Monday Travels

Our Belated Honeymoon Adventure (pt. 3 of 3)

2011-05-26T13:00:00.013-04:00

Better late than never! My husband and I finally got to take our honeymoon (2 years after the wedding) to the beautiful, magical country of Ireland. It was incredible.

Thought I'd write a post on what we did and where we went, what we ate - I kept a travel journal while we were driving, so I'm going to type what I wrote, verbatim in italics, what I add now will be in regular font.
Don't know if anyone else will read it and it doesn't really matter, but I wanted to have an online copy of our trip. Our adventure... :-)
Here starts part 3, the final entry in our saga!

Ireland: Day 8

Slept wonderfully at Ard na Greine and had a HUGE breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Then we went outside to see Norma's baby calves! SO cute! They licked us a lot...discovered the barn cat too. Came back in for a fresh change of non-cow clothes and then took off for Mizen Head armed with a bag of Norma's scones. Our first stop was a circle of stones near Glandore, Co. Cork, called the Dromberg Circle of Stones. Very powerful place to stand. My legs got wobbly inside the circle and my ears began to ring while inside on of the old foundations of a hut. Interesting...
Back in the car - drove through Glandore town - SO pretty! Makes me want to spend all day there just sitting and looking at the harbor and being lazy and having tea... Maybe someday we'll have a cottage there. Very idyllic. Stopped in Skibbereen for some tourist info and some postcards, then continued on. Saw some more gorgeous coastal scenery including a huge white sand Caribbean-blue beach! We stopped and walked in on the boardwalk, then a floating pier they use to get across the water when the tide is up. Climbed up the dunes and down to the beach. Took our shoes off and just enjoyed for an hour or so. Barley Cove Beach is lovely. Drove around the corner and up the cliff and found Mizen Head. Had to get my lighthouse fix. :-) Mizen Head is a sight to behold. Gale force winds on a bright sunny day make you only wonder and shudder at what it looks and feels like during a storm. We spent some time in the visitors centre and then decided to walk down and over to the the bridge built during the early 1900's, between 2 cliff-sides connecting the walkway and the end of Mizen Head where the station is. We'd overheard some people in the visitors centre swearing they wouldn't go across that bridge for ANYthing. hahaha! The bridge was strong and not scary at all. We even saw a harbor seal sunbathing down below us. It looked as though he was waving! The views were incredible. I felt more 'in-touch' here than I did at the Cliffs of Moher which was where I thought I'd really connect. Mizen reminded me of all the lighthouses on the Great Lakes where I grew up (except bigger). It felt like home. The man taking our tickets at the station was from NYC & salty. I liked him. He reminded me of all our east coast salty sailors. :-) Neat museum inside the station on the end of the cliff. Very informative. Learned about Marconi and his innovative technology. Then went out on the point and was almost blown off the cliff! Loved it. The caves look like they house sea-creatures such as mermaids and other 'supposed' mythical beings. Here in Ireland I wouldn't doubt their existence for a second. When leaving Mizen Head, we got back to the parking lot and saw two huge, beautiful black horses playing with each other on the cliff! It was so surreal...like watching a scene in a movie. Perfect way to end our trip to Mizen.
Drove back into town by a mountain top road and got to see different views of all the nearby harbour towns. Drove back into Bandon town and checked DH in for his his half-marathon then drove back to Ballinascarthy/Clonakilty for dinner. Had a beer and took a photo at Henry Ford's Tavern. Then had really great food at a little spec of a shop tun by a Tajikistan man. Had excellent curry chips (fries) and a meat pizza (including lamb). Very good. The owner even let us take a picture of his curry sauce for future culinary reference. Went back to Ard na Greine fat and happy and passed out for the evening. It was a very good day.

Ireland: Day 9

Had a quick breakfast of yogurt flavored with homemade rhubarb goodness. Then jetted off to Bandon for DH's race. Parked in the middle of their rugby pitch and walked over to the start line across the highway. DH took off running and I walked into Bandon to await his finish. Bandon had a farmers market going on in their town centre which was where the finish line was! Neat town. DH finished his half-marathon at 1 hour and 58 minutes. We walked around a bit at the market, hot him his post race massage, then walked back to the rugby club where they had free sandwiches and were pouring hot tea in mismatched ceramic mugs for everyone! Very homey relaxed atmosphere. Then went back outside and grabbed a burger. They had a DJ and the grill all fired up. It was lovely. Everyone was really nice and friendly to 'the Americans'. :-) Went back to Norma's house and had some tea and coffee after DH had a shower, then prepared for the party at Norma's house. Her 3mo old grandchild was being christened that day so we were most graciously invited to the after party since we were there! LOTS of people showed up. Lots of family and friends and neighbors. We drank a lot of wine and ate a ton of great food. Met some really nice folks.

Ireland: Day 10

Checked out of Ard na Greine which was seriously sad...and started driving east. Knew we had to be back in Dublin by Monday night for our flight out on Tuesday, so figured it'd be good if we made half or more of the distance on Sunday. Took the 5min car ferry Norma had recommended over Cork Harbor to avoid Cork traffic (and all those bloody round-a-bouts!). After we'd crossed the river, we decided to try another Jameson Distillery, this time in Midleton, Co. Cork! Neat place - got to see the worlds biggest pot still! DH was a whiskey taster again and we hit the gift shop on the way out. :-)
we kept driving and decided to check out a place I'd seen in the B&B book Norma gave us before we left called Killiane Castle in Wexford, Co. It's a 15th century tower attached to a 17th century manor house. Incredible place. The owner showed up at the door and told us the price of the room (which was great) and he showed us up to our room! After getting our luggage up there we walked back downstairs and outside to try out the "farm walk". We traipsed all over the place. Got thistles in our feet/legs stepped in mud, cow poo, climbed over fences and braved a really big kinda pissed off looking horse. It was fun!!! Plus, the chickens chased me all over the yard... Then we decided to climb the old tower. What a place! I wasn't sure if it would be stable or not but we climbed... Old brick fireplaces, narrow stone steps gave way the rooftop. Incredible views. Went back down after awhile and saw the owner outside! He asked if we'd seen the head (!?!?). There's a head carved out of limestone on the top part of the tower - just coming straight out of the wall. Way cool. Next, went out to dinner at a pub about 2km from the Castle. Good food. Drank a bottle of wine and had an Irish coffee. Larkins was the name of the place. I had curry chicken and chips and DH had fish goujons. We shared profiteroles for dessert. Mmmm!

Ireland: Day 11

Had a great breakfast at Killiane. I had eggs baked with cheese and mushrooms and DH had crepe type pancakes. REALLY tasty! Got our bags and checked out - then climbed the tower one last time. Decided we would take turns, one going up the other staying down so we could get each others photos on top of the tower! Let me just say, it's a lot creepier when you climb it alone.
Started driving towards Wicklow and when we got there, parked in town to find the Black Castle. I was really looking forward to this ruin. Followed the directions I had found online past Hopkins Hardware along the harbour and up the hill. Once we got closer we just couldn't miss it - huge black ruins rose up from the edge of a cliffside. Really awesome place. Very dramatic/romantic. Lots of cannons surrounded the ruins as well. I really enjoyed that we had the ruins to ourselves. It made it a lot more personal and gave me another sense of belonging.
Started driving north towards Dublin and stopped at Avoca where we got many a thing for friends and family including an Irish wool scarf for me! :-) When we realized town would be a mess because the Queen was coming to town the following day. So we couldn't go to Guinness but drove around Dublin and back up to Newgrange/Bru na Boinne to see Knowth! Took our time at the visitors centre and had a sandwich. Got on our tour bus, met some ladies from Canada and had our tour of Knowth. There were only 5 of us on the tour. It was great. Very interesting how it's construction coincides with Newgrange and Dowth. VERY windy! Got to climb to the top of the main chamber where the settlers used to live. Neat perspective.
On the way out of Bru na Boinne, we stopped in Duleek at the Woolen Mills store. I got a gorgeous grey, Irish wool cardigan and another scarf. Fantastic!
Drove back south towards Dublin again to look for a place to stay. Wound up at the Premier Inn in Swords. Had dinner at the restaurant downstairs. Nothing spectacular but it was very filling. I had the fish & chips (huge fish!) and DH had the curry chicken! Got a bottle of mediocre Cabernet Veneto. Profiteroles for dessert which was awesome.
Packed everything up. Wine wrapped in clothes and carefully put in suitcases.

Ireland: Day 12

Our last day in Ireland! Super earliy in the morning we drove over to Avis and returned the car faster than I thought it would take. Got through the insane amount of security in the Dublin Airport and then had to wait for 2 hours because something was malfunctioning. Had a snack at the cafe and met a nice Irish guy going to the states to see his daughter who had been in a car crash. DH used up his euros on some Bushmill's whiskey from the Duty Free shop while we waited.
After several gate changes we got on our plane and headed to Charlotte, NC, USA! Got to Charlotte and heard about the bomb threats to the Queen on her visit to Ireland. Kinda scary... Had some American junk food - boy did it taste good!
Got on our plane for Baltimore and sat there for an extra half hour due to snarly weather on the eastern seaboard. Finally got back to Baltimore. Watched with trepidation as our bags came down the baggage claim belt. Thankfully, none of them were dripping with wine! So we were happy. :-) Took a taxi back to our car which was still sitting there waiting for us (thankfully). Then drove over to pick up the Plottador from her sitters house. Scary driving on the correct side of the road again!!! Lucy was SO happy to see us! That made leaving the Emerald Isle so worth it.

