though). The spire definitely had a "New England" look to it. My camera is on the fritz because of sand getting in the lens, so I couldn't take any pictures (argh!). We hadn't made it to see the Temple yet, so it was worth the stop.
(See this photographer's work here.)From here, the drive home really just went downhill. Suffice it to say that we should have been home around midnight, but didn't make it home until after 2am (and yes, we still made it to church the next morning - only 10 minutes late!). The boys were both sleeping peacefully in the backseat when we had to stop for gas. BIG MISTAKE. DO NOT ever stop for gas in the middle of the night when you have a sleeping baby in the back! Eli was totally konked out the whole time, but the stop woke Owen and he was really upset that he wasn't home in his bed - in fact, hysterical. And his hysteria lasted the rest of the 2 hour drive home. We stopped a lot, it finally started raining - no POURING - and we were both tired so we had to keep switching drivers so we didn't wreck. So, not the most pleasant drive home, but the rest of the trip was great! I'm glad we had the chance to see a couple more things before we leave New England. We've really learned to like it here and are going to miss it!
*PS - My camera really IS broken now! I think some sand got in the lense mechanism. I am a true "photo-aholic" so this is very, very bad. Especially with our 3 day road trip coming up. Grr... guess I'll have to bust out the old camera.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Laurel Lake and Whitney Farm
On our last day with Grandma and Grandpa B. we finally got some sunshine. Since we were back home in Pittsfield, we decided to spend the morning at Lenox Beach on Laurel Lake - the little beach I used to take Eli last summer. It was the perfect day for relaxing on the shore, and doing a little wading/swimming/crayfish stalking! The kids are getting quite the farmer's tans.
We finally left when we were all starving, and grabbed some pizza from our FAVORITE place out here - Hot Tomatoes - and drove to Pontoosuc Lake (yep, lots of lakes out here) to eat our dinner on the shore. Pontoosuc is the one I walked on with the boys when it was frozen!
Afterwards, we took a scenic drive through the northern part of the county to show it off to Brad's family. Of course we stopped at our favorite hangout spot - Whitney Farm - for some good times and yummy icecream. I will MISS that place for sure. It is the only bribery I have for getting Eli to behave when I take him shopping at Target. "Go see amals (animals)?" he begs everytime we even pull into the store parking lot. He can run around and play with hay, throw rocks at chickens, chase birds, and climb the tractor jungle gyms for hours. It was a very fun way to spend our last day with the fam! Eli keeps asking to "go find ga-ma, ga-pa, au' Heidi!" and to "go to ga-ma's house" and to "ride ga-pa's van." We're sure glad they made the trip out here, and miss them already!
We finally left when we were all starving, and grabbed some pizza from our FAVORITE place out here - Hot Tomatoes - and drove to Pontoosuc Lake (yep, lots of lakes out here) to eat our dinner on the shore. Pontoosuc is the one I walked on with the boys when it was frozen!
Afterwards, we took a scenic drive through the northern part of the county to show it off to Brad's family. Of course we stopped at our favorite hangout spot - Whitney Farm - for some good times and yummy icecream. I will MISS that place for sure. It is the only bribery I have for getting Eli to behave when I take him shopping at Target. "Go see amals (animals)?" he begs everytime we even pull into the store parking lot. He can run around and play with hay, throw rocks at chickens, chase birds, and climb the tractor jungle gyms for hours. It was a very fun way to spend our last day with the fam! Eli keeps asking to "go find ga-ma, ga-pa, au' Heidi!" and to "go to ga-ma's house" and to "ride ga-pa's van." We're sure glad they made the trip out here, and miss them already!
Mystic, Newport, Cape Cod, and Boston
I might as well keep on blogging while I wait to head over to the hospital (and Owen's still asleep). We had a fun-filled and jam-packed week last week. Brad's parents and sister Heidi came into town for vacation. They hit Boston on Monday and NYC on Tuesday (talk about ambitious!) and then we hit the road with them on Wednesday. Much thanks to Brad's dad for renting a van so we could all ride together. Eli got a huge kick out of riding in Ga-pa's van! WARNING: Lot and lots of pictures coming - but this is trimmed down from the 200+ that I took!
