Along with all the fun Sara, Pressley and I had visiting with the Family, they took me to the local races on one of the nights! It was fun!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Upstate with family
We all couldn't wait for this part of our trip. My side of the family lives in Freeville/Etna, we call it Upstate New York. This is my dads side of the family. My Grandma Poole, Aunt and Uncle Baylor and their boys and their families. We don't get to see them much but love when we do. Pressley is the youngest of her cousins but she is at the age where she was able to run around with them, play with their toys....oh and roll around/wrestle.
We didn't tell my Grandma that we were coming out, we wanted to surprise her. Last time we were out (same time last year) Pressley was only 6 months and didn't like to be too far from mom so she wasn't much fun. This time she was able to hug and kiss her Great Grandma Poole and even take a ride on the quad with mommy. (Uncle Dave Baylor has those pictures)
The first day we were here it was cold, cold, cold. We bundled up and went to the park and played around with her cousin Scotty. (Pressley is wearing her new Cornell University sweatshirt, thanks Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda)
Pressley loves to swing
And slide!
So does Scotty!
Pressley and her cousins at the pumpkin farm.
Sharing her pacifier! Wish she woulda left it.
Giving Grandpa his toothpick. Uncle Christopher usually does it but he didn't make this trip so Mommy and Pressley left it.
Okay I had to include this.
Shawn and Pressley at the farm AND Scott at the park jumping off the swing.
We didn't tell my Grandma that we were coming out, we wanted to surprise her. Last time we were out (same time last year) Pressley was only 6 months and didn't like to be too far from mom so she wasn't much fun. This time she was able to hug and kiss her Great Grandma Poole and even take a ride on the quad with mommy. (Uncle Dave Baylor has those pictures)
The first day we were here it was cold, cold, cold. We bundled up and went to the park and played around with her cousin Scotty. (Pressley is wearing her new Cornell University sweatshirt, thanks Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda)
Pressley loves to swing
And slide!
So does Scotty!
Pressley and her cousins at the pumpkin farm.
Checking out all of the animals
They took the bus!
Visiting Great Grandpa Poole
(Press met GGpa Poole last year)
Visiting Great Grandpa Poole
(Press met GGpa Poole last year)
Kisses for Great Grandpa
Sharing her pacifier! Wish she woulda left it.
Giving Grandpa his toothpick. Uncle Christopher usually does it but he didn't make this trip so Mommy and Pressley left it.
Okay I had to include this.
This is Cheerio the pig, no he's not for breakfast!
Uncle Chris is gonna be mad! She LOVES Shawn & Scott, they got lots of hugs and kisses.
Uncle Chris is gonna be mad! She LOVES Shawn & Scott, they got lots of hugs and kisses.
Shawn and Pressley at the farm AND Scott at the park jumping off the swing.
He likes to teach the kids cool tricks. Hahaa!
Thanks guys for everything. It's a bummer NY is so far from CA. Family should never be too far!
We are in NYC and almost at the end of that trip! The days go too quick.
**This is an old post that we couldn't put up due to no Internet.**
Thanks guys for everything. It's a bummer NY is so far from CA. Family should never be too far!
We are in NYC and almost at the end of that trip! The days go too quick.
**This is an old post that we couldn't put up due to no Internet.**
Thursday, September 23, 2010
D.C. - "D"lightful yet "C"razy
Our D.C. Trip was a bit crazy!