In conclusion -
We had an amazing Irish experience.
The people were so gracious and the scenery unbelievable.

I wouldn't go back and change anything about it, the good or the bad.

These three blog posts will serve as a fun reminder of our belated

honeymoon/2nd anniversary adventure to the Emerald Isle.

Our Belated Honeymoon Adventure (pt. 2 of 3)

2011-05-25T12:02:00.013-04:00

Better late than never! My husband and I finally got to take our honeymoon (2 years after the wedding) to the beautiful, magical country of Ireland. It was incredible.
Thought I'd write a post on what we did and where we went, what we ate - I kept a travel journal while we were driving, so I'm going to type what I wrote, verbatim in italics, what I add now will be in regular font.
Don't know if anyone else will read it and it doesn't really matter, but I wanted to have an online copy of our trip. Our adventure... :-) Here starts part 2!

Ireland: Day 4

Full Irish breakfast at Mountain View B&B. Best coffee since being in this country. Lovely people.
Checked out and drove south towards Donegal Castle and around some big mountains on the way. Got downtown Donegal, parked and walked up to the castle. Took the tour. Really cool castle in the center of Donegal next to the river Eske. The rain started as soon as we got inside. Great timing on our part once again. Went upstairs & they had restored the banquet hall! Felt like we'd stepped back in time. Lots of fireplaces & very interesting history. Even saw two doves outside on a branch bathing together in the rain.
Left Donegal Castle and kept driving south.

On the drive down between Sligo and Donegal, we drove off the beaten path to find a friary/castle but it was private. Then drove off again on the R279 in Mullaghmore to find another castle/manor house. It too was private but we got to see awesome views of Donegal Bay & I got out twice, once to take photos of the cliffs and the castle and again to pet an Irish horse. Very friendly.
Got to Sligo, Co. Sligo. Decided since it was our Anniversary to stay at a castle!

Markree Castle is awesome! Reminds me of the movie The Canterville Ghost. Checked into the Johnny Cash room where he stayed with June Carter Cash back in the early 90's. So romantic... Fabulous room with a massive en suite bathroom. Left our bags in our beautiful suite and then went back into Sligo town for lunch and to see Sligo Abbey. The abbey is umm...creepy. Tons of tombs, but it had the only sculptured 15th century altar to have survived in ANY Irish monastic church. After leaving the Abbey we walked downtown to find food. Had a margherita & spiced lamb pizza at an adorable cafe downtown. Yummy! It poured down rain while we were inside which made us thankful for our timing once again.
Then went back to Markree Castle to explore the grounds. Found a 'secret' pathway through an old metal gate which was absolutely magical. Wildflowers covered the forest floor and sun started to peek through the trees. Took some awesome pictures outside and even found a 'barn cat'! Got all spiffed up for dinner at Markree. Ordered a bottle of wine from Spain - "Marques de la Villa Tinto de Toro '08". I ordered the guinea fowl stuffed with wild mushrooms & DH had the duck leg. Delicious! Had some sort of chocolate goodness for dessert. Then went into the sitting room to continue drinking our wine, then retired to our room for the evening. Great 2nd Anniversary.

Ireland: Day 5

HUGE breakfast at Markree Castle. DH brought a massive silver tray upstairs for an intimate breakfast for two. He had the full Irish breakfast and got me french toast. It looked and tasted fried - interesting - I'll never turned down fried food; it was fabulous. Beautiful place. Sad to leave. Even got to see the Johnny & June signature in the guest registry book. Very cool to know we stayed where they stayed.
Left Markree and started south toward Carrowmore - a megalithic cemetery. It started raining as soon as we got there so we borrowed an umbrella from the OPW people. Got to see some really cool giant stones out in the fields. It's always neat to read the myths that go along with these places.
Got back on the road and saw a castle type structure by Drummard, Co. Sligo. Drove up but it was on private property. Same thing happened the next town up. In retrospect, we should've knocked on some doors and asked to go see them closer.
Found a watch tower in the middle of Killala. Built in the 12th century. Really neat tower that looks like the town was built around it. Kept driving and stopped in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim at Mary's Cottage Kitchen. Probably the best food we've had since we've been here (seriously - it was the best lunch during our entire trip!). I had the quiche and salad, and DH had the ham, cheese and tomato panini plus a sausage roll. We had a slice of apple tart and a rhubarb crumble! Mmm!!! Not to mention a wonderful pot of tea.
Ceide (pronounced kay-gee) Fields was next. Very interesting site. VERY windy! Right on the Atlantic. Watched a video on why the bog is there and how the old town was discovered under the bog. The cliffs were HUGE!!! Very cool to see the layers of cliffside and how they relate directly to hundreds of years.
Started driving south toward Galway. Drove around Ox Mountain which had fog at the top of it making it look unseemly tall! DH found a Dr. Pepper in Headford, Co. Galway. We joked about it being from Dublin...you know, Dublin Dr. Pepper...if you're familiar with Texas, you'll understand the joke... Then we thought we'd try and find a place to stay. Tried the Headford Anglers Inn but figured we could find one less expensive. Started exploring the surrounding roads.
Found Annaghkeen Castle. Which was awesome. A 14th century ruin. Climbed through the chink in the stone wall and explored the ruin in the field. Neat that it was right on the river/Lough Corrib. It was neat to just happen upon a ruin that we could climb all over and really explore. We were all alone so it was a very personal experience. Absolutely beautiful.
Tried a B&B we followed signs for but their gate was closed...so we figured it was too late. Drove the rest of the way to Galway. Took a spin around town (its surprisingly big!), and found a B&B on the north side of town. Brook Lodge B&B. Checked in, then went back into town for a late dinner at McSwiggans Pub & Restaurant. I had the chicken kiev and DH had the chicken special stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. We ordered a half bottle of chardonnay from Australia. Then shared a brownie and ice cream for dessert. VERY good food.

Ireland: Day 6

Took off from Brook Lodge B&B and headed south. Stopped on the side of the road to see Dunguaire Castle. Didn't go all the way inside but took lots of pictures outside. Kept driving south towards the west coast veered off a few times to see old keeps and then got onto a really really really small road called the "corkscrew" - up to the Cliffs of Moher. Very touristy...but totally breathtaking. Neat museum inside. Extreme wind outside. Wish there hadn't been so many people.

Kept driving and spent the night in Bunratty town between Shannon and Limerick. Checked into a place kinda on their main drag that shall remain nameless since it was terrible. It was more of a hotel than a B&B, but we learned that you should never stay in a B&B that isn't Shamrock Approved. No credit card even after she said she'd accept it (quoted DH a higher rate than we would've gotten at a B&B but said 'since I'm giving you a good rate, you'll pay cash, right?' - this is after he asked if she took credit cards...). No wifi even though they said they had it. It was there...but we couldn't get online which was extremely frustrating. Went out to eat at Durty Nellie's. I had a pint of Harp and traditional Irish stew. DH had the fish & chips and a pint of Guinness. Fantastic dinner. Great pub atmosphere.

Ireland: Day 7

Woke up to ants ALL over the room but mostly in our bed which explained the bite marks on me.

Checked out of the hotel/B&B as soon as breakfast was over, told our host about the ants and were kind of expecting to get some sort of discount but we didn't. She seemed accusatory like we'd brought them in or something and demanded to see them. I can understand the upsetting attitude especially if she had no former knowledge of the ants, but her being upset just added to our horrible time there. Anyhow - you live you learn - we vowed never to stay at a B&B that wasn't Shamrock Approved again!
Started driving into town. Almost went into Bunratty Castle till I saw the high admission prices. eeep! Did however check out their gift shop. DH got a hat. Then drove down the road to an Irish winery!!! Kinda. They make a mead and potcheen. Tried potcheen for the first time...it's very much like moonshine! Interesting. Got a jug of Honeymoon Mead. :-) Very tasty.
Started driving south towards Cork. Veered off the road following signs for castles. Stopped near Quin at Craggaunowen Castle. They call it a "Living Past Experience". Neat re-creations of thatched roofed huts etc. Plus they had the actual leather skinned boat from the Brendan Voyage inside this neat glass boathouse type building. We got inside just in time for the rain to come down. :-) Took to the road again and drove past another castle - Knappogue, but didn't stop.
Kept driving south and straight into the town of Blarney. Parked in the Blarney Castle parking lot and found out they don't take credit cards. Searched town for an ATM (the one in the grocery store was out of order, so we hit the one at the Woolen Mills) then went in to Blarney Castle. Really impressive structure. 8ft thick walls and HUGE. DH ventured in to the dungeon below the castle. Very small dripping wet passageways. I stayed in the second chamber while he went a bit farther. We climbed out, then we climbed up to the Castle and past the "murder hole" and up, up, up the winding staircase to the tallest parapet where the Blarney Stone is. Laid down and hung over the castle wall and kissed it! Way cool. The views from the top were incredible!!! Green for miles! After kissing the Blarney Stone, we made our way back down through the Castle and outside then ventured into the Rock Close. Really magical feeling inside those walls. Big willows and huge old trees. Plus Druid Stones and the Witches Kitchen, and Wishing Steps etc. Really fun place to see. I felt like I would see fairies at any moment. It's truly a place where magic exists.
Drove down to Bandon, Co. Cork where DH's 1/2 marathon is and tried to find a place to stay. Was bustled inside a B&B on the side of the highway and almost plied with tea but I adamantly declined because we wanted/needed to pay with a credit card which she didn't have a machine for. Tried a place downtown too (above a Pub) and were debating...started randomly driving down the highway farther south looking for Shamrock Approved places and saw a sign for a B&B called Ard na Greine! It had a shamrock on the sign! ;-) Bingo! Whipped the car in its direction and not 50ft from the road we saw a white horse. A beautiful creature standing in the setting sun. That was my good luck sign. I knew we were on the right path. So we kept going and found Ard na Greine. A big old yellow farmhouse. DH went in to inquire about prices and whatnot and then came back to get me. Norma Walsh owns it and the dairy farm adjacent. Plus a giant Newfoundland named Benson (who'd greeted us when we pulled up). Norma bustled us inside and sat us down in her sitting room then not 5 minutes later she had hot tea and her homemade scones sitting in front of us. Ooooh so good!!! Wifi in our room AND she takes credit cards! Thank god! Norma suggested a restaurant in the nearby town of Clonakilty called The Mill House Granary restaurant. She even drew us a map. Great place. Nice owner. I had the Shannonvale Chicken, which had a rich white wine creme sauce and white pudding stuffing. To die for!!! DH had the fish pie. Everything was delicious. Very romantic and definitely one of our best dinners if not THE best dinner we had during our trip.

