But I’m also pumped! We definitely made the most of our summer, this is going to be a fantastic school year for the girls (a mother just knows these things) AND Emilia is finally is school full-time.
Holy hell.
Here’s what we got up to the final few weeks of summer before we are in the back-to-school-grind tomorrow!
My littlest baby turned nine. Insert sob face here.She’s a nature lover, so she requested a day at the aquarium. We happily obliged. We love you so much, sweet babes.The big girls loved their two weeks at Majestic View Nature Center camp! They went on hikes, learned about bugs, went bird watching, built tunnels, did crafts. Heaven in a nature center.Loves grasshoppers.Loves grasshoppers.Loves grasshoppers. Even though this is a caterpillar.Our NY cousins came to visit!We had the best time showing them some of our favorite spots. Including, of course, the zoo!These cuties got to spend some quality time together while Lotte and Grace finished out camp the Friday they arrived. I like to think it helped bring them a little bit closer <3These two, obviously, are too much cute to handle.Here’s a hack if you have littles who blast through the aquarium and make you feel like it’s not worth the price tag: Book lunch reservations at the aquarium restaurant! They have a super cool tank with all the best fish and it’s just as good as the aquarium if, like us, you run through it in about five minutes flat.We even made it to the Frisco Bay Marina one day!The kids had the best time building sandcastles and splashing around in the water.Just a couple of flower girls.We had lunch and drinks at Outer Range Brewing, right down the street from the Marina. We even managed a very amateur photo shoot at Standley Lake <3All the ladies <3<3<3<3<3We had the best, most chaotic time. Love this crew so much.
We spent the last weekend before school started on a press trip at the YMCA of the Rockies — Snow Mountain Ranch. Since it was a press trip I can’t share a ton here. What I will say is that it was a delightful way to spend the final few days before the chaos of the 2025-26 school year descends.
Look at this cutie little cabin! Rose was my Grandma’s name, so we saw it as a sign that it was going to be a great weekend.As if a cabin named after my Grams wasn’t enough, the rainbow on the way to dinner was ANOTHER sign.We spent Saturday morning hanging out with some of the same sled dogs that drove our sled when we came to visit Snow Mountain two years ago in the winter!We went fishing! So calming …We hiked to a waterfall! So beautiful …We went tubing! So wild and fun and NOT AT ALL CALMING!We crafted. We visited Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday morning, since it was only 30 minutes away. We didn’t spot any moose, but we sure had a lot of fun trying!It was a delightful final summer weekend spent in nature.
We definitely don’t take for granted that we live in a gorgeous place in the world. We’re so grateful for trips like the YMCA of the Rockies and visitors like my sis and her crew, all of which help remind us that to be out in this beautiful world is to be reminded what it’s all about.
We’re small, my friends. And we’re here for a short time. Leave some big (but environmentally friendly!) footsteps 😉
Until next time … bis bald, friends! Welcome to the school year!
Happy New Year’s Eve, friends! With the near arrival of a new year comes my favorite part of keeping up with this blog: Reminiscing about our adventures from the previous year.
It was a good one, friends. A real good one. Here’s what we got up to 😉
January
Ringing in the New Year in Iceland!
I love this blurry photo of the five of us, chillin’ in a hot tub in Iceland the morning before flying back to the states. Rounding out our European holiday adventure (and here!) with a last day in Iceland on Jan. 1, 2024 was the perfect way to start the new year. The rest of January was spent heading to the mountains each Sunday for the girls’ ski lessons (we made an entire weekend out of it here and here!) and reliving my reporter days with a travel event in downtown Denver.
These girls ROCKED their ski lessons this year! Lotte was even riding lifts by herself by the end. (Insert Mom’s terrified face here!)Drinking booze back at the lodge was a big hit for Mom & Dad during lessons 😉Snow tubing in Frisco was so much fun!I loved heading to the Convention Center in downtown Denver for the travel expo. It made me feel like I was young again, traipsing around NYC to report on events for my editors at various mags.
February
The absolute joy of a cousin’s get-together <3
In February I snuck away to New York with the two big girls for a surprise 5th birthday treat for my niece, Rosalie. We all had the best time. The girls got to run wild, stay up late and eat an insane amount of treats. I got to see my little baby twin niece and nephew who are growing up way too quickly, and my sister and I even snuck away one night for dinner/drinks on our own. Amazing.
The best <3We love a good surprise in this family!Someone wasn’t very happy to be leaving …
Delicate Arch trail!Mexican HatForrest Gump PointMonument Valley!The Grand Canyon!Horseshoe Bend was a stunning, last-minute addition to the trip!Bryce Canyon, in all her glory.And Capitol Reef National Park, which turned out to also be such a fun surprise addition!
April
My birthday month arrived so quickly! We started the month off with a bang, heading to Steamboat Springs for a press trip that was truly a delight.
Such gorgeous snow!Lotte & Grace had the best time skiing the fun runs on the mountain! Emilia … not so much 😉 We have faith that she will get there!
At the end of April, Chris took Lotte and Grace on his first-ever solo trip with them! They headed back to New York to visit LEGOLAND! Too much fun was had by all.
I’ll never get over this amazing photo 😉I’m so glad they got this special time!Those are some tired but happy kiddos!
June was such a special month for us, as we headed Down Under for the entire month. We started out in Sydney, headed to Canberra, flew to Melbourne, checked out Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island, met friends in Brisbane and then were back in Sydney for a few days before heading home. We even had a couple hours layover in Vancouver on the way home.
What. an. epic. time.
Cutest cousins on the beach!The Vivid light show was on while we were there, and it was so beautiful!Such a special place to be. The gang is all here for Auntie Kate’s wedding party <3Canberra, AustraliaVisiting the Australian War MemorialQuestacon was so much fun!An initial Melbourne fam meet-up at Queen Victoria Market.Melbourne street art!The Great Ocean Road was so wonderful. All the beaches were gorgeous, but the 12 Apostles were particularly delightful.Dinner with my Melbourne family was such a highlight <3We even checked out the fairy penguin parade on Phillip Island!Airlie Beach, AustraliaBeach Baby in the Whitsundays. No biggie 😉Ready to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef!Gorgeous, gorgeous Whitehaven beach.Hamilton Island was a dream!We swam with sharks and sting rays!Then it was onto Brisbane!Where we had a lot of fun <3We even got to meet up with my bestie from 2nd grade — and her mom! — when we flew back to Sydney before heading home. So. Amazing!Cheers to an amazing, amazing trip <3
July & August
We made the most of the rest of our summer after returning from Australia, that’s for sure 😉
We racked up the activities after getting back from Australia — concerts, camps, visitors and lots of swimming topped the list — and before we knew it, we had a 3rd & 1st grader, and little Emilia starting 1/2-day preschool!
We saw Billy Joel and my life was made!The kids loaded up on fun camps, including this one at a horse farm where they got in lots of riding.My sister and niece came to visit!So did Grandpa and Mojo <3Some of our NYC friends came to visit for a week, too, and the kiddos went to Muddy Buddies camp together, which was adorable!We swam a bunch, too <3
September
Hello, Hamilton!
In September I took a trip back to New York to see Hamilton with my sister for her birthday, and we went to Mexico as a family on a press trip. It was one for the books.
Taking in the sights the first night I was there.Spending time alone with my sister was definitely one of the best parts of the trip.One of my many NYC happy places — Bryant Park.
