Today our adventure began in Genoa, Italy. Genoa is the largest and most ancient port in Italy. We docked in Genoa and started the day with a drive through Piazza Caricamento and Old Medieval Port. We saw the 1st bank of Europe and where the traveler’s check was created. We saw where Marco Polo traveled and wrote his book. Finally, we stopped at Christopher Columbus’s house and spoke to the man himself.
After meeting the famous explorer, we continued with a walking tour of Genoa and took some photos in Piazza De Ferrari.
After our walking tour, we boarded a private boat to Portofino. It was a beautiful boat ride with magnificent views.
In Portofino, we toured Castello Brown, where we watched a pesto demonstration and treated to a wonderful, one of a kind lunch in a castle. It wouldn’t be Disney, without a castle, right? The castle was on top of a hill, so we made our way up, taking in the beauty of this magnificent place. On our way up, we saw the Church of San Giorgio, breathtaking views of the sea, and so many pretty flowers. Lunch was terrific, and the focaccia bread was to die for. After lunch, we had a little time to shop and grab some gelato. Here, I began my love affair with gelato! Soon, it was time to catch a boat and head over to Santa Margherita Ligure, located in Genoa’s Tigullio Bay. Here we hopped on a bus and headed back to the ship. All had another great adventure!
Whoa is it just me or did this summer go by in a blink of an eye? I can’t believe Labor Day weekend has come and gone. Crazy! Thankfully, Fall is my favorite time of year, and we have a lot to look forward to over the next 3-4 months. However, before we bid farewell to summer, I thought I would recap our adventures.
The summer started with a Memorial Day weekend trip out to Chicago with my sisters. It was a whirlwind of a weekend, staying long enough to attend a baby shower, spend some time with family and to experience the Chocolate Pinata from Uncle Julio’s.
Chocolate Pinata 
Kristen & Dick Tracy
Back at home, more celebrating as our nephew Josh graduated high school and Robbie and I went on some college visits. Oh, and Nicholas and I started our ice cream tour. 🙂
Josh’s graduation 
Robbie @Nichols College 
Ice cream time!
The summer continued with me heading down to Orlando for a work conference. I stayed at Universal Studios for the first time, and though the weather was terrible, I was able to try some local treats.
The Chocolate Emporium 
Hello?? Chocolate & Peanut Butter 
Chocolate martini anyone?
And I wonder why I gained a few pounds this summer?
At the end of the month, our travels took us to West Dennis Beach and Provincetown, MA. P-town is located at the tip of the Cape. My sister had a family wedding and needed someone to her little guy. My other sister and I, along with my kids, got and kept JJ overnight. We took in some of the local sites as well.
West Dennise Beach 
Cousins-minus one 
Always fun with Auntie Jen 
“Living” Statute
June came to a close and the 4th of July was upon us. Every July 3rd, we head over to Gilette Stadium,
My bib. 
It is all about the bling. 
Baby you’re a firework!
I feel blessed to live in such a great area of the country. Yes, it gets warm and can be stifling, but it rarely lasts more than a few days. The weather is great for hanging at the beach or exploring our cute seaside towns. We can watch movies outside while enjoying some yummy meals.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts 
Lobster Salad 
Halloween in July! 
Lobster Mac & Cheese 
Raspberry Lime Rickey 
Marblehead Harbor 
Rock sandwich anyone? 
Deveraux Beach 
Do it for Johnny 
Dinner and a show
Ahhh, Topsail Island, you own a piece of my heart. Five years ago we started spending part of our summer on this little piece of paradise. After taking a couple of years off to sail to Alaska and the Mediterranean, we went back. This time it was Nicholas and I, along with a friend and her family. Bill and Robbie chose not to come due to work obligations. The vacation started a bit rough as I had some sciatic nerve pain and numbness in my foot. The 16-hour drive was brutal. We stopped in VA overnight, but that was not enough time to recoup. The remaining 5 hours was horrible. Each morning I could not sit until I had taken 4 Motrin and 2 Aleve. Even then, I could not sit for long periods. However, I made the most of it and enjoyed our time on the island. We spent plenty of time on the beach, went to a craft show, ate out, explored the island, and found fresh farm goods, explored Bellamy Mansion, and did an Escape Room.
Our backyard 
Surf City Pier 
Nicholas met a friend. 
SHARK!! 