Our Belated Honeymoon Adventure (pt. 1 of 3)

2011-05-24T16:47:00.012-04:00

Day: 1

We started by dropping off our dog, Lucy (our Plottador = plott hound/labrador) at her new sitters house. I got slightly tearful, but that's normal! I was satisfied that my little girl would be okay.
Then we drove over to where the DH (Dear Husband) works to leave the car in their parking lot (so much cheaper than leaving it at the airport). Then, we took a taxi to BWI.
I've never traveled internationally before so was quite nervous about the whole stamping of passports and security and all that - but it was fine! All went smoothly. DH even got me a cosmo in flight. :-) Only bad thing was smashing my thumb in the lavatory door on the plane...ouch!
My journaling starts during our layover in -

Frankfurt, Germany

After arriving in Germany we realized we had to go through their security to go check in and get our boarding passes for our last flight to get to Ireland, which wasn't even on the board yet so we didn't even know what gate to go to. It was a long, tiring layover in the wee hours of the morning (we DID however get to see the sunrise which was gorgeous). Since we had such a long layover we got a snack. Let me tell you - the closer you are to France, the better the pastries. Ooooh so good! While waiting, we discovered what an EXIT sign looks like in Europe...it's a green sign with a man running towards a door...interesting. We finally saw the Aer Lingus employees open up their booth (at 8am, which was 2am Eastern Time...oyyy) and we checked in, got our boarding passes and waited some more. Checked out the Duty Free shop (DH got some chocolate) and then we decided to actually have 'breakfast'!

Ate delicious frankfurters for breakfast - super good mustard. It was like dijon but it was regular mustard! Yum! Had my first European latte. Quite good! Very tall and delicious! Germany landscape looks like Wisconsin! Now I know why my ancestors chose Wisconsin when they came over from Germany! :-) I was so excited when we got through German security and I saw our Aer Lingus plane waiting to whisk us off to Ireland!

Ireland: Day 1

Always remember your drivers license!!!! My DH left his at home...
After annoyance at the rental car counter and getting our car (a cute little silver Nissan), we drove on the LEFT side of the road up to the Donore/Newgrange/Bru na Boinne area. Stopped on the way to get a roadmap, since we had nothing! Got our first taste of Irish roads and the sign posts when we zipped right past our B&B and wound up in Duleek! Still don't know how those people drive so fast on such tiny battered roads! It's truly baffling... However through good spirits and laughing at ourselves, we finally found our first Bed & Breakfast (the only place we had reservations at during our entire trip). Lougher Farm. Then went to visit Newgrange, where we got a discount on admission for staying at Lougher Farm! Went on the tour - it was awesome! Tour guide put me in a Katie-sized hole inside the tomb! Very good vibes from Newgrange. Tour guide called me 'megalithic sized' hahaha! When he turned the lights off inside the tomb (to show us what it's like during the solstice), it was like the walls were hugging me. I'm sure it helped that I was inside the chink in the wall, but still...awesome. Extremely spiritual place. We walked around Newgrange after the tour and DH took my picture showing my spiral of life tattoo next to the spirals on Newgrange.
Ate dinner at place in Donore called Daly's Inn. I had an excellent cajun chicken penne with a glass of sauvignon blanc from Chile. DH had the fish and chips with a shiraz. We were barely keeping our eyes open at this point. Almost fell asleep in our food. So tired from traveling.

Ireland: Day 2

Had a full Irish breakfast at Lougher Farm B&B! It was delish! Met some Canadians & a German couple. It was the perfect atmosphere to start our Ireland trip - great people and a wonderful host.
Checked out and drove back down to Dublin. Parked in the Jameson Distillery parking lot. Realized we needed an ATM to get more money on the parking meter. Discovered Irish ATM's are sometimes in the wine section of grocery stores... Got money, then asked for directions to Abbey St. Awhile later, we finally found Abbey St (after walking quite a few blocks) & my tattoo shop - Snakebite Tattoo - went up and found my tattoo artist, Erin Kirk all ready to go!!! I was worried we'd have to wait since they don't take appointments on Saturdays, so we had really good timing! Got my Celtic Motherhood Knot. Probably the most painful ink I've ever gotten...but so totally worth it. It looks incredible. While I was getting inked, poor DH had to go alllll the way back to the car and back to plug the meter. After he came back, we left the shop with my neck all bandaged up and my aftercare instructions in hand.
Ate McD's for lunch...We were curious as to what it tasted like and if anything on the menu was different. Real soda! That's about the only good thing I can say about it...really good Coke. The burgers and fries made me miss our American grease. Plus, DH asked for tea (meaning cold sweet tea) and he got hot bagged tea. Which was lovely and delicious but just goes to show you what happens in different parts of the world! hahaha!
Went to the "mall" and purchased a GPS/SatNav and a cell phone. Plus my aftercare creme for my ink. Credit card machines are weird here. Apparently Americans are behind in the times as far as credit cards are concerned... All the Europeans have the cards with the chip so all they have to do is stick it in there and you're good to go. The place where we got the SatNav and cell phone wouldn't even take our 'old school' credit card! So DH had to go find another ATM...oyyy.
Went back to the car on the trolley/tram thing which was considerably faster than walking. Then went to do a tour of Jameson. My favorite whiskey. DH got to be a whiskey taster! Met some American blokes. Really nice guys! I had a Jameson/cranberry juice at the end of the tour. Very good!
Went back to the car, plugged in the GPS and started driving north out of Dublin. I couldn't wait to get out of the city! Saw our first Irish rainbow!!! It was huge! Stopped several times on the side of the road to take photos of the scenery. There was this awesome bridge and mill house in Slane - just a hulking structure. Really neat. The sun stayed up till about 9:30pm and it stayed bright till around 10. Reminded me of summertime up north in Wisconsin/the U.P. of Michigan. The sunset was stunning. We drove into Northern Ireland/the UK since we knew we wanted to see the Giant's Causeway the following day. Once the sun went down we tried stopping in a few towns for lodging. No dice. Started to wonder if flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants and not making reservations was a bad idea. Especially because at this point, my neck was starting to ache pretty badly from my new ink! I needed to get it washed off and the nappy rash creme (suggested aftercare) put on. So we kept driving north...
Finally found a big hotel in Coleraine, Co. Ulster. Bushtown Hotel. We walked in and were immediately inside a big open area where there was a band and a guy singing George Strait songs (too funny). The girl at the desk gave us a discount for checking in so late and when asked where in town was still open to get some dinner she suggested McD's...*sigh*... Having no other choice, we went there again. It was quite the experience going through the drive-through on the opposite side of the car! That alone was worth eating there again. Lots of gangly spiders in our room at the hotel, but otherwise nice! Slept on and off due to tattoo tenderness.

Ireland: Day 3

Coleraine, Co. Ulster Northern Ireland/the UK
DH went to the lobby to get breakfast while I showered. Delicious Irish breakfast once again. Checked out, left & headed north to Bushmills, Co. Antrim. Beautiful day - sun shining and the grass as green as you can possibly imagine. Took a shuttle bus to the Giant's Causeway! SO cool! Happy I wore sneakers. Lots of rocks to climb on and over. Beautiful sunny day. The Giant's Causeway was insanely beautiful. If you're ever in Northern Ireland and don't go see it - shame on you!!! We hiked the whole walking trail - which was more like a goat-walk than anything. The views were amazing. I'm not sure how they got there, but we found snails way up on the trail with us! I guess they must've blown up there. Afterwards, we walked up by the visitors centre and I got to see some Irish sheep up close. The wind literally took our breath away.

