Christmas in NYC

Finally. Let's just start with that, I go to go to NYC with one of my best friend's and her family to see the Christmas decorations and go shopping. I haven't been to NYC near the holidays since high school so I was really excited to go back. Though it was a lot of traveling and a lot of walking, it was definitely worth it. I forgot how magical NYC becomes when all the holiday lights are added to it. Don't get me wrong, NYC is magical any time of the year but to be there at night with the tree (which was huge as always) and the department stores decorated for the season is something extra special.

We started off doing what every girl wants to do in NYC, shop! Once some of the shopping was done we went to Little Italy for lunch, it was delicious, and with how this winter has been, we got to eat outside in December in New York City. It really doesn't get any better than that. From there, we went to China Town and browsed through their market place, which was an experience in itself. I'm not entirely sure if I've ever been to China Town so I was happy to be able to experience this time around. It really helps when the weather is enjoyable to keep you outside longer.

From there, we went to Macy's and made out way to Times Square and all the decorations. It's amazing how much holiday spirit goes into decorating all of the stores. It's not like anywhere else, there aren't signs that say Happy Holidays and some large Christmas bulbs. Instead, it's like walking into a fairy tales. Some of it reminded me of Narnia, which made it even more special (I mean, how can one not like that movie?). It was a winter wonderland that could last for months to come rather than be specific to just December. You could tell that a lot of people came just to see the winter wonderland that New York City had to offer.


Last but not least was the Christmas Tree and light show that Saks puts on. The tree was large, and being part of a family that sells Christmas Trees during the holiday, I was shocked at how large it was and the amount of lights that were on it. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the first time I've seen the tree in New York City, but I think because it's the first time I've seen it since being part of the tree business that I had a new appreciation for it. The lights were gorgeous, there were so many people wanting to get a glimpse of it and then after they glimpsed the tree, they had to walk maybe a block to see the light show of Saks-- which is a MUST see if you're going to go all the way to NYC for the tree. 

Ice Castle, NH

My mom has been wanting to go to the Ice Castles in NH for awhile. Now, before I go into whether or not it was fun, let's start by explaining what it is. First- Ice Castle, NH is done by an organization and is done in other areas of the country. Those locations change yearly. Last year there were some in Vermont and Utah. It's hand made for the most part, it's just a lot of icicles that made a little fortress. Tickets are hard to come by, you have to buy in advance and once you buy them it's hard to change the time. You also have to buy them for each person who is going so it's a pain if someone can't go (that happened to us). They very rarely let you buy tickets there so make sure you have them before you go!

The one we went to was in Lincoln, NH. To start, I've never been to Lincoln and going for the day provided me with enough to want to go back in the Spring/Summer or Fall to do some hiking in their gorgeous mountain ranges. So if you've never been there, this is my recommendation to go and go as soon as you can. Not only is it gorgeous but there are cute little restaurants and shops throughout the towns. I'm hoping to convince Francis that we need to go and go soon.

So now, the castles. They were "nice". Don't get me wrong, if I had gone at night or not gone on the coldest day of the year I might have had a different opinion. I was hoping for an actual castle, but as I stated before, that wasn't what it was. Was it pretty? Yes, would I have loved to climb through the tunnels on a warmer day? Yes probably. Would I drive far to go there for a day trip? No. If you were going to make it a weekend, then I would have told you to make sure you go check it out, but otherwise I don't know if I'd go back just for a day. Luckily, I live only 2 hours away from it, so it wasn't a very long drive.

Have you been? If so, have you been at night? That's when it looks amazing. Though I might not have loved the castles as much as I was hoping, it was still family/girls day and it was fun for the purpose of the day :)

Finger Lakes

Well, I'm almost to 2,000 views on this blog so let's cheer to that while talking about my weekend trip to the Finger Lakes with my girls a weekend ago. It was a lot of fun and there was wine involved which is even better! Why do we like doing this, other than it being fun? The tastings are cheap! Most of the wineries charge about 3-4 dollars for 5-6 wine to taste. 

Okay, so-- what are the finger lakes? They are lakes in Central New York with beautiful scenes, hiking, and a cheese, wine, and beer trail. We mainly did the wine trail this time around on Cayuga Lake. This is not the first time I've been to Cayuga Lake for some wine tasting but I'm only going to talk about the wineries we saw this time around.

Where we stayed: We stayed in Ithaca, New York. It wasn't our first choice, in fact we had wanted to stay on the lake but couldn't find a place. We did not stay in a hotel but rather did airbnb. It was awesome, it was a cute little cabin with enough beds for us all, a kitchen and living room. It was my first time doing this but it was great. I would just recommend really introducing yourself when you try and get a reservation.