God Bless America 
Fresh jam and maple syrup 
Slave quarters at the Bellamy House 
Escape room 
Our home for the week.
The drive home was a tad better. I made sure to stop and stretch every two hours. Nicholas and I treated ourselves to a stay at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. I was a bit sore, but we did take some time to eat and snap a few photos.
Virginia is for lovers. 
Girl Power! 
A Marine like his Grandfather.
Back home, Robbie was busy at his new job and spending lots of time with his grandfather. I missed having my boy with me, but I understand that he has obligations, and I am proud of him.
We had a couple of weekends home before our next adventure, so we stayed closed at home. I worked on my 2018 vacation scrapbook. I am happy to report I finished that. I read a couple of books, and we went blueberry picking. Nicholas attended camp at a local college. For three weeks he took Fishing, Forensics, Chemistry, and Wildnerness Exploration. He has participated in this camp for three years in a row and looks forward to it each year.
Bill and Nicholas picking blueberries 
Yummy blueberries 
Forensics 
Gone Fishing
No sooner did he finish camp up at home, we were on a flight to Huntsville, AL where Nicholas was to attend a week at Space Camp at the U.S. Rocket and Space Center. I will be doing a separate post on this, with help from Nicholas, so be on the lookout for that. Nicholas stayed onsite at the camp, while I worked out of a hotel for a week. I spent some time walking the grounds of the Space and Rocket Center each morning and afternoon. I also checked out the Huntsville Botanical Garden.
Challenger Monument 
Where the campers stay. 
Having fun! 
Botanical Garden
Phew.. after a whirlwind trip back home, we had a half a day to recoup and then it was all about celebrating this cutie. Our nephew John Joseph, IV (JJ) turned one year old!
Finally, we ended our summer at the most magical place on Earth, Disney World. Be on the lookout for more on this trip, but it was an adventure. It involved a hurricane, a journey to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, club level at the Beach Club, walking onto rides with little to no waits, a Halloween party and more. What a way to end the summer!
Jessie & Woody 
Haunted Mansion 
The famous Blue Milk! 
Mickey blowing kisses 
My boy 
Kylo Ren’s ship 
Magic Shot
No wonder the summer went by in a blink, we were go, go go Were there things on our bucket list that we did not get to do? Yep! Fortunately, these are things that can be carried over to the Fall. Speaking of Fall, I am working on a post about the top 10 things to do in the Fall in New England. I will also be sharing my bucket list for the remainder of the year.
Until then,
Heather
This summer has been jammed packed with back to back plans each weekend. No wonder I feel like summer is the shortest season out there. Two weekends ago, we were invited by some friends to watch a movie under the stars at the Star Drive-In located in Taunton, MA.
The Star Drive-In has been in business for over 50 years. It is a small establishment with a walk-up service. Outside are picnic tables for you to sit and enjoy your meal. I was surprised at the size of the menu. It had everything from juicy burgers, fresh-made pizza, salads, seafood, and more. Plus, it serves both hard and soft-serve ice cream available in 100 flavors. I had a Greek salad with grilled chicken, my husband and two boys had pizza, while my friends had fisherman’s platters. The fisherman’s platters were huge. The food was excellent. A little later on in the night, we treated ourselves to ice cream. There is nothing like ice cream on a summer night.
After we ate, we unloaded our beach chairs and headed over to the grassy area to claim our spot for the movie. There are weekly bike nights, Jeep shows, holiday events throughout the year, and starting in the Spring, movie nights every Saturday night. This week’s movie was an oldy but goody, The Outsiders.
Both kids had to read The Outsiders for summer reading one year, so I thought they would enjoy the movie as well. Except for the beetles buzzing around, it was a great night.
For part two of the weekend, we headed up to the north shore of Massachusetts. My sister and her family live up that way. We spent the day hanging with her on the beach in Marblehead, MA. Marblehead is a beautiful coastal town, home to Marblehead Light, Fort Sewall and referred to as the birthplace of the United States Navy.
Our first stop of the day was to Devereux Beach for some fun in the sand, surf, and sun. This beach is small compared to some of the other beaches we have been too, but it is clean, has a great snack shack, playground and an area where they have entertainment on certain nights. The beach has small waves, which makes it ideal for kids. The water… well let’s say it is a little too cold for me.