Went to the Bushmills Distillery next. Took a tour and was reminded of the Leini's factory (Leinenkugel's in Chippewa Falls, WI). We actually almost went on a German-speaking tour! hahaha! We went in the front door and went right out the back door - kinda like one of those revolving doors - thinking we'd almost missed our tour! We just sort of followed this group of people outside asking them if it was the 2:15 tour but none of them spoke English! Halfway around the block I told DH we needed to go back...I was convinced that it wasn't our tour...especially because it was only 2:10. I was apparently right. hahaha! Our tour leader found us and the rest of our group and we had a lovely time seeing an actual working distillery! Then had a hot toddy! (1 pt whiskey, 2 pts water & some cinnamon). Yum! DH had the 12yr old select. Went up to the bar after and talked to Bob the bartender - he had us try Black Bush by itself, with water and with ice and ginger ale. My fave was the Bush with soda. Then we had a sandwich at the distillery kitchen, plus a maple pecan danish. Yum.
Went to Dunluce Castle next, just up the road and still in Bushmills. It is gorgeous. Mostly open air and beautiful. Felt a very strong connection to it. Makes me wonder if I was there in a past life. It's a very commanding old ruin of a castle. It seems to just cling to the edge of the cliffside. My favorite part was standing inside and looking out the old windows at the sea. DH's favorite part was the cave underneath Dunluce.

Drove out of Northern Ireland and back to the ROI (Republic of Ireland). I had a B&B on my list of possible B&B's in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal so we were going to drive as far as we felt like it and if we made it to Letterkenny, so be it! We kept driving and saw some incredible views and had to stop several times for pictures. DH got some thistle on his legs after getting a photo of some of the scenery. He says it was worth it though. :-)
Stayed at the Mountain View B&B in Letterkenny, which was lovely. Nice big bed, huge bathroom with awesome shower, lovely hosts once again. Had it all to ourselves. We were the only guests that night! Drove back into Letterkenny for dinner. Nothing seemed to be open! Or if they were open, they were just closing for the night! After talking to two older gentlemen (they were SO cute! Quintessential Irishmen.), and hearing their recommendations (JFK...)(one of the guys was trying to assimilate a restaurant to KFC but accidentally called it JFK...heeheehee...), we went to The Brewery. I had the traditional bangers and mash & a pint of Harp. DH had the fish & chips & a pint of Guinness. It was delicious! Seriously the best bangers and mash I've EVER had!!!

Goodbye, wonderful woods! We'll miss you!

2011-03-04T09:14:00.009-05:00

My husband and I are moving. In 3 weeks (eeep!)! We're not moving cross-country this time, just about 2 miles across the highway. We'll be in the same town, same zip code, just at a different address.

When we moved to Maryland (1 year and 4 months ago) from the midwest, we were put up in a condo in Annapolis by my husbands company while we searched for a house. While searching, we fell in love with the city of Annapolis! It's beautiful, old-world, charming, accessible to both D.C. and Baltimore, kind of a calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the east coast - in short, it was just perfect. While we were house hunting during that month we decided we wanted to try to stay near/around Annapolis, which is exactly what we did.

CONFESSION: Our credit scores were not the best (come on, whose are in this economy?), so we were searching for houses via craigslist. And boy did we find a steal!!!!

2500 sq ft, 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms on an acre of property for a really cheap rental price (at least, cheap for out here) and close to Annapolis!!! You have to understand that in Maryland, if you find anything on or near an acre of property - you're either going to be paying an arm and a leg for it or you'll be out in the boondocks/no where near your workplace. So this house was awesome!!!! We signed a year long lease and were happy as could be! :-)

December 2010:
A year went by, December rolled around and we got a letter saying that instead of a lease renewal, we'd be on a month-to-month lease. YUCK.
I'm one of those people that hates not knowing what they're doing (I like to plan), and I hated the idea of packing up and moving at a moments notice. So I started house hunting online.
Now, the reason we're on a month-to-month lease is because the owner of the property also owns both of the properties next door which total up to somewhere around 30 acres. The owner wants to develop this 30 acres.......I could get into a whole different spiel about nature preservation and what I personally would do with that 30 acres, but I won't get into it now otherwise it'll just upset me again. The point is, they're going to bulldoze the beautiful woods behind our house, the neighbors houses, our house and put up condos or track homes in their place.

Flash forward to February 2011(and several hundred real estate listings online later):
I found a house! An old farmhouse! It's beautiful!!! I contacted the realtor and we went to go see it. It's wonderful and *bonus* in the same town close-by to Annapolis!
2700 sq. ft, 3-4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, home office, wonderful kitchen (10x better than our current kitchen) - the only downsides were:
a.) the property it was on, and
b.) the price
We realized we wouldn't find another unique, historic house like the farmhouse anywhere else in this town, so thought we'd try haggling the price. Why not, right? Well, it worked!!!! We talked the owner down a massive $450 from the original rental price!!!
Lesson learned: It pays to haggle.
So, we got the farmhouse. We signed the lease. And I'm sitting here thinking of how I'm going to miss the woods.

We lived in suburbia back in the midwest and the house was constantly shrouded in vertical blinds, horizontal blinds and curtains. I detest the idea that you can't live your life without neighbors, or random passersby looking in at you. That's just not living.

In this house, we didn't have to buy any blinds or curtains because it's all woods surrounding us. It's been very relaxing, very Zen, kind of a respite.

The farmhouse is really close to the road...like, there's not really even a driveway, it's more like a landing pad for your vehicle...and it's a busy road. Behind the farmhouse is the B&A Trail (a public bike trail, which used to be a railroad). I love that the trail is behind our new house so now we won't have to drive anywhere to use it, but this also means that we'll have people surrounding us - like suburbia again. It's not nearly as bad as suburbia...but we've definitely been spoiled by the woods.
I'm not having hagglers remorse, we knew where the farmhouse was before we started negotiations. It's an awesome house, and it's the best we can possibly get in our price range and in this town. Like I said to my husband while discussing pros and cons, 'there are things we can change (like the price) and things we can't (the location)...'
So in these last 3 weeks we have here, in the house in the woods, I am determined to savor the seclusion around us. The crawling vines, tall trees, birds, deer, fox, coons and other critters that live here too. It's not just us that are moving, they will be too.
For the next 2yrs we'll be at the farmhouse.
I'm going to focus on the great things about it, and I will most certainly enjoy living there (and using the fabulous trail!).
Goodbye wonderful woods! I'll savor you while I still have you.

January Winery Hopping

2011-01-16T18:17:00.007-05:00

We've been true to our word about wanting to visit more vineyards, wineries and soak up more vinification information in 2011.

Within the first couple days of 2011, we took the kids down to our favorite vineyard (Running Hare Vineyard) in Prince Frederick, MD and they loved it! I was so glad! Took a picnic lunch and just enjoyed the day with each other inside their gorgeous Tuscan style events building. Can't wait for the weather to get better so we can head down there for outdoor picnics again! It's so beautiful!

Last week, my husband and I had to venture up to New York state for family reasons and on our way back decided we HAD to stop at a New York winery/vineyard. We've had wine made from grapes up there and we hear all these things about how wonderful NY wine is (especially up near the Finger Lakes), but we'd never stopped before. Unfortunately, we were no where near their 'wine region' but there were a few places on our route where we could try to stop.
We got off the interstate (YAY) and ventured down some county roads and through some adorable tiny towns. Victorian houses sat along the snow covered streets, neighboring dilapidated barns of every shape and color. It was very picturesque.
Finally, after some misguided but scenic directions courtesy of google maps, we arrived at the winery: Warwick Valley, which we discovered was not only a winery but also a distillery!

Their tasting room was very rustic, so of course I loved it. It reminded me of the inside of a barn - tall beams, lots of wood, the bar top was copper and they had lots of wood burning stoves to heat the building. We sidled up to the bar and tried some of their wines, hard ciders and even one of their brandies! Quite tasty indeed! After our tasting, we decided to take advantage of their cafe and ordered a delicious margherita pizza. It was quickly devoured along with our bottle of hard apple cider. Very good combination.

Today, we ventured across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to explore a little slice of the Eastern Shore. After living here for a year, we still haven't really explored that half of Maryland yet. We got rather excited to see that they had a Sonic Drive-In and that they allow grocery stores to carry alcohol (unlike the other part of Maryland). For those reasons alone I can say that the Eastern Shore rocks! Anyhow, we drove down highway 50 to Easton, MD and then took highway 33 east towards the Bay.
St. Michael's Winery sits in an adorable little alleyway in the town of St. Michaels, MD, surrounded by colorful old buildings and an ancient mill house. If you didn't know where you were before, once you step inside their tasting room you'll know you're near the shore. A huge, peeling rudder rests against one of the walls while a creamy white sail hangs from their ceiling. I love harbor towns. :)
It was super busy inside, but we were able to squeeze in at the tasting bar.
It's amazing when you can actually describe what you're tasting when you're drinking wines. Earthy, fruity, peppery finish, nutmeg, oaky, etc. I don't know if it's because my palette is changing or if I'm just getting more in tune with my taste buds (sounds kind of hippie, but you've got to trust me!) - it makes wine tasting just that more enjoyable.
St. Michael's has some great wines. I think I fell in love with their Chocolate Zin, as well as their Pinot Grigio. My husband and I both agreed on getting a bottle of the 'Long Splice', which is their driest white consisting of seyval and chardonnay grapes.
It was a wonderful, relaxing day of exploring the Eastern Shore and new wines. I love that I'm able to pick out certain flavors and scents now as I taste more and more.
It's a great start to a great 2011.

