Pulling into The Essex we were excited.

It was beautiful when we arrived.

Besides renting a house at the beach every year we never stay at anything but standard hotels. This made the pleasant surprise of being upgraded upon check in even more exciting!

We ended up in a suite that was honestly, more room than we needed.

Who needs a living room in their hotel room? I mean really.

There was a large sectional couch, dining area and a cute little kitchenette.

We actually did use the oven to reheat leftovers one night!

Why yes that is a Keurig you see! Complete with coffee and TEA. I was one happy camper.

The bedroom was the size of your average hotel room complete with a dresser and chair that The Husband was apparently very excited about.

“Look. A Chair!”

The bathroom was quite large with a soaking tub and stand up shower.

Anything seem off to you?

Overall we were quite pleased with the room even though it seemed a bit outdated and old fashioned. *cough* See the corded phone in bathroom photo above.

However, I’m not one to complain. We already had, what I considered, a great deal from Jetsetter and now we were upgraded to basically a mini apartment for the next 4 days.

There were 2 things on our must do list during our stay:

1. Cooking class (my choice)
2. Tennis lesson (his choice)

We inquired about both when checking in only to discover the tennis courts wouldn’t be open for another few weeks and all the cooking classes I wanted to take were booked.

This is when I warn you to call ahead and inquire about things a few weeks before your trip!

All was not lost though. We are go-with-the-flow type of people so we grabbed 2 spots in an Italian Basics class and replaced tennis with golf. Well, The Husband did. I’m not a golfer but I will use any excuse to hit the spa. Now I had one.

In the 4 days we were there, we were able to take advantage of almost everything The Essex had to offer.

Golf at The Links at Lang Farm

The Husband was ecstatic to get in a round at this executive course across the street. He was able to reserve a tee time at the front desk, hop in a golf cart and go.

He was way too excited.

The greens fee including the cart and clubs was $50 for hotel guests. The course was beautiful and well maintained.

Gorgeous Day!

According to The Husband, the staff over there was really nice and he loved that they didn’t pair him up. He’s such a loner sometimes.

The Spa at The Essex

While the Husband golfed, I enjoyed a massage at the spa. Thankfully, the facility is quite large so I was able to make an appointment within 24 hours.

The staff was nice but not overly friendly. Is it just me or is there some level of snootiness at every spa? It’s not overt but it’s there, just under the surface. I don’t know, maybe it is me after all.

Regardless, attached to the spa is a 25-yard indoor lap pool,

It was fun doing laps and I had the whole pool to myself!

and an oversized outdoor hot tub.

Yes, it was an as awesome as it looks.

Both were amazing and as you can see completely underutilized. I was the only one there for a good hour!

The spa’s relaxation lounge was spotless, roomy and had not only a sauna but a steam room, which I spent more time if than I probably should have.

It was glorious.

The Tavern

We ended up visiting at The Tavern twice during our stay. It had great atmosphere, friendly staff and a fun menu.

The Tavern at The Essex

It was our choice for dinner the first night and we went back one other evening for appetizers and drinks. I’m trying to remember why I don’t have photos of the food we ordered. Then I found this picture of The Husband at the bar.

Drunk? Hmmm, maybe.

I do remember getting shrimp tacos and fish and chips, both of which were very tasty. They also had a quinoa burger on the menu that got my attention but I never had a chance to try it.

Amuse

The other restaurant on the property is called Amuse.

Amuse at The Tavern

It’s the more upscale option at the resort but it was honestly my least favorite meal of the entire trip. I ordered a salmon dish that was dry and overcooked. The Husband’s filet mignon was tasty but pretty standard. We shared a Vermont cheese plate for an appetizer which was good (I mean it’s CHEESE) but again not too impressive. Even our waiter was just OK, nice but not really friendly.

We still had a good time and I’m not normally one to complain, but compared to other restaurants I’d put in the same category as Amuse, like Clementine and Woodberry Kitchen, it just didn’t compare.

