Recovering from our "trip around the northeast"

We just got back from our two week vacation on Sunday. We started out our trip going to State College to visit friends from college. Then we went to visit my parents in northern PA. We stayed there for a few days. The boys enjoyed their time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa taught Dylan how to go fishing. Dylan also enjoyed throwing rocks in the pond to make a "really big splash." Ethan loved their cat. He walked around after the cat saying "Ka, Ka."



Our next destination was Saranac Lake NY (near Lake Placid). We have friends who have been living there for the past few years. Since the majority of our vacations are spent visiting family it was nice to have some time as just the 4 of us. (No offense family we do enjoy visiting you too :) The Adirondacks are so beautiful. If you have never been up there I highly recommend it. We spent 3 nights there in a little Adirondack cabin. I think that I liked it better that Steve. It was pretty retro but it had 2 bedrooms and a kitchenette and living room with a TV. It was much better than a hotel where we would have to all share a room.

We spent one day playing tourist going downtown Lake Placid. We went into a lot of little shops and had lunch near Mirror Lake. We also went to see the old Olympic skating arenas. The kids enjoyed getting into the bobsleds.


The second day we were there we went to the top of Whiteface Mountain. That was pretty cool. We decided to climb the last part of the mountain (which may sound easier than it really was). Dylan amazed us as he scurried up the stairs and steep rocks. I ended up carrying Ethan which made me realize how out of shape I really am. Once we got to the top, the view was stunning.We finally got all 4 boys to look in one direction!

We also spend a lot of time a the sandy beach at Saranac Lake near where our friends live. The kids had fun playing in the sand. Dylan played with the trucks while Ethan ate the sand.



The kids were the most grumpy on this part of the trip. We think it's because there were no grandparents to spoil them.

From Saranac Lake we drove to Maine. We took a ferry across Lake Champlain. Dylan loved the ferry. He was amazed that we could drive our car onto a boat. It was a beautiful day for a ferry ride. It was also a nice way to get out of the car for a half hour and stretch our legs. I was also able to give the kids lunch on the ferry.

On the way to Maine we stopped near Concord, NH to visit Steve's aunt and uncle and family. Steve's Aunt Debbie made a delicious dinner and chocolate cake for dessert. YUM! The boys were pretty tired after a long day of traveling. Dylan even fell asleep at the dinner table.

We finally made it to Maine a little after 8. The boys went right to sleep when we got there. We were not far behind them. Traveling sure take a lot out of you.

The second day that we were in Maine we were able to go away for one night and two days on our own. We haven't ever been away from the kids overnight. Steve's mom and sister volunteered to watch the kids while we were gone. We went to Boothbay Harbor for the majority of the time but also spent some time in Freeport on our way home. It was nice to be able to reconnect with Steve again. We went out for dinner at a restaurant in Boothbay that has the best Lobster Bisque ever. In Freeport we enjoyed lunch at our favorite restaurant Azure. I have never had a meal that I did not like there. It was also fun to just walk around and go into the little shops. And of course LLBean. We had hoped to go on a harbor cruise in Boothbay but there was too much fog. I have to say that my favorite part was being able to sleep in. Dylan ususally rises sometime between 5:30 and 6 am every morning. I was able to sleep in until 8!!!! It was wonderful.

During our time in Maine we were able to go to the beach and to the lake. These are our two favorite places to go in the summer. Ocean View is the place where we went to the beach. It is really cool here because it is where a river feeds into the ocean. It literally cuts right down the beach. As the tide goes out the kids can easily play in the sand and in the river. The kids are still not so sure about the ocean and the waves. But they really had a blast running in the river and playing in the wet sand. Pluse the water was a little warmer (although still pretty cold).

Dylan and Ethan enjoying their time at the beach.

We also enjoyed a morning at Bunganut Lake. It has a sandy beach and the water is shallow for quite a ways out. While we really didn't go swimming too much because the water was cold, the kids had a great time playing in the sand. We brought some of the trucks that Steve use to play with . Dylan had an absolute blast with them. Ethan had fun with the shovel and rake moving the sand around.

Ethan had a little too much fun with the sand at the lake!







We knew that Dylan has been very interested in letters. But while we were in Maine we realized how much he not only loves letters but also organization and order (I jokingly wonder if he is a little OCD).



Meanwhile, Ethan was content to play with the blocks: Build a tower, knock it down.

We were sad to have to leave Maine. Dylan wanted to stay and play with grandma. He was upset to have to leave.


We finished our trip by visiting my grandmother in northern NJ. We stayed for dinner and then came home. We are tired but glad to be home. It's funny how vacations can sometimes make you appreciate coming home.