I'm baaaack...:-)

2011-01-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

WOW! Haven't posted anything in a looong time. What's wrong with me?!
To sum it up:
Had a great end of summer!
Roadtripped back up to Michigan in October to visit Traverse City (where we learned you should always book a hotel in advance lest you want to be up all night calling all hotels within a 20mi radius) - we explored the Leelanau Peninsula this time and tasted some wonderful wines. We then went further north to Mackinac Island (where of course, we got married almost 2 years ago) where we stayed for an entire week ON-ISLAND! It was marvelous! My husband and I also ran in the Great Turtle Marathon (my husband did the half marathon and I ran the 5.7mi run) - honestly one of the most beautiful races I've ever run. The views were stunning.
Anyhow - from that trip on we've been super busy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) and I feel like I haven't unpacked my bags since. We went up to New York, took some trips down to Virginia, hosted a stellar holiday party, drove to Wisconsin for Christmas...needless to say it's been a whirlwind!
Rest assured, I have returned to the blogging world! (cue the evil laughter here --> muahahaha)
Happy New Year all! Hope the holiday's treated you well!
So, my NYE "resolution" is to further our vineyard knowledge in all ways possible! We'll be visiting more vineyards including our favorite vineyard in the area (Running Hare Vineyard), soaking up information, and taking classes in viticulture and oenology! I'm sure I'll be blogging all about it! :D

For the Love of Baseball

2010-07-31T08:19:00.008-04:00

One of the best feelings of summer is going to a baseball game.

Think about it:
It's hot out, your legs and arms are sticking to the metal seats.
You've got an ice cold beer in your hand and your team (whoever they may be) is up to bat.
The bases are loaded and you can tell something magical is going to happen.
You hear that beautiful crack of the wooden bat hitting perfectly against the ball and watch it fly high up over the opposing players.
Your heart soars and you hold your breath as you watch.
Everyone jumps out of their seat and cheers - and suddenly you're all team-mates. The three runners come in to cross home-base and the batter rocked a triple! You're still smiling when you plop back down to watch some more.
The stadium food and beverages might be overpriced, but that's just part of the game.
Silly mascots are running around and smells of fresh cut grass, beefy hot dogs, salted peanuts and cotton candy waft through the air and you can't help but indulge.

When my husband and I found out we were getting the girls for the entire summer, we were trying to think of fun, memorable stuff to do with them. We found out that our local AA baseball team was hosting a family night campout on the field after one of their games! Way cool.

We got our tickets in advance and on Friday late-afternoon we packed up our camping gear: tent, sleeping bags, pillows etc. (and the kids) and off we went to the game! The kids got to play on the carousel and jumpy-castle that's in the kid play zone, so they were happy. My husband got picked/volunteered for one of the games in between innings which he won and our entire section got a prize! It was a wonderful, action packed game and even better when our home-team won 8-5! Afterwards, the stadium did an 11min fireworks show which rivaled the fireworks we'd seen on the 4th of July. Then we went out to the car to gather our camping gear. If you've ever been on a playing field before you know what I'm talking about - as soon as you step beyond the gate of the stands and set foot on the turf you get butterflies. The heroes of the game just played here on the field...and you find you've got that silly grin on your face again. We set up our tent in center-field, got comfy, took out the popcorn we'd brought along and settled in to watch a family-friendly movie on the jumbo screen. It's quite a sight to see tons of tents set up on a baseball field, and it was quite a treat to be one of them. Besides some noisy camping neighbors, the night went pretty smoothly! There were hardly any bugs - so no need for bug-spray, it was cool outside, the moon was glowing and the crickets were singing.
At 6am the stadium blasted an 'alarm' to get us all moving and out by 7. Dew was heavy on the turf and it was chilly. The magic from the game the night before still lingered in the stands as we disassembled our tent and packed up our belongings. I saw the stadium workers getting ready to clean up and start all over again for the next game. What a great cycle. The tradition of baseball, America's pastime will always hold a special place in my heart.
We made our way to the car with heavy eyelids, yawning and shuffling, and I knew that this experience would be a great summer memory.

Mommy Time

2010-06-30T07:08:00.007-04:00

Summer is here again and with it comes tall cold drinks, hot sticky weather, backyard BBQ's and sunshine galore!

A little background:
My husband has two little girls (from his previous marriage) that we get for a few holidays out of the year and usually for the entire summer! The oldest is 7, the youngest 3. Lately, they've been calling me "mommy" which was totally weird/awkward for me at first, but I'm sort of liking it now. I get lots of 'I love you's and hugs and kisses. I mean, who doesn't like a 3 year old with angel-blonde curly hair falling asleep on you? However, with the great stuff also comes the other stuff. Like trying to figure out 3 healthy meals every day for those growing bones, the constant "Why?" question, the occasional temper tantrum, possible injuries. I tend to call myself "The General" because I feel like a General with her troops!

So now that you know a little background, here's what happened yesterday:
It was mid-morning and I had started to clear off our dining room table so I could start folding laundry on it. In the midst of the clearing I saw something spectacular - my new Coastal Living magazine had arrived in the mail the day before and had been hiding beneath the various coupon books and other mail. I set it by my laptop and oh how it glowed! It's bright blue cover against the dark wood grain of the table and the sunshine spearing onto it...it was delicious. I had to page through it! I'm one of those people that likes to relax when reading (be it a magazine or a novel), so I figured once I was done folding the laundry I'd take a little break and go through it. Then all of a sudden it was time for lunch. Yummy honey ham sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Thankfully, my choice was a hit with the girls/troops. While we were eating, I thought Wouldn't it be nice, if after lunch I could stretch out on the cool leather couch in the living room (the girls have taken over the family room which has our one and only tv) get a cold glass of lemonade, maybe re-paint my toenails and above all else, read my new magazine! Oh how nice it would've been...
After lunch, I started carting my items over to the couch. Laptop, cell phone, magazines. Then I went upstairs to try and decide what color toes I should have. At this point the girls, who were playing on our skeleton of a pool table like an indoor jungle gym, had gotten into a tiff and the little one had followed me upstairs to tell on her sister.
To make a long story shorter, by the time I had removed my old, chipped toenail polish and was re-painting them I was completely surrounded. One kid on each side and a dog in front, all huddled in and watching 'mommy.' *sigh*
Then came the inevitable question, "Can you paint my nails?" Well of course I just don't have the heart to say no to the little fashionistas in training. My only request was that they think patriotic. Since the 4th of July is quickly approaching (4 days away!) I figured that if they had patriotic nails that would be awesome. Oh the debate on which colors and where to place them. Finally they decided and off we went. The eldest troop asked to paint her own nails. Since she's notoriously meticulous and always very careful I decide sure! Why not? So long as she sits on the wood floor (just in case). I then proceeded to show her how to open the bottles and wipe the excess paint off inside the bottle-neck before taking the brush out etc. It turns out she does a stellar job!!! Proud mommy right here! There was only one drip on the wood floor, which of course was easy-peasy to clean up.
Somehow in-between all of that, the youngest troop got her blood-red nail polish smeared smack-dab in the middle of her forehead. It looked very much like a major head injury. I had to laugh at this one...it was too funny. I even sent her upstairs to my bathroom where there are floor-length mirrors so she could see herself. Unfortunately I also found some smeared red glitter polish from the little one's toes on the leather couch...not good. But I'm sure it'll come off eventually.

At this point, we're done painting and I'm hoping they'll want to watch another show in the family room or play in their room so I can read my magazine without being interrupted... Not quite the case... The YCT (Youngest Child/Troop) was getting sleepy. Oh no!!! No napping in the middle of the day! If she falls asleep she's wide awake when it's time for bedtime! Tickle-torture worked for a few minutes...but I knew what I had to do. Wake her up by giving her a popsicle! This was a little trick my mom used to use on me. It totally worked but having them eating their snack in the adjoining dining room I couldn't read my magazine... The constant telling them to eat over their bowls and don't let the dog eat it, and use your napkin were too distracting. Finally when they'd finished they scooted into the family room. Ta-daaa!!! Time to enjoy. Oh wait, no...not quite...now the dog is going crazy because she sees a giant grey squirrel outside!!! So...I take my laptop, cell phone, magazine and my glass of lemonade and I head upstairs to the loft. Perhaps up here the dog won't see any furry creatures she wants to eat. I am now sitting on an uncomfortable wooden chair around a small round table which is currently occupied with a giant puzzle. Hmm. "MOMMY!!!!!!" Uh-oh... Apparently there's a rabbit outside eating our vines in the garden. Great. So I run downstairs and through the house with our 65lb dog chasing after me, smashing into my legs and accidentally scraping up my ankle with her nails which tend to slide uncontrollably on the wood floors. I am now in the family room and look outside and see that stinkin rabbit chomping away in our garden on our grape vines!!! I shoot outside - but by the time I get out there he's gone.
Okay, back upstairs into the loft. Now ECT (the Elder Child/Troop) is with me. She wants to work on the puzzle. *sigh* So I just sip my lemonade and surf the net a little and then what happens? The dog throws up. What else could possibly happen, right? As I'm cleaning up the "ick" on the upstairs carpet I hear "MOMMY!!! THE RABBIT IS BACK!!!" So back I go running down the stairs and outside onto the porch and that rabbit has the gall to still sit there stare at me. Without thinking and nothing to throw at it - I run out into the yard to chase it back into the woods. Afterwards, I look down at my dirt (and probably dog poo) covered feet and freshly painted toe-nails and sigh once more.
I never did get to read my magazine. After I came back in from the rabbit chasing it was time for dinner. My husband was working late and I had made a beef roast in the crock pot which had been cooking all day and made the house smell delectable. I decided to let the girls eat at their regular dinner time and then I'd eat with my man when he got home later. ECT really enjoyed it, but YCT wouldn't even try it!!! It's so frustrating when this happens - and it happens with YCT more often than not. You want them to eat. You want them to eat healthy. When they won't even try something - what do you do? After 10min of her sitting and pouting and my getting more and more frustrated and trying to get through to her that what was in front of her was dinner and that was all she was getting - I bribed her with my husband's favorite salt - Lawry's. She wound up eating most of her potatoes (didn't touch the carrots or the meat)...but at least she got something inside of her.
My man came home a short while later while we were all watching Rocky & Bullwinkle and all was well in my little world. There were of course, the little hiccups in the evening - YCT has heat rash on the back of her neck and wouldn't stop crying when we put her to bed, etc...but all in all it was an okay day. I got to bond with my girls. Paint their nails and enjoy their antics. I got lots of 'I love you's and hugs. There were those little slivers in the day that were just beautiful. However, I was SO happy to crawl into bed and pass out.