Just a couple of gals, lovin’ Mexico!Gorgeous beach.Delicious food.Fun features. ‘Nuff said!
October
We very much made the most of fall in Colorado this year. We went to the mountains a couple of weekends, visited Great Sand Dunes National Park and really just Halloween’d out. It was a delight.
Frisco fall.Right in our own back yard <3St. Mary’s GlacierGreat Sand Dunes National Park was gorgeous.Great Sand Dunes National ParkZapata Falls, CO
November
Such a fun start to the holiday season!
In November we headed out on our last trip of the year — back to New York to spend Thanksgiving with our friends and family. We had so much fun! We spent time in the city (including seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person and checking out the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Lightscape with friends), and upstate, with stops on the Polar Express (oh hey there, Santa!), seeing Wicked the movie and having a lovely holiday. We hope your holiday season was bright, as well!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Lightscape with our crew.The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!Upstate with cousins!More family love!All. The. Family. Love!!!!
And that’s a wrap on the year, friends! It was a jolly lovely one, filled with so much friends and family … and travel!
I cannot believe we are here, staring down the barrel at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & the end of the year. It’s coming friends, whether we’re ready or not.
Anyway, I digress. We spent the girls’ fall break in the most glorious place — Great Sand Dunes National Park. The last time we were here, Lotte & Grace were so teeny tiny. I’m talkin’ Grace in a baby carrier teeny tiny. It was so much fun to be back with all three girls, and to have them a bit older to really enjoy it. We also stayed at an Airbnb that was about 10 minutes from the park entrance. That was clutch.
How beautiful, though?Just a little muffin, thoroughly enjoying her mountain morning.
After exploring a bit and having breakfast, we headed into the park. It costs $25 for a 7-day pass, and it’s worth every single friggin’ penny. This place is magic.
Don’t sleep on the visitor center. It has all the info about how the dunes were formed, plus gorgeous views to boot.Let the adventure begin!The excitement was palpable 😉The juxtaposition between the fall colors of the trees and the beige sand was incredible.Big pile of sand <3The girls did great! I mean, walking in sand ain’t easy!A classic photo op, of course.Love my girls so much <3<3<3And this girl sure does love her dad.We played on the dunes for about 45 minutes, then stopped for a snack in the sand before heading home for lunch.Cutie on a hill.Life is always an adventure with this guy.These colors though!
Our little explorers were such troopers! After a morning at the Dunes and then lunch back at our Airbnb, we decided we had more in the tank and headed to Zapata Falls, a .5-mile hike to a waterfall that includes traipsing across slippery rocks in the water. The girls — while slightly terrified — were so amazing.
Such a sweetie and always game for an adventure.Their album cover.This girl LOVED the hike!Initially Lotte held back on the last little (water-soaked) bit to the waterfall. But after we told her how cool it was, she went back with Chris.I mean … totally worth it, right?!Love this crew so stinkin’ much.
We slowly made our way back home on Saturday, with one more stop at the dunes visitor center and lunch at Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, which is so amazing in the fall.
Pure gold for a fall lover like me <3The neighborhood around the brewery is so quaint, with a rocking climbing wall, the riverfront walk, a coffee shop and more.After lunch we checked out the river for a bit.Little cuties <3<3
And that was it, friends. Back into the car we went, for the 2-hour ride from Buena Vista back to the Arvada. And now we await our next adventure … New York for Thanksgiving! Until then … bis bald, friends! Keep livin’ that gorgeous fall life.
We spent the morning exploring the grounds a bit more, having breakfast back at the restaurant and, naturally, buying 10,000 gorgeous Navajo momentos.
Hope Gpa didn’t think this was a REAL vacation!What a view!Thanks for the mems, Monument Valley <3
Afterwards we loaded our trusty Heidi the Highlander back up again and hit the road. This time we made sure to stop at the Arizona sign.
Hey there, Arizona!
The ride from Monument Valley to our hotel near the Grand Canyon was a little over three hours, so we broke it up with two stops.
The Navajo National Monument was a short and beautiful walk to a beautiful, historical spot.Not gonna lie, we were a bit skeptical of these dinosaur tracks at first, but everything we’ve read about them seems to be legit!Besides being insanely cool, it gave the girls a chance to run around and get their wiggles out 😉
After a few hours and a few adventures, we finally made it to our hotel!
Woop, woop … a new hotel awaits!
Here are some of the details of our stay.
Monday & Tuesday
Where we stayed: Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel Where we ate: We opted for the buffet restaurant at the hotel for two dinners and two breakfasts while we were there. That, and the train ride from the hotel to the Grand Canyon, could all be purchased for a 10% discount if you bought them together with your rooms. Where we hiked: The South Rim Trail
After resting up a bit on Monday night, we were ready to hit the train on Tuesday! The train ride includes a very cute “shoot-out showdown” before you board, and the ride itself is about 2.5 hours. There’s a cafe car and entertainers and tour guides onboard to answer all your questions. It was honestly the absolute best way to do the Canyon with three littles and for our first time. We barely had to figure anything out for ourselves (they even took care of our park entrance tickets!), and we got to relax and take in the scenery. If we ever make it back we’ll probably stay in the park, but for this adventure, this option was magic.
I’d like to take an additional second here to thank … THE WEATHER! We’ve gone places for our kids’ “spring break” before, and it’s been less-than-springlike. This time was so wonderful. Besides one random snow squall while we were driving, we had such delightful weather. Breezy and cool, with sun and … NO CROWDS. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But the National Park Gods shined down on us this trip, and we were HERE FOR IT.Absolutely insane.Incredibly gorgeous.Not to be believed.Emilia, you won’t remember this. But hopefully these photos will help <3Thank you, train, for being amazing <3
Having two nights in one spot was much-appreciated by this point in the trip, so we were all too happy to head back to the hotel after our train ride, straight back to the buffet, to the swimming pool for a bit and then to bed. The next day was on to Bryce Canyon. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Happy Friday, friends! Welcome back to the Grand Canyon Road Trip Heard Round the World, and our Day 2 Adventures. On Sunday we were already in Moab, so we hit up Arches National Park (National Park No. 1 of this trip!), then drove to Monument Valley, which is a Navajo National Park.
Along the way we also hit up the Mexican Hat and had some fun at Forrest Gump Point, the point in the movie where Forrest is running, running, running and then, suddenly, decides to stop.
Here we go!
Sunday
Where we stayed: A premium cabin at The View Hotel Where we ate: The gorgeous (with mediocre food) restaurant at The View Hotel Where we hiked: Arches! Plus we did the 17-mile Monument Valley Scenic Loop
Rock scrambles and terrifying cliff drops got nothing on these girls! (Despite Emilia’s face looking otherwise!)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … my girls continue to shock and aww me. The Delicate Arch trail in Arches National Park is a “moderate,” 3.2-mile out and back trail that covers scrambling rock and terrifying cliffs. When I say that these girls rocked it, I very and truly mean it. I remember my first time doing this hike, and how difficult it was for me to complete, and I’m just so impressed with the way these girls handled it like pros.
Rock album cover.Totally worth the hike. I mean …We even dragged out kids out even further on the hike, so that we could take this precarious photo under the arch. I told Chris later that I had visions of never seeing them again the whole time we walked over … but when in Rome????Cute hat twins <3Another pair of cuties.