Wednesday - Mystic
On Wednesday we drove down to Mystic, CT and went to the Aquarium there. What a treat! I only recently found out this place existed. They have 3 Beluga Whales there in a large tank. Eli was mesmerized, and so were we. It really is magical to see creatures like that up close. It just reminds me what an expansive and beautiful world Heavenly Father has blessed us with. We also got to see Sea Lions, Sharks, and Sting Rays among other things. This time around, Eli was taken with the Sting Rays. They have been on his mind lately (pretending wash cloths in the bathtub are sting rays) and when he saw a whole tank of them he couldn't leave. He sat there watching the Rays glide around for probably a half an hour. We had a hard time getting him to look at other things. We also got to feed and pet the Rays, which Eli wouldn't do himself but had a total blast watching us. Those little Rays were actually kind of cute - really smooth and soft and very enthusiastic about getting fish. When you'd put a hand in the water with a fish in it, they'd all come swimming over and flop around - even coming up out of the water! It was pretty great. Grandma B. got Eli a stuffed Sting Ray to remember the day, and he still loves it. That night we drove to Newport, RI and stayed in a hotel (all 7 of us crowded in one room - our family of 4 in a Queen bed!!! Don't know if that was the best idea, but we survived it).
Thursday - Newport and The Cape
Newport, RI is known for the U.S. Polo Team, the Mansions, and the Cliff Walk. We weren't able to get to a Polo match, but we did tour the most famous of the mansions - The Breakers. Talk about opulent! It was more like touring a castle somewhere - and just to think it was the family's SECOND home! It was owned by the Vanderbilt family, who were high society back in the Guilded Age. I thought the exterior and the grounds were impressive - I especially loved the huge lawn and view of the ocean. But all in all, it was a little too fancy for my taste. My favorite part of the home was the second story porch that was used as an outdoor living room. And one fun fact - Ogden Codman designed some of the more understated bedrooms there - he also helped with Edith Wharton's home and wrote the book The Decoration of Houses with her, which I mentioned when we toured her home out here in the Berkshires. Too bad we weren't allowed to take photos inside the mansion though - it really was something to see! Afterwards, we took a brief stroll along the Cliff Walk, which runs right behind The Breakers house and several other mansions. There's nothing like the smell of sea air and the sound of crashing waves below!
Next, we drove out to Cape Cod and stopped at Nausset Light Beach again (one of our favorites from last year). Only this time, it was cloudy and rainy for our beach visit! Having lived in New England now for a year, we were not surprised or uncomfortable - but I think our Utah visitors were expecting a sunny day at the beach and were freezing! They didn't think to pack pants and jackets for a day at the beach, lol =). It was still so beautiful - I really think there's nothing more relaxing than kicking off your shoes and walking along the beach with the waves crashing up over your feet. Once again, my little Eli was in HEAVEN. "See the beach? See the Ocean?" was his mantra. We had to drag him kicking and screaming back into the van when it started raining again.
We picked up some dinner (Clam Chowdah and Lobster Roll - classic Cape Cod) and went to Breakwater Beach in Brewster to eat. This beach is on the bay side of The Cape (as opposed to open ocean) so the water is still and calm. Plus the tide was out, so it was really shallow and warm. Eli ran and splashed like it was one giant puddle - he didn't care that he was wearing socks, shoes and pants either! He chased seagulls as if he could catch one, and we also got to explore some tidepools and catch crabs, hermit crabs, and snails. It was pretty rocky in that area, and Eli tripped and cut his head open on the jagged, dirty rocks. He was having too much fun to cry longer than ten seconds though! Owen also discovered the joy of squishing sand in his fists, and even tasting some.
Friday - Cape Cod and Boston The next day was even more rainy and chilly than before, but we steeled ourselves and headed off to Nausset Beach. We had fun digging in the sand, throwing rocks into the waves, and watching the seals swim around just off shore. We had the beach to OURSELVES! I guess not everyone is into hanging out by the ocean in bad weather. There were a few brave surfers out there though.
When we'd had enough (is it possible to get enough of the ocean??) we packed it up and drove north to Boston. We made a quick visit to Quincy Market for some shopping and icecream, then walked over to the New England Aquarium to watch the Harbor Seals in their outdoor exhibit (ie. FREE). We put the kids in their matching Shark PJ's (thanks Grandma K. for sending those) for the 3 hour drive home. They were both zonked long before we got home. What a great way to spend one of our last weeks here in New England! Eli has been asking to "find the beach" ever since.
