Less than two weeks from Christmas, and under two weeks since we returned from Patagonia, I'm sitting on the couch with the needles of our tree in my face---our tree perhaps a bit too overwhelming for our little apartment, but certainly joyful. I thought coming home with less than a month before the holidays would leave me frazzled, but weirdly, here I am, with time to sit and write. We have dreamed of traveling far south for more years than we've dreamed of another place, and at the end o…
Fall is here, and we walked home from brunch today; a ride we'd normally take a 12 minute cab or a 30 minute subway took us over an hour walk, but we didn't mind. It rained yesterday but the leaves have already shrunken back to curled, crunchy edges. You know I breathe the biggest sigh of relief when fall arrives. Wanted you all to see Walker's photos from our trip to Maine last year, but I honestly don't recall enough about each specific hike to share details. Instead, I am thinking of how it f…
Look how beautiful! Lucky us, the past two years have help trips to my favorite state: Maine. This year, we stayed farther south, spending lots of family time in Scarborough and Portland. But last year (and yes, we're really over a year late here), we spent a week in Bar Harbor, the quaint island harbor town of my childhood vacations. Like this year, we stopped in Portland for a night to split up the drive, visiting our recurring faves Fore Street, Duck Fat, and Commercial Street shops. We …
Quick recap of our Chicago trip back in June here! And jumping back in from the start, one of the hallmarks of the city were the elevated tracks. I found them really annoying, though, as they blocked a lot of light, making the city feel dark and pigeon-laden. Still, the city shone in other ways! Some highlights from around the city included (in no particular order) . . . a visit to the Restoration Hardware Gallery, which was a bit like a hotel, without overnight guests, popsicles and GF don…
As I write from the roof on a clear September day (clearly, a few days late posting!), grateful for the break at last from heavy, moist air, watching jetskiers dart over the evening waves lit with twilight below our rooftop, I'm reminded of the same clear air in Chicago when we visited in June. How's that for a random intro connection? But still, what I remember most fondly about the trip was what a relief it felt after the summer in NYC blazed upon us. 2018 has been a fun year of filling in gap…
My posts about not travel have been getting me lots of texts, so here's another go. Also, it's cooling down and so it feels like time to write again; doesn't it just make you want to fill out forms and get new pens in the fall?! My adoration of fall in NYC has no boundaries and we aren't even there yet. On the first day of September, the clouds blinked their beautiful sleepy lids over the sun, the cool breezes rushed under, and life felt alive again. Today feels like I maybe, possibly…
Summer Camp Part 2 here; for the beginning of this trip, you can read about our trip to northern Minnesota's beginning here. Our destination for Day 2 in the North Shore was the northernest part of the shore: the town of Grand Marais. About a 2 hour drive farther north than we stayed, we set out for this quirky town. We had lunch at the most popular joint in town, The Crooked Spoon, shopped around in a few galleries, walked down by the water, and headed toward our next hike! Walk did…
This summer has been unusual in that we've traveled every month, but mostly in the States--we're saving up our long international trip for the autumn (ah, can't wait!). We have quite a few little trips to share here, but this was definitely one of the highlights of the summer. Each summer, we are treated to blissful lake time right at Walker's parents' lake house near the Twin Cities, but since they are having construction there now, they kindly took us on a bit of a road trip! It tu…
Walker headed back to NYC after a lovely long weekend with me in Maine, and my parents kindly let me stay the rest of the week with them in their hotel suite. Thought I would share my unedited iPhone photos of some of our adventures, because pretty much everything we did was beautiful and worth a visit, too! First up, the Back Cove Trail right in Portland. My dad ran it most mornings, but took a break to walk it with me. I loved the marsh grasses and cranes (herons?), thin and elegant. Thi…
Walker and I have been together 8 years, which actually reminds me that this blog is about that old as well! Happy blogiversary! As an early celebration, we skipped away from the family for a night alone in Portland two weeks ago. Portland is one of my favorite small cities, whose cobbles and local shops mirror Brooklyn, but whose buoys and coastal island views far surpass our garbage barges and skyscraper vista. We had planned to stay elsewhere, but in a moment of inspiration, I checked online …