So, so proud of these loves. (You too, Grandpa!)
After our hike it was back into the car and on over to Arizona (new state No. 2 for the girls!) and Monument Valley. On the way we saw a few other cool things.
Mexican Hat!The Forrest Gump Point! You just KNOW Chris had fun with this one 😉
Then it was on to Monument Valley. I’m not going to lie — I didn’t know quite what to expect here. But man oh man was I blown away. This is such an insanely gorgeous spot in the world, and staying in the cabins overlooking the monuments themselves was an amazing experience.
The 17-mile loop is driven, so that makes it easy to check out all the gorgeous spots. A lot of the reviews say it doesn’t matter what type of car you have, but I would beg to differ. An all-wheel drive that’s not directly on the ground is, I would say, optimal. She bumpy!Couldn’t have asked for a cuter crew <3I would allow for about two hours to drive the loop, depending on how often you want to stop and get out.This was the view from the porch on our cabin. Absolute perfection.
That was Sunday in a nutshell, fam! The night included an incredible sunset and star-gazing. More cabin pics to come in the next post. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Ever since we moved to Colorado I have wanted to drive through one of these ranch gates, which are located throughout the state. The second weekend in August was my time to make that dream a reality 😉
Welcome back to press trip summer, friends! I already talked about Breckenridge and Beaver Creek, and today’s post is about our third and final trip out to C Lazy U Ranch.
Believe it or not, a trip out here is not about being lazy. (As I learned on our ranger ride tour, a “lazy” U is a U that’s turned on its side). Being at C Lazy U Ranch actually means doing all the things. The girls attended camps in the mornings and afternoons where they made friends, played on the playground, did crafts and rode ponies (G) and horses (Lotte). We had Emilia with us, of course, but for parents with kids over three (the age when they can join the camps), being here means attending summer camps with your kids. Sending them off for large chunks of the day (plus dinner!) to have the time of their lives while you do the same, and reconvening for an evening activity (plus breakfast and lunch). It’s really the best of both worlds.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to in our Thursday to Saturday visit.
For the girls, dressing the part was half the fun!Anywhere that Lotte can practice the monkey bars is amazing in her book.On our very first night there the girls had dinner with complete strangers (who they became great friends with) and performed “Let It Go”, again in front of complete strangers, to much amusement and obsession. It’s safe to say that we have never had a more fun first night on a trip.Friday was our first full day, and we started off wit a short tractor ride up the mountain where we were met with fresh homemade donuts, coffee and a full breakfast with the most amazing view.Enjoying her view with a side of hot chocolate.Too stinkin.We had the most glorious morning for it, too.The best.After breakfast Chris had to work, but the girls and I got a ranger ride — which is basically a ride in a humongous and very powerful four-wheeler — all around the ranch. Grace even found this horseshoe! (Lotte was not thrilled to have not found one, hah.)There were just gorgeous views everywhere we looked!A little bird watching.Emilia was too young for the camps — they start at three — but we had the best time anyway!The driver let Grace and Lotte sit in the front on the last 10 minutes of the ride, so we obliged Emilia with a quick tour of the front seat, as well <3The girls really fell in love with horses on this trip (and have since asked to get one), and to be honest, so did I.I EVEN went on my first ride! Look at me up there, all calm, cool and collected!That night Chris escorted the girls to a Barn Dance, where they listened to live music, ate ice cream, rode a mechanical bull and just generally had a blast.Emilia had a grand time at the morning Cowboy coffee <3On Saturday morning the girls set off for their morning camp session …And it was Chris’ turn to ride!Grace rode a pony that she and her campmates decorated to look like a unicorn!Can you even? She had the best time! Emilia and I were on the playground nearby so I happened to catch her ride, and she kept calling out, “Hi Emilia! See me riding a pony, Emilia!”And Lotte rode a horse ALL BY HERSELF! I was so proud of her!In the afternoon, the “Showdeo” allowed the kids to show off the skills they learned all week. For Grace’s group, that was how to hone their cuteness.Lotte was in a horse/cherry eating race, and she came in 2nd and had a blast!Maximum cuteness.
And that was that, my friends. I would HIGLY recommend this place to anyone who has kids over the age of three (and a lot of money. It was … quite pricey!)
Anyway, I’m so incredibly grateful for having had all these adventures with my family this summer, and for my editor who continues to have faith in my travel testing abilities 😉 Keep ’em coming, Karen … I think we can handle them 😉
Glacier National Park, in all her beautiful glory … plus my little bubs <3
I feel like I should start this post by writing: “And just like that, I was 40.”
It’s what almost everyone says about turning 40, but it doesn’t actually feel that way. On the one hand yes, I feel like I turned 21 just yesterday. But on the other hand … holy hell a lot of work has gone into reaching this decade!
Between 30 and 40 I became a whole new person. I entered into my first year of marriage, started my business and moved across the country. I added countries and states and continents to my travels, bought a house, sold a house, bought another one. I had two miscarriages and three babies. I lost and gained friends. I lost my Mom.
It’s been a ride, friends!
Anyway, all of this is to say, entering my 40s does feel like a milestone, but not in a “oh my God I’m so old!” way. More in a, “Wow, that was a whirlwind. I wonder what’s next?!” kind of way.
So to kick off this new and exciting decade, I thought it would be nice to celebrate in a place that’s been on my Bucket List since I wrote a geography report about it in 8th grade: Glacier National Park.
And I was right — she did not disappoint.
Although traveling at the end of March/early April meant that most things (restaurants, hotels, sections of the main road) would be either closed or covered in snow, it also meant that we literally had the entire place to ourselves. It was magical, friends. When I tell you the park was our playground, what I mean is that we probably saw about a dozen people the entire time we were there, and the majority of those were on the final day when we visited one of the most popular lakes in the entire park.
We’ve already made plans to go back when the weather is nicer, now that we got to have our initial trip all to ourselves.
Here’s a little bit of what we got up to on my 40th birthday trip.
Day 1: Arrival
We didn’t arrive until mid-afternoon on our first day, which was a nice way to ease into the trip.
These little muffins are becoming quite the travelers 😉Bluey for the win!When we landed we had time to kill before we could check in, so we headed to The Montana Club in Kalispell (about 20 minutes from the airport) for lunch. It was the perfect Montana introduction.And the perfect way to toast an introduction to my birthday weekend!At 4, we checked into our tiny cabin. While this place was fine, there ended up being a few quirks (spider! broken fireplace! hot water that doesn’t last for very long!) that would make me not recommend it for big families like ours. Still, it was a fantastic location — at about 15 minutes to the West entrance of Glacier — AND had one of our favorite features ….A hot tub!Em couldn’t go in for long, but she did get a dip, which she was VERY happy about 😉
We knew we wanted to get up early on Friday to start the exploring, so after dinner we hit the hay (the girls did enjoy their loft beds in this Airbnb, that’s for sure!) and called it a night!
Day 2: East Glacier
On our first full day in the park, we hit the road! We were staying near the West Glacier entrance, but we wanted to head over to the East side to check out Two Medicine Grill for breakfast on our way to St. Mary Lake.