Wednesday - Mystic
On Wednesday we drove down to Mystic, CT and went to the Aquarium there. What a treat! I only recently found out this place existed. They have 3 Beluga Whales there in a large tank. Eli was mesmerized, and so were we. It really is magical to see creatures like that up close. It just reminds me what an expansive and beautiful world Heavenly Father has blessed us with. We also got to see Sea Lions, Sharks, and Sting Rays among other things. This time around, Eli was taken with the Sting Rays. They have been on his mind lately (pretending wash cloths in the bathtub are sting rays) and when he saw a whole tank of them he couldn't leave. He sat there watching the Rays glide around for probably a half an hour. We had a hard time getting him to look at other things. We also got to feed and pet the Rays, which Eli wouldn't do himself but had a total blast watching us. Those little Rays were actually kind of cute - really smooth and soft and very enthusiastic about getting fish. When you'd put a hand in the water with a fish in it, they'd all come swimming over and flop around - even coming up out of the water! It was pretty great. Grandma B. got Eli a stuffed Sting Ray to remember the day, and he still loves it. That night we drove to Newport, RI and stayed in a hotel (all 7 of us crowded in one room - our family of 4 in a Queen bed!!! Don't know if that was the best idea, but we survived it).
Thursday - Newport and The Cape
Newport, RI is known for the U.S. Polo Team, the Mansions, and the Cliff Walk. We weren't able to get to a Polo match, but we did tour the most famous of the mansions - The Breakers. Talk about opulent! It was more like touring a castle somewhere - and just to think it was the family's SECOND home! It was owned by the Vanderbilt family, who were high society back in the Guilded Age. I thought the exterior and the grounds were impressive - I especially loved the huge lawn and view of the ocean. But all in all, it was a little too fancy for my taste. My favorite part of the home was the second story porch that was used as an outdoor living room. And one fun fact - Ogden Codman designed some of the more understated bedrooms there - he also helped with Edith Wharton's home and wrote the book The Decoration of Houses with her, which I mentioned when we toured her home out here in the Berkshires. Too bad we weren't allowed to take photos inside the mansion though - it really was something to see! Afterwards, we took a brief stroll along the Cliff Walk, which runs right behind The Breakers house and several other mansions. There's nothing like the smell of sea air and the sound of crashing waves below!
Next, we drove out to Cape Cod and stopped at Nausset Light Beach again (one of our favorites from last year). Only this time, it was cloudy and rainy for our beach visit! Having lived in New England now for a year, we were not surprised or uncomfortable - but I think our Utah visitors were expecting a sunny day at the beach and were freezing! They didn't think to pack pants and jackets for a day at the beach, lol =). It was still so beautiful - I really think there's nothing more relaxing than kicking off your shoes and walking along the beach with the waves crashing up over your feet. Once again, my little Eli was in HEAVEN. "See the beach? See the Ocean?" was his mantra. We had to drag him kicking and screaming back into the van when it started raining again.
We picked up some dinner (Clam Chowdah and Lobster Roll - classic Cape Cod) and went to Breakwater Beach in Brewster to eat. This beach is on the bay side of The Cape (as opposed to open ocean) so the water is still and calm. Plus the tide was out, so it was really shallow and warm. Eli ran and splashed like it was one giant puddle - he didn't care that he was wearing socks, shoes and pants either! He chased seagulls as if he could catch one, and we also got to explore some tidepools and catch crabs, hermit crabs, and snails. It was pretty rocky in that area, and Eli tripped and cut his head open on the jagged, dirty rocks. He was having too much fun to cry longer than ten seconds though! Owen also discovered the joy of squishing sand in his fists, and even tasting some.
Friday - Cape Cod and Boston The next day was even more rainy and chilly than before, but we steeled ourselves and headed off to Nausset Beach. We had fun digging in the sand, throwing rocks into the waves, and watching the seals swim around just off shore. We had the beach to OURSELVES! I guess not everyone is into hanging out by the ocean in bad weather. There were a few brave surfers out there though.
When we'd had enough (is it possible to get enough of the ocean??) we packed it up and drove north to Boston. We made a quick visit to Quincy Market for some shopping and icecream, then walked over to the New England Aquarium to watch the Harbor Seals in their outdoor exhibit (ie. FREE). We put the kids in their matching Shark PJ's (thanks Grandma K. for sending those) for the 3 hour drive home. They were both zonked long before we got home. What a great way to spend one of our last weeks here in New England! Eli has been asking to "find the beach" ever since.
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