Where we went: 
Americana Vineyards  was the last winery we went to (see the tasting room picture). It was really awesome. The decor inside was great, it was all halloween themed and it looked like they had a spot for live music and dancing. The wine was also good, in fact it probably had the best red wine we found on the trip. I would definitely recommend trying it if you're near the southern section of the lake.

Lucas Vineyards  is one that no matter when I go, I always find something I want. The bottles are fun, the wine is cheap and they have a lot of different flavors. I can honestly say that I always come away with at least a bottle.

Six Mile Creek was our first stop of the day. Though it wasn't my favorite, I still ended buying 3 bottles (They were having a sale, I swear)! Though it was closer to Ithaca and where we were staying, it was still really pretty. If it hadn't been such a gloomy day- the fall leaves would have been gorgeous. If you want, you can try some of their hard liquor at Six Mile Creek as well.

Bellwether Hard Cider was not our favorite of the trip. I don't know if it was me and my love for Vermont cider or what, but it was a little too bubbly- I probably won't return to this one.

Frontenac Point Vineyard was so pretty! If the day had been better I would have been sitting outside having some wine. The wine was also delicious. I bought a bottle and even though they had some other good ones, I reserved myself for all the other wineries we still had to go to!


This was the main places we went. There were a few more, a cidery and a cheese tasting farm that we also went to. All were delicious and I'd recommend a trip to any of the finger lakes in NY if you enjoy wine, beer or cheese!

Fall in Vermont

 

Finally! I've been living in Vermont for some time now and I haven't had the luxury to really see the fall that I see in pictures of this place...until yesterday. We hiked Mt. Elmore which is just about on the line of the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont and it was fantastic. I finally felt like I saw the foliage here that I've been waiting for. All of the pictures below were taken with my cell phone by the way, can you just imagine what it would have looked like if I was lucky enough to have my camera?

Anyway, we hiked Mt. Elmore, in Morrisville , VT. It's north of Stowe so be prepared to drive, it's not one found in the more popular areas of Vermont. It's a state park so there is a fee to drive/hike/spend the day there. It was only 4$ a person though so nothing crazy. It also has a beach (for when the weather is good) and camp areas if you feel like doing that. The hike itself has two different routes you can do- the ridgeline which is about 2.2 miles and the tower trail (1.2 miles).

The ridgeline has more views and isn't as steep as the tower trail. Both make it to the tower sooner or later and the tower is where you want to be. Its a few flights up but the view is ridiculous. You're above the treeline and you can literally see a 360 view which is amazing. On a windy day, I don't know if I would walk up it but on a day like yesterday there is no way you shouldn't go up there!

Don Juan Coffee Tour

Okay guys, so this was by far my favorite activity in Costa Rica. I recommend you do a coffee tour whenever you get the opportunity. It doesn't need to be in Costa Rica -- though it doesn't hurt. Anyway, Don Juan's Coffee tour was not only coffee (with samples at the end!) but a chocolate AND a sugar cane tour. I mean, samples of all of that? It really doesn't get better.

Oh but it does! It was SO educational. Not only was it educational but it wasn't boring. Sometimes I find that educational tours can be too educational but this was perfect. So where to begin? Let's start with Chocolate.


Chocolate: 
So to the right you have what the inside of cacao looks like. Disgusting right? They actually had us suck on the liquid part inside to taste it. It's actually pretty sweet and definitely tastes better than it looks, trust me on that one. At one point, chocolate was used as a means of currency (my kind of money) but it has since become a staple for a sweet or bitter taste. Once done with the liquid part of the cacoa, the seed goes back in the ground to grow another tree with these yellow oval shaped "seed" for more chocolate! After that it's smooth sailing on getting the chocolate to well, taste like chocolate!



Sugar Cane!
There isn't much to say about sugar cane except that it looks like bamboo, you can actually suck on the stick of it, it gets pressed through a machine that taste the sugar cane juice out of the plant, the plant can be used as "grass" and all you need is to add a little lemon or orange slice to it and it's the perfect breakfast drink.


Coffee Tour
Alright, so this was extremely interesting and I now have a new appreciate not only for coffee but also the cost of it. I'm always trying for the cheapest way to get coffee but after seeing and hearing what the process is and how much a person makes to do it-- no more. Anyway, it starts with people (women are better at it because of their small hands) as pickers to pick berries off of trees into a large basket that wraps around their waist. They then dump the berries into water to see if they float, if they do they are good, if they don't they are thrown out and it's dock off their pay. The berry goes through a machine that rids it of everything but the bean, and then they get roasted. Two interesting facts, dark roast coffee has LESS caffeine than regular, and America is nowhere near the top country in the world for coffee consumption.