Hard not to take picture of EVERYTHING you see in Montana.Driving over the continental divide!Only one child was awake for the event.Breakfast at Two Medicine Grill was everything we could have ever hoped for in a diner.See what I mean 😉Chris took this photo of me from the car, because ….I will always stop on the side of the road for horse photos. Always.The park entrance photo of my dreams, on the way into the St. Mary Lake area!It was definitely chilly on Friday, so we didn’t actually do any hiking. But driving around and stopping for photo opps was just as good, in my mind.See what I mean 😉There were a lot of road closure on this trip, but we definitely got the gist, and definitely plan to come back when we can see the whole thing!All told, we drove about four or five hours on Friday around the park, and the girls were ROCK STARS. I love my little crew…We stopped at the Glacier Distilling Company on the way home, which happened to be about five minutes from our Airbnb and AMAZING.Delightful tasting flight!Delightful cocktails!Then it was back to our Airbnb for more HOT TUB TIME!
Day 3: Polebridge Mercantile
On our second day in the park we traveled over dirt roads and through rivers (basically) for … HUCKLEBERRY BEAR CLAWS!
The Polebridge Mercantile & Bakery is a Glacier institution, and we were so lucky that it just happened to open for the season on April 1st!
Chris didn’t let on how nervous he was driving to Polebridge until we got home — but he did an awesome job and we arrived in one piece!While Chris fretted the drive, I took photos 😉About an hour later, we arrived!I mean … HOW CUTE IS THIS PLACE?!AND THEY HAD PUPPIES!!!!! (that were actually for bear control …. yikes!)And so many treats! And a coffee that I loved so much I got two of. PLUS …Don’t ask me how many Huckleberry Bear Claws we purchased …How adorable is this Lego version of the store?!Running from a family of Sasquatches. Naturally.We tried to drive into the park from the store, but our car got stuck in a trench of water. So, we nixed that idea in favor of ….More hot tub time!Hot tubbin’ in the cold and snow really can’t be beat <3It was the PERFECT last day of my 30s, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way <3
Day 4: WELCOME TO 40!
And then there was the One Where I Turned 40 …
Yikes!
It was honestly a good day, friends, filled with Facetimes and family and fun and Huckleberry things. I felt very loved and special on this day, and there wasn’t anything else I could have possibly wanted.
Starting your birthday off with waffles covered in Huckleberry jam and ice cream is ALWAYS a good idea!For my birthday, we decided to head over to the famous Lake McDonald, which afforded us some glorious views along the way.Plus this picture-perfect park entrance sign <3It was a cloudy morning, but look at this splendor …So incredibly gorgeous.AND WE BASICALLY HAD THE PLACE TO OURSELVES!It was a special moment.How Mom throws …How Dad throws.Gorgeous.Serene.For dinner that night we headed into Whitefish (about 30 minutes away) and ate at The Firebrand Hotel, which was magnificent. After dinner the skies had cleared and it was nearing sunset, and Chris had the idea to head back to Lake McDonald. I’m so incredibly glad we did …Because these views …Are breathtaking.We have no fun 😉Thank you, Glacier, for putting on a show.Birthday pie that night was … you guessed it! … HUCKLEBERRY!Plus one more hot tub/star gazing soak.
Oh, Montana, you stole my heart. This was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m so happy I got to spend it with my crew.
On Monday it was …
One final hot tub soak and …One final Huckleberry cocktail, then home.
That was my 40th birthday adventure in a nutshell, friends. I hope you enjoyed following along.
I can’t wait to see where my 40s take me in this crazy beautiful world, and I can’t wait to bring you along.
Happy Thursday, my friends! The above photo perfectly encapsulates what you should expect when heading to the Colorado mountains for a spring break that takes place during the third week of March.
Lots and lots (and lots and lots) of snow!
I’ll start by saying this: I wasn’t into this trip. I mean, I planned this trip, don’t get me wrong. When I knew the girls had some time coming up for break, but that Chris wouldn’t be able to take time off from work, I knew that getting out of our house, even for just a couple of days, would be a necessity.
What I didn’t count on was a massive storm heading in for the two days we would be in Grand Lake, and the absolute FOMO I would have from watching our friends head off to sunny and fabulous locales, like Hawaii and Colombia.
I mean … how do you compete with Hawaii? Or Colombia?
I decided you don’t. Instead, you lean into the snowy Xanadu, buy all the hot chocolate, wine and comfort food you can get your hands on, and decide to make the most of it.
Or at least, I tried. We stayed in this tiny cabin which, while appealing, is a bit close quarters for a family of five, during a snow storm, while one parent is still trying to get some work done.
Cabin was cute, with beautiful views, but still … small is small, people!
Still, we absolutely made the most of it. At the end of the day, I’m so glad we got up to the mountains and spent a couple days in the fresh air. Here’s what we got up to!
Day 1: Our Arrival
We arrived after dark on Monday after making a pit stop in Winter Park for dinner at Hernando’s. Even in the dark, you could tell from the outside that the cabin would be charming. (And that this trip would be … ahem … an adventure!)
After my anxiety driving over Berthoud Pass and one carsick-induced puke (poor Emilia), it was really nice to stop off in Winter Park for dinner and a breather.See? So cute and charming!At least the girls are getting way better at sharing a bedroom! Bunkbeds are always preferred, but this worked, too 😉Emilia made herself right at home, testing out all the furniture and climbing over everything possible. These little muffins sure are the cutest adventurers <3
Day 2: Grand Lake Adventures
Our first full day in Grand Lake called for snow, but we lucked out and got only a few flurries, combined with a mostly gloriously sunny day!So we took advantage of our nice-weather luck and headed over to Grand Lake. If you’ve been here a while you’ll recall that we made a similar trek last spring break — with Nan and Poppa! — and it was just as much a hit this year as it was last!This mom will interrupt the fun for selfies. Always. #sorrynotsorryJust a coupla cuties, having a snowy blast!I’ll never get over the fact that we were walking on a lake. Although this time parts of the lake were definitely more thawed than I would have liked, which was terrifying ….Snowmen and snow angels were a must.So full of love for these ladies.Chris had to work while we were away, but the girls and I made the most of our lady time <3<3<3This little one definitely doesn’t remember her trip out here last year, but she just might have a few glimmers from this one 😉The rest of our day was filled with equally as essential snow day necessities, including lunch at The Hub …Couch snuggles …Family reading ….And (very competitive!) family games!
Oh, and we also had to get our car towed out of our driveway when it got stuck on ice.
Never a dull moment, friends.
Day 3: Rocky Mountain National Park … and SNOW!
We woke up Wednesday morning to alllllllll theeeeeeeeee snowwwwwwwwww!So up we suited and out we went … again! We spent the morning in our front yard before heading out to Rocky Mountain National Park, where our first stop was the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. Snow, snow, and ….MORE SNOW!Made for some cute pics, like this one (don’t mind Emilia … she had just stuck her hands in the snow without gloves on …)And this one 😉
After our early morning snowcapades, we loaded up the car and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park and the visitor center.
At first we thought the visitor center was closed because of how absolutely deserted the area was, but luckily it was open (guess we were the only intrepid blizzard travelers), and it provided us with about 45 minutes of activity, which was priceless. (Insert exasperated/exhausted face here.)
We wanted to try for a short hike after the visitor center, but it had started snowing pretty heavily again by then, so we scrapped that idea and opted for lunch in the town, instead.
But not without stopping for a RMNP sign photo first, of course!If you don’t take a selfie … were you really there?!
