"Roughing It"

Over the past weekend, J and I went on a camping trip. Friday morning when we left, I was 100% mentally prepared to 'rough' it out in the wilderness for the weekend. Tennis Shoes, check. Extra-strength bug spray, check. T shirts and sweatpants for campfires, check. Battery-powered outdoor fan/light, check. Marshmallows as big as your fist, check. Margarita maker, check? (Ok, maybe I was 99% mentally prepared to rough it.)

As things turned out, the weather was not on our side this weekend. A heat wave swept across the eastern part of the country this week, so we were left with mid-90 degree temperatures, unbearable humidity, and moderately severe storms in the evenings. Luckily, this camping weekend did not include tents and 3 minute walks to the closest bathroom. We were able to stay safe-and-sound in our 100 square-foot log cabin. Windows shut, air conditioning blasting.

I may not be the most handy or adventurous person when it comes to the outdoors, but if the weather is warm, I like to be outside enjoying it. Sunshine or no sunshine. I spent a lot of time while we were camping on the porch swing of our cabin, trying to enjoy the fresh air and trees, even though I couldn't really be out and about enjoying it, per se. (If you know me well, you know that I am a big fan of porches. Love sitting on them, swinging on them, eating dinner outdoors at restaurants, and will always choose a porch over being indoors.) I will admit, I did not hate the fact that I could bring a fresh-blended margarita with me while I was on this swing, and I did not hate that there was a nice bathroom on the other side of the door.

Here are some photos of some of our indoor camping adventures, including enjoying hours of country music since we were out in the 'country,' playing card games, and the guys attempting to put a hurting on the bottles of spiced rum and gin that we packed for the weekend.

outside of our cabin

futon/seating area + air conditioner ;)

eat in kitchen area/ card table

turtle that I painted during ceramics- lines are shaky because I had WAY too much coffee that morning. 

card game using flat marshmallows as our poker chips

my husband playing NKOTB to his brother-in-law's stomach for the baby... that his sister is having

flat marshmallow being saved as a snack

ET phone home- candle wax dipping late in the night

my faaaaaaaavorite part of the weekend *sigh*

What is your favorite part about camping?  What's your definition of 'roughing it' in the wilderness?

Marshmallows and margaritas,

Another Erie Visit

This past weekend, J and I took another one hour and forty-five minute trip north on Interstate 79 to good ol' Erie, PA. His best friend and wife were celebrating their one year anniversary this weekend, and hosted an open house in their gorgeous new home just outside of 'downtown' Erie (read: Suburbia).

The more times that I visit Erie, the more I learn to appreciate the beauty of all of the natural features that Pittsburgh lacks. Its direct proximity to the lake means that this small town boasts a shoreline filled with gorgeous harbors and numerous sailboats. I love sailboats! The community surrounding Presque Isle State Park is not only very picturesque, but also possesses an innocent charm that seems to have remained unchanged for the past 50 years. If you know what's good for you, you'll stop at Sara's Diner every.single.time and pick up one of their to-die-for orange and vanilla twist ice cream cones. This is best enjoyed sitting on the diner's patio, watching the droves of families, locals and transplanted college students cruise Peninsula Drive with their windows down on yet another hot, sunny day. Additionally, having lived in Erie for two years during college, I heard from a number of locals that the view of the sunset from Presque Isle was given the award of second best sunset in the world (first place went to Japan).  How about that for a tiny, north eastern PA city?

source

Weekend Away

More tomorrow about my recent weekend away.  Here's a sneak peek:

Vacation Tease

My new in-laws left yesterday for a 4 day trip to Las Vegas. I may or may not have been stalking the weather there, and I may or may not know that its supposed to be 70 degrees and mostly sunny all week long.

And then there's Pittsburgh...Whomp, whomp, whomp.

19, still????????

So bear with me while I get a little nostalgic and relive last summer's trip to Las Vegas (our mini-moon, turned honeymoon) through photos:

We stayed at the beautiful Monte Carlo Resort and Casino which is right in the middle of the strip.  I would absolutely recommend staying here to anyone planning a vacation, because not only is it within a reasonable walking distance to the other hotels and attractions, it also has a Starbucks downstairs and caffeine is essential in order to make it through the day after a night out in Vegas.  We ended up booking the trip last-minute (a hurricane cancelled our other plans) so we got an amazing deal on a suite in the VIP section of the Monte Carlo- Hotel 32.  (Think: private elevator, free food, concierge, the works.)

It was my goal to see as many of the hotels as possible, and I think that we did a pretty good job:

Paris: I had my first meal in Vegas at Mon Ami Gabi.  This picture was taken from my seat- yes, I wanted to sit outside.  Not really aware of just how hot that your first time in 106 degree desert heat feels when you are sitting in the sun, exhausted, jet-lagged and trying to eat.

