Portsmouth, New Hampshire Road Trip

The road trips continued this summer as we traveled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the end of August, for Andrew's best friend's wedding. This was my first time spending a few days in New England and it was both beautiful and memorable.

We got our coffee and hit the road. Along our 6+ hour drive (which ended up being closer to 8 hours when we hit traffic), we planned to stop at another Man vs. Food destination, Mother's Cupboard, in Syracuse New York.

This teeny diner is literally a hole in the wall, on the side of the road. Somehow it looked bigger on TV. Mother's Cupboard's claim to fame is a 6 LB frittata. Yeah. We had to see it with our own eyes.

We sat at the counter, which was mere feet from the griddle, so we were able to watch the cook in action. That's a lot of eggs. And home fries. And pancakes. Andrew attempted the HALF frittata, which was still monstrous, but delicious. I don't know what I was thinking ordering a FOOT wide blueberry pancake, which was hanging off the plate. I barely made a dent. But it was a worthwhile attempt! 

After that low carb, low calorie lunch, we were back on the road, headed through Massachusetts and on to New Hampshire. We arrived the day before the wedding rehearsal so we would have time to check out the area and see downtown Portsmouth. 

What a charming city. Brick sidewalks, little shops, and lots of restaurants and cafes. We set out in search of a good place for a late dinner. Yes, we were actually hungry again after that massive lunch. Shocking, I know. We like food.

We settled on the River House, and dined overlooking the water. It was beautiful at night with lights along the shore. There were even luminaries being released into the sky at a nearby party. The food and atmosphere were excellent - I highly recommend their award winning clam chowder which was true to it's claim. 

After dinner we walked along the streets and shops, enjoying the change of scenery. We would definitely go back and recommended Portsmouth to my in-laws, who just visited there last week. Charming indeed! 

Herkimer Road Trip

When my Mom was here in August, we took a little road trip, just the two of us, to her home town. We had a blast together and made some fun memories. 

It had literally been years, maybe 8 at least, since I had been back to small town Herkimer, NY. Famous for it's "diamond" mines (quartz crystals). I have fond memories of visiting my Papa and our relatives there when I was growing up. 

Herkimer county is part of Utica-Rome, NY, north of the Mohawk river. The valley really is a beautiful area with rolling hills and dense trees. 

We drove by the house that my Mom grew up in. Many memories. So much has changed. I tried to imagine what it looked when my grandparents first moved in, in the 1940's. 

Here's an old photo of Papa and his two daughters, my Mom and my Aunt Marion. This is when there was a porch on the front of the house.

I just love this photo of my Nana and Papa. They look so young and happy. Such a different time. There used to be an ice cream shop across the street. I bet that was a treat!

Today, the building that used to be my great uncle's restaurant, the Top Hat, still stands across the street. I wish I could go back in time and see what it used to be like. My parents wedding reception was there and family dinners and parties.

The main reason for our visit was my Mom's 50th high school reunion. I still find it hard to believe it's been 50 years since my Mom graduated high school. We got to take a tour of Mohawk Central School and see all the changes that have taken place over the years.

It was fun for me to see where my Mom went to school, walk the halls that she walked as a teenager and meet some of her classmates. It was definitely a trip down memory lane for her and I enjoyed hearing stories and seeing the history of it all.

After the tour, we headed to Yetty's for none other than their pizza. We always used to get pizza from Yetty's when we came to visit. The secret is their crisp crust and the fact that they put the toppings UNDER the cheese (gotta have sausage and mushrooms). It's so delicious - I wish I had a slice right now!

Yetty's is right around the corner from the church where my parent's got married. I could almost picture my Mom getting out of the car in her wedding gown and walking down the aisle with my Dad, just like the photos in their wedding album.

The next day was the big class reunion at the American Legion in Mohawk. 

We got to visit with my Aunt Marion, Uncle Chuck and two of my cousins, Nicole and Danielle that weekend. Aunt Marion joined us at the reunion and they both got to catch up with classmates they hadn't seen in years.

They had a good turnout, with alumni traveling from across the U.S. Even some former faculty were there. It was special meeting everyone and hearing such kind things that people had to say about my Mom. It gave me a glimpse into her high school years and made me appreciate who she is even more and where she grew up.  

We made a visit to see my Great Aunt Fanny (who's almost 95 and doesn't look her age!), cousin Theresa, Robbie and Lisa. It was nice catching up with family that we don't get to see - and now we're connected on Facebook so we can keep in touch more. We also stopped to visit Uncle John and Aunt Carol. They still live in their house, taking care of it and taking care of each other.

Before our trip came to a close, we had to make one last stop in Utica, to Florentine Bakery for some pasticciotti pastries. You can't drive to Herkimer and not stop at Florentine. It's just the rules. 

My Mom and I had a lot of fun together, walking down memory lane and making new memories. I'm so thankful we could share this weekend together. 
 
 

Jersey Shore, Long Beach Island

In July, (on my MIL Marilyn's birthday) we loaded up our vehicles and drove from PA to the Jersey Shore. It was my first trip to the shore and it was a gorgeous day! We went to Beach Haven on Long Beach Island. No Snooki sightings, unfortunately.

Long Beach Island is approximately 18 miles in length and about a half mile wide. Skinny little thing. I liked seeing it depicted on the GPS. Our car was practically in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! 

We found a good spot (out of tides way) and set up camp. 9 people, 2 umbrellas that wanted to fly away, chairs, coolers, towels and of course toys for making sand castles. 

Andrew and David couldn't wait to use their old skim boards. There were only a few injuries that day...

Look at that form! Such grace. 

We loved hanging out with these cutie pies. They are growing up so fast!
 

Rockin' our sunglasses.

After our day on the beach, we headed to the one and only The Chicken Or The Egg. Andrew's family has been going there for years, even before the restaurant was featured on Man vs. Food. I was excited to see what the place was all about. 

We feasted on none other than chicken wings, in various delicious sauces. Yum! We did not take the ludicrous challenge though. We wanted to keep our taste buds. It was a fun little place.

Now I can say I've been to the Jersey Shore - and loved it. I need to work on my GTL (gym, tan, laundry) a little more next time to really fit in.

Virginia Road Trip

Lately, I've been so busy with work and freelance projects, I haven't had much time for blogging. The good news is, I get a little break, in the form of a road trip. We're heading to Richmond for a few days. The soccer team Andrew helps coach is attending a tournament, and I'm tagging along. We're also going with our friends and their 3 kids. It will be an adventure for sure!

I've never visited Richmond. I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and checking out a new place. I'm not looking so forward to the drive, but hopefully it will go quickly. See you soon!