Lunch was at Sagebrush BBQ & Grill, which was delightful, and I would highly recommend (as would Emilia)!
Back at home, the girls spent our final afternoon riding sleds and climbing up to the roofs of the cabins because THAT’S HOW TALL THE SNOW WENT.
My little adventurer. (This was obviously a Chris activity. I would have been WAY to nervous to let her do that!)
After one final night in our tiny cabin we were up and at ’em at 5 so we could get home in time for Chris to start his work day. Grand Lake, you ended up being a gem, despite my initial hesitation 😉 I’m so glad we went.
The gorgeous (and at times terrifying!) road home.
And that was our trip, friends! Next weekend if my birthday (!), and we’re off again, this time to tick off a bucket list adventure that I’ve had since an 8th grade report. Any guesses?!
Edit Note: I wrote this post on the Monday after Thanksgiving, as we had just spent the weekend at the second YMCA of the Rockies location. Since the trip was a sponsored press trip, I waited to post this until the story for the publication that sponsored me went live. You can find the complete Good Housekeeping 2023 Family Travel Rewards story here!
Happy Monday after Thanksgiving, loves! Our little family was lucky enough to try out the second YMCA of the Rockies location — this time in Estes Park — the weekend after the holiday. (You can find information on our stay at the Granby Ranch location here.)
While similar in many ways, and with many of the same amenities as Granby, the Estes Park location did feel slightly different. There is less property at this location, which means the cabins and activities are closer together. This is nice if you’d like to opportunity to walk around more easily, but the vastness of the Granby location also had its perks. Whichever you visit, you honestly can’t go wrong. Grace spent the entire first-day-back-preschool-morning-check-in walking up to her little friends and her teacher and saying, “I went to the YMCA of the Rockies!”
It obviously had a lasting impact. Here’s a little bit why …
Even the check-in area was charming!We had a real fireplace at this cabin, which you just KNOW Chris loved!Games were another big part of our stay.So glad we got to check out the pool on this trip!The most fun!Who doesn’t love a good air throw?Just like in Granby, the cafeteria was a big hit.Me and my cute little crew 😉We took a cute, short guided nature walk that involved hugging trees!Borrowed some clubs for some mini-golf!The library — and more specifically the story time at the library — is a MUST if you come here!Grace did some rock climbing on the scrambling wall, while Lotte …… gave the big wall a go!Nature Center cutiesWe made ice cream!We explored some trails!We made art!We made a mess 😉We tried out the playgrounds!We got cozy and colored by the fireplace in the lobby!We made smores in our jammies back in our cabin!And on Sunday morning, we woke up to gorgeous, snow-dusted vistas.
And that was our action-packed, amazing trip in a nutshell, my friends! Check out the YMCA of the Rockies in the Good Housekeeping travel awards here.
Happy Thanksgiving week, my friends! We have been battling all the illnesses over here lately (just like literally everyone else in the world, I know), but we did manage to pull it together this past weekend for a quick press trip out to YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, CO.
As you’ll recall, we are already big fans of Granby, but the YMCA property took that love to a whole other level. I won’t go into a ton of detail here (because all of that is covered in the actual story that the press trip was for, which you can find here), but I’ll just say, this is the best, most upgraded camp experience you could ever have, dropped right in the middle of the most majestic mountain setting.
Some of our activities included:
Meeting the sled dog team and going on a little ride
Checking out the Kiva/Rec Center
Making crafts in the Craft Center
Smoresing and bonfireing
Building a float for a mini Thanksgiving Day parade
Enjoying our SPECTACULAR mountain views
We feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to visit this iconic spot.
We stopped off in Idaho Springs on our way home, as well, and had lunch at Beau Jo’s <3
I hope you guys are staying healthy and have some relaxing and fun holiday plans ahead. Until next time … bis bald!
Welp, friends … there goes another year. As the photo above indicates, we’ve had our highs and lows. I think the year didn’t quite pan out the way most of us were hoping it would, but still, there were bright spots to be found.
Here’s hoping 2022 brings you and your family all the happiness and cheer that you deserve! And here’s what we were able to get up to in 2021 …
April
We dusted off our travel boots for the first time in more than a year (!) this past April for a trip to the mountains. We headed to one of our favorite low-key spots — Granby Ranch — and the older girls even tried their hand at skiing for the first time.
Rocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoLotte, Grace & Emilia cuddled up on our couch in the cabin.Chris and the big girls posing on frozen Grand Lake.They look a little weathered here because this was after their lessons … but I HAD to get a pic of the two of them with their adorable little set of skis! We wrangled the kids to take a quick selfie when we got out on the lake in Grand Lake.
Grandpa came for his first visit in more than a year!Lotte started track!Evergreen Lake, Evergreen, ColoradoMe and my JMU girls 😉We sure do love a good splash pad!Just a dad and his trio of ladies.
July
The end of June and beginning of July was a busy time for us, as we packed up the car and hit the road for our trip out East! We started in Colorado and made out way out to New Jersey and New York and then back, stopping in a number of states along the way. (You can find all the gritty details here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)
Cody Park, NebraskaThe Bean in Chicago!Brigantine Beach, NJThese cutie cousins <3With Atlantic City in the backgroundStaying at a real, working farm in Pennsylvania was … interesting!One of the best stops on our trip home!The Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MissouriColorado State Line
As the holidays rolled around, we were really looking forward to spending Christmas and New Years with family back in New York. Unfortunately, Covid had different plans for us. Perhaps we’ll have better luck next year. Still, we managed to get a day in Manhattan, and we did get to spend actual Christmas Day with family, which was an upgrade from last year, so we’ll call it a win.
Times Square is never not entertaining!Grace was very taken with the Rockefeller tree 😉Snow on Christmas Eve was a perk!Christmas Day cutiesMerry Christmas to you and yours!
And that’s 2021, my friends. We’re looking forward to a quiet New Years Eve (and wedding anniversary, for myself and Chris <3) and planning for (hopefully) some fun travels to come in the New Year.
I should start by saying that the ride out to the farm was less than optimal. (Think lots of things going wrong, including traffic and car sickness … it wasn’t our best ride …) So by the time we arrived, we had all about had it. The farm itself was very sweet, with lots of rescued animals for the girls to fawn over and fall in love with. I, however, was ready for a delightfully decadent shower, or perhaps even a lovely bath.
That wasn’t going to happen here.
Staying on the farm is a unique (and ultimately worthwhile) experience, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into. I’d liken this stay to “glamping,” since there was a roof over our heads and running water, but it wasn’t fancy by any means (nor is it advertised as such … that’s just what I was hoping for at that particular moment in my life.)
Once we started to get over the effects of our gross ride, things got better. It was actually very sweet to see the girls react to the animals, to eat a picnic dinner on the table by the lake, to watch the fireflies outside next to a campfire and to fall asleep to the sound of bullfrogs, and all the other nature surrounding us.
The farm is right next to the cabins on the property, so we walked over pretty much as soon as we arrived.After this trip Grace won’t stop asking for a cat, while Lotte has her heart set on a dog. Either way, I’m not ready for a new pet, so here’s hoping they forget soon!I do love a cute barn scene.There are a ton of animals on the farm that are being rehabilitated from less-than-optimal settings. The girls loved being able to feed and pet them all.Too cute. This was the view right outside our cabin, and the girls couldn’t wait to get out on the water with Chris the next day!That quiet life.Taking it all in.I made Chris stay near the cabin on his run that night (hah!), but this view wasn’t too shabby!Like I said, the girls were ready to go the next morning!