Howe Caverns

Howe Caverns

A trip down memory lane

This was a trip down memory lane for sure. I've been to howe caverns a few times, when I was younger and things have changed quite a bit. Anyway, if you don't know where or what Howe Caverns is, here's the background on it. Howe Caverns is a cave about 45mins south west (I think west) of Albany NY. It's awesome, it's been around forever. Anyway, you take an elevator 155 feet ish down into a cave that was founded "20 years before the Civil War". So anyway, it's been around for quite awhile and people have been touring it for years. 

Anyway, I have been wanting to bring Francis for awhile and one of our very good friends girl friend is majoring in geological engineering so she really likes rocks to put it mildly. So we decided to take them to the lantern tour and it was totally worth it! I have actually never done the lantern tour, I've only gone through a traditional tour and I'm happy I've now seen it both ways. The lantern tour is only available at night and you need reservations. The first part of the tour is the traditional tour, you walk with a guide through the entire cavern until the very end. However on the way back, the lights are turned off and you're walking by lantern without a guide. Don't worry though, it has a path so you really can't get lost. It's suppose to give you the feel of how the founder walked through the caves for the first time. It definitely give you a new appreciation for not only that but the cave in general. I found myself examining structures differently in the dark compared to when their was light which was very interesting. 

So this is the only thing we did at Howe Caverns when we went. We will be going back though. I'm going to say you could spend an entire day there if you really wanted. Not only do they have traditional and lantern tours but they also have the adventure tour. Francis wants to go back and do that so hopefully my claustrophobia doesn't get the best of me. This tour involved being on your hands and knees for about 300ft with a head lamp and then opening up to larger caves. Since it can only be done that way there is an age limit, a different price and reservations are needed (I don't think reservations are needed for the traditional tour). Other than that, you can go zip lining or mine some rocks if you would like. 

It's totally worth it, want more information? Head to the link below to go to their official website! Hopefully we get to the adventure tour next year, if so I'll post again!

Howe Caverns

Cape Cod 2014

Cape Cod 2014

Finally a vacation with my boyfriend! A real true vacation! Unfortunately I started a new job the beginning of July in 2013 so I wasn't able to take time off for a vacation. I guess I made up for it by going on a vacation in May to Chincoteague Island and now to the Cape. So I usually go to the cape every year. In case you haven't been there, you should know this- it's expensive. I luck out because I have two different family members with cottages on the cape, so it doesn't usually cost me much which is why I go just about every year. This year was a little different though, my boyfriend had friends going the same week as us so we split our time. Half of it was in Chatham with my family and the other half was with my boyfriend friends in North Truro. If you don't know where they are it's easy- Chatham is the elbow of Massachusetts, North Truro is near Provincetown so it's the farthest you can go on the cape. It's also home to the National Seashore which is pretty cool. 

North Truro/Provincetown 

The Beaches

So some of the beaches here are awesome. The best part about this part of the cape is that you can be on the open ocean side which gives you waves (if you like them). This section also has a ton of bike paths through sand dunes which unfortunately we didn't get to do this year. I have done them and fair warning, they aren't easy so be prepared. A downfall to the cape is that to park at any beach you have to pay. The National Seashore beaches are $15 a day for all of them. So you can leave one and go to another in the same day and not pay again. I guess that's a benefit but it's still pricey (especially in comparison to my trip to Virginia). 

Head of the Meadow is the best beach, perfect waves for boogie boarding, a large beach for playing games or just tanning and when there is low tide there is a little "swimming pool" if you swim across it you can reach a sandbar and walk along that or continue on into the ocean. We also went to Ballston Beach, it's private so you would need a resident pass or be staying in a rental home that has one for you. Don't worry though, it's not worth it. We went to Head of the Meadow just about every day. Here's a link for more information: Head of the Meadow Beach

The Hotel

We stayed at the SeaGull Motel  it wasn't cheap but it was fantastic. I actually think I'm going to get an Expedia account so I can leave a review of just how nice it was. Unfortunately there wasn't a kitchen, only a mini fridge so we had to eat dinners out most nights (which was okay since we would be in Chatham and not have to pay as much) and it was expensive. There were charcoal grills outside if you wanted to grill one night so it's not as if you had to eat out every night if you didn't want. The best part of the hotel was their own private beach (even if it did have a lot of seaweed) and the view. I love a view and this had just that! 

Things to do that doesn't involve the beach

So if you haven't heard of Provincetown before, you should google it. It will provide you with all the information you need. Anyway there is a lot of nightlife, shops, restaurants, bars, and shows (though most would probably be inappropriate for children). We did not go to a show as much as I wanted to but we did go to Truro Vineyards. I LOVE this place. Whenever we are in the area we go. The wine is great, and the vineyard is beautiful. I love that they have a lighthouse collect of wine bottles. My plan is to take them (because of course we bought two!) and make them into candle holders if I feel motivated. 