Cook Academy

Our third culinary experience at The Essex was an Italian Basics class. Let me be completely honest, this was the ONLY class I had no interest in taking. Not only did I grow up with an Italian mother, I rarely eat pasta anymore. I’m not anti-pasta per se, I actually love it. I just choose to limit it for dietary reasons. That being said, I had my heart set on taking a cooking class with The Husband and I wasn’t going to let a few carbs get in my way.

This man NEVER cooks. Ever.

Our menu for the class was a variety of pastas and sauces.

That’s more carbs than I eat in a week!

We were split into 2 groups but got a chance to touch each menu item in some way. The instructors were friendly, helpful and very informative. As a 20-year  home cook, I learned more in this class than I expected. We had a great time bonding with the other students over a glass of wine and a ball of dough, and seeing this made the $149 price tag completely worth it.

He made more fettucine than anyone!

Yes, that’s MY husband making homemade pasta. Since we’ve come home he cooked me a complete gnocchi dinner from scratch with a fresh tomato basil sauce.

Let me say this again: Best $149 I ever spent!

This one class gave my non-cooking husband enough confidence to cook me a meal for Mother’s Day. It may sounds simple to some of you but from my perspective it was a complete miracle.

12 years married and the man never cooked a meal. This needed to be documented.

I really can’t say enough good things about this class. If I had a chance to take another one I would have. The best part: After 2 hours of hands-on lessons you get to eat your hard work.

The gnocchi was my favorite.

DELICIOUS!

Northern Lights Rock and Ice

This was a completely unexpected part of our trip and the resort. I completely missed it on The Essex website, but right on the property is an adventure center.

Ready for Adventure!

At first I had no idea what they meant by “Adventure Center” I thought it was just a rock wall climbing place. Boy was I wrong! It was a complete confidence building obstacle course!

We did the Taste of Northern Lights Package for $85, which included all their challenges and took 2-3 hours. I was a little nervous at first as the owner/manager didn’t seem very personable over the phone, but all my fears were put to rest after meeting our “tour guide.” He was friendly, supportive and funny!

He also took photos and videos during the challenges making it really easy for me share our experience with you. I put together this cheesy video in honor of our 12th anniversary adventure.

We really enjoyed our time at Northern Lights. I’d completely recommend it as a fun excursion if you are visiting the area.

Tennis Courts

As I said earlier, we were expecting to get a little tennis in during our stay but were a few weeks too early for the season. I’m not sure what steps the resort takes to prepare the courts, but they were in need of a little TLC.

Tennis Courts at The Essex

The Husband said they should be resurfaced.

Resurfaced?

He’d know better than I as, like golf, I’m not very tennis experienced — although I’ll actually attempt tennis.

We really enjoyed our time at The Essex. As you can tell by the closed outdoor pool,

The pool may have been closed but the weather was perfect for it!

we were a little pre-season, but I loved how uncrowded it was in early May. We even joked a few times that we felt like the only guests there.

Overall it was a nice, quiet, crowd-free vacation. Pretty much exactly what we were looking for on our anniversary getaway.

Walking alone at The Essex

I can honestly say I’d love to go back to The Essex but in reality I’m looking to visit so many different locations I doubt it will happen anytime in the near future.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s anniversary trip so we can experience something totally new.

Suggestions welcome, but remember, The Husband doesn’t fly.

For more information about The Essex, click here to visit their website.

I’ve been separating them by day and decided to start with a photo post of our day in Burlington. Actually, it was just a few hours. We had to head back to the hotel for a cooking class — yet another thing I want to tell you about!

One of the first things we saw was a place more than of few people told me about, The Farm House.

We were hungry, too!

Next time I’m in Burlington for sure!

Unfortunately 50 minutes was just way too long to wait.

We continued our walk. It was GORGEOUS out!

Church Street Burlington, VT

And we both commented that we’d love to live here if it wasn’t so darn cold most of the year.

We settled on a little place called Leunig’s for lunch.

Leunig’s Cafe Sign

They had something on the menu I’ve never seen before.

Duck Tacos at Leunig’s? Yes, please!

I had to do it. Unlike The Husband  who ordered a burger, I have the must-try-new-things gene.

We did split an amazing appetizer though.

Leunig’s Appetizer of shrimp and steak.