It is the next day and I am up early. I have hot coffee and my Coastal Living magazine sitting next to me on the table. Finally, I have time to read it. Enjoy it. Savor it. I have my 'mommy time.' Who knows what today will bring...but I know that in the end I will try and find the good in it.

Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 3)

2010-05-13T16:49:00.021-04:00

Day 6:
This was a sad day as we had to leave Mackinac Island. But as we checked out of the LakeView and got on the ferry to head back to Mackinaw City, I was already looking forward to the day ahead. Upper Michigan. The U.P. - Upper Peninsula. I love the U.P. - always have. It borders my favorite Great Lake, Lake Superior. We packed our stuff back into the car and started over the bridge. The Mackinac Bridge started being built in 1954 and finished in 1957. When completed it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It's still the longest in North & South America and the 3rd longest in the world. And as always, a pleasure to drive across.
Now we were in the U.P.! We drove past St. Ignace and up highway 75 north to Sault Ste. Marie. Sault Ste. Marie is the gateway to Canada and the Soo Locks. We got there just in time to see 2 boats going through the locks which I haven't seen since I was really little on a family vacation. Love the bridge connecting Michigan and Canada it's sprawling and architecturally pleasing.
If I'd had a valid passport (one with my married name on it) we'd have totally gone over the border!!! After watching the boats (I say 'boats' lightly, these were giant freighters) go through the locks we got back on the road and drove west to Paradise, MI and north to Whitefish Point. Whitefish Point is known as the Graveyard of the Great Lakes with more than 550 shipwrecks off it's coast. We visited Whitefish Point Lighthouse and got to see the shores of Canada in the nearby distance and then we were off again!
We went back to Paradise, MI and veered west to Tahquamenon Falls. We got to the State Park and wanted to see the Upper Falls which is apparently the 3rd most voluminous waterfall east of the Mississippi River - after Niagara and Cohoes Falls. The Upper Falls are 200ft across and drop almost 50ft. It was huge!!!! We walked all over the trails taking various photos and just staring at the cascading water.
Now comes the really fun part...I had wanted desperately to see Crisp Point Lighthouse. It's advertised as "Michigan's Best Kept Secret" and I had first seen it online about a year ago and then had a dream about it. So of course, I wanted to see it. We took off on some really back roads. It started out gravel and then turned to dirt. This was so much fun! We didn't see any other cars the entire drive and even though our GPS tried to steer us in several different directions, we stuck to the printed directions I had from the website. Thankfully we had the directions otherwise our GPS would've had us on snowmobile trails!!! We got to the lighthouse and finally got to see it. It was magnificent. Standing tall, white and peaceful on the edge of Lake Superior. One of the first things I did was take off my shoes and roll up my pants - even though it was pretty chilly out there from the breeze of the lake and the almost setting sun - and went down the wooden steps to the beach. The sand was so fine and soft and the lighthouse dominated the shoreline. The lighthouse was established in 1904. Recently, thankfully a group of people started a historical society to help upkeep the light. It was leaning on it's perch and about to topple over into Lake Superior so they built a new retaining wall for it and it stands firm today. This is officially my favorite lighthouse. So secluded and secret, it made me feel a part of it all.

We started back along the back roads and towards St. Ignace, not sure if we were staying on the Upper or Lower Peninsula for the night. I had wanted to hit a Pasty place - not what you think - Pasties are a tasty Cornish dish, and the traditional is a pastry filled with beef, rutabagas, potato and onion though you can get others with different fillings. They were designed for the miners back in the day, so they could take the Pasty and put it in a pocket to eat later. You will only get a real, traditional Pasty in Upper Michigan. By the time we got back to St. Ignace the Pasty shops had closed...so I vow that we'll hit one on our next trip!

Day 7:
The drive back to Maryland was daunting. It was supposed to rain again and I wasn't looking forward to the long hours in the car. We plugged along though and once we got to Pennsylvania the mountains cheered me up quite a bit. It was like we were driving through the clouds, the mist and fog was SO thick it was incredible! Needless to say we were grateful when we pulled into our vine-covered tunnel of a driveway.

Now:
Lucy is home from the boarders and she's happy, healthy and my worries are over. We had a very memorable trip, taking tons of photos and exploring different corners of Michigan. Now I can't wait to go back and try more wineries and find new lighthouses!!!

Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 2)

2010-05-13T14:44:00.016-04:00

Day 3 (cont.):

When we left the chateau we headed back into Traverse City and got on the 31 north. The day was dreary and a bit rainy and we heard there was supposed to be snow coming our way. The road was quaint with rolling farmland, silos and barns on both sides. Every once and awhile we'd catch a glimpse of Lake Michigan. When we went through Petoskey, MI we took M-119 as it's advertised as scenic. We went through Harbor Springs, MI which has some of the most beautiful houses on bluffs overlooking the Great Lake and Little Traverse Bay. After driving up and down some side streets to gawk at the houses we got back on the road. M-119 is often times called the 'tunnel of trees' because the trees reach over the highway and touch making it very tunnel-like and picturesque. We passed several signs on our way outlining history along the route making our drive even more fun. There were many little white flowers covering the floor of the forest which we later discovered was trillium! In some places it looked like a white carpet glowing through the cloudy day. We went through the itty bitty town of Cross Village which had about 6 buildings total. Then before we knew it we were crossing into the township of Mackinaw City! My husband saw a sign that said lighthouse and whipped the car around to go find it! It was McGulpin Point lighthouse which was just opened to the public last year. It's a beautiful brick structure overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. The people were very very nice and even had refreshments out for visitors. Climbing the tower is free which is always good, so we went up and got a fabulous view of the Mackinac Bridge aka The Mighty Mac.
We got into Mackinaw City in the early evening and shopped around for a hotel, found one and then ordered a pizza from a local pub. It was delish!!! We always like to eat local. Better for the economy and 95% of the time it tastes better than franchises!

Day 4:
Saturday morning we opened the door of our hotel room and saw snow! The wind was gusting like crazy making the flakes whirl like a blizzard. We packed up our stuff and headed to the ferry dock stopping first to air up the tires of my bike. We made the ferry on time and were heading to Mackinac Island! The ferry boat ride was pretty bumpy but we got there safely and headed for our hotel, The LakeView. We were able to check in right away which was awesome and proceeded to check out our room. Jacuzzi tub for two, king bed and all in one of the LakeView's turret rooms! We had our wedding reception in the LakeView last spring so it was a great feeling to go back. While we were on the island we knew we wanted to travel around the highway (M-185). In case you're not familiar with Mackinac Island there are no cars allowed. All travel is done by foot, bicycle or via horse including horse and buggy and horseback. It's a magical place that takes you back in time when you step off the ferry. I've always loved visiting it.
My husband is a runner and wanted to run the 8 mile perimeter and I wanted to follow on my bike! It had stopped snowing at this point but was still pretty chilly. I threw on my winter hat which I had luckily packed and some gloves and we started our trek! The scenery was beautiful! Of all the times I've been to the island I had never gone all the way around it before. The blue waves crashed around the rocky shores and the gulls swooped with glee. Once we got to the tip of the island it started to snow again but only enough to make the views breathtaking. It was so nice to be away from all the people and feel so secluded on such a fabulous stretch of land. We went past British Landing and stopped at Arch Rock for some photos and before we knew it we were back downtown dodging horses and tourists.
We hit Goodfellow's Restaurant (connected to the LakeView - they catered our wedding last year too!) after our adventure for a beer and a snack. The bruschetta was finger-lickin good! Yum!!! Then we went up to our room to shower and relax a bit before dinner. Both were much needed. We walked down to Horn's Bar and enjoyed the rest of our evening there soaking up the local atmosphere and pub food.