The weather was extremely hot, and even on the beach, there wasn’t much of a breeze. We only stayed a couple of hours, as the sun was a bit much. Plus, we were all getting hungry and wanted something more than snack shack food. Being that we were on the coast, we knew there would be some great restaurants to be had. We found ourselves in Marblehead center at a restaurant called The Landing.
The Landing Pub is located right on the water. On the weekends it serves brunch until 2:00 pm, plus their regular lunch and dinner menu. One of the best things about living in New England is our seafood. It never disappoints. As I looked at the menu, lobster mac and cheese caught my eye. It looked too good to pass up.
The pieces of lobster were huge. I could eat only half of it. The rest I took home. The mimosas were good too.
Over the last couple of years, Massachusetts has become a hotbed for filmmakers. Several movies have been filmed here, and this summer is no exception. Adam Sandler is in town filming a Halloween movie for NetFlix. The whole downtown area was decorated for Halloween. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, second only to Christmas. I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie.
Doesn’t this look fun? Too bad we didn’t see Adam.
A summer day would not be complete without ice cream. We drove back to my sister’s house in Wakefield and stopped at Cravings. Cravings is a local ice cream shop made to look like an old fashion soda shop from the 1920s. It has fresh homemade ice cream, coffee, and confections. There are 36 flavors that rotate depending on the season. They have custom-blended soft serve flavors as well. Each flavor is blended with cookies, candy, nuts, or fruit. I had Cappucino Chip. It was delicious.
Weekends like this remind me how lucky we are to live where we live. There is never a shortage of things to do, places to eat, and things to see. It is just too bad summer isn’t a little bit longer.
Each year I struggle on what to get my husband for his birthday, Christmas and Father’s Day. I, on the other hand, have a running list. LOL! Last Spring was no different, as Father’s Day was coming and I was fresh out of ideas. Then an ad came across my Facebook page. It was from Rail Explorers of America. Their tag line is “Experience the magic of the railway”. I was intrigued. I clicked on the ad and immediately knew this was the perfect gift for Bill.
Rail Explorers is a scenic ride along Aquidneck Island and beautiful Narragansett Bay on custom built pedal-powered vehicles. This particular location offers a couple of different tours. There is the Northern Ramble and the Southern Circuit. The Northern Ramble is a six-mile trek along the bay leaving from Portsmouth, RI. It travels up the island, passing waterfront homes, golf courses, the Newport Preservation Society Topiary garden, and the Audubon Society nature preserve. It is a 2-hour tour. Please note, it is one way. A shuttle bus will bring you back to the station after your ride.
The second tour is the Southern Circuit. This is a six-mile round trip tour. It also starts at the Portsmouth Grove Station and travels south to Bayside Station. Bayside Station is a waterfront picnic area. The trip is 3 miles down and 3 miles back. This is one we chose to do.
So, how does one ride the rails? You ride our own rail explorer of course!
Rail Explorers are pedal-powered rail vehicles. Since 1850, these vehicles have been used by maintenance workers to transport crew and materials along the rails. The tour offers a quad explorer and a tandem explorer. Since we are a family of 4, we chose the quad. The vehicle runs smoothly down the rails. It does take a bit of effort to pedal, but nothing too strenuous. There is a basket to put your belongings. We were not sure what to expect, and it had been raining, so I left my SLR camera at home, nor did we choose to bring a picnic. Though, I was happy to see there was enough space to store these items.
As I said, the ride down was three miles. You are led by a guide and asked to keep 500 feet in between your vehicles. I believe there were ten vehciles in our group. This allows for more a leissurley ride. We were able to slow down, so I could snap some photos.
The weather was less than stellar. It had rained all day and it was a cloudy evening. The views would have been better, had the weather cooperated.
Once at Bayside Station, we exited our vehicles and spent about 20 mins or so enjoying the views. There were Adirondack chairs to use for our viewing pleasure, along with picnic tables to sit and enjoy a picnic dinner.
After about 20 mins, we got back in our vehicles and headed back.
Despite the weather, I highly recommend this adventure. It was a great way to see some of the Rhode Island coast. The price was decent. It was $135.00 for the 2 hours. The whole family agreed we would do it again. This summer we are going to try the Northern Ramble. The company also offers special events. There is Fireside Friday. This a lantern-lit trip, along the Southern Circuit, featuring a bonfire, s’mores and hot apple cider. The cost is $150. 00. Also, featured is a brunch tour with mimosas. Again, you make the trek down to Bayside Station, where you enjoy drinks and pastries. The cost of the brunch is $175.00 for 4 people or $180 to ride tandem.