There are chapters in this tale
There are chapters in this tale
Between Sept. 13th - Sept 16th
Chapter 1
"The Flight"
After getting up and checked out of our Cambridge hotel near Boston at 4:00am to catch our 6:05am flight, we got in the air with no problems. It was getting down and landing that took a while. Our flight was supposed to be around an hour from take off to landing, but after an hour past we were still in the air! Some more time passed when the pilot got on the intercom, "Attention passengers! We are currently in a holding pattern due to significant fog cover on the ground. We will let you know when we will be able to make a landing as soon as possible. Thank you!". Thank goodness we didn't have a connection flight to catch. The business men and women were freak'n out though! Then the pilot came back on the intercom, "The fog hasn't cleared so we are going to fly into Richmond and stay there until the fog clears at the Dulles Airport. Thank you!". Great! We have already been in 5 airports in the last 7 days at this point in the trip and now we have to sit and wait at one? Not what we wanted to do, not after waking up as early as we did that morning. After taxi-ing into the gate they told us we had to de-board the plane. Great, it's going to be a long wait for us, but as we exited there were signs of "Washington Dulles Airport" all around. We made it! The pilot forgot to inform us of the change in plans. Either way, we were supposed to land at 7:40am and we landed at 9:05am, but we arrived!
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
"The Flight"
After getting up and checked out of our Cambridge hotel near Boston at 4:00am to catch our 6:05am flight, we got in the air with no problems. It was getting down and landing that took a while. Our flight was supposed to be around an hour from take off to landing, but after an hour past we were still in the air! Some more time passed when the pilot got on the intercom, "Attention passengers! We are currently in a holding pattern due to significant fog cover on the ground. We will let you know when we will be able to make a landing as soon as possible. Thank you!". Thank goodness we didn't have a connection flight to catch. The business men and women were freak'n out though! Then the pilot came back on the intercom, "The fog hasn't cleared so we are going to fly into Richmond and stay there until the fog clears at the Dulles Airport. Thank you!". Great! We have already been in 5 airports in the last 7 days at this point in the trip and now we have to sit and wait at one? Not what we wanted to do, not after waking up as early as we did that morning. After taxi-ing into the gate they told us we had to de-board the plane. Great, it's going to be a long wait for us, but as we exited there were signs of "Washington Dulles Airport" all around. We made it! The pilot forgot to inform us of the change in plans. Either way, we were supposed to land at 7:40am and we landed at 9:05am, but we arrived!
Chapter 2
"The Rental Car"
After kissing the ground of the Washington Dulles Airport we had to catch a taxi to get to the off-site rental car place. We had to get to Chantilly, VA which saved us about $50 a day on the car. So I tell the taxi driver where to go and we are off. It was only about 11 miles away so it wasn't a big deal, so we thought. We get to where we thought it was and there's nothing. No sign just car dealerships. So we take another circle around the block while Sara's on the phone checking if this place exists and our taxi meter is climbing. The guy on the phone assures us that he is real and we try again. Come to find out this place is inside a Chrysler/Dodge dealership with zero signage to help our search. So I pay the taxi off and I take a sigh of relief. Well, I needed to suck that sigh straight back up because the child safety seat I ordered and confirmed was not available. I was not happy (and you all know how upset I can get, haha). I told the man, "I need that seat. This doesn't work without it.". My scare tactic worked! They sent someone to another location to fetch the seat. Yeah, an hour or so later I had my seat for my daughter and I was ready for a meal and a nap. We had jumped yet another hurdle that our DC trip threw at us.
Chapter 3
"The Final Chapter"
Now that we a had a car to drive, we had control of where and when we wanted to go. We headed to Front Royal, VA to close out our first day to sight see and grab a bite to eat. It was very beautiful, being apart of the northern Shenandoah Valley.
After kissing the ground of the Washington Dulles Airport we had to catch a taxi to get to the off-site rental car place. We had to get to Chantilly, VA which saved us about $50 a day on the car. So I tell the taxi driver where to go and we are off. It was only about 11 miles away so it wasn't a big deal, so we thought. We get to where we thought it was and there's nothing. No sign just car dealerships. So we take another circle around the block while Sara's on the phone checking if this place exists and our taxi meter is climbing. The guy on the phone assures us that he is real and we try again. Come to find out this place is inside a Chrysler/Dodge dealership with zero signage to help our search. So I pay the taxi off and I take a sigh of relief. Well, I needed to suck that sigh straight back up because the child safety seat I ordered and confirmed was not available. I was not happy (and you all know how upset I can get, haha). I told the man, "I need that seat. This doesn't work without it.". My scare tactic worked! They sent someone to another location to fetch the seat. Yeah, an hour or so later I had my seat for my daughter and I was ready for a meal and a nap. We had jumped yet another hurdle that our DC trip threw at us.
