Travel Archives - Page 35 of 37 - Enjoying the Small Things

Chickens & Cats, Cats & Chickens

July 9, 2010 By Kelle

Key West.
Where hula hoops randomly dangle from street signs, a calm reminder never to take anything too seriously, I guess.

And the not-so-subliminal messages of the parrot-colored town sank into my soul, a consistent reminder…

We started our trip Tuesday morning packing the car to the brim with the essentials—suitcases, bathing suits, sunscreen—as well as the equally important non-essentials—granola bars, Sun chips, carbonated beverages, a bag of books and flashcards and toys that play noise, making a five hour drive with a baby a little more bearable. We sailed across the long strip in the Everglades, pointing out an alligator snout here, a colorful orange tree there. The sky was blue and vibrant; the car passengers calm and happy.

And then from there, it was bliss. Morning coffee on the balcony overlooking the ocean and evening beers at Hogsbreath overlooking the vast color and diversity of a town that has proclaimed itself One Human Family. Friendly cats roam the streets and curl up in shelves in little corner shops. Curious chickens wander through town, cackling and crowing and fighting the pigeons for their turf. There is so much flair here–so much who-the-hell-cares here.

And we walk and we walk and we walk, winding through gardens, a kaleidoscope of brightly-colored buildings, rickety stairs, soap shops, open bars, street misters, jugglers and fortune tellers, and cats…more cats.

Poppa hoists Nella over his shoulder where she slumps into a comfortable snooze. I offer him the baby carrier but he guffaws and says something along the lines of We’ve been holding babies without those silly things for a long time, and somewhere I’m sure my grandma—the one who rocked her grandchildren to sleep and laid them down on a pile of blankets long before the days of Pack N’ Plays—is smiling.

We return to our hotel at night, sharing a spaghetti dinner in Poppa’s room and late-night cookies. And later, I soak in the deep tub with the bubbling jets and close my eyes, entranced in the cloud of steam and hum of hot water. It is quiet and calm. It is the first time our entire family has been able to relax in a hotel since before Lainey was born. I am thanking Poppa and Gary in my head over and over for treating us. I am grateful.

There is much to be thankful for. There is much to enjoy. On the way home, I watch as the sun shines its golden face on my girls. They are happy. And so am I.

The little one peeks over the plastic edge of the carseat and catches my eyes…

And rewards my affection with a grateful grin.

I am in love with Life.

Our weekend in review…

Thank you, Poppa & Gary so very much.

And now for a grand giveaway.
Poppa (my dad) & Gary’s vacation rental business is giving away a 3-4 day Labor Day weekend stay (valued at $750) for up to 6 persons at one of their properties at Bonita by the Beach (exact dates and properties to be arranged with winner after selection). If you are able to travel labor day weekend and provide your own transportation to and from Naples, please visit their site and click on the “contact us” bar. Fill out a submission form, include your e-mail address and in the comments, write “labor day giveaway.” Submissions will be numbered respectively and the winner will be randomly drawn (generated by Random.org) and announced Tuesday, July 13th.

If you can’t travel Labor Day weekend and are planning a vacation for later this year (or next), mention the blog and receive a 10% discount on your rental.

Look for Good…and you will find it.

Miami (also known as A Really Big Post)

June 6, 2010 By Kelle

So, while my life generally consists of a nice juggling of laundry folding, picnics in the yard and afternoons scouring cookbooks for recipes with ingredients we actually have on hand, there are times when a whole lotta fabulousness rains on us all in one weekend. Not that home making isn’t fabulous. I wouldn’t trade my days home with my girls for the world. It was my first pick for The Life I Dreamed Of. And fortunately, I won the lotto there. But, if The Life I Dreamed Of hadn’t panned out, I had The Back-up Plan. And The Back-up Plan involved some fabulous city, hailing cabs, wearing heels and pretending I was really, really important. It’s still my alter ego. And, this weekend…I dipped into it, head first.

