Beach to Big Apple on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

This week we divided our time between the beach and the NYC--enjoying the sights and sounds (and smells) of my favorite places.  I am getting to know New York, and it is pretty cool what I remember from trip to trip.  At the beach, we got some wave jumping time and, of course, some good candy eating.  It is now tradition that first stop at the beach is Candy Kitchen.  The small bag of treats carries me through the trip and usually all of the way home.  I also especially enjoyed the concerts at the bandstand. Our trip to New York included the Gazillon Bubble Show, time in Central Park, and multiple walks to Times Square (I LOVE all of the lights).  The best part was doing all of this with my pals, Moppy and Pop (and Mom). 

 Can you find us in this huge jumbo-tron on Times Square?

What Is in the Mind of a 4-Year Old? on Thursday, August 21, 2012

Don't ask!

Between Raindrops on Friday, August 10, 2012

The forecast predicted a washout of a day, but we found moments of sunshine and made the most of our last day.  This morning we drove down to the Greenbrier entrance of the national park.  This area is not so mountainous but is a lovely drive through a dense forest with little pull-offs and trails down to the Little Pigeon River.  We did some rock hopping and skipping as well as a bit of wading.  We started in the rain but it cleared off nicely.  When the rain came back we headed indoors to do a bit of indoor go-karting!  We finished off the day with dinner and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets and a treat that Jack and I had been eying all week--puckered sugar.  Back at the cabin, we ran around crazily ("the sugar made us super hyper") and played the last of our video arcade games before calling it a night and a great week.  We leave first thing in the morning, but I am going to see if we can't get one more game of mini-golf....

 

 

In General on August 10, 2012

Rocky Top Tennessee on Thursday, August 9, 2012

This morning we headed up a mountain, not by foot this time, but by cable car then by ski lift.  Along the way we enjoyed activities and rides.  A few hours later, we just made it down the mountain before the rain, thunder, and lightning rolled in (if that had been the case, we would have had to take the long way down by shuttle bus via winding road).  Ober Gatlinburg, this summertime play area and wintertime ski resort, was loads of fun!

Hike Fueled by Mike and Ike's on Wednesday, August 9, 2012

Our Internet is spotty, so these entries are a bit short.  I will go back and fill in more details later but wanted to post some pictures while I have a connection.  On Wednesday, we enjoyed a great hike to Grotto Falls.  It is just over three miles round trip, and we had a great trek.  It is a fun hike with lots of streams to cross, and Jack and I made record time as we received boosters along the way (in the form of Mike and Ike's--yum).  At the falls, which you can walk behind, we enjoyed picnic.  On the climb down, we saw a bear high up in a tree.  We finished the day with a round of Hillbilly Golf (for the record, my mom won) and a trip to downtown Gatlinburg for dinner and more souvenir shopping. And, to top off our victorious day, we enjoyed watching the final game of women's beach volleyball, USA vs. USA.

That is us under the waterfall!

Two tired boys at the end of the hike!

Wet/Dry Day on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Luckily Gatlinburg has a few options for rainy day activities.  This morning we went to the Aquarium, featuring penguins and a great shark display among lots of other creatures.  By the time we left the aquarium it dried out leaving us to enjoy the pool and more of downtown Gatlinburg, including the arcade.

Heading for the Hills on Monday, August 6, 2012

It was wonderful to wake up to the Smoky Mountains, and they looked particularly smoky this morning with some clouds and peeking sunshine. Today we enjoyed a morning hike to Laurel Falls.  The hike was only round trip of three miles. However, it took us just about three hours complete, but you need to throw in there are a picnic, lots of stops, attempted short cuts, and some rock climbing.  We spent the afternoon with a bit of relaxing/resting/napping followed by some pool time.  And, the most exciting was a bear siting--just ambling along the cabins, looking for food (trash bags).  He seemed completely unaffected by our presence, but we will still keep an eye out when we do our scooting around the neighborhood.  This evening we headed to downtown Gatlinburg.  Souvenir money has been burning a hole in our pockets and mind.  It didn't take long for Jack and me to find a treasure each amongst the plethora of shops and stores.  We also had a blast in the Mirror Maze.  When asked our highlight of the day, I replied, "My souvenir (a Harley miniature motorcycle) and time at the pool."  Jack's highlights were the Mirror Maze and the pool.

Let Vacation Begin! on Sunday, August 5, 2012

We are excited to return to Gatlinburg this year. I have such fond memories from last year, and I would often bring up vacation recollections throughout the year. So, it was an easy decision to return, and what makes it even more special is that cousin Jack is with us. This morning we got and up and headed out when we were ready. Jack and I were great car riders, enjoying our iPads, snacks, and car tunes though my mom couldn't talk us into car bingo. We went through a bit of rain but arrived in Gatlinburg to a downpour. Fine by us! There was so much to explore in the cabin, including the hot tub.

Picking up Jack (meeting at National Harbor);
whose idea was it to give two excited boys balloon swords??

Check out some videos, including our trip to a trampoline arena on Saturday morning to release some pre-vacation wiggles:  http://youtu.be/iABFLlshHwo, http://youtu.be/6vlOMMEbfnA, http://youtu.be/pRqfueQlxrU, http://youtu.be/Rj0U9-gLs4c, and http://youtu.be/3Db0xCxcpFQ.

Olympic Fever on Thursday, August 2, 2012

Loving the Olympics!  My favorite Olympic events so far include beach volleyball and swimming. To celebrate, yesterday, we hosted friends (16 of them! who would have thought they would all be in town!) and attempted our own backyard Olympics.  We started with an opening ceremony and parade of flags.  We moved on to some field events...  and though well-planned, my mom should have known that using water balloons as shot puts would only erupt into chaos.  Also fun was seeing how many friends I could fit in my little room and play cars.  Above all, my own glory simply came from hanging out with a houseful of friends who talk just as loudly as me, have just as much energy as me, have my same condensed attention span, and who find extreme joy in smashing water balloons against the ground. Needless to say, my mom was only able to snap a few pictures as these favorite friends were the last to leave (though I tried hide them so they wouldn't go).

I Love New York on Monday, July 30, 2012

Upstate New York, that is!  This past weekend we traveled to Rochester to celebrate my great-grandfather's 90th birthday.  He turned 90 back in April, but we delayed our celebration so all cousins and second cousins could gather.  Along the way, we stopped at Letchworth State Park, the grand canyon of the east--great waterfalls and a bit of hiking.  We also enjoyed some time on Lake Ontario, including burgers at legendary Vic and Irv's (a bit of nostalgia for Moppy and Pop).  Rochester is also home to the coolest children's museum.  The best part was spending time with family--new and old.  My Uncle Fred and Aunt Val hosted a wonderful dinner and then a great picnic, and I got to meet the newest member of this family Carly and reacquaint myself with cousin Lily, who is also four.  Happy Birthday, Gramps!

Letchworth State Park, NY

Vic and Irv's on the Lake

At the Strong Museum of Play

Happy Birthday, Gramps!