Sand Beach

Of course the happiest times of the trip were spent at Sand Beach in Acadia.  Ella was soo happy there.  Running, playing in the sand, splashing around in the water.  It was such a delight to watch her. Just look at that face!

Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond is in Acadia National Park and is a wonderful place for the family.  We usually hike the trails here but this trip proved to be a bit of challenge with Miss Ella.  She preferred to walk instead of being carried in the backpack carrier.  This came as a bit of a surprise to us as she loves hiking in it at home.  So, we opted to stay off the longer trails and to piddle around on the grounds of the restaurant.  They're famous for their popovers and jam.  Many hikers and visitors hang out on the lawn and enjoy the beautiful views.

Atlantic Brewing Company

I love microbreweries especially ones that are family friendly.  Atlantic Brewing Company is doing it right in Bar Harbor.  In addition to amazing beers, they also have blueberry soda and root beer which Ella got to sample in their tasting room.  And, this amazing place has a PLAYGROUND on-site for the kiddos and a barbecue joint, Mainely Meat, next door.  It was so nice to have a place to go that we could enjoy as a family.

The Lobster Pound

Off to Bar Harbor we went and of course we had to get some lobster.  We stopped at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound and ordered lobster rolls, corn on the cob and crab dip.  Turns out Ella is not a fan of lobster.  I have a feeling that will change in the years to come.

Murphy Park

Well it's been a few weeks since I've posted due to..... vacation!!  Yes, our family traveled to Boston to visit with family and then OFF TO BAR HARBOR, MAINE for some much needed R&R.  The weather was divine, a heavenly break from this Texas heat.  Our first stop was Natick, Massachusetts where my husband grew up.  We stayed with his parents in the home he grew up in.  Ella got to play at his neighborhood park - Murphy Park - each day.  This park was remarkable in that there was something for each age plus they actually had TOYS in the sandbox and Little Tykes cars, bulldozers and police cars for the kids to ride in/on.  That was a first for me!

Cozumel Mexico

Ahhh sweet beaches, crazy cruise.  Last week, my husband and I took our first cruise ever to Cozumel Mexico AND our first vacation away from our little one.  We had a great time - who wouldn't?  Long days by the pool, pina coladas, no cooking, sleeping in, napping, and fantastic people watching.  We only had 5 hours to spend in Cozumel so we chose a beach excursion where we could lounge, eat, drink, and snorkel to our heart's delight. It was amazing.

Port Aransas

This past weekend we headed down to the Texas coast and stayed in a condo right on Mustang Island Beach.  The weather was perfect - sunny, windy, and in the high 70s.  This was Ella's first beach trip and our first time to the Port Aransas area.  It was such a delight watching her running down the beach chasing the waves and the birds. I couldn't help but reflect on my pre-baby beach days when I sunned on the beach, read a book and enjoyed a frosty beverage for hours and hours.  My how times have changed.  Our days on the beach were spent chasing the little one.  She could just run and run and run.  There was no "sunning" nor was there any reading.  My brother and his family also joined us.  Such a wonderful thing for Ella to experience playing on the beach and watching Frozen with her older cousin who knows all the words to Let it Go.  Ella has been singing "Go" and turning around in a circle like her cousin.  So sweet. Our vacation was short but filled with memories.  We can't wait to go back.

Alsatian Vineyards

My husband and I had a magnificent time on our tour of vineyards in the Alsatian area of France just outside of Colmar. Breathtaking views, beautiful weather, and a wonderful guide named Jean Claude.

Bartholdi's Hometown

Colmar is a really old town that was founded in the 9th century. One of its most famous residents was Frederic Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statute of Liberty. Throughout the town you will find a museum dedicated to his work as well as this statute of him and a tiny statute of liberty on his shoulder. Colmar also claims to be the capital of the Alsatian wine region.



I loved the architecture of the buildings especially the Eglise Saint-Martin, the largest church of Colmar and one of the largest in Haut-Rhin. It has stained glass windows and several Gothic and Renaissance sculptures and altars.



We really enjoyed this town and especially the food. Wonderfully rich, buttery dishes. Fantastic wines.

Our first day in Colmar

After such a late night of travel, we slept in before exploring Colmar on foot. Our hotel was just a couple of blocks from Petite Venise or "Little Venice". We immediately came upon a little outdoor cafe, Cafe Venezia, which advertised "Crepes". We stopped and ordered coffee, a grand marnier crepe, and an egg/cheese/ham crepe which were UNBELIEVABLE. Afterwards, we strolled through the town. More to come!

Hello Colmar

Au revoir Paris, Hello Colmar! We jumped on the train to Strasbourg, the Alsace region of France on Wednesday evening. After two trains, we arrived at Colmar station at midnight. No cabs in site. No information booth. No cell service - no GPS. We were on our own. Hmmmm.. Let's call the hotel. Oh. You don't understand what we're saying? Hmmm... It was a looooooooong walk. Finally, we arrived at the Hotel Turenne and promptly crashed. It wasn't nearly as charming as the picture suggests but it was budget friendly.