In all honesty, we decided to stop off in Pennsylvania — and in this area in particular — because my sister and I are considering getting a lake house together and we’re scouting spots. We love the idea of getting a place together where our kids can grow up and visit throughout the year. Living far away from family is hard, but if we had a place like that — and a trip like that — to look forward to every year, it might be just a little bit easier.
After our one-night stay in the cabins, we decided to check out Hawley, PA and the cute zoo — Claws “N” Paws Wild Animal Park — in the area. We only got to spend a couple hours in Hawley, but I can tell it’s a very cute area, so we definitely plan to be back!
Livin’ her best life, always!Lotte was thrilled they had lions, as they are her favorite animal 😉These cuties <3So much to explore!
After the zoo, we were finally on our way to upstate New York, where we would be spending the rest of our trip. That included a stay at Grandpa Robert’s in Newburgh, one night at my sister’s in Middletown and one night at my aunt and uncle’s in Goshen. My aunt and uncle were kind enough to watch the girls for us while we attended a wedding, and we were forever grateful!
I’ll post separately about the wedding — because the beauty of it deserves a post all its own — but for now, here’s a bit of what we got up to in New York …
No visit to New York is complete without a stop in Equilibrium, Chris’s favorite brewery.Our stay with Grandpa Robert was delightfully chill, filled with barbecues and walks with Ranger.It was love at first sight for Emilia … not so much for Ranger!Me and my girl <3Grace and Ranger, on the other hand, had a love affair going on!Our last morning before leaving Grandpa’s.The girls had THE BEST time at my Aunt and Uncle’s! It was so sweet seeing them together, especially with Em, who they were meeting for the first time!Seeing Em with my sister for the first time on this trip was pretty special, too <3Cousin love. These photos were actually taken on the night Chris and I went to the wedding and my aunt and uncle watched the girls. I mean … look at that face!My aunt and uncle planned such a fun night for the girls — including cooking and campouts! — and we were so grateful. Taking fabulous care of our kids AND making homemade scones for us the next day? I mean … why did we ever leave?!
We always have the best time when we head back to New York, but it’s usually really hard to fit in seeing everyone who we want to see. Even though this was a quick trip, we got lucky and were able to cram a whole heck of a lot of visiting in. I am so grateful for all the memories we made with so many people we love. This was one amazing trip that we won’t soon forget.
The Details
Most of this portion of our trip included stays with family, but we did visit a few noteworthy places:
The Hawley Silk Mill is a cute little indoor shopping area that’s right next to Cocoon. After many iterations as a textile factory, silk factory and antique center, the factory has been repurposed into the shopping center that it is today.
Equilibrium Brewery is a fun place to check out if you’re in the Middletown, NY area (and if you like meat, which I don’t, but everyone says theirs is great!).
I’ll be back tomorrow with one of the most beautiful weddings we’ve been to. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Oh hi there, friends … remember me?! If you don’t, I am not offended. My last post on this website was September 1, 2020, but even then, there wasn’t a whole heck of a lot to report. Sure, the past year has been pretty busy — we had a baby, Chris started a new job and became a U.S. citizen (he has dual Australia/U.S. citizenship now … wahoo!), we both tried to hold on to some semblance of our careers while watching two children from home full-time. However, because of the pandemic, there was also a heck of a lot of nothing that happened. My trip back to New York with Lotte in February of 2020 was my last flight, and Chris’s trip back to Australia in February was his. Those were the last times that we saw our family, as well. If only we could have known what was coming … am I right?
Anyway, it’s been a rough 12+ months for everyone, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, my friends. Although Chris and I haven’t been able to get vaccinated yet, just knowing it’s right around the corner — and seeing the numbers drop from the people who have been vaccinated already — is such a joy. So, with all of that in mind, Chris and I decided to pack up the car with our brand new family of five, and to head out on a vacation that was as safe as it could possibly be. Rather than taking a super-long car ride, we opted to head into the mountains, to one of the spots that we’ve loved in the past: Granby Ranch. We stayed at a little Airbnb in the Blue Sky Trail area, which was the perfect location for skiing (the older two girls got their first lessons!), as well as quickly getting to a beautiful hike in Rocky Mountain National Park and checking out the most adorable Grand Lake area, which had the cutest little town and, as you might have guessed, a very grand lake 😉 The lake was frozen, so we were able to walk out on it, which I think the girls found to be pretty fun.
Grace is never happier than when she’s running into wide, open spaces!
Before I get into the fun parts of the trip, and the amazing pictures (because, Colorado), let me just say … Chris and I were pretty surprised at the level of difficulty this trip reached. We’ve traveled with a 3-year-old before, but every 3-year-old is different and, if I can just say, our current 3-year-old can be quite sassy, to put it delicately. When we were out and about exploring, everything was pretty great for the most part, but when we were back in the cabin, things tended to get a bit hairy. To be fair, thanks to the pandemic, Grace probably doesn’t even remember the trips that she has been on in the past, so she’s not used to being on an extended adventure. I was looking back at pictures of her last trip, and wow she was so little! Chris and I kept reminding ourselves that this, right now, with a 4.5 and 3-year-old and a six-month-old, will likely be the hardest it’ll be for us in terms of traveling. At the end of the day, the minute you get home, the stressful moments tend to either fade away or become funny memories, so it’s almost always worth it, or at least it has been so far, in our experience.
What about you guys? Any other readers out there traveling with littles? Care to share any tips and tricks to make it magically easier?!
While I wait for that advice to roll in, here’s a look at our trip in pictures ….
Lotte, Emilia and Grace, ready to hit the road!Chris, Lotte and Grace, adventuring out on the lake.Okay, so maybe we didn’t actually make this snowman – hah! But we did enjoy posing with him!Just a couple of ladies on the ice … cue the Frozen soundtrack 😉We wrangled the kids to take a quick selfie when we got out on the lake in Grand Lake.Grace might seem uninterested, but I’m happy to have gotten this shot of the three of us in front of the lake.Lotte, Grace & Emilia cuddled up on our couch in the cabin.We stopped for lunch at the top of our hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. The terrain was icy in spots, but I’m glad we stuck with it!Anyone else have a trick to get a sassy 3-year-old to smile for pictures?!We were honestly very impressed with both of the big girls on this hike … they took it like champs! Lotte even walked the whole thing — about a mile — by herself.This gorgeous view was a short but steep hike about three minutes from our cabin in Granby Ranch.It was windy and freezing at the top of the hill, but we just had to stop for a quick family selfie!Lotte and Grace had their first ski lessons on this trip, and I was honestly so proud of both of them! Lotte especially loved it, and I think Grace will come to love it more with time, as well.They look a little weathered here because this was after their lessons … but I HAD to get a pic of the two of them with their adorable little set of skis! If we offer the girls hot chocolate after every ski lessons, I’m pretty sure they’ll always be happy to oblige 😉
And that, my friends, was our little trip in a nutshell. We packed a lot in, while still trying to be as socially distanced and as safe as we could. I’m glad that we were able to get away, for however short of an amount of time. We were all so happy to be back home, even though we’ve spent pretty much every day here for the past year, which was a nice feeling. Now, with some more trips planned for the summer, it’s starting to feel like things are getting back to normal, and we are HERE. FOR. THAT. Hope you guys are all finding some moments of happiness amidst this craziness and, until next time … BIS BALD!