Chapter 3
"The Final Chapter"
Now that we a had a car to drive, we had control of where and when we wanted to go. We headed to Front Royal, VA to close out our first day to sight see and grab a bite to eat. It was very beautiful, being apart of the northern Shenandoah Valley.
We stopped by "Five Guys", the IN-N-OUT of the East Coast, for a late dinner and that ended our day.
On the second day, we decided to cruise toward Washington D.C. and on the way we ran across the Arlington National Cemetery, "Hey Babe, lets check it out first and then head to our Nation's Capital. It shouldn't take long..." I said thinking we could do both in one day...that didn't happen. We spent almost 3 hours in that Cemetery. Beautiful, with all it should be where the heroes of our country lay to rest.
We finally made it to D.C. the day before we had to leave for upstate New York. It was massive! It wasn't all bunched together like Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston and what we already know of New York City. We lost some pounds walking from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and back. It was a site to be seen and I was even able to see the Library of Congress to boot!
(snipers atop the White House...I think they were looking at me!)Thank you D.C.! Goodnight!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Our Washington D.C. Marathon...
Arlington National Cemetery
So many head stones, not enough film in the camera! Makes you think twice about our freedom. Nothing is free in life!
Ted Kennedy's spot across from his brother John's spot. Simple yet big!
Our trip exploring our nations Capitol was pretty tiring. I think we walked 8 miles that day. We started our day in Virginia, where our hotel was, with a nice big breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Their pancakes are the best I've ever had! We drove to D.C. because we did the math and it made more sense to stay out of the city on this trip and to rent a car. In the city during the week (Monday-Thursday) rates for rooms triple+. A standard hotel wanted $538 a night in D.C., so we stayed 20 or so minutes away for $80 with breakfast included. We chose Cracker Barrel instead because we don't have that at home but we did snag yogurts for our early flight out. I think the rental car for the 4 days was around $100 after taxes and a child seat rental.
We parked at Union Station, which was a sight in itself. The cleanest station I've ever seen with shops and restaurants all over. So of course we started there and walked our way to the Capitol Building. (parking for 6-12 hours was $17)
One of the guards stopped us and asked us if we wanted to go in and told us how to get down there with Pressley and the stroller. It was big! We found the tour desk and found a free tour of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. It was an hour long which we didn't plan for but it was a nice start to our exploration. A lot of history in the buildings, city and art located in/at the Capitol.
Pressley found a window sill in the Capitol Building big enough to sit and take a little break.
In the Library of Congress we were able to see the book collection of Thomas Jefferson. Wow! They were inclosed in glass, so no touching. There were so many. I asked Jeremy if he thought Jefferson read them all and he said "oh yeah"! Then he reminded me that they didn't have much more to do than read. I can hardly get through 1 book a year with the time I have to read. Maybe I should spend less time in front of the T.V. and less time on the computer.
This trip to D.C. has sparked my interest in not only U.S. History but it has me intrigued by the historical figures interests and I now want to learn more.
So after the library we ventured out and just checked out all the older buildings and their exteriors as we made our way to Linclon's lap.
Just a few things on the way
This was a cool Art and Design building.
Smithsonian Institute.
Pressley and Mommy looking up at the Washington Monument while lying down. Amazing! It was a beautiful day in D.C.
Guess what this is...haha. Washington Monument
Pressley is tired of taking pictures, can you tell?
Do I have to say what this is? I thought we would be able to get around the White House to see more views but it was all blocked off and full of guards.