Chatham 

So I haven't even gotten to the section on Chatham, so you can obviously tell how much fun we had. I'll keep Chatham brief because when I'm there I'm more like a local. We go out on the boat and go out to some islands to swim and borrow a paddleboard (ah so unstable!) from a family friend or a kayak depending on our mood. We eat fresh sea food (that's caught by family members) and sit out on the deck all night. If we are really adventurous we'll go downtown for shopping (everyone loves Chatham shops), buy some chocolate covered gummy bears (my favorite), catch a Chatham baseball game or go mini-golf. Need a place to eat? GO GO GO to Chatham Fish and Lobster or Kreme and Kone, you won't be disappointed in either. 

Anyway, the trip was great. Maybe next year we can experience some new things or finally make it to Nantucket. It was just great to have a week with Francis, friends and family and not have the stress of work in our minds. :)

Heading to the Cape soon? I have some other restaurant ideas you might be interested in :) 

Montreal Canada

Okay so for people who live in Vermont, Canada isn't really a "vacation" because it's so close. For me, I always see it as a new little adventure. This is the second time I have been to Montreal, it seems like it's going to be a new "yearly ritual" for myself and Francis. We have gone around the same time for two years now and I think I like doing that continuously. In fact, I made Francis take a picture with me at Notre Dame Church both times so we can see our lives change. The pictures are below, 2014 and then 2013.



As you can tell it was cold and rainy last year in the Spring and this past year was gorgeous. It was such a great day to be out and about. Anyway, this post has nothing to do with Francis and I but with Montreal Canada and girls weekend (even if Francis was there)! Every year the girls and I from college try to do at least one thing that requires us to all get together and do something fun. Usually, it's to a Boston Red Sox game but we decided to mix it up a bit and go to Canada instead because they have a Fireworks Competition that happens every year. We went for the opening ceremony and to explore Montreal a bit. We went to Mount Royal Park, which not only has a wonderful view but the walk is fantastic.

About the fireworks since that was the whole point of the visit. I have never been to a firework show where the purpose is to tell a story. Usually fireworks are for the fourth of July, which is fine but the only music may hear with it is patriotic songs, which again is fine. This though had a different theme, and not only was there a theme but the fireworks played along with that theme. The theme we saw for opening ceremony was a father and son's journey called "DreamCatcher". As the story progressed the fireworks progressed. As the music became faster, the fireworks became faster which was so interesting for me. I love seeing the beat of the music be played out by the movement of the fireworks. A link to all you need to know is below:

http://montreal.about.com/od/montrealevents/a/fireworks_mtl.htm

http://internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com/en/programmation/calendrier.aspx

As you will see in the links above if you're that interested there are different ways you can watch the fireworks. If you're really looking for the best view, that would be at La Ronde, the Six Flags Amusement Park. We did not do that for the simple fact that it would cost over $60 a person to get in and since we wanted to explore Montreal it didn't seem worth it. Another very close spot would be to stand on a bridge for however many hours possible to wait for the fireworks- that was another option out for us. Our option ended up being the third best on the link above. It was a beach that had seating, alcohol and food to buy with a DJ. As one of my friends said "this makes me feel like I made it in life". I would totally recommend this for anyone who needs a weekend away. I plan to go again especially since I live so close to the border as it is. 

Chincoteague Island

Chincoteague Island 

Want a relaxing vacation? Go to Chincoteague Island in Virginia (I guess you could go to the Maryland side but I wouldn't recommend it). Anyway, we went the end of May and it was fantastic. For one, the house was gorgeous and on the water, two- we went the week before Memorial Day weekend so it was cheaper than usual and it was before all the crowds came to visit! 

What was the reason for the trip? Well Chincoteague Island is known for the beach but more importantly for the wild ponies that live there. You have to travel over a little bridge from Chincoteague Island to Assateague Island where the ponies actually are (it was about a 5 minute drive for us). Assateague Island is part of both Maryland and Virginia. The Maryland side has completely "wild" ponies, the wander around and do what they please. The Virginia side is a little different, though there are wild ponies you can't get very close to them unless you kayak. However, the Virginia side is a lot cleaner, the ponies are taken care of and the beach is a lot nicer. 

Anyway, activities that we did? Well, we went kayaking to get closer to the ponies, ate out a lot (the seafood is so much cheaper compared to up here), went on a boat ride, walked the sand dunes and had a few beach days. During one of those beach days, we had a BBQ and a campfire with smores. It's the first time I have ever had a campfire on the beach and it was amazing. I can't wait to do it again. 

This was the perfect 60th birthday week-vacation for my mom. That was the whole point but I would go back in a heart beat.