That was shrimp and steak skewers with some kind of salsa on the bottom.

Delicious!

Even though we didn’t find out until after I took the photo.

He’s getting more tolerant of my obsessive photo taking. :)

The Duck Tacos came and they were fabulous!

Duck Tacos

We enjoyed our lunch and hit Church Street again.

The Church at Church Street

I really wanted to see the waterfront so we took a turn towards Lake Champlain.

You can see the lake from everywhere!

It was BREATHTAKING!

Absolutely breathtaking!

Here’s a panoramic. Click on it to see full size.

Waterfront Panoramic

I just couldn’t help myself.

On our walk back I saw this artist painting.

Artist in Burlington VT

We had a quick conversation about how awesome it was out and how he loves it there.

Just thinking about it is making me smile. :)

We walked back to Church Street and settled on a snow cone for dessert.

Shaved Ice!

Then just strolled around admiring all the street performers.

These 2 were fantastic!

He looked so sad.

Mr. Creepy! He was not moving. So weird!

Impressive!

The Duo was sometimes a Quartet!

We took a small break in the mall before heading back.

Relaxing outside Hollister

It really was a wonderful afternoon. I never expected Burlington to be so nice!

Stay tuned for more Vermont posts. I plan on reviewing the resort next. In the meantime click here to see how we got to Vermont!

To celebrate, I wanted to go to the local theater to see Dreamgirls.

We’ve gone once before, but  I vowed never to go with him again.  He fell asleep!

Snoring.

He promised he would stay awake with no complaints, so off we went.

The Fulton is a local theater built in 1860. It is a quaint little theater, not even 13,000 square feet.

I think a theater date is romantic. You sit close, it’s dark, and you can drink wine!  The architecture is also beautiful. As you walk in there’s a beautiful winding staircase and stained glass windows. The seating has beautiful details that make you want to look around and be nostalgic.

During the intermission, the husband was still awake!

He was actually enjoying the show.

Afterwards we walked across the street, hand in hand, and I turned around to snap this picture.

The show was FABULOUS!  I would HIGHLY recommend it.

For your next romantic evening, try the theater!

The Fulton Theater
12 North Prince Street
Lancaster,Pa. 17602
www.thefulton.org

Of course we couldn’t get started without some fuel.

DD before getting on the road. Look closely “The Husband” fans. ;)

From our house to the resort we were staying at in Vermont, was about 470 miles away.

We’ve got a LONG way to go.

It’s quite a hike!

The map view.

Within an hour we crossed our first state border…

Welcome to DE!

…threw them some money and then entered our third state.

Welcome to NJ!

We actually drive the NJ Turnpike a lot. The Husband’s office is outside Trenton, we go to the shore at least yearly, and I drive to NY quite a bit.

Pistop on New Jersey Turnpike

As the planes landed and took off, The Husband and I had yet another discussion about his fear of flying.

Husband plane freakout

Part of me wishes he’d just “get over it,” but I know it’s not that easy. Plus I don’t mind road trips. We have a lot of fun, spend time together and see lots of things.

Driving Past NYC

We made it to New York painlessly — not one bit of traffic!

Welcome to NY!

We could have easily made it to Albany on one tank of gas in our beat-up 2000 Honda Civic, but we decided it was time to fill up.

Pitstop in Upstate NY

We were really having a blast chatting and hanging out together, alone, like we used to before kids.

6 Hours on the Road!

Don’t get me wrong, having kids is GREAT! I wouldn’t change my family for the world, but parents need time to themselves. They just do.

I convinced Mr. Fast Food Junkie to try something different for lunch, and we discovered Bar-B-QSA just a mile off the highway.

PJ’s Bar-B-QSA

It. Was. Awesome!

Lunch at PJ’s Bar-B-QSA

Even The Husband thought so!

The Husband Quit Happy with the Lunch at PJ’s Bar-B-QSA decision

Back on the road and getting closer. I believe this is a view of Lake George.

View of the lake

We drove alongside it for over an hour.

Driving past Lake George

It was a beautiful and quite hilly ride. I wasn’t sure our old Civic was going to make it!