We ate dinner at the "Center Cafe" in Union Station to end our day in Washington DC.
So many head stones, not enough film in the camera! Makes you think twice about our freedom. Nothing is free in life!
Ted Kennedy's spot across from his brother John's spot. Simple yet big!
Our trip exploring our nations Capitol was pretty tiring. I think we walked 8 miles that day. We started our day in Virginia, where our hotel was, with a nice big breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Their pancakes are the best I've ever had! We drove to D.C. because we did the math and it made more sense to stay out of the city on this trip and to rent a car. In the city during the week (Monday-Thursday) rates for rooms triple+. A standard hotel wanted $538 a night in D.C., so we stayed 20 or so minutes away for $80 with breakfast included. We chose Cracker Barrel instead because we don't have that at home but we did snag yogurts for our early flight out. I think the rental car for the 4 days was around $100 after taxes and a child seat rental.
We parked at Union Station, which was a sight in itself. The cleanest station I've ever seen with shops and restaurants all over. So of course we started there and walked our way to the Capitol Building. (parking for 6-12 hours was $17)
One of the guards stopped us and asked us if we wanted to go in and told us how to get down there with Pressley and the stroller. It was big! We found the tour desk and found a free tour of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. It was an hour long which we didn't plan for but it was a nice start to our exploration. A lot of history in the buildings, city and art located in/at the Capitol.
Pressley found a window sill in the Capitol Building big enough to sit and take a little break.
In the Library of Congress we were able to see the book collection of Thomas Jefferson. Wow! They were inclosed in glass, so no touching. There were so many. I asked Jeremy if he thought Jefferson read them all and he said "oh yeah"! Then he reminded me that they didn't have much more to do than read. I can hardly get through 1 book a year with the time I have to read. Maybe I should spend less time in front of the T.V. and less time on the computer.
This trip to D.C. has sparked my interest in not only U.S. History but it has me intrigued by the historical figures interests and I now want to learn more.
So after the library we ventured out and just checked out all the older buildings and their exteriors as we made our way to Linclon's lap.
Just a few things on the way
This was a cool Art and Design building.
Smithsonian Institute.
Pressley and Mommy looking up at the Washington Monument while lying down. Amazing! It was a beautiful day in D.C.
Guess what this is...haha. Washington Monument
Pressley is tired of taking pictures, can you tell?
Do I have to say what this is? I thought we would be able to get around the White House to see more views but it was all blocked off and full of guards.
We ate dinner at the "Center Cafe" in Union Station to end our day in Washington DC.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Boston, the new with the old.
Boston, Boston...Boston!
Okay so I think Boston is my all around favorite city so far, well Mass. all together. I've been to Boston, Maine and New Hampshire when I was younger and LOVED them all. Now back to Boston as an adult and also Cambridge and they are all up there on the top of the list.
Public Gardens
The old with the new. Don't know what building this is but I just like it!
First, with all that I love.
The cleanliness of the city as a whole. There were some streets that weren't as well maintained but that was no biggy. The homeless situation if there was much of one, wasn't really seen or noticed. (other cities were a bit overwhelming at times). The people, locals and tourists were all friendly and kind. The shops were awesome. Didn't do as much shopping as I would have liked but we didn't go there to shop, so I'll live! The food, we didn't have a bad meal once. The train station (South Station) was very clean. The bus tour that we took was decent in price.
The not so good.
Pretty pricy town in general; Hotels, cabs and food. The trains/subways were a little confusing compared to other cities we've been to.
Food: Legal Seafood Co. had really good food and drinks and the waitress was super friendly. She gave us her employee discount on some bottled water. $1 each for fancy water in glass bottles... We just wanted something to take with us on our tour the next day! Glass bottles weren't to conducive for our day of backpack touring through the city. Hahaa it was some good water though!!
