Grammy (Craig's mom) visited from North Carolina this past week. We took a day-trip to her childhood neighborhood of Columbia, PA. No trip back in time would be complete without a visit to Hinkle's pharmacy which is more like a general store and small diner. Then, we were off to see 99.9-year-old Aunt Grace.
Rena's sister, Ruth, met us at Aunt Grace's, and we even spent a few minutes with Lois and Al. It was nice to visit with everyone and a unique opportunity for Sydney to connect some of the dots in her ancestry.
A couple photos to the right.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sauerwalts in Orlando!
Craig, Sydney and I recently spent four whirlwind days in Orlando. Thanks to Doug, Corrie, Aiko & MingMei for hosting us!
Sydney and I went to Animal Kingdom while Craig finished up his work conference. The next day, we all piled in the car for a day trip to Coco Beach. Then it was off to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot before returning home.
Check out our pictures to the right (double-click to view them larger).
Sydney and I went to Animal Kingdom while Craig finished up his work conference. The next day, we all piled in the car for a day trip to Coco Beach. Then it was off to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot before returning home.
Check out our pictures to the right (double-click to view them larger).
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Oh, Canada!
Craig, Sydney and I just got back from an amazing week in Nova Scotia, Canada! It was all about blowholes, fins and flukes, oh my! I realize there's nothing more boring than other people's vacations pictures, so I really tried to include only the ones we found to be most amazing or interesting. *** REMEMBER: to see full-size pics & captions, just double-click on any of the pics under the "Oh Canada" slideshow on the right side of this page.***
On our first whale-watch on Monday, we saw about a dozen humpbacks and a fin whale. At one point, we were truly surrounded by spouts. It's the best feeling when the captain has so many choices! In particular, the humpback "Chablis" put on a great show. She was flipper slapping, rolling around on her back and having fun with the boat. Craig and Sydney saw their first humpbacks, and it was really cool to share that with them.
Tuesday, we went kayaking for the first time. Sydney and I fell in love with it, so if anyone has any suggestions where to do this back home let me know.
The weather was gray and rainy on Wednesday, so we road-tripped to Yarmouth. It's a nice little ocean-front town with lighthouses, restaurants, etc.
Thursday, I went out on my first-ever "Zodiac" whale watch, which was absolutely amazing. It was just another couple from Germany, the guide, and me on this FAST little motor boat. The whales were bigger than the boat, which really gives a perspective that's hard to believe. One humpback in particular, "Sockeye," was curious and friendly and actually touched his nose to the boat at my feet. The Zodiac experience was truly AWEsome - while watching Sockeye, I realized my knees were actually shaking. It was absolutely an experience of a lifetime.
Weather prevented any other sightings for the rest of the week, but I will never forget the sight of Sockeye kissing the Zodiac and he and Chablis waving their flippers as they turned and swam away when they went off to feed. Nor will I forget the feeling of being so small in this universe - later in the Zodiac trip, fog had moved in. So there we were in this tiny boat, floating on the ocean, waiting for an enormous humpback to resurface after a dive. I looked around in the silence and realized the only things I could see were ocean and the fog that had settled in around us on all sides. It was easy to see at that moment how A) people used to think the earth was flat and B) how dangerous a life at sea could be.
On Friday, Craig went wine tasting and had a great time indulging in his beloved ice wines of the region. On the way home, we fudged our way through customs with several bottles in tow.
Saturday, all three of us rented bikes at Kejimkujik National Park (the locals just call it "Keji") and rode a trail that clearly was meant for more advanced cyclists (rocky, on the edge of a pretty steep mountain at some points). While the scenery was beautiful, the 9 year old's bravery was lacking. So, we cut our losses and drove to Lunenburg, an ocean front town near Halifax. Turns out, this worked out well because the rain returned as we drove. So, we tooled around the town, shopping, seeing the sights, etc.
Back at the cottage, we went shelling on our little beach. We named a nearby island "Exile Island" in honor of "Survivor." We tried to walk to it across the ocean floor at low tide but ran out of daylight as we struggled through probably 12"+ of mud and muck. What a fun, messy memory!