Day 5, Our Anniversary:
I woke up smiling hearing the *clip-clop* of horse hooves outside our window. The sun was shining and here I was, back on Mackinac Island and married for one whole year! Sure doesn't feel like it's been a year...it feels like it was only yesterday. Today, we wanted to explore the trails on Mackinac. There's a race I want to run on the island this fall and I wanted to see what I'm getting myself into. We started out on foot out of town and headed east. Up towards Mission Point resort. Met a cute little boxer puppy and went on our way. Then when we got to the east bluff, stopped to take in the view. We ran into a family geocaching on the island which was neat to see. Then we realized we were near Arch Rock - a natural geologic formation of limestone 146 feet above Lake Huron - so we detoured up there to take some photos. Keep in mind we were without a map this entire time. Followed some more roads and saw a trail for horses to practice jumping! We got a little carried away taking action photos of us jumping over the wooden structures...but then found ourselves close to Sugar Loaf! Sugar Loaf is a 75 ft high rock created by erosion. It's the largest post-glacial erosion feature in the Straits of Mackinac and has many legends and lore surrounding it.
We climbed up an immense set of stairs to Lookout Point next and got another great view of Sugar Loaf.
We continued walking and found Fort Holmes. The highest point on the island and boy was it breezy!!! One of the best views of neighboring Bois Blanc island and the mainlands - Mackinaw City (in lower Michigan) and St. Ignace (in the upper peninsula of Michigan).

Any direction from Fort Holmes is down, so we took the main staircase and started the hike. We knew exactly where we were now and went past Skull Cave - another limestone formation from the post-glacial period used as a burial site by Native Americans. We walked past Fort Mackinac and to the Somewhere In Time gazebo which is where we got married a year before. Somewhere In Time is a cult classic movie made on the island in the late 70's. It stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. If you haven't seen it I recommend watching it! We took some photos and then went down the hill into town for lunch. We hit Mighty Mac Hamburgers and it was extremely busy. The guys working there really got the food out there fast though! And man oh man it was delicious!!! The fries were exceptional as well. Will be going back there next time for sure! We stopped at a bakery which I can't for the life of me remember the name of but the cookies we got were fabulous! When we walked in the guy manning the counter was talking about using green products - which of course I love. We stopped at our hotel for a pit stop and a short walking break and then we started for the Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel was constructed in the late 19th century and boasts 5 US Presidents that have stayed there and the longest porch at 660ft. It's definitely a magnificent landmark on the island. They actually have a Grand Hotel staff member (what we like to call a 'guard') standing near the entrance of the road that goes in front of the Grand Hotel that accosts people asking if they're staying there or not. If you're not, you have to pay $10 to go onto the porch and inside the hotel to catch a peek and/or shop in the stores that are on the main floor. We did not go in this trip but continued up the hill to the Grand Hotel Stables. The stables are one of the only things on the island that are free. We went in and got to pet Duke, one of the giant percheron horses that work the island. They're just simply beautiful animals. We went around the backside of the Grand and to the West Bluff. The West Bluff has the coolest Victorian houses. I got to tour the inside of one when I was younger called 'Hog Haven' - the owners are friends with my parents employers and I'll always remember seeing the inside of that gorgeous place. After taking some photos we walked past the Grand on the side where they don't have 'guards' and went back down the hill towards town. We detoured off into the Grand Hotel gardens where we found various exercise equipment (parallel bars, etc) which we couldn't help but play on. And bonus - we got to see the Grand from down in the gardens! Unfortunately, the looming structure is far too wide to take a photo of all of it. Then we walked back through the trailing gardens and back down to M-185. We took some photos of the Somewhere In Time plaque marking an important moment in the movie and where it took place. Then I wanted to put my toes in Lake Huron...and so picked my way along the slippery rocks on the shore and thrust my barefoot into the freezing water!!! It actually wasn't too bad. After my foot dried off we walked back to the LakeView and got ready for our anniversary dinner. Back at Goodfellow's Restaurant, my husband ordered the stuffed whitefish and I, the fettucine alfredo with chicken. I cannot tell you how tasty these were. MMMM!!! After dinner we popped the champagne we got for our wedding last year, cut the year old cake and had a blissfully romantic evening.

Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 1)

2010-05-13T12:09:00.016-04:00

My husband and I took a week long roadtrip last week to celebrate our first anniversary. It was one of the memorable roadtrips of my life!

We decided to drive up to Michigan to visit beautiful Mackinac Island which was where we got married last year. We dropped Lucy (our Plott Hound/Lab mix) at a local boarding facility. It was her first time at a boarders and unfortunately I was worried about her the whole week... Anyhow, we dropped her there and decided to leave the following morning at the 'ass-crack of dawn'. Between us sleeping in and last minute packing and trying to fit my bicycle into the back of the car - we didn't leave till 10am.

Then we were on the road!!! A bag of snacks and a cooler of drinks beside us. We drove through Maryland on highway 70 west quite quickly enjoying the lessening of traffic the farther north we went. The Alleghany mountain ranges in Pennsylvania seemed to kiss the blue sky above them. Our only annoyance was the road construction on the 76 tollway. 55mph certainly slows down a trip. Still though, the scenery made up for it! Once we got to Ohio we ran into some rain and an exceptional lightening storm! It was beautiful! I always smile when driving past Sandusky as it makes me think of 'Tommy Boy' - Sandusky, Ohio home of Callahan Auto Parts!

Shortly thereafter we were finally in Michigan! The clouds broke and the sun tried to poke through and we got a fabulous view through our windshield.

We drove up through Michigan and veered off onto some country roads towards Traverse City. At this point the sun was down and we were dead tired. Once in the outskirts of Traverse, we found a fast food restaurant for some quick eats and then checked in at a motel. 12 long hours of driving and we were out for the count.

Day 2:

The next morning we drove around Traverse looking for breakfast. Found a little place called Cuppa Joe. Ordered some bagels with cream cheese and were very impressed! So very tasty.

Our plan for the day was to hit as many wineries along the peninsula's of Traverse City as possible, while still being able to drive afterwards. We decided to hit the Old Mission Peninsula first and drove the 18 miles up to the tip to the Old Mission Peninsula Lighthouse. It was a very chilly, windy day on the point but the view distracted us long enough to take some photos.
The lighthouse is apparently one of those that you can apply to be a lighthouse keeper for a week at a time. The people staying there were incredibly nice hosts and we had fun chatting with them for a few. Then we climbed the tower and got some great views of Traverse Bay!

After the lighthouse we drove down to "2 Lads" winery. They have 22 acres of vines planted and specialize in cool climate reds and sparkling wines. Upon seeing the entryway I was very surprised. It's a modern styled building that you wouldn't expect to see in northwestern Michigan. They only had 2 wines open to taste but they were delightful and the view of the water from the inside of the building through the giant wall of windows was incredible.

Next, we hit "Chateau Grand Traverse" - the biggest, oldest commercial winery in northern Michigan (producing about 80,000 cases of wine per year). They specialize in the European vinifera species vines including merlot, pinot noir, cabernet franc, chardonnay, gamay noir, riesling, pinot gris, pinot blanc, pinot meunier and gewurztraminer. This place had huge vines and a great tasting room atmosphere. My favorite wine was the Cherry Ginseng - I'd never heard of such a wine before and it was VERY good.

Then we hit "Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery." 24 acres of planted vines also of the vinifera species. Like many of the vineyards in this area the land was originally used as a cherry and apple farm. The tasting room is located on a hill overlooking the bay and the sun decided to come out full force when we got there making the chilly day quite a bit more tolerable. Brys has vinifera vines as well and I was delighted to find that they had a bubbly to taste!

"Bower's Harbor Vineyards" was our next stop. It had a 'mom and pop' feel to it which my husband and I love. We got out of the car and were greeted by a little mop of fur. A Burnese Mountain dog puppy named Brix. Once we got past the welcoming committee and into the tasting room there lay the big version of Brix - a huge mop of fur named Cooper! Yet another glutton for attention. I was so distracted by the canine's running around I didn't take as many photos as I should have. The vines were first planted in 1991 and the wines we tasted were delish. After our tasting, we ended up getting a glass to sip while we wandered the converted barn/tasting room and pet the pups.

Lastly we drove to a winery and B&B called "Chateau Chantal" - a sprawling mansion greeted us at the top of the hill. This tasting room was bustling and big machines were scattered about the outside as the chateau is expanding they're tasting room in the upcoming year.
The owners were previously a catholic priest and a nun. They bought the 60 acre cherry orchard in 1983 and began converting it into a vineyard. They opened their doors in 1993. They had several different champagnes which I adored and a cherry port which was my husband's favorite. After our tasting my husband wanted to get a look inside the B&B and maybe get some information about room rates and whatnot. He came back to the car insisting I go in and get a look at the place. All of a sudden the girl inside was telling me what room we'd be staying in! What a fabulous surprise!!! My husband is so good to me. We were booked in the "Behren's Suite" and it was magnificent. King-sized bed with an en-suite bathroom complete with HUGE jacuzzi tub. A large living area with wet bar and french doors to our own private patio. We drove back into Traverse City for some pizza and then headed back to the chateau for the evening. We took a walk among the vines and got a taste of what it felt like to own your own vineyard - which is a dream of ours. A fire was roaring in the fireplace when we got back inside and we cozied up by it for a while. Then ventured off to the tasting room again where we were allowed one complimentary glass of our choice and could taste anything that was open. Again, it felt great to have the run of the place. The entire chateau gives off a romantic vibe but not in a cheesy way.

