tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690Tue, 10 Sep 2024 21:36:34 +0000An electronic peek into our family's travelshttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (j)Blogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-5386260074169292125Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:18:00 +00002010-12-08T11:18:26.798-08:00 Just a little bit farther... In trying to get all my blogging projects under one roof and therefore keep them all in better shape, future posts will be made at Grayestone Lodge. Sorry for the extra click required. Cheers and thanks for stopping by! J.http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2010/12/moved-to-new-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-2572718190611545049Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:29:00 +00002010-07-02T19:29:07.893-07:00So we're already a month in and just now getting to the travel blog. In my defense, I've been a little busy with finishing up a book. A real book with a publisher and editor and deadlines and everything. Finally submitted the last of my pages yesterday so I'm free to blog now. Yeehaw! Today was also Ian's birthday. I had picked up LEGO cake pans for his cake back when we went to LEGOland in http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2010/07/sorry-for-delay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-4984770775811746245Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:06:00 +00002010-06-06T18:15:27.069-07:00I landed in Boston for a publishing course today. The kids are getting a week of being spoiled rotten with their grandparents. On the drive to Boston, we hit sheets of rain. I managed to get all my luggage in to the dorm just before a fourth sheet hit. After dinner, the sun came out for a bit and I saw this: Quotes of the Day: Ian: I wish you were already in Boston so I could visit http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2010/06/crazy-weather.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-8560835393998984834Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:26:00 +00002010-06-04T22:27:10.744-07:00Whirlwind post this time. I think the photo says it all. And no, we aren't filling ALL these suitcases for our travels. We just couldn't decide which ones to use, so we spread them out to choose the best ones. Quotes of the Day: Ian: We can't have those snacks until we get to the airport? Can we go today then? Megan:  How many lotions [scented ones from Bath & Body Works] can I bring?http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-explosion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-6544358506879792176Thu, 06 May 2010 14:38:00 +00002010-05-06T07:38:50.232-07:00I decided to dust off the travel blog with a bit of trivia. Today is a historic day in this house: Ian is officially the same height as Megan. Discovery of this fact has resulted in celebration and ire--I'm sure you can figure out who feels what. It should be noted that my days of being taller than my children are numbered; they are only 1.5 inches shorter than me now. *sigh* It also occurred tohttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2010/05/gearing-up-for-summer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-4275233742996107852Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:39:00 +00002009-07-29T14:51:05.811-07:00Today was the hottest, muggiest of our vacation. It was also the sunniest. So even though Kurt had to work, I took the kids to ride the M/S Mount Washington. The 2.5 hour cruise coursed through the hazy waters of Lake Winnepesaukee while boaters waved, honked, and raced us. Ian loved the lunch and talking with another boy about LEGO's. Megan loved taking pictures of the water stirred up by http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/hot-day-cool-cruise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-951741802571226475Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:37:00 +00002009-07-24T11:58:19.012-07:00On the way to our annual raspberry-picking extravaganza Monday, we stopped at the SEE Science Center in Manchester. It was a cute little place, tucked into one of the converted brick mills along the Merrimack River. We didn't even pause in the upper/entrance level, though. We'd heard rumors of a massive LEGO display downstairs, at mini-figure scale (55:1).We weren't disappointed. Volunteers http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/bricks-and-breaks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-2025573096996237260Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:02:00 +00002009-07-19T05:26:47.052-07:00This picture, though taken in Portsmouth, has nothing to do with my opening paragraph. But who doesn't like a nice sunflower shot? Kurt and I enjoyed our first trip to Portsmouth so much last year, we decided to take the kids this year. Since it was Saturday, though, we slept in. So by the time we arrived, lunch was the first order of business.We walked down the main streets of town, looking http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/portsmouth-encore.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-9068870637459749124Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:22:00 +00002009-07-17T19:27:14.071-07:00Some of you may remember our near-death hike a few years ago. If not, read about it here. After this incident, Kurt promised that if I ever wanted to turn around on a hike, I could.I took him up on that promise today. Kurt has always wanted to climb to the top of Mount Major, between his childhood home and the picturesque town of Alton Bay. It's supposed to be one of the easier ascents in thehttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/major-dilemma.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-1321507266314215544Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:35:00 +00002009-07-10T07:59:49.848-07:00With the house full-to-bursting with four generations living in (including Kurt's brother's crew), Kurt's parents rented a cottage on the lake for "overflow parking." Beautiful weekend for it, too. The sun actually came out to warm the water yesterday--hence Megan's company on the beach after her lesson instead of her retreat to the warm car like previous days.Fortunately before the kids and I http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cottage-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-7446999340629889031Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:04:00 +00002009-07-07T19:15:38.601-07:00Yesterday the kids enjoyed their first swim lesson for the 2009 season. Their instructor from last year was back again--always a treat to watch Nick with the kids. The beach was busy due to perfect July weather.Ian found a gaggle of boys to hang with; joining them in a game of monkey-in-the-middle with a water frisbee AND a swim to the dock without float supports (or his mother). Megan's http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/day-to-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-157310482276959667Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:46:00 +00002009-07-02T17:52:37.383-07:00We've been in New England for 48 hours already and I'm feeling guilty for not posting. But I'm just having too much fun to write--as evidenced by this highlight from tonight's birthday bash:Cheers!http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/07/here-and-happy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-5138512946818873567Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:40:00 +00002009-04-13T06:46:00.904-07:00The weekend on the island went well. Low-key, but well. And before you get your hopes up from the title, I do not have a picture of a dolphin to share with you. Sorry:-/BUT, we did see a dolphin. In the wild. So, so, so cool. On Saturday we had packed up food, a camp-stove, & kick-balls and drove south for a cook-out. Village Park snuggles between the lighthouse, a rocky seawall, and a http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/04/look-theres-dolphin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-4171326817975181508Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:27:00 +00002009-04-11T07:32:51.166-07:00I should have been a cultural anthropologist. I constantly find myself dissecting the rhythms of local speech and analyzing cultural behavior every time I travel. Yesterday's experiences at the beach, at the marina, at the school Karl administrates, etc. seemed so disparate that I wouldn't be able to post today. But then the common thread hit me--an epiphany while I was steeping my tea lookinghttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-start-conversation-georgia-style.