Speaking of the tides, they're amazing. Sounds crazy that they're even worthy of mention, but everything at this part of Nova Scotia revolves around the tides. On the Bay of Fundy, they have the highest and lowest tides in the world. At certain spots, the tide comes in with such force (we now know it's called the "tidal bore") that the rivers actually flow UPstream for a period of time. Everything seems to be impacted - in fact, we could only do laundry at high tide! And at the wharfs, the boats that are moored in average-looking ocean water at high tide actually sit on the ocean floor when the tide goes out six hours later.
I could go on and on about the kind people, yummy food (scallops or lobster every day, thank you very much!), beautiful sunsets and more. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip, thanks to my dear Hubby! :-)
On our first whale-watch on Monday, we saw about a dozen humpbacks and a fin whale. At one point, we were truly surrounded by spouts. It's the best feeling when the captain has so many choices! In particular, the humpback "Chablis" put on a great show. She was flipper slapping, rolling around on her back and having fun with the boat. Craig and Sydney saw their first humpbacks, and it was really cool to share that with them.
Tuesday, we went kayaking for the first time. Sydney and I fell in love with it, so if anyone has any suggestions where to do this back home let me know.
The weather was gray and rainy on Wednesday, so we road-tripped to Yarmouth. It's a nice little ocean-front town with lighthouses, restaurants, etc.
Thursday, I went out on my first-ever "Zodiac" whale watch, which was absolutely amazing. It was just another couple from Germany, the guide, and me on this FAST little motor boat. The whales were bigger than the boat, which really gives a perspective that's hard to believe. One humpback in particular, "Sockeye," was curious and friendly and actually touched his nose to the boat at my feet. The Zodiac experience was truly AWEsome - while watching Sockeye, I realized my knees were actually shaking. It was absolutely an experience of a lifetime.
Weather prevented any other sightings for the rest of the week, but I will never forget the sight of Sockeye kissing the Zodiac and he and Chablis waving their flippers as they turned and swam away when they went off to feed. Nor will I forget the feeling of being so small in this universe - later in the Zodiac trip, fog had moved in. So there we were in this tiny boat, floating on the ocean, waiting for an enormous humpback to resurface after a dive. I looked around in the silence and realized the only things I could see were ocean and the fog that had settled in around us on all sides. It was easy to see at that moment how A) people used to think the earth was flat and B) how dangerous a life at sea could be.
On Friday, Craig went wine tasting and had a great time indulging in his beloved ice wines of the region. On the way home, we fudged our way through customs with several bottles in tow.
Saturday, all three of us rented bikes at Kejimkujik National Park (the locals just call it "Keji") and rode a trail that clearly was meant for more advanced cyclists (rocky, on the edge of a pretty steep mountain at some points). While the scenery was beautiful, the 9 year old's bravery was lacking. So, we cut our losses and drove to Lunenburg, an ocean front town near Halifax. Turns out, this worked out well because the rain returned as we drove. So, we tooled around the town, shopping, seeing the sights, etc.
Back at the cottage, we went shelling on our little beach. We named a nearby island "Exile Island" in honor of "Survivor." We tried to walk to it across the ocean floor at low tide but ran out of daylight as we struggled through probably 12"+ of mud and muck. What a fun, messy memory!
Speaking of the tides, they're amazing. Sounds crazy that they're even worthy of mention, but everything at this part of Nova Scotia revolves around the tides. On the Bay of Fundy, they have the highest and lowest tides in the world. At certain spots, the tide comes in with such force (we now know it's called the "tidal bore") that the rivers actually flow UPstream for a period of time. Everything seems to be impacted - in fact, we could only do laundry at high tide! And at the wharfs, the boats that are moored in average-looking ocean water at high tide actually sit on the ocean floor when the tide goes out six hours later.
I could go on and on about the kind people, yummy food (scallops or lobster every day, thank you very much!), beautiful sunsets and more. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip, thanks to my dear Hubby! :-)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sydney's 9th Birthday!
Sydney turned 9 years old last week! Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday...!
Here are some pictures (under "slideshow," just double click to see them larger and with captions) of the festivities she chose:
Here are some pictures (under "slideshow," just double click to see them larger and with captions) of the festivities she chose:
- Lunch and Go-Karting with two of her friends on her birthday
- "Medieval Times" show (instead of perennial favorite Red Lobster!) the night of her birthday
- A "Mystery" Sleepover Party on Friday
And then, school started this past Monday and Sydney is officially a 4th Grader! Wow, I'm old.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