Welp, friends, this past weekend consisted of ticking things off the bucket list from left to right and every way sidewise. It was our annual birthday trip getaway for my birthday (if you’ll recall, we’ve made something of a tradition of heading out of town for both my and Chris’ birthdays. Last year was Great Sand Dunes National Park for Chris and Telluride for me), and we headed into the mountains — to Woodland Park, to be exact.
Woodland Park is charming in its own right, but really, the main attraction for people coming to this particular area is the drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak, one of Colorado’s (in)famous “14ers,” meaning a mountain whose summit is higher than 14,000 feet. This particular mountain reaches 14,115 feet … and I had no particular interest in heading there.
Until, of course, Chris mentioned it as a potential spot for my birthday weekend getaway.
Happy Monday, friends. I’m on to the last leg of our California trip, Yosemite National Park. We stayed in the most amazing cabin called the Birdhouse, which was part of the Scenic Wonders properties. It was right next to a babbling creek and had an awesome wrap-around porch with a grill and hot tub, plus a fully stocked kitchen, huge dining and living room area and a loft space with a King-size bed and two smaller beds, plus plenty of room for Lotte’s Pack and Play. It was perfect for our two-night stay, even if we did arrive a bit later than we expected to on Sunday night because things got confusing with closed roads due to a fire :/ Still, we arrived! And it was awesome! And we had a full day in Yosemite on Monday to explore, which included taking in the scene at Tunnel View, catching the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour (which takes place on a tractor!), seeing the Bridalveil Falls, having a picnic and checking out the Yosemite Falls, as well. Unfortunately two things we wanted to see — Glacier Point Road and Mariposa Grove with sequoias and Redwoods — were closed because of the ongoing fire.
Guess that just means we’ll have to come back 😉
The views:
^^ Our cute little Birdhouse, tucked away and secluded in the Yosemite woods.
^^ Our little fam at Bridalveil Fall. I was nervous about the trail leading up to the falls because it was marked as steep and dangerous, but really it was so short, it was no bother at all.
^^ Ridin’ along on our tractor tour strapped to dad in an Ergo — that’s the way to go! Lotte was pretty good on the tour, which lasted two hours. She fussed a bit but I think she really enjoyed the motion of the tractor and being outside, and she eventually fell asleep in the Ergo, which was awesome. It also helped that our tour guide was seriously amazing. You could really tell that she loves her job — she even sang to us at one point — and she made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. ^^ Checking out the scenery at Tunnel View. You can see the whole valley from here, and it’s so spectacular.
^^ The only family shot at Tunnel View that we were able to get 😉
^^ Ergo napping baby!
^^ It lightly drizzled on-and-off during our picnic (that’s Yosemite Falls in the background), but that turned out to be great, because no one else was around!
^^ This blurry photo of my babe and my hubs in front of the falls is one of my faves 😉 We didn’t do the actual Yosemite Falls hike, but you can take a short path up to the base, which was really beautiful.
^^ Oh hi there, tiny humans of mine!
Tuesday we had to head back to San Francisco to catch our flight home, but we took some time in the morning to head back to some of our favorite sites and snap some photos before leaving. Yosemite was so wonderful and majestic, and I’m so glad we got to take Lotte there. Even at her young age, you can still tell she’s noticing everything, and her favorite thing in the world to do right now is point and babble. She did that a lot along our California journey, and it felt great to be able to tell her exactly what she was looking at … just beautiful ole’ America, which is here for her to enjoy.
The day after Christmas we all packed up and headed to Keystone to spend a couple days in the mountains. We rented a cabin in Gateway Mountain Lodge, which was super close to the slopes and the little shopping area, so everyone was happy.
And while my day at the mountain was cut painfully short when my lovely daughter refused to take a bottle from my sister and stepdad, who were babysitting (long story short, it was actually my fault … lesson learned), I still had a lot of fun, and I think everyone else did, too.
^^ Ready for her mountain adventure!
^^ Could the back of these pants be any cuter?
^^ Darkest photo ever of our pit stop at Red Rocks on the way to Keystone.
^^ This window in our cabin … can I have one in my house, please?
^^ Although I missed out on snowboarding last season since I was pregnant, this was the first time I got on my snowboard and really just felt it all click. So. Much. Fun!
^^ Somebody had a five month birthday celebration at the mountains, surrounded by family. Not a bad way to spend a birthday, my friends.
^^ My stepdad bought all of us these New York shirts for Christmas and we wore them to dinner on our last night. How cute are we?!
^^ So long mountains, see ya in a couple weeks when we head to Breckenridge with some friends!
And that was our little mountain getaway in a nutshell. It was only three days, but it felt longer for some reason, which was nice. We’re off Friday to Philly and then New York to celebrate second Christmas with my Philly fam and then to attend a wedding in Central Park on Tuesday. (Ummmm … how much do I love how much we’re getting back to NYC with Lotte lately? A LOT, let’s just say!)
Bis bald, friends! I’ll just go ahead and leave you with this video of me rockin’ out on my snowboard 😉
After settling into our amazing tiny house last Wednesday, we woke up bright and early Thursday morning, ready to tackle the awesome splendor that is Grand Teton National Park. We got up around 6 a.m., made some coffee, and sat on our front porch overlooking the Tetons while we planned our day.
Here’s how the day went:
We started with breakfast at a cute little bakery right in the downtown part of Jackson called Persephone, where we ordered coffees, breakfast sandwiches and scones to go. It was busy, but we didn’t have to wait too long, and the food was amazing, so I’d highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in town.
After grabbing breakfast, we headed across the street to an outdoor store and grabbed some bear spray.
A note about the bear spray, people — it’s expensive, but it makes all the difference in terms of comfort level when you’ll be hiking (or even just standing!) in areas where there has been heavy bear activity, like there has been this year in both the Tetons and Yellowstone. For example — we ended up seeing four bears in Yellowstone … but that’s a post for another day 😉
Anyway, after breakfast and bear spray, we started the drive out to the park. The road we originally wanted to take was actually closed down due to bear activity (see!), but no matter where you drive around the Tetons, you’re sure to see some amazing stuff.
^^ After our hike, we stopped off at Dornans to have some drinks overlooking the mountains.
^^ Doesn’t get much more Wyoming than this.
On our way back to our tiny house, we stopped off at the grocery store to pick up some veggies and smores to grill and some wine to drink. Chris was dying to try out the outdoor grill that came with our tiny house, and I was dying to stare up at the stars all night long — so it worked out well for both of us!
We also decided to try out The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, right in downtown Jackson, which is about as cowboy/Midwest as you can possibly get. It’s definitely worth a stop-in for a drink if you’re in the area!
^^ You can’t really tell from this photo, but we’re actually sitting on bar stools that are saddles. Fun!
^^ Grilling for dinner right next to our tiny house. It was the perfect way to end our day full o’ fun at the Grand Tetons!
The next morning we would be up early (again!) to head over to breakfast at The Bunnery in Jackson before driving about an hour or so to start our Yellowstone adventure.
But more on that to come later, my friends. For now — bis bald!