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-7029878857973846935Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:49:00 +00002009-04-10T06:52:46.399-07:00I've grown up hearing that "things are bigger in Texas." I've been to Texas--many times. But after today, I don't think Texas has anything on Georgia. The bees are massive, as are the dragon flies. And check out this grape vine:Yes, that tree-trunk-looking-thing Kurt's leaning on is a GRAPE VINE. Point made.The weather finally warmed up enough to swim. Fortunately for our kids, the http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/04/hail-britannia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-4113113831082902447Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:54:00 +00002009-04-09T07:56:11.501-07:00We arrived in Georgia on Tuesday just in time for lunch. Grammy and Aunt Jen had already made a stack of sandwiches. And we were hungry. The kids all took to each other immediately, so lunch was full of giggles--then off to the trampoline! (Oh, to have a stomach that strong again...)Later in the afternoon, most of the adults watched Manchester United play Porto in the Champions League (soccerhttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/04/head-in-sand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-3219253342354260424Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +00002009-04-07T05:59:48.624-07:00I'm sitting the dark at 8:00 a.m. Eastern (5:00 a.m. Pacific), typing to let you know that we have landed in Jacksonville, FL safe and sound. And we stayed that way overnight at our crazy lodgings.Why would I say such a thing? The flight from Sacramento to Houston went fairly smoothly, until approach for landing. They say everything is bigger in Texas. That must include the wind! It was likehttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2009/04/still-aliveand-in-florida.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-6509459709213955700Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:35:00 +00002008-08-05T06:57:48.086-07:00Megan & Ian have heard me describe tornado drills in school. They laughed when I talked about hiding in the basement and their grandpa bringing the TV down with him. They even heard the traditional "10:00 a.m. Tuesday" tornado siren test when we were at the Lisle hotel last month. Well, last night they got to experience tornado weather for themselves.We were all watching a video in the living http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/08/twistin-night-away.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-6666237516712575146Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:21:00 +00002008-08-04T09:15:06.108-07:00It's a damp, thunderstorming day--and I LOVE IT! The smell of the rain, the dark clouds against light trees, the deep green of happy plants... (Yes, I know I'm weird.) It beats the day we arrived. The train from Boston to Chicago was freezing cold, so we had dressed in jeans and long sleeved shirts. Trouble is we wanted to kill time walking around Chicago while waiting for the Metra train tohttp://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/08/hangin-around.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-5198825255253781065Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:02:00 +00002008-07-30T13:49:34.719-07:00Well, the month of July has come and gone yet again. We did our last round of touring and visiting over the weekend: four days in a lakeside cottage on Lake Winnipesauke. Well, Kurt and his parents stayed at the cottage. Megan and I made day-trips over since neither one of us can sleep with the resident allergens. Rain was off and on, but the sun shone enough to get in at least one swim a http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/07/almost-done.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-5235569187041870012Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:53:00 +00002008-07-23T08:37:56.969-07:00Wow. It has been a whirlwind two weeks. So busy, in fact, that I have rarely remembered to take pictures. Me. Forgetting to take pictures!We've been wading in the ocean at Ipswich (Massachussettes), complete with our traditional take-out lunch at the Clam Box. Kurt and I soothed our futbol-withdrawl by watching Fox Soccer Channel during dinner at a British Pub in Portsmouth (NH, not England)http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/07/exhausted.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-7947703737110763712Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:53:00 +00002008-07-08T06:19:19.396-07:00Some of you may remember posts on our old blog about Megan's lake-based swim lessons two years ago. The highlight of these lessons was not her new ability to get her face wet, but the leech that rode home on her leg. Both kids needed no reminders this year to stay well clear of leech-ridden lilypads that line the swim area.This year, we signed both kids up for lessons. At $25 per child for a http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/07/swim-lessons-round-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-4455103493358247042Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:24:00 +00002008-07-04T13:23:00.109-07:00On Monday (30 June), we left De Kalb and meandered to our hotel in Lisle. First stop was Sycamore so I could show the kids the first place Kurt and I lived as a married couple. We drove along Lincoln Highway/Roosevelt Road/State Highway 38 until we got to the Fox River in Geneva. Ian wanted to eat in the Geneva Diner, so I've apparently sold him on the idea that non-chain places are best;-) http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-new-hampshire-at-last.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-9017052804012847425Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:16:00 +00002008-06-29T12:12:31.377-07:00Early Saturday morning we left Michigan, drove through the construction in Indiana, and arrived just after lunch in DeKalb, Illinois. Along the way we searched in vain for postcards. Cracker Barrel didn't even have any. I talked to the clerks and they said the last two years no one has bought them. So beware to those of you who collect postcards: 1) get them now while you still can & 2) http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/06/back-to-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3448984709508542690.post-6076956322350193971Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:39:00 +00002008-06-27T13:05:44.825-07:00I don't care what anyone says about Western species being able to withstand harsh conditions, the Northern Winged Tooth Fairy is the hardiest species of all! Ian lost a tooth at dinner last night. My uncle treated us to dinner at The Depot (a nice diner in a converted railway station) and Ian lost his tooth in a mozzarella stick. I carefully put it in my purse, then carelessly forgot about it.http://travel-bytes.blogspot.com/2008/06/northern-tooth-fairies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (j)0