Here’s the cool thing. While previous fabulous nights had me choosing between kids and crazy fun like there was a difinitive line separating the two, sometimes fabulousness allows us to merge the two. Sometimes, we can wear heels and feel like a rockstar while slingin’ our baby to our chest–get this: at the same time. Gasp.

So it was Friday night when I glossed my lips and slipped into my heels to join the girls for the Sex and the City movie.

And, because my girl won’t take a bottle, she got to come with. And, how cool it was to blend my polar opposites–my home-lovin’ mama heart with my inner city girl–as I jammied my girl and patted her down with some Burt’s Bees to make her smell extra delicious for all the lovins I knew she’d be getting from my friends…and popped her in the sling, nestled right next to my fabulous dress, and high-tailed it out in my sky-high heels for a night of fabulousness…baby on board.

And I spent the evening huddled in a dark theatre alternating my eyes between Carrie Bradshaw and my sleepin’ girl who was passed down the line of my friends.

…who looked really fabulous, might I add.

And here’s my great shoes, juxtapositioned nicely between the wad of toilet paper resting on the floor in my bathroom stall.

And that was only the beginning of the weekend’s fabulousness because Saturday morning, my girls and I headed out across 75 to the other side of Florida to meet Katie in Miami.

I met Katie the night she was the scheduled nurse for Lainey’s delivery. And then she just went and crawled up in my heart and never came out. She loves my girls and we love her. And she lives in a fabulous condo overlooking the Miami skyline.

We commenced our morning strolling up Lincoln Rd., stopping in little shops, sipping lattes in cafe chairs, and fanning menus to cool the sweaty babies (who we eventually let strip down to diaper/undies because it was that hot).

We savored sangria, meandered our way around the palm tree peppered streets and dove into air-conditioned coffee shops every ten minutes to cool off the babies…

Miami Beach is saturated with culture and color. As we zig-zagged the stroller through throngs of bikini-clad women and cigar peddlars and made our way past art deco hotels piping out Cuban beats and graciously cooling us pedestrians with fan misters, I tried to drink it in…the moment…the memory…the awesome truth that there are so many fabulous places in this world that allow us to suck the marrow out of life a little more and still be mamas.

That’s a bike with no seat. ???? What the? Uncomfortable.

By lunchtime when we breaked for an ice tea at an outside cafe on Ocean Dr., it was torturous hot. We were greased with sweat, blowing on the babies to keep them cool and I couldn’t even cross my legs without them slipping apart. Discomfort that requires expletives for explanation, in case you were wondering. So, Lainey and Nella and I ditched inside Sephora while Katie took a cab back to get the car. Lainey thought Sephora was heaven. I allowed her three disposable lip gloss wands and we strolled through the aisles until she pointed out the lipgloss she wanted to try. A purple Lancome. A pink Clinique. A peachy Yves Saint Laurent. You would have thought I took her to Disneyworld.

Two minutes and three used lipgloss wands later, we were, I’m sure, annoying the associates. So we left back into the heat and onto 8th and Collins where I stood on the corner, attempting to discretely nurse a sweaty Nella and keep a stroller from rolling into the street while waiting for Katie to pull up and rescue us. Some guy holding a stack of nightclub V.I.P. passes actually came up to me and said “You lookin’ for a nightclub tonight?” Dude, does it look like I’m looking for a nightclub? I’m nursing a baby and pushing a stroller. When in Rome doesn’t exactly apply to everyone.

We skipped the nightclub and instead headed back to Katie’s where the pool welcomed us and we happily dove in…

How’s that for a pool view?

And, just about the time we were going to head across the Ally back home, the sky went from this…

to this…

And driving on a narrow stretch of freeway between two alligator-laden swamps in the middle of a monsoon is not my idea of a good time…or a safe one, so we called it a night and opted for a sleepover right there on the 32nd floor, overlooking Miami.

The view from our bed last night…

…and this morning…

Good Morning, Miami!