My watermelon martini and Jer's Stella. It tasted like they juiced a watermelon. It tasted so yummy I didn't want to stop. So....
Sangria! (yummy too!)
Tour: the first bus we got on the driver was an older gentleman who grew up in Boston, I think he said he was the 5th generation. He had a lot of knowledge of EVERYTHING, Boston & surrounding. He was funny and told lots of stories about growing up in the city way back when.
Hotel: we stayed at a place called Royal Sonesta. I was kinda worried at first because when we were booking hotels we were trying to stick to our budget and that meant not getting the top notch places with 5 stars. We read reviews and this one was a toss up. Some good and some bad. We booked it and I am so very glad we did. It was beautiful. The view of the bay, the bed & sheets were comfy and fluffy, the towels were hair free and soft. From the lobby to the bathroom everything was clean and welcoming. Loved the soaps and lotions. That's a big deal to me and I don't know why.
We are now a few days in D.C. and I know this is way late but we have been going going going. Can't wait to see everything here and share all the pictures and stories with you.
Later Gator!
Okay so I think Boston is my all around favorite city so far, well Mass. all together. I've been to Boston, Maine and New Hampshire when I was younger and LOVED them all. Now back to Boston as an adult and also Cambridge and they are all up there on the top of the list.
Public Gardens
The old with the new. Don't know what building this is but I just like it!
First, with all that I love.
The cleanliness of the city as a whole. There were some streets that weren't as well maintained but that was no biggy. The homeless situation if there was much of one, wasn't really seen or noticed. (other cities were a bit overwhelming at times). The people, locals and tourists were all friendly and kind. The shops were awesome. Didn't do as much shopping as I would have liked but we didn't go there to shop, so I'll live! The food, we didn't have a bad meal once. The train station (South Station) was very clean. The bus tour that we took was decent in price.
The not so good.
Pretty pricy town in general; Hotels, cabs and food. The trains/subways were a little confusing compared to other cities we've been to.
Food: Legal Seafood Co. had really good food and drinks and the waitress was super friendly. She gave us her employee discount on some bottled water. $1 each for fancy water in glass bottles... We just wanted something to take with us on our tour the next day! Glass bottles weren't to conducive for our day of backpack touring through the city. Hahaa it was some good water though!!
My watermelon martini and Jer's Stella. It tasted like they juiced a watermelon. It tasted so yummy I didn't want to stop. So....
Sangria! (yummy too!)
Tour: the first bus we got on the driver was an older gentleman who grew up in Boston, I think he said he was the 5th generation. He had a lot of knowledge of EVERYTHING, Boston & surrounding. He was funny and told lots of stories about growing up in the city way back when.
Hotel: we stayed at a place called Royal Sonesta. I was kinda worried at first because when we were booking hotels we were trying to stick to our budget and that meant not getting the top notch places with 5 stars. We read reviews and this one was a toss up. Some good and some bad. We booked it and I am so very glad we did. It was beautiful. The view of the bay, the bed & sheets were comfy and fluffy, the towels were hair free and soft. From the lobby to the bathroom everything was clean and welcoming. Loved the soaps and lotions. That's a big deal to me and I don't know why.
We are now a few days in D.C. and I know this is way late but we have been going going going. Can't wait to see everything here and share all the pictures and stories with you.
Later Gator!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
We Had a Wicked Good Time Across the Chuck Rivah from Beantown...
Title Translation: We had a pleasent time in Cambridge across from Boston...
Bean Town! Another great city! I hate the Red Sox, but the town they play in is quite awesome! The history, the schools and the people are second to none.
When we arrived we decided to take the city transit to our hotel since we did so well in Chicago. This time it was a combination of a bus and train so we were a little confused at first. When we got off the Silver Line bus to transfer to the Red Line train we ran into two locals that were actually from Garden Grove, CA and Anaheim area originally. I guess we looked lost because they offered to usher us to the train we needed to be on. Funny...they ended up going the wrong way! We actually were headed the correct way before we met them, but they were wick-ed fun!