^^ So I know it’s Sunday, not Monday, but Chris and I will be in the Galapagos all this week with no internet connection, so this post comes at you now or never, friends 😉 We just arrived back from the Amazon today, and it was an absolutely spectacular time. We loved the lodge where we stayed, and we saw so many amazing creatures and had tons of adventures. For example, the shower in our lodge was screened in at the back and offered a full-on view of the jungle, and the second night we were there I just happened to catch the little guy above and about a half dozen of his friends playing in the trees right outside. Can’t say that’s something that’s ever happened to me before! Much more to come on the Amazon in the upcoming weeks — bis bald friends!
Holy cow tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.
Holy cow tomorrow is the very last day in 2013.
Holy cow as of tomorrow Chris and I will have been married for one. whole. year!
Just … that’s a whole lotta holy cows!
So Chris and I had a lovely, action-packed holiday week last week, and the fun will continue this week with some anniversary activities. But last week …. let’s see. We spent Christmas eve into Christmas morning in New Jersey with family, then hopped to upstate New York to spend the rest of Christmas with my mom and stepdad, and drove the day after Christmas to meet up with my aunt, uncle, two cousins and cousin’s boyfriend for a little extra Christmas celebrating in Stowe, Vermont. My aunt had booked the place for us as our Christmas gift, and we stayed in a Stoneybrook cabin with a fireplace, huge kitchen and gorgeous views.
^^ The view from the back porch of our bedroom on Friday morning, after it had snowed all night.
My sister and her boyfriend, my uncle and Chris and I were excited to head up to the mountain to ski/snowboard. I would be taking another snowboarding lesson (I think after this time I finally got it down!), while the others went off and did their “we’re already good at this” thing.
Unfortunately we arrived too late on Friday for me to catch the lesson. (Word to the wise for any of you snow bunnies who might want to take a lesson at Stowe — they start at 10 a.m. on Fridays — maybe every day but I can’t say for sure — and they go for an hour and a half in the morning, then break and meet up again at 1 for another hour. And they’re expensive! With my gear rental and the group lesson, I ended up paying around $230. Ouch … but worth it!)
Anyway, since I wouldn’t be snowboarding on Friday, I did this instead:
^^Found the bar …
^^Had an extremely delicious Bloody Mary while I waited for everyone to meet me for lunch.
Saturday was different, though, my friends — Saturday I actually took a lesson! And let me tell you — by the end of it I wasn’t half bad 😉 It ended up being a private lesson when no one else showed up for the class, so that’s always a good thing.
Of course I never left the beginner’s hill but hey — I need to leave something to aspire to, right?
Saturday night we headed into town to the Vermont Ale House, which had awesome beers, amazing music and tables made of chalkboard so you could draw on them. It was pretty much the best.
We left yesterday to make the drive back to the city (in a snow and rainstorm, no less!), but Chris still got in a half day of snowboarding, I took a hike with my uncle and cousin’s boyfriend on the trails right near our cabin and Steph and I checked out a bit of the town.
I think it’s safe to say Stowe was a major success, and that we’d all love more than anything to make this trip an annual thing.
Bis bald, friends! I seriously cannot believe that tomorrow will be my lost blog of 2013. Time really does fly when you’re having fun …
So back in New York City things are … not so good. I mean, for myself and Chris–we’re pretty lucky. We never lost power or internet, our apartment was never flooded and things have pretty much gone on as usual. However, less than a few miles away we know things are much, much different. My heart just pours out to everyone who has lost friends and loved ones, valued possessions or entire homes. It’s just so horrible. Climate change–it’s really something to think about, isn’t it?
Chris has been working from home this whole week since the power is out at his office, but they hope to return on Monday. The New York City marathon, as of right now, will still happen Sunday and word on the street is the power will back on for everyone in Manhattan by Saturday evening.
In an effort to starting returning all things to normal, I thought I’d go ahead and blog about last weekend, when we were having a blast at JMU homecoming in Virginia.
So here’s to happy, warm weather memories …
Last Friday Chris and I set off to La Guardia to pick up our rental car at around 6:30 in the morning. We had about a 6 hour drive ahead of us to Stanley, Virginia, and we were eager to get started. Since we couldn’t check in to our log cabin (which was ahhhhmazing, by the way! More on that later!), the plan was for all of us to meet up at a local winery I had found, Wisteria, which was about a 10 minute drive away from where we’d be staying.
Chris, my cousin Alyssa, her boyfriend Jesse and myself were the first to arrive at the winery, and it was exactly as I would have wanted it to be. Cute. Charming. Low-key. Tasty wine. The owners–a retired husband and wife–opened the winery a few years back. Their two dogs, chickens, roosters and flock of sheep live on the property (which you know I loved), as well.
After our wine tasting ($12 per person for a tasting of 12 wines and a glass…gotta love VA!), we all congregated on a bench outside with some purchased bottles to take in the scenery and chat:
After our cute little vineyard tour, we all hopped in our cars and headed off to the cabin. Of course I had seen the photos on the website, and I had verified (multiple times) that the cabin we were getting was the one in the photos, but still, you can never be sure.
But let me tell you, my friends, we were not disappointed:
Our beer-stocked fridge. We had food, too. Somewhere.
Our game room.
Our fire pit area, which Chris was obsessed with.
Cabin view from the fire pit.
The hot tub in the main bedroom.
The 8-person hot tub on the porch. Of course when we put 8 people in it, it overflowed just a bit. But you know, no big deal.
One view of our wrap-around porch.
The awesome grill, which we only used once.
The other side of our porch, with the adorable wooden rocking chairs and cute little Checkers table.
The dining room.
The kitchen in use!
The living room.
Living room from the top floor balcony. There were three floors to the house, and 5 bedrooms total.
The top floor living room.
One of the bedrooms on the top floor.
Saturday morning breakfast of bagels, eggs, bacon and mimosas.
Our time at the cabin was mostly spent eating (we all took turns cooking), drinking, watching football, playing games in the game room, building fires in the fire pit, chilling in the hot tub (although somehow we only managed to do that Friday night) and playing beer pong and cards. It was an amazing time.
And on Saturday, Chris, Alyssa, Jesse and I headed to the JMU campus to catch the JMU football game and tailgate a bit.
They say this statue of James Madison is built to his actual height. What a cute little shorty.
Me and Carla, my freshman year roommate.
Now I hadn’t been back to the stadium since my first year out of school, but I knew they had done some remodeling. It was actually pretty impressive (as was our defeat to Georgia State!):
Purple-ing Out!
After the game we went to the book store and took a quick walk around campus, then headed back to the cabin, where we ate delicious shrimp fajitas, made a fire, played beer pong and cards, and where my sister and her friend Jenna had made a birthday cookie cake for Chris, whose birthday was last week.
On Sunday we were all pretty eager to head back to our homes as early as possible, since we all knew the storm was brewin’. So that was about it–our Virginia weekend in a nutshell. It was really fun, and I’d recommend this cabin to anyone looking for a quiet little retreat in the woods.
A word of caution though: if you do stay here, beware that the firewood bundles are $5 per bundle to use. Don’t go ahead and use them all up on the first night assuming they are free. Like Chris did.
Bis bald, friends! And if you were in any way affected by the storm, we’re thinking and praying for you!
^^ The gang’s all here …
^^ So long mountains, see ya in a couple weeks when we head to Breckenridge with some friends!
