This is the first real vacation we've taken since I closed the shop and I gotta say it was awesome. I did travel with my computer, iPad, and phone but mostly those were for reading my book, playing a game and posting pictures on Instagram. No worries about what was going on at the shop, how sales were, and if the daily sales numbers were where it should be. We've not worried for years about where our pets go for their vacations while we're gone, Pam and Charlie are amazing and have become family to us and our pets. The shop was the big worry hanging over my head while we traveled, but not this time.
So, here is a rundown of our 10-day road trip in case you didn't follow along on Instagram.
Days 1, 2 & a bit of 3 were spent with some dear friends at their new home; fun times of eating, antiquing and lots and lots of conversation, great conversation, can't wait to do it again.
Days 3, 4, 5 a bit of 6 were with family in Oak Park Illinois. Andrew's sister and her family live there and we pack as much fun into 2 full days as we can. We also get to visit with Andrew's mom in her little apartment in the assistant living facility. We went to a great Farmers Market, walked Oak Park's downtown, they have a great bookstore. On Sunday we went to the Lincon Park Zoo, the day was mild for August and there was a nice breeze coming off the lake. We got up on Monday, waiting for some of the rush hour to let up and headed over to Michigan.
Day 6 was spent on the road with a stop in Kalamazoo at Bell's Brewing for lunch and a tasty beer. We got back on the road and headed to Ann Arbor, which was our stop for the night and another brewery was found, Wolverine State Brewing, we had dinner and a beer, well we had pimento cheese spread and hot pretzels with beer sounds like a balanced meal to me.
Day 7 found us up early and on the road heading north to Canada. It was a quick and easy trip and we landed in Niagara on the Lake in time to unpack and walk the town and grab dinner and watch a major storm move through the area. We ate a place called Orzo and had an amazing fish dish, I tasted some local wines and we both gave ice wine a try. Before I chat about the ice wine y'all need to know that I really like deep, dark red wines, nothing too dry and not sweet, I wish I could say that the two flights of wine, one white and one red, gave me something to really write about but out of 8 tastings there was not one of them I wanted to go find the winery and bring a bottle or two home.
Now to the ice wine, I had not heard of it and was intrigued, I asked why it was called ice wine and here is what I found out, the grapes are left on the vine well into January, letting the grapes freeze before they are picked. This really pulls out the sugar in the wine and it's almost like drinking syrup, and because it's not made in big batches it's very pricey, $17 for 2 ounces. I'm glad I tried it but I can say that I would not order it again, it is sweeter than any dessert wine I've ever had.
Day 8 we drove over to Niagara Falls, the Canadian side, and HOLY COWPIES...the falls were amazing.
This picture is of the Canadian Falls and if it weren't so crowded around the wall I could have stood there forever watching the water spill over the falls and take in all of its wonder. After leaving the falls we drove back to Niagara on the Lake for a walk through their park and up and down Main St. Lots of beautiful flowers and shops and about 10 ice cream shops. Back to our hotel for a late light dinner so we could get up early and head for the border.
Day 9 we got up early and headed towards Buffalo NY to cross the border and grab breakfast. We were lucky that there was a long line at the border and we made it back into the US with no real-time lost. We left Buffalo and headed to Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, I'll go into more detail on that visit in a later post because it deserves a post all on it's one.
We weren't sure how long our tour at Fallingwater was going to take so we decided to spend another night on the road, this time we stayed in Morgantown West by God Virginia. Found a place called Pies & Pints for dinner, if you have one around you I recommend you go, they have a great selection of brews and their pizza is awesome.
Day 10...4 hours and we were back home, we took back roads, which was fun but very curvy and by the time we got home we were both kind of tired of being in the car.
We passed the time listening to Jack Reacher books, finished one and started another, so we'll be listening to the rest of that one while watching the baseball game on mute.
I have a bunch of pictures to share, and I can't wait to tell y'all about Fallingwater but for now, it's getting late and it's time to head to bed.
Until Next Time
Be Kind
So, here is a rundown of our 10-day road trip in case you didn't follow along on Instagram.
Days 1, 2 & a bit of 3 were spent with some dear friends at their new home; fun times of eating, antiquing and lots and lots of conversation, great conversation, can't wait to do it again.
Days 3, 4, 5 a bit of 6 were with family in Oak Park Illinois. Andrew's sister and her family live there and we pack as much fun into 2 full days as we can. We also get to visit with Andrew's mom in her little apartment in the assistant living facility. We went to a great Farmers Market, walked Oak Park's downtown, they have a great bookstore. On Sunday we went to the Lincon Park Zoo, the day was mild for August and there was a nice breeze coming off the lake. We got up on Monday, waiting for some of the rush hour to let up and headed over to Michigan.
Day 6 was spent on the road with a stop in Kalamazoo at Bell's Brewing for lunch and a tasty beer. We got back on the road and headed to Ann Arbor, which was our stop for the night and another brewery was found, Wolverine State Brewing, we had dinner and a beer, well we had pimento cheese spread and hot pretzels with beer sounds like a balanced meal to me.
Day 7 found us up early and on the road heading north to Canada. It was a quick and easy trip and we landed in Niagara on the Lake in time to unpack and walk the town and grab dinner and watch a major storm move through the area. We ate a place called Orzo and had an amazing fish dish, I tasted some local wines and we both gave ice wine a try. Before I chat about the ice wine y'all need to know that I really like deep, dark red wines, nothing too dry and not sweet, I wish I could say that the two flights of wine, one white and one red, gave me something to really write about but out of 8 tastings there was not one of them I wanted to go find the winery and bring a bottle or two home.
Now to the ice wine, I had not heard of it and was intrigued, I asked why it was called ice wine and here is what I found out, the grapes are left on the vine well into January, letting the grapes freeze before they are picked. This really pulls out the sugar in the wine and it's almost like drinking syrup, and because it's not made in big batches it's very pricey, $17 for 2 ounces. I'm glad I tried it but I can say that I would not order it again, it is sweeter than any dessert wine I've ever had.
Day 8 we drove over to Niagara Falls, the Canadian side, and HOLY COWPIES...the falls were amazing.
This picture is of the Canadian Falls and if it weren't so crowded around the wall I could have stood there forever watching the water spill over the falls and take in all of its wonder. After leaving the falls we drove back to Niagara on the Lake for a walk through their park and up and down Main St. Lots of beautiful flowers and shops and about 10 ice cream shops. Back to our hotel for a late light dinner so we could get up early and head for the border.
Day 9 we got up early and headed towards Buffalo NY to cross the border and grab breakfast. We were lucky that there was a long line at the border and we made it back into the US with no real-time lost. We left Buffalo and headed to Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, I'll go into more detail on that visit in a later post because it deserves a post all on it's one.
We weren't sure how long our tour at Fallingwater was going to take so we decided to spend another night on the road, this time we stayed in Morgantown West by God Virginia. Found a place called Pies & Pints for dinner, if you have one around you I recommend you go, they have a great selection of brews and their pizza is awesome.
Day 10...4 hours and we were back home, we took back roads, which was fun but very curvy and by the time we got home we were both kind of tired of being in the car.
We passed the time listening to Jack Reacher books, finished one and started another, so we'll be listening to the rest of that one while watching the baseball game on mute.
I have a bunch of pictures to share, and I can't wait to tell y'all about Fallingwater but for now, it's getting late and it's time to head to bed.
Until Next Time
Be Kind
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