After our ride, we drove around the corner and had dinner at a local seafood restaurant. It was a perfect way to cap off a great evening.
Not local to Rhode Island? Rail Explorers has locations in Las Vegas, Nevada and The Catskills, NY. I highly recommend checking these out.
Happy Exploring!
Last Mother’s Day, the 4 of us went out to breakfast and then headed to the Wicked Tulip Farm in Johnston, Rhode Island. It has more than 600,000 tulips and is the largest u-pick tulip farm in New England. It is open late April into the middle of May. Mother’s Day weekend is generally the last weekend to go, but there was still plenty to see. There is an entire section of tulips for show only. It was magnificent. The rest of the farm is for picking. The event sells out each year and it is required you purchase tickets ahead of time, online.
When arriving, you are given instructions on how to pick and a basket to carry our blooms in. The tulips are $1.00 a stem. Pictures are encouraged and you may even have a professional photo shoot. Obviously, this needs to be scheduled ahead of time and if needed, they have a list of recommended photographers you can use. If I had known about this when the kids were little, I would have been all over that. Once you are done picking, there is a self -service wrapping station. Then you are on your way.
I was just reading they offer yoga among the tulips. If we lived closer, I would give it a try. This summer, I want to try sunflower and lavender picking. Great things to add to the summer bucket list.
If you live in the New England area, I would highly recommend visiting the farm. If not, try looking for one near you. It will not disappoint. Happy Spring!
We are just about halfway through March and Spring is a mere 7 days away. For this girl, it can’t come soon enough! After spending time in Florida, I am looking forward to the warmer weather. I am looking forward to seeing green grass, the buds on the trees and the flowers starting to bloom. It is time where summer vacation plans are set in stone and thoughts of longer days makes me happy. With the change of each season, I sit down and make what I call a Seasonal Bucket List. It is a list of all the things I would like to do or see during that particular season. The list is a great way to have some ideas for family time on weekends, a night out on the town or an afternoon with the girls. As I sit here today, here are a few of the things I am putting on my Spring Bucket List.
- Planting flowers around the yard.
- Taking the dog to the beach to play.
- Family day exploring Boston.
- Spending the afternoon on Castle Island.
- Running a few races in the warmer temps.
What about you? What do you want to do this Spring? Put it down on paper, stick it on your fridge and look at it when you need some ideas. Happy list making!
Today I want to take you back to day 5 of our cruise. On this day, we were the first ones to board a bus and head to the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence. As I mentioned, when traveling with Adventures by Disney, you receive VIP treatment. We were the first ones off the boat and last ones on. We made the most of our days and were first in line for all the attractions. On this particular morning, we were up early and took a beautiful drive through Tuscany. There were rows and rows of sunflowers on the roads to Florence. Unfortunately, I could not get a great photo from the bus, so you will need to take my word for it. Once arriving in Florence, we headed over to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.
David was created out of marble, between 1501-1504, by Michelangelo. He is a Biblical character. It was breathtaking. The photos do not do this masterpiece justice.
From the Galleria dell’ Accademia, we proceeded with our walking tour of Florence.
The architecture was amazing. We saw the
Baptistery and strolled past vendors selling their wares along the Ponte Vecchio, a spectacular medieval bridge that spans the Arno River. We ended at the Piazza Santa Croce. Here we went to lunch at Cantina Vinicola. It was this lovely restaurant, that felt more like we were dining in someone’s home. We were served the best lasagna I have ever had. Lasagna is not something we eat at home, as none of us like ricotta cheese. However, they made their lasagna with sweet cream. It was amazing!
After lunch, we had plenty of time to explore the Piazza di Santa Croce. We went to a little wine store called Enoteca Pontevecchio. We had a wine tasting, along with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was amazing. We bought six bottles of wine, six tins of oil, and three bottles of balsamic vinegar.
We also visited a leather store. I bought myself a beautiful purse and wallet. Afterward, we had some photos taken at the Basilica di Santa Croce. This serves as the burial place of Michelangelo and other famous Italians. The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. As you will see from the photos, the bell tower has a Star of David. A Jewish architect designed the church’s façade. He wanted to be buried there, but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the threshold and honored with an inscription.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Finally, on our way back to the boat, we stopped for this breathtaking view of the city. It was another magical day in Italy!