Bellagio: Botanical gardens, check. Perusing high-end retailers. Check, drool... left empty-handed.  Well, not completely empty-handed... I did buy ice cream from Jean-Philippe Chocolates. Double drool. Do not miss this place when you are in Vegas!!!  Even if you do not like chocolate, the fountains and beautiful gourmet cakes are worth the trip.  It is a small store, but a visual spectacle none-the-less.

Caesars:  Did Caesar really live here?  Do you know if this hotel is pager-friendly? Buncha payphones?  Business. The list goes on... I pretty much just went there because I was not thinking when I packed, and only brought 3+ inch heels to walk around in. Thus, I found myself in the shoppes at Caesar's, spending way too much money on the most comfortable and stylish sandals that I could find.  Word to the wise, pack cute, casual and versatile shoes for the daytime. Do nooooooot think for a second that you can walk around in heels.  Las Vegas is a lot bigger than it looks like in the movies.

Venetian:  Nothing more to say than: 'I WILL ride one of those darn gondolas someday!'


Planet Hollywood:  The only place we gambled.  I was bummed because I spent $3 on blackjack and lost two.  Needless to say, I did not go to Vegas to lose significant amounts of money.  Spend? Obviously.  Lose? No way.  We also saw Holly Madison's Peepshow that night.  For the record: it is not at all what you are thinking.  Planet Hollywood is definitely tailored towards the hip, younger crowd- and that is exactly what her show appeals to.  It was a fun experience, and I really had a great time exploring one of the newer resort/casinos.  I expected PH to be super cheesy, but it was not at all.

In a word, going to Las Vegas after one of the most hectic periods (read: wedding) of my life was amazing. On the second day, we rented a cabana and spent the entire day lounging by the pool in the Nevada summer sun.  Although we could have easily been sight seeing and doing a ton of other vacation-related things, that 'day off' is what I will remember most about our trip.  Relaxing with my new husband.  Enjoying a kind of heat that I had never felt before.  Seeing a palm tree in person for only the 4th time in my 25 years.  In a way, I became thankful that the other vacation we had planned didn't work out the way we had expected. I think that J and I both found that Las Vegas is a place that we'd love to visit again.

view of the Monte Carlo's pool from our private cabana for the day

Have you ever gone on a trip that was more interesting and exciting than you expected?  Have you been to Las Vegas?  What was your experience like?


Hotels and hot temperatures,

Take me away.

from the plane on the way to Vegas- September 2010

Lately I've been having vacation dreams.  Lots of them.  These are not your typical, run-of-the mill, 'just driving a few hours to visit family' vacation dreams. (Frankly, that's not a vacation any which way you look at it.)  These are serious vacation dreams.  Over the weekend, I was standing on an isolated beach in the Caribbean with perfect white sands and my toes just reaching the warm, sapphire water.   There was not a single person around for miles and miles. A bunch of silly non-realistic things happened in the dream right after that- it was a dream after all- however, I woke up feeling like I had literally just been to the Caribbean.  That is one place that I have never been, so this dream in particular really stood out for me.

I told J about it that morning and how I got woken up by the salt truck driving on our street (reality, bummer), but tried to hurry up and fall back asleep because that was just before I found out what our hotel room looked like in the dream.  Seeing how hotel rooms are decorated in new locations is often just as exciting for me as the location itself.  Note:  "Our hotel room" yes, my dreams would not let me go on a beach vacation alone, because that- my friends, would be a nightmare in my book.  WAY too much silence and alone time for my liking.  Anyone else with me on that?

2010 Pictured: April to June

4.10-6.10... proudly celebrated sister's achievement : spent valuable time in shadyside : tried on 'the' dress for the first time : ventured to cleveland for J's best friend's wedding : watched my sister graduate from my alma mater : fireworks with my family at a local park : made a sign that should have been for a birthday : went on a hunt for the perfect shoes : found my favorite place at a landmark that I had never been to, but is so close to home : spent a difficult morning in one of my favorite places in town : celebrated the 25th anniversary of my parents, with my whole family, a surprise : went to a wedding surrounded by birds : learned to really enjoy a glass of wine : celebrated a warm spring day with friends downtown : planted my very first flower garden : took sister out for a night on the town : lost someone that I will never stop missing. 

That's Where Dreams Would Be

The Venetian.

I miss Vegas. The sun, the heat, the crowds, the lights. Something about looking at the pictures I took on our “Mini-Moon” (more on that later) brings me back to being there and it sure makes me want to return! Hopefully Las Vegas is somewhere that I will be able to visit multiple times in my life. I don’t gamble, but there is so much to see and take in besides the slot machines that I feel like I need multiple visits to really say that I’ve been there.

“Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas. Cause somebody told me that’s where dreams would be.”
[S. Bareilles]