Chez Casimir and the Church of Saint-Vincent du Paul

Our hostess recommended that we have late lunch or early dinner at Chez Cashimir, a wonderful restaurant in her neighborhood close to Church of Saint-Vincent du Paul. First we stopped at the Cafe for an early dinner and drinks. No one was there - we had the entire place to ourselves. We ordered the stuffed cabbage and white fish with mashed potatoes off the chalkboard menu that the waiter brought to our table. The food blew us away. Buttery, creamy fish and potatoes. Spicy cabbage. Best meal in Paris so far. After the dinner, we walked across the street to the church. Ghost town. No one was there. We wandered around the church admiring the artistry of the sculptures and the paintings.

"Above the portico (borrowed from those of Greek temples) is a pediment sculpted by Charles-François Lebœuf-Nanteuil on the subject of "The Apotheosis of Saint Vincent-de-Paul": the saint is glorified, surrounded by figures symbolising his saintly actions— a missionary, a galley slave, and some Daughters of Charity devoting themselves to children or to healing the sick. Inside, the painted frieze of 1848-53 around the nave (between the two levels of columns) is by Hippolyte Flandrin, and shows 160 male and female saints advancing towards the sanctuary. The decoration of the Lady Chapel, in the apse added later at the back, is by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1885-89). The Calvary shown on the main altar is by François Rude."**

I was particularly fascinated by the paintings of the male and female saints - such detail and color. This church was by far my favorite in Paris.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart. This cathedral is located in the Montremarte area at the highest point of Paris. It's beautiful at night and during the day. We had a wonderful view of it from our apartment but decided to tour it and were amazed at its beauty inside and out. Its' view of Paris is unsurpassed - you can see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Inside are many beautiful sculptures and niches for each saint. I'm not Catholic so I'm not familiar with the saints but one can certainly appreciate the artistry of each of the niches and sculptures. It's such an inspiration to be able to observe and appreciate such beauty and the reverence that this City has for its' art and divinity.

The City of Light at Night

After cruising Paris, we decided to head back to Fat Tire Bike Tours and do the night bike tour that very night. We rolled out at sunset and had a fabulous time. The night ride was much more laid back and we met several folks from all over. We saw many of the same sights as the Day Tour but also different things too like Notre Dame, the Pont St Louis, Diana's Flame and more. The City truly is a City of Light at night. The Louvre was amazing. We ended our ride with a boat cruise along the Seine where we got to enjoy the Eiffel Tower all lit up and sparkling. After our cruise, we went to a local bar and had dinner and beers with our fellow cruisers. Great night.

Cruising Paris

Today we toured Paris by bicycle hosted by Fat Tire Bike Tours, an Austin-based company. We began of course at the The Eiffel Tower then biked over to Napoléon's Tomb. Onward to Musée D'Orsay, the Louvre, a cafe in the Tuileries Gardens for a lunch and beer, then the Champs-Elysées. We also the Ecole Militaire, Rodin Museum, Les Invalides, Alexander III Bridge, Grand and Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde, UNESCO and more! The guides were hilarious (also from Austin) and our fellow cruisers were a fun-loving bunch. It was an amazing time mainly because we were in Paris, the weather was perfect and we were on bikes.

Sorbet au Citron

One of my favorite things about Paris was the sorbets. Each day we were there I tried a new flavor - citron (lemon), cassis (black current), pineapple, la pistache (pistachio), cerise (cherry) and les framboises (raspberry). I love tart sorbets so it's no surprise that the lemon I purchased in the gardens at the Louvre was my favorite. Bertillion's cassis was a close 2nd. I can't wait to try my hand at making my own sorbet using Bonjour Paris' recipe for sorbet au citron.

Church of Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre

After wandering around the Louvre, we walked toward the Musee de Orsay and Montmartre where the likes of Dali and Picasso used to live and work. We received a frantic call from my husband's family while we were walking around Montmartre that his sister-in-law was having her baby 2.5 months early. We stopped at Eglise Saint Jean de Montmartre to pray. Moments later, we received wonderful news that mom and baby were doing well. This church was built in the late 1800/early 1900's. It's small but very beautiful and peaceful.

Musee de Louvre

We began our second day in Paris with breakfast sandwiches of ham and gruyere on fresh crossaints from the bakery just down the street. AMAZING. After breakfast, we walked to the Metro and headed to the Musee du Louvre. We started at the entrance but didn't go in. We decided early on that we were not going to visit any of the museums on this trip since we weren't going to be in Paris very long. So, we walked around the courtyard and grounds admiring the gardens and sculptures and enjoying the ambiance. The architecture and sculptures were simply breathtaking. The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm enough for a "citron" ice cream. We walked to the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Eiffel Tower and fell in love with the beauty of the City.