Day 3:

Time for breakfast. Nadine, one of the owners was cooking for us (which apparently she only does twice a week these days, so we were really lucky!). She made poached eggs over a spinach/artichoke sauce which was to die for! After the opulent breakfast we went on a tour of the cellars. I loved our tour guide Bill. He was very enthusiastic and really brightened up the morning. Then it was time to check out! I loved our stay at the chateau! Can't wait to go back again.

First MD run

2010-04-18T00:09:00.005-04:00

Today, my husband and I went for our first run since we've been in the state of Maryland. It took us awhile to get out there...but we're glad we did.

There's a paved path close to our house called the B&A trail park (Baltimore & Annapolis trail). It used to be a rail-line that started back in 1887, ran daily and served over 1,750,000 passengers per year! Eventually in 1950, it closed. Thanks to the railroad, many towns and highways along its route were developed, and thanks to the closing of the B&A line, the beautiful, scenic trail was created for runners, walkers, bikers and so on today.

We decided to take it easy and only do about 2 miles. I'm pretty rusty as I haven't done a race for a year (bad, I know). We started laughing at ourselves as we kept pointing out things along the way - horses, huge magnolia trees, curly bamboo, hidden stairs, drawbridges, forts, big older houses, vibrant azaleas, and before we knew it we'd gone a half mile already! I always say I hate running on a track...I get bored with the scenery and tend to concentrate more on the aching ankle and knee and back and tend to have a horrible time. I definitely didn't have that problem today! I didn't have time to think about my body and what random things were aching from the run. I was able to enjoy it and breathe in the fresh air and smell the flowers.

We'll be hitting this trail again.
Next mission: to find an unpaved trail.

The Short Hair Confidence

2010-04-09T13:05:00.015-04:00

I've done it again. I've let my adorable pixie-style hairdo get shaggy and shapeless...damn my laziness!!! I have an appointment tomorrow (thank god) and it got me thinking about my hair history and my luckiness...

My hair used to be really long. And bleach blonde.

Then I cut it up to my shoulders.

Then I cut it into a shag in-between my chin and ears.

Then (a few years ago) I got a pixie. Finally - the first haircut I truly loved!!! I've maintained it (despite my cutting laziness) ever since.

I've been one of those girls that always gets 'the look' from the opposite sex. I found it interesting when my hair was uber long and blonde the insane amount of attention I would attract. Young men, old men and everything in-between.
I then 'experimented' and dyed my locks a beautiful brunette. And let me tell you - it's true - blondes get a LOT more attention! It was ridiculous! For the first time I realized, first-hand the shallow capabilities of men.
I went back to my natural blonde (not the bleach) after that and continued to progressively go shorter. Again - the attention span of the opposite sex waned. In a way, I was relieved. It's a pain in the arse to have men look at you and drool constantly.

I was reading an article by Johanna Cox (Elle magazine) today called, "Short Hairstyles: Do Haircuts Affect Your Love Life?" I was very intrigued by the article and it totally made sense. It made me feel really lucky to be married to the man I'm married to. A man that loves short hair, thinks it's sexy and exudes confidence. Now that I have short hair I've been experimenting with color too (been a redhead thanks to BAQ henna since last fall).

I'd always loved Michelle Pfeiffer's hair in "LadyHawke" & when Victoria Beckham cropped her bob - I cheered!

I don't think I'll ever go back to having long hair. I love my pixie and am stoked to get it perfectly sculpted again tomorrow at my appointment. It makes me feel confident, sexy, edgy, rebellious & beautiful. I think anyone can rock a short hairstyle - all you need is the attitude to go with it. ;)

A Day at the Beach

2010-04-07T12:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, we all packed into the car in the sweltering heat and hit the beach. The cool waters of the Chesapeake Bay met us with open arms.
I definitely recommend going to the beach on a weekday when there are a lot less people to contend with.
We packed some sandwiches and lots of water in a cooler, slathered on SPF 70 and enjoyed the day. Sand castles were built, the kids got soaking wet and nobody got sunburnt!
I love weekday excursions...

Our Easter

2010-04-05T11:06:00.007-04:00

For us, Easter was a day full of cooking great food and being with our family.
I had my mom's recipe for Greek Lemon Soup which is basically lemon, white rice, egg and broth and I always loved it! I made it for us and it turned out fantastic (even the kids liked it). Had to be careful not to curdle the egg when adding it to the hot broth mixture but other than that it's very very easy to make. Hot lemony ricey mouthfuls of goodness. Plus some crusty french bread and a blush wine on the side. Mmmm Mmmm!!!

For our main course, we sliced up some ham, smashed some potatoes and served up some green beans (with concentrated mushroom soup mixed in to make it creamy and more appealing to the kids). Us grown-ups had mimosas as well.

All in all, it was a relaxing day with great food and even better company. The weather was perfect and allowed us to eat al fresco on our deck. With the wind gently blowing and petals from our dogwood tree falling around us it was marvelous. One of those days that you give thanks for.

BEST Hamburger!

2010-03-31T11:08:00.006-04:00

Do you ever crave a big, juicy burger? I was just thinking how much I miss a certain restaurant in Bellevue, Nebraska. It's called Stella's (located on Galvin Rd. South).
Stella's has THE best hamburgers I have ever tasted.
It's a tiny restaurant and bar close to Offutt AFB and gets a lot of regulars. When my husband and I were living in Bellevue we tried to eat there at least once a month. And it's always packed!
They serve your delectable burger on a napkin because "good food doesn't need to be fancy" and the hand-cut fries are in bowls on the side. Be sure you have plenty of napkins because this thing is juicy and will most certainly run down your hands!!! Yum!
The burgers are grilled on the same grill that Stella herself used to grill on back in the 50's when the place opened! While you're waiting for your food - check out the walls to see old photos of the place and read the history of Stella's from a laminated paper found where the menu's are located on your table.
I can't wait till we see Nebraska again and get to go to Stella's. It's a feel-good atmosphere, great prices, and excellent food. I recommend it!

Magic of Mornings

2010-03-14T14:59:00.003-04:00

"I love eggs! From my head down to my legs!" Remember that commercial from the 80's/90's?

I really do love eggs... I know 'they' all say they're bad for you...but there can't be much truth to that! I mean, something that tastes so good can't be that horrible for you!

My husband and I got up early for once today, and being that it's a Sunday there was no pressure for him to hustle off to work.
So I made apple smoked bacon and he made eggs!
I happen to have baby bella mushrooms in the fridge, so I cut a few of those up as well as some black olives (another one of my addictions). We mixed those with some diced tomatoes & cheddar cheese with a couple of eggs in the pan and I had a VERY tasty egg-licious breakfast!
Three pieces of apple bacon on the side along with a buttery piece of toast and a searing hot cup of coffee. Mmmm!

It was one of those mornings that you savor. Everywhere you looked from our house there was fog encasing the trees and vines. It was just beautiful.

Maybe I should get up and enjoy the magic of mornings more often. :)

Maryland Wine

2010-03-09T15:05:00.019-05:00

My husband and I have become small time wine connoisseurs. We love touring vineyards - especially the little known one's that are privately owned. Someday, we hope to own our own!
We started going to vineyards when we first met and he even proposed to me in a vineyard in Texas! So far, we've hit Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois & West Virginia wineries.

We moved here to Maryland last November. The weather was chilly, traffic was hairy and we were trying to get used to our new state. Then the holiday's showed up and we were even more busy!
Now that it's March and spring has sprung (YAY!) we decided to try out some Maryland vineyards.

Last Sunday we headed out to the Frederick Wine Trail. The sun was blazing and it was a balmy 50 degrees! Our GPS - we've named "Phil" - monotonously directed us toward our first of four vineyards in the adorable little town of Mt. Airy.
The drive was scenic (as the 'scenic byway' sign had advertised) and as our truck climbed and twisted up the next hill we saw our first Maryland vineyard.

Linganore Winecellars! I was immediately attracted to their tasting room which looks like an old barn. Once inside we looked up and saw huge black walnut beams on the ceiling. Truly magnificent. The wine was very tasty. I am a semi-sweet wine lover and enjoyed their fruity wines the most. I was impressed/surprised to find they had a dandelion wine, as my grandparents used to make it and I was curious as to how it actually tasted (quite good)! They had a huge wine-list and we tried just about all of them!

Next, we went just down the road to Black Ankle Vineyards. This was my husbands favorite of the day! He is a cabernet, merlot man (dry wines) and he adored their wine list! The atmosphere at this place was my favorite - the walls are baled hay plastered over, they have a beautiful custom-rounded brick fireplace, a living roof (SO cool) and the bar top is made from their vines (you've got to see it to appreciate it)! Construction fit for a nature-lover.

Our third stop was at Loew Vineyards. This is an adorable place! We got to meet one of the owners who happily answered all of our how-to-grow-vine questions. My favorite wine here was the 'Country Classic'- even my husband liked it!!!

Lastly we stopped at Elk Run Vineyards.. We got there about 15 minutes before they closed and figured we could sneak in a few tastes before they kicked us out...The staff was very friendly and didn't seem to mind that we were there so close to closing time. The wine was truly fantastic. My husband found a port he really liked while I savored their Riesling. On our way out I stopped to take a photo of their vines - they looked bigger/older/fatter than any of the others we'd seen that day. I can't wait till all the snow is gone and they start to grow again! It will be a beautiful sight.

We had such a great time on our little Maryland wine trip now all we can think about is going back...