But we did!

Welcome to Vermont

The last hour of the trip seemed to drag on forever. It took a total of 9 hours. Not bad with 3 stops!

The Essex Sign – We Made it!

I was awed driving in. We never stayed at a resort like this before.

Driving in to the Essex in Vermont

We strolled around the grounds scoping everything out.

The Spa at The Essex

And caught a gorgeous sunset.

Sunset in Essex Junction

The resort looked so pretty at dusk.

The Essex Culinary Resort and Spa at Dusk

We decided to stay on site and grab a quick dinner at The Tavern.

The Tavern at The Essex

It was a great way to end our day.

Enjoying a Beer at The Tavern

Today I’ve already gone for a run and right now the Husband is playing golf. Later, I’m heading to the pool.

Tomorrow we’re taking a cooking class, visiting the Ben and Jerry’s Factory and possibly going shopping. I didn’t realize there’s a rock wall climbing place right next door, I’m hoping to check that out as well. Overall, we are just relaxing with no real agenda. It’s just nice to be out of the daily grind and experiencing something new.

More later!

Update: Click here to see our day in Burlington!

This was us a few days before our wedding in 2001.

April 26, 2001

We’re so young and “huggy.”

This is us Friday night.

April 26, 2013

We’re so happy and “smiley.”

Oh and full!

We just finished dinner at a new-to-us restaurant called Clementine. I found it online while researching restaurants that focus on local, seasonal foods.

We were excited not only to try a new place but to do it ALONE with no kids. But I was intrigued to see quite a few families with little ones at the restaurant and we decided it would be fun to take the kids one day.

Clementine uses local farms to build their menu and they do it nightly.

That’s right, a new dinner menu every night!

I love that!

So fun and fresh and right up my alley!

Thankfully my creature-of-habit husband agrees (it only took him 10 years) and he’s totally into trying new restaurants now.

The Husband, Happy to Be Out!

The meal started with a few slices of sourdough bread as we decided what we wanted to order.

Bread at Clementine

It was fresh and crusty and gone in about 2 minutes.

As I’ve already established, I’m a “dummy” in the wine department so we informed the waitress we’d need a little help in that department. After a short discussion, we decided on something light and fruity.

Wine at Clementine

We were happy with the decision.

The Husband spied wings on the menu and couldn’t resist.

Wings at Clementine

They came with a fabulous red cabbage slaw that we devoured. Unfortunately, some of the wings appeared to be a little under done but the flavor was spot on. The Husband even said they reminded him of my own!

I ordered a spinach salad.

Spinach Salad

It was divine!

For dinner the husband decided on a ribeye and I went with something I never had before, pheasant.

Pheasant over white beans, mushrooms and spinach

See, unlike The Husband, I don’t order things I know I like, I go for the only thing on the menu I haven’t tried before.

I wasn’t disappointed. The pheasant was similar to chicken but more intense. I enjoyed it very much!

For dessert I persuaded The Husband to try the Chocolate Banana Hazelnut Cake with me because those three things just belong together.

Chocolate Banana Hazelnut Cake

They just do.

Overall, our experience at Clementine was fabulous. There was a short wait for the hostess and our concern about the wings but other than those small issues, the fun menu and relaxed atmosphere was right up our alley. I can’t wait to take a few of our friends there for a get-together.

Clementine
5402 Harford Road
Baltimore 21214
(410) 444-1497

I’m a teacher and school ends on June 3. That gives me three months to relax and explore. My kids are getting older now. They have jobs and a social life giving me time for ME!

Starting the end of June, Roni and I will be traveling to Portland again for a very busy week!  As you may know, Roni is the creator and coordinator of Fitbloggin’! Luckily, I have been able to be by her side as her “assistant” for almost three years now. The conference has been in Baltimore for the past 3 years, but she decided to hop coasts and hold the conference in Portland, Ore.! I am so excited to go back. The last time we were there, we had a brief day to explore and saw a lot. This time I will be helping out with the conference and enjoying some down time in the evening. Maybe some exciting restaurants?