Well we made it on the train and arrived at our hotel in Cambridge. The home of MIT and Harvard! (I feel smarter just being around them). Our view over looked the Charles River veering into Downtown Boston.
Where everyone knows your name...
Well we conquered Boston and my foot is holding up well. We stopped by a crocs store and now the foot gets a massage every step I take!
Now it's on to our Nation's Capital!
See you on Pennsylvania Avenue!
Bean Town! Another great city! I hate the Red Sox, but the town they play in is quite awesome! The history, the schools and the people are second to none.
When we arrived we decided to take the city transit to our hotel since we did so well in Chicago. This time it was a combination of a bus and train so we were a little confused at first. When we got off the Silver Line bus to transfer to the Red Line train we ran into two locals that were actually from Garden Grove, CA and Anaheim area originally. I guess we looked lost because they offered to usher us to the train we needed to be on. Funny...they ended up going the wrong way! We actually were headed the correct way before we met them, but they were wick-ed fun!
Well we made it on the train and arrived at our hotel in Cambridge. The home of MIT and Harvard! (I feel smarter just being around them). Our view over looked the Charles River veering into Downtown Boston.
We trollied into downtown today with ambitions of touring whatever we could. Like I said, the history in Boston is plentiful. Paul Revere's house, the site of the Boston Massacre, where the Boston Tea Party occurred...etc.
I found one of the best history landmark though:
Where everyone knows your name...
Well we conquered Boston and my foot is holding up well. We stopped by a crocs store and now the foot gets a massage every step I take!
Now it's on to our Nation's Capital!
See you on Pennsylvania Avenue!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Chicago. This, that and then some!
Well we are at the end of our Chicago trip and there is a lot to be said.
We started out our day quite late because we all wanted to sleep in, especially Pressley. The hotel we stayed at is called The Wyndham Chicago and it was nicer than I expected. The staff was friendly and helpful from checking in, to giving us ideas on places to eat for breakfast and also directions to the free zoo.
Breakfast was delicious. We ate at a place not too far from our hotel called West Egg. They served a lot of food for a decent price. I got a plate for Pressley it was called "2 eggs". It was a bit over $5 and it consisted of way more than just "2 eggs" haha it seemed like "5 eggs", an English muffin and 1/2 a plate of potatoes. It was her breakfast and her lunch! Jer got the huevos rancheros and he loved it and I got a yummy spinach,mushroom and bacon omelet w/ cheese.
The Lincoln Park Zoo was a short bus ride away and it was free so that is where we spent the afternoon.
We absolutely loved it! Press was able to run around and everything was low enough for her to view on her own. We didn't have to pick her up every "2 seconds". :0). The weather was sunny but not hot. There were not only animals there, there were tons of beautiful trees, plants and ponds.
We also wondered into the conservatory but it was super stuffy so we didn't spend much time in there but there were more plants, flowers and trees to be seen. I just loved the outside of the building.
Pressley had fallen asleep so we walked around Lincoln Park for over an hour. It didn't seem like that that long because there was so much to see and Jeremy and I talked the whole way! Did I mention I love having him around? Pressley does too and I think she is turning into a daddy's girl on this trip!
Dinner. We grabbed some dinner on our way to our next stop. We ate at a Thai restaurant called Amari Thai. Jer is usually not a fan but I talked him into it and he was glad I did. The best we have ever had! The beer was $3 and a strawberry daiquiri was calling my name. So we indulged!
Oh yeah Pressley loved it too!
Buckingham Fountain here we come. With hot coffees in our cold little hands we were headed to see the, oh so famous, fountain from the late 80's hit show "Married with Children".
Awesome!
Pressley was able to run, run and run. It was good for her. There was tons of space for her to play. Even though 1/2 of the fountain was closed off for a wine festival. A cool guy stopped us and made Pressley a teddy bear balloon hat and giraffe, for free of course...she loved it and yes we tipped him!