Katie, we love you so very much. If we can borrow your happenin’ city single life from time to time, you can borrow our cozy family waffle-making, cookie-baking life anytime you want. xoxo

And the icing on the cake was arriving home today to a package from my cousin’s wife who made my girls the most beautiful matching apron dresses that they just might live in for the rest of their lives. Thank you, Madison! Her Etsy shop here.

So, the fabulous weekend may have come to an end, but joy still awaits in the morning.

Oh wait…walked by this cool store in Miami…

…which had me thinking…how ’bout one? A random commenter will win a $50 gift certificate from Belkai Designs. Winner will be announced this Tuesday. Oh, and if you feel like it, let me know where you’re from when you comment.

the balance of home with a little bit of babaganoush.

June 25, 2009 By Kelle

i just hung up the phone from talking with my brother.
‘i’m sad,’ he said.
i am too.
we dreamed together of what it would be like if we all lived on the same street. of babies running back and forth and impromptu saturday morning waffles.
it is sad leaving…but the resounding theme of balance (like i was reminded here and here and here) resurfaces as my sadness for leaving is melded with this craving for the satiation of home. and i am grateful that i am privileged to travel ‘home’ in the summer…to the old familiarities of cool nights and cricket sounds and lightning bugs that dance above soft michigan grass. but that i have come to love the ocean sunsets, skittering lizards and palm fronds that dance above not-so-soft florida grass of my new home as well. and there is a sweetness to being away from family…like the reunions. when enough months have seperated us from seeing each other that when the time comes, everything is sweeter…hugs are tighter…and minutes are cherished because they are oh-so-valuable.

so it has been this trip. and my absolute utter and complete exhaustion stands to prove that we have done it right.

the girls and i set out the other morning to the country where we found the greatest strawberry farm and orchard. we walked up and down rows of young apple trees…

(and savannah rocks for taking so many of these fabulous pics! photography runs deep in the blood)

fed some furry friends in the petting zoo…

where, after hearing the roosters up close, lainey walked away with the best cock-a-doodle-doo i’ve ever heard. honestly, i think it’s the clearest phrase in her vocab now.

(bears a striking resemblence to a volociraptor, if you ask me)

…and finally drove through winding dirt roads to find a vast field of strawberries.

we searched under leafy greens and little blossoms to find as many plump juicy berries as we could. the girls did better than lainey as most of hers made it straight to her mouth…and down onto her white dress.

it was an hour and a half out of our way and worth every mile.

especially when we finished our picking with a trip to the mill where we inhaled homemade sugared donuts, carmel apples and discovered the joy of homemade pickles…straight from the barrel. they were white and crisp and perfectly brined. ah, heaven.

splendid day…

wedged between other splendid-ity…

like late-night dairy queen with grandma…

where lainey slept through most of it (this ergo carrier has saved me…thank you, donna!)

…but awakened, all bed-headish, to finish off a baby twist with sprinkles.

and speaking of delicious. i’ve been dreaming of babaganoush from this place for six years.

i’ve had it now twice this week after i found my car driving itself there. nothing better i’ve ever put in my mouth.

and then we had that barbecue in my brother’s backyard where lainey enjoyed his pond…or more so enjoyed washing the mermaid’s hair over and over and over.

and swimming and cousins and cozy breakfasts and evening walks…it’s been so fulfilling.

(the ladybugs always find us. we love our ladybugs.)

i couldn’t be happier. so full of love…but so ready to go home and enjoy it even more. ready to tackle summer projects…coffee with friends…and our anniversary night out in a couple weeks.

oh, this girl has been a trooper. a love. i can’t say enough for how proud i am of her little travelin’ soul. we fly home late tonight and i expect her little blonde head will lie heavy in my arms on the plane. oh, i will kiss her. i will kiss her and tell her what a big girl she has been on this trip.

daddy, we can’t wait to see you. xoxo
~k