Only a couple days later I’m heading to Seaside Heights, NJ, for a week with the family.  This year we are taking Dad, my sister, niece and nephew, and, of course, the dogs.

Yes. The dogs. I try to take them everywhere.

I’m looking forward to spending some time cooking, walking on the boardwalk and relaxing on the beach. Stay tuned for some fun blog posts on a few things we will be doing at Seaside!

And yes, I am pretty sure Roni and I will be traveling to Chicago. The last week in July, we will spend a few days at the BlogHer conference.  This has been an annual “vacation” for us and we have been to almost every one for the past three years. Roni is speaking, again!

I have been to Chicago as a child because my dad lived there at one point. I think I was about 10 when I spent the summer there.  Unfortunately, the only memory I have is when my sister got her foot stuck in the bike spokes and we spent hours at the ER.

Fun times.

Anyway, I would also love to take some road trips with the husband. I have suggested a few to him already and some he’s actually excited about.

• New York City
• Pigeon Forge Tenn. (Dollywood)
• Sandy Hook Beach (he loved that suggestion … don’t ask)
• Connecticut to visit family
• Dorney Park

I’m sure I’ll add a few more as the summer begins. I can’t wait for Summer!  Can you?

Actually, if I remember correctly, I was also nervous. I didn’t think there’d be any way in hell my mom would let me go.

But she did.

Flying to LA on way to Hawaii 1991 – Remember no cell phones back then. Mom didn’t see this until 3 weeks later when we developed the FILM! (Yes, we’re that old.)

Jen: I remember choosing Hawaii when my dad asked where I wanted to go because it was the farthest away.  I was a teenager who loved to travel. Roni was the one friend in high school I could always depend on. She was (is) the only person I would have taken on this trip. I knew at 15 we were perfect travel buddies.

Roni: Awwww Jen. You know the feeling’s mutual. I love you.

Nice lawn, why not?

Weren’t we total cheese balls?

Outside of our hotel in Waikiki

And apparently I was a blogger in training because I wrote a note on the back of each and every photo.

I’m impressed with the 15-year-old me! And I’m still a cheese ball!

Jen: That is so true. I just have all the photos in an album. Nothing exciting.

Roni: I’m SO glad I did because now I’m old and I don’t remember a darn thing!

Jen: Are you kidding? I remember a lot! It was the first long trip that I took.

Roni: Don’t get me wrong. I remember a lot! But none of the details like place names, dates, etc. Overall, the experience has stayed with me to this day.  This trip was a lot of firsts for me.

First time traveling without my mom.

First time cross country

First time off the continental U.S.

First time I saw the Grand Canyon (from the plane, but still!)

Amazing!

I do remember we stayed in a hotel with an amazing view of Diamond Head Mountain …

Too bad we didn’t have digital back then. We had no idea the shots weren’t coming out!

Jen: We were there over Thanksgiving break. I remember making Thanksgiving dinner that evening. The hotel was more like an apartment. Honestly, the view of Diamond Head kind of freaked me out. It was a HUGE volcano!

Roni: OMG I DO remember now that you said that. Man! I really do wish we had digital cameras back then. I would have photos of everything!

One of the first things I specifically remember doing and have photos of is wandering around The International Market Place.

2330 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

Jen: We were there almost every evening to eat and shop.  My dad and uncle were masters at negotiating.  I bought a pearl ring there and many other dust collectors. I think I even bought a “hang loose” statue!  We loved to go because we were able to walk around by ourselves.  That was major.

Pinky nail painting by very strange and outgoing man at the market place.

We met 2 Notre Dame Football players who were in town to play Aloha State. Notice my sweatshirt. These were my pre-ND fan days. :)

Jen: WOW. I remember meeting those football players.  I stalked them in the market and finally went up to them asking if they were Notre Dame players.  I think we even stalked them at the hotel across the street.  That was probably not smart. Later in the week (actually the day we were leaving) we even went to the Notre Dame football game verses the Rainbows. Some random man gave us tickets in the elevator.  I was so excited because I was a huge fan. Roni was still in denial.

Roni: That I was. Now I’m married to the biggest ND fan ever. Go figure.