Oh last thing I forgot to mention. We purchased a 1 day CTA pass, which is good for the train and the bus. It was only $5.75 per adult (Press was free). We used the heck out of that thing and we'll be using it to get us to the airport tomorrow.
Early flight, so bye for now. Next stop Boston.
We started out our day quite late because we all wanted to sleep in, especially Pressley. The hotel we stayed at is called The Wyndham Chicago and it was nicer than I expected. The staff was friendly and helpful from checking in, to giving us ideas on places to eat for breakfast and also directions to the free zoo.
Breakfast was delicious. We ate at a place not too far from our hotel called West Egg. They served a lot of food for a decent price. I got a plate for Pressley it was called "2 eggs". It was a bit over $5 and it consisted of way more than just "2 eggs" haha it seemed like "5 eggs", an English muffin and 1/2 a plate of potatoes. It was her breakfast and her lunch! Jer got the huevos rancheros and he loved it and I got a yummy spinach,mushroom and bacon omelet w/ cheese.
The Lincoln Park Zoo was a short bus ride away and it was free so that is where we spent the afternoon.
We absolutely loved it! Press was able to run around and everything was low enough for her to view on her own. We didn't have to pick her up every "2 seconds". :0). The weather was sunny but not hot. There were not only animals there, there were tons of beautiful trees, plants and ponds.
We also wondered into the conservatory but it was super stuffy so we didn't spend much time in there but there were more plants, flowers and trees to be seen. I just loved the outside of the building.
Pressley had fallen asleep so we walked around Lincoln Park for over an hour. It didn't seem like that that long because there was so much to see and Jeremy and I talked the whole way! Did I mention I love having him around? Pressley does too and I think she is turning into a daddy's girl on this trip!
Dinner. We grabbed some dinner on our way to our next stop. We ate at a Thai restaurant called Amari Thai. Jer is usually not a fan but I talked him into it and he was glad I did. The best we have ever had! The beer was $3 and a strawberry daiquiri was calling my name. So we indulged!
Oh yeah Pressley loved it too!
Buckingham Fountain here we come. With hot coffees in our cold little hands we were headed to see the, oh so famous, fountain from the late 80's hit show "Married with Children".
Awesome!
Pressley was able to run, run and run. It was good for her. There was tons of space for her to play. Even though 1/2 of the fountain was closed off for a wine festival. A cool guy stopped us and made Pressley a teddy bear balloon hat and giraffe, for free of course...she loved it and yes we tipped him!
Oh last thing I forgot to mention. We purchased a 1 day CTA pass, which is good for the train and the bus. It was only $5.75 per adult (Press was free). We used the heck out of that thing and we'll be using it to get us to the airport tomorrow.
Early flight, so bye for now. Next stop Boston.
Chicago Hurt Me So Good!
The Windy City blew me away! Great people, great places and a great visit! All of our stops are brief and during this short jont we experienced a few things.
When we arrived into the Chicago/O'Hare Airport we didn't exactly know how we were going to get to the Wyndham Hotel near downtown. As we strolled into our gate the answer came to us like a beam of light. Of course, the light was from the "Visitor's Center" kiosk that greeted us, which the man working the kiosk proceeded to inform us that a metro line would get us to where we needed to go. It took us an hour but it would have cost us 10 times as much to take a cab and Pressley enjoyed the train ride.
Sara's post will tell you more about what we did with some pics, but I on the other hand will tell you what happened. We walked!! First day of this trip in a big city and of course you walk everywhere. Needless to say I am now on the DL (disabled list for the non-sports enthusiast). My right foot is down for the count and sore! I iced it and I may only be day-to-day and with Boston coming up tomorrow morning I need to recover fast.
Oh yeah, I found Ben Franklin! I tried to stand like him, but one can not imitate greatness. I'm sure not doing a good job of it!