Any excuse to take a photo!

According to my notes we also visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is one of those places I remember but wouldn’t have remembered, if THAT makes any sense.

Jen:  My dad wanted us to learn on our trip.  Ugh. But, this place was great! We had fun with our fanny packs, slouch socks, and white Keds. So cool.

Roni: You may have been cool. I was just dork in denial. lol  I remember watching the dancers, the food (of course), and the guy climbing the coconut tree. I also remember hanging out with your  dad, uncle and grandparents.

Jen: I guess my dad needed back-up. Taking two teenage girls on a cross-country trip must have been too much for him.

Roni: I can’t even imagine!

I do remember spending a day at the USS Arizona Memorial.

Jen:  At the time, I don’t think we understood the gravity of being in this place. We need to go back.

Roni: I agree, but I do remember being fascinated and awed there.

According to my notes, these next photos were all taken at Waimea Falls.

And one of my favorite spots was this beach on the North Shore.

It was the quintessential Hawaiian beach in my opinion.

Jen: Ditto.  We just walked around picking up lava rocks and examining the landscape.

I cannot believe this trip was 22 years ago.  We need to go back with our husbands and kids. I am so grateful that we are still traveling today.

Roni: Wait? What? It was 22 years ago! I didn’t do the math yet. That is blowing my mind!

I remember being awed that I was in Waikiki.

No idea where I took this from. My note just says “overlooking Waikiki”

Now I’m awed it was so long ago. Oh! and here’s the scary part. Your Dad was as old as we are now.

FREAKY!

Today is officially our last day of the Spring Break Staycation, but we have quite a weekend planned with the circus on Sunday and possibly a movie Saturday night! I can’t help myself. I just love doing things!

Anyway, today started a little shaky. The 7-Year-Old wasn’t feeling too well and I was worried he wasn’t going to have a good time. He just wanted to veg on the couch playing video games and even asked if he could bring the iPad in the car on the way to the city. My response was:

“Why don’t you take the camera and you can snap some shots on our way.”

He immediately perked up and was excited to play with my camera again.

I think he’s a natural!

I must admit, it’s nice to have another picture taker in the family!

Driving to Baltimore

By the time we got into the city he was moping again.

Moping 7 year old

So I told him to take my picture.

My mopey face.

Which started a back and forth face making photo-fest.

Not sure what to call this one.

You know I had to do it.

His version.

Couldn’t think of another one.

He cracks me up!

And just like that, the grumpy 7-year-old was no more. We got out of the car and headed to the Meyerhoff.

Oh! I didn’t tell you where we were going, did I?

I decided to do something out of my ordinary and see the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. They have concerts during the day designed for kids, and today it was “Peter and the Wolf.”

I honestly had no idea what to expect, so this was an adventure for both of us. We arrived and the 7-year-old was immediately intrigued.

Inside the Meyerhoff waiting for ‘Peter and the Wolf.’

We were up in the box seats and someone REALLY liked the soft cushy seats.

Big cushy seats!

The show started with that famous part of the “William Tell Overture” they play at horse races. It, of course, got all of the kids’ attention.

Then they brought a singer to perform Aaron Copland’s “I Bought Me a Cat,” which I never heard before! Apparently it’s a folk song from Kentucky that Copland arranged for piano and a solo singer. Like “Old MacDonald,” each verse introduces a new animal, and the singer makes the animal’s sound.

Very fun for the kids!

Then they played “Dance of the Little Swans” by Tchaikovsky.

All of the pieces were introduced by a wonderful narrator named Rheda Becker who gave great insight and kept the attention of the kids. 

She transitioned right into “Peter and the Wolf” and was joined by the Bob Brown Puppets to act out the story.

Someone was mesmerized.

Leaning forward in his seat.

About 3/4 of the way through, he turned to me and said, “I like this!”

And so did I. It was very entertaining!

Our official review:

Thumbs up for the BSO!

Definitely a thumbs up and worth $6 a ticket! That’s all it was, technically putting today’s total to $12, $1 over my budget of $150 for the week. However, I, Ms. Dingbat, forgot about parking, which cost me $2 in the meter, really putting me at $153 total for the week. Still, not bad for all we have accomplished and experienced. Money well spent if you asked me.

We headed out of the hall, and Ryan asked if we could go for lunch. I explained to him that we spent all our money for the week and that if he wanted to do that he’d have to work it off later. So we agreed on 2 specific chores so we can “earn” lunch.

I’m not sure if that was the right thing to do but I really didn’t want to stop hanging out with this guy in the city.

Waiting for lunch.

We were having so much fun!

So we went to a pizza joint a few blocks away and someone stole the camera again.

Me. :)

Our pizza came and we enjoyed a nice lunch together.

Pizza at Orioles.

The perfect ending to our perfect week.

Officially I’m $10.50 over budget but I got a bathroom and living room cleaning out of the deal. Not a bad trade. ;)

Click here to see what we did on Day 4

Kids on hiking trail at Gunpowder

We live about 2 miles from one of the Gunpowder Falls State Park parking areas and I LOVE it. It’s one of my favorite places to run as well as take the kids for a hike. The trails are easily marked, there’s a nice map in the parking area and lots of terrain variety. You can stay river side and flat or go up some pretty steep inclines.

Brothers checking out the sand.

2 Year-Old happy as a clam on the trail.

Headed uphill for a picnic.

We spotted those cool rocks and decided to see if it would make a good picnic spot.

It did!

Eating a PB&J on a high rock at Gunpowder Park

2 Year-Old eating a carrot at Gunpowder Park

After lunch we found a good spot for rock throwing in the river.

Throwing rocks in Gunpowder River

I’m amazed how much pleasure throwing rocks gives these boys. We easily sat there for 30 minutes and I had to drag them away.

They could have done it for hours, but someone was getting tired.

Tired 2-Year Old

At this point The 7-Year-Old asked for the camera and he shot away the whole walk back. Here are a few of my favorites.

Love that he thinks of fun angles!

I love back shots and take them all the time, so I think it’s funny that he seems to like them, too.

I don’t know what it is about this one but I like it!

The 2 Year Old is a big fan of stairs.

Love seeing the world through his eyes.

We ended up spending about 2 hours on the trails and it didn’t cost us a dime! A simple packed lunch of PB&J, some carrots and melon was all we needed.

That means our staycation total cost is still $139. I already have something planned for tomorrow that will put us $1 over budget BUT it’s totally worth it. I’m kind of mad at myself for buying those darn waters on day 1!

Click here to see what we did Day 3!
Click here to see what we did Day 5.

He asked if his friend could join us and I was all for it. Maybe seeing another child climb would help.

Looking at the Rock Wall at Earth Treks

A few pushups to warm up.

Push-ups!

And we’re up!

Rock wall climbing at Earth Treks

His friend was an awesome climber! A real natural.

Seeing him did excite Ryan, and he headed up.

That’s about as high as he made it before freezing, and I had to do some negotiating to get him down.

He decided to give it one more try, and I was proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone. Like I said, he has the desire but his fear takes over around the same spot every time.

However, for as much as he struggled with climbing he excelled at taking photos. My budding photographer stole the camera and took these shots.

Friend up high!

Nice angle!

OMG, a picture of me I didn’t take!

Me climbing the wall.

Besides a few tears we had a great afternoon. I’m seriously considering taking a belay class so I can climb more (I LOVE it) and work with him on the height thing when he wants to try again.

In case you are wondering, we went to Earth Treks Timonium. This was our third visit and I have nothing but good things to say. The staff is friendly and informative, the climbing options vast, and they have everything you need if you are a beginner.

Oh! — as for my weekly budget, I knew this would put a dent in it but it was worth it. Since I haven’t taken the class, we have to use the open climb, which costs $25 for 3 climbs, the equipment, and an instructor. That means today was $50 because I HAD to climb, too.  But I’m proud of us because again we brought snacks and our own water. No miscellaneous purchases!

Staycation total cost so far is now $139 leaving only $11 for the next 2 days. THIS is gonna be fun!

Click here to see what we did Day 2!
Click here to see what we did on Day 4