Boston here we come! Bum foot and all!
When we arrived into the Chicago/O'Hare Airport we didn't exactly know how we were going to get to the Wyndham Hotel near downtown. As we strolled into our gate the answer came to us like a beam of light. Of course, the light was from the "Visitor's Center" kiosk that greeted us, which the man working the kiosk proceeded to inform us that a metro line would get us to where we needed to go. It took us an hour but it would have cost us 10 times as much to take a cab and Pressley enjoyed the train ride.
Sara's post will tell you more about what we did with some pics, but I on the other hand will tell you what happened. We walked!! First day of this trip in a big city and of course you walk everywhere. Needless to say I am now on the DL (disabled list for the non-sports enthusiast). My right foot is down for the count and sore! I iced it and I may only be day-to-day and with Boston coming up tomorrow morning I need to recover fast.
Oh yeah, I found Ben Franklin! I tried to stand like him, but one can not imitate greatness. I'm sure not doing a good job of it!
Boston here we come! Bum foot and all!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
24-Hours in Vegas!
Vegas came and went for us. These are a few things we were able to do with our short time for free with the family during our full day in town:
The "Shark Reef" at Mandalay Bay was first on our list. It was very kid friendly. Pressley had plenty of room to run around and explore at her own pace. This is usually $16.95 per adult, but we scored free tickets!
Pressley in front of the Ray Tank.
Pressley posing in front of the shark tank
Mommy and Press spotting fish.
For lunch, we found a really nice Gourmet Mexican Grille outside the Shark Reef exhibit called "Border Grill". Everything looked and smelled really good. I decided to go with the Chicken Tinga Empanadas... they... were... delicious. A diamond in the rough on the appetizer list. Probably the best decision I made all day. Pressley got a grilled turkey plate from the kids menu and Jer wanted the Carnitas Tacos. We cleaned our plates so I would highly recommend this place to eat. Mandalay Bay is a little off the beaten path of the usual Casino stops, but Jer and I found a free Tram from the Excalibur so it was easy!
Finally, for our last sight-seeing activity we headed into the Luxor (you can use the Excalibur tram to get there too) to see the "Bodies Exhibit". This was more for Mommy and Daddy. It was very interesting and overwhelming. There was a lot to see in so little time, though you can take as much time as you want. It was at the end of our day and we had an early flight the next morning. My favorite part of the exhibit was the fetal exhibit. It showed insight of how a child develops from days to weeks to months.
So we just arrived in Chicago today and I am excited to explore this new city!
The "Shark Reef" at Mandalay Bay was first on our list. It was very kid friendly. Pressley had plenty of room to run around and explore at her own pace. This is usually $16.95 per adult, but we scored free tickets!
Pressley in front of the Ray Tank.
Pressley posing in front of the shark tank
Mommy and Press spotting fish.
For lunch, we found a really nice Gourmet Mexican Grille outside the Shark Reef exhibit called "Border Grill". Everything looked and smelled really good. I decided to go with the Chicken Tinga Empanadas... they... were... delicious. A diamond in the rough on the appetizer list. Probably the best decision I made all day. Pressley got a grilled turkey plate from the kids menu and Jer wanted the Carnitas Tacos. We cleaned our plates so I would highly recommend this place to eat. Mandalay Bay is a little off the beaten path of the usual Casino stops, but Jer and I found a free Tram from the Excalibur so it was easy!
Finally, for our last sight-seeing activity we headed into the Luxor (you can use the Excalibur tram to get there too) to see the "Bodies Exhibit". This was more for Mommy and Daddy. It was very interesting and overwhelming. There was a lot to see in so little time, though you can take as much time as you want. It was at the end of our day and we had an early flight the next morning. My favorite part of the exhibit was the fetal exhibit. It showed insight of how a child develops from days to weeks to months.
So we just arrived in Chicago today and I am excited to explore this new city!
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