From Halloween through the end of the year was full of quick day trips and weekend trips. Between busy season at work and Hope’s rock climbing competitions we normally stay local and do less family vacations at the end of the year.
In late October I had to go to a one day conference in NYC for work and I usually make it a day trip on the Acela out of Wilmington, DE. Some co-workers board in Baltimore, but since I live north of the city it doesn’t make sense for me to drive south to catch the train and then travel back north. The drive to Wilmington is about the same distance and keeps me traveling in the right direction :). While the 6am train normally gets us to NYC with plenty of time to spare before the 8:30 conference start, this year the train had a brake problem shortly after we pulled out of the station. We ended up being stranded for a little over an hour before they were able to get everything fixed and get us moving again. Our arrival time had changed from 7:55 all the way back to 9:10. The conference is a decent walk from Moynihan Train Hall, about a mile, so the rest of our group decided to get a cab which added another 20 minutes to our travels. We finally got to the conference around 9:30 and while we missed some of the opening remarks and networking at breakfast, the rest of the day was a success. I’ve also started taking a later train home which allows me time can grab dinner/drinks with family that live near NYC. We usually only see each other once or twice a year at family gatherings so getting more time to see cousins is always worth it! The past couple years we’ve met at Printer’s Alley near Time Square, the flatbreads are delicious and they have a pretty wide beer selection. It also has a nice college sports bar vibe and is very casual. I also like the walkability of being in the city, I could walk from the conference, through times square, over to dinner. Then after dinner it was a quick walk back to the train hall. Luckily, the trip home was less eventful than the train ride there. Even though I was delayed leaving NYC by about 30 minutes, I was able to get some work done and made it back to Wilmington around 10:30 which put me home just before midnight….a long day that started at 4:45am. The next day was Halloween and then on November 1st we left for our family trip to Pigeon Forge, quite a busy start to our slow end of year travel 🙂
The weekend after getting back from Pigeon Forge, Autumn got a sleepover at my mom’s while Kristen and I took Hope to her first comp of the season at Tufas Boulder Lounge in Philly. The girls had girl scouts on Friday night, so we didn’t leave until about 8:30 and while this should have put us in Philly by 10pm we had a tough time finding a good hotel. Admittedly it was my fault, I asked Kristen to start looking for places to stay once we got too close. We also learned that it was better to book online, rather than looking online and then walking into a place (the prices are significantly higher if you book in person vs from the parking lot). After a couple fails we found a place close to the airport and only about 15 minutes from the comp the next morning. However, I would not recommend staying at the Wyndham Microtel, the rooms were not cleaned properly and the continental breakfast was not very good. We did get to learn on this trip that Wawa does a great kids breakfast. You get a half waffle, apple/banana, and drink all for under $5. As for the bouldering comp, it’s always intimidating climbing at a new/different gym but Hope did awesome and we are very proud of her. Her comp was over by 11, so we decided to drive a few minutes to Angelo’s in South Philly for pizza and a cheesesteak…it was amazing! For anyone that hasn’t been here, it is cash only and take out only. You stand in line to order and they text you when your order is ready (about 25 minutes). While we were waiting for food we walked around the neighborhood and some local shops. We also stopped in Sarcone’s Bakery which had delicious Italian cookies, our favorite was the mint chocolate. Back to the cheesesteak, it was amazing, I got it with provolone, onions, and sweet peppers; they were heavy on the onions but overall it was incredible. The cheese pizza was a little overdone for Kristen and Hope, definitely not the best pizza but still not bad. Easy drive home and we were back to get Autumn by 2pm on Saturday.
After one quiet weekend we were off to another bouldering comp, this one in Alexandria. Autumn got a sleepover with Kristen’s mom while Kristen, Hope, my mom, and I all left on Friday evening. We pre-booked our hotel this time and made it there without any issues. The Comfort Inn & Suites Alexandria West was a significantly better stay. The rooms were nice and quiet and the breakfast buffet was very good the next morning. Waffles, muffins, juices, and fruit were a great way to start our day. Hope climbed at Sport Rock and the gym was huge, she did better than her previous comp but she is definitely more comfortable and confident climbing at her home gym. After the comp we drove into Alexandria for lunch and stumbled upon Emmy Squared Pizza right on King Street. Everything was delicious, especially the “colony pizza” with jalapenos, honey, and pepperoni. The staff was attentive and friendly and the place wasn’t too busy for a Saturday at lunch time. After lunch we walked around old town Alexandria and browsed in shops as we made our way to Lavender Moon Cupcakery. Kristen does a lot of baking for friends and family and loves to sample other bakeries on our travels (kind of like me with coffee shops). She had been to Lavender Moon a couple years ago and always raved about their cupcakes so we had to stop in. We got a half dozen variety and they were all amazing, I think my favorite was either the espresso or key lime, Kristen and Hope liked the plain chocolate and vanilla. On the walk back to the car we stopped in Dolci Gelati to feed my coffee addiction. My hot caramel macchiato paired nicely with my espresso cupcake :).
For the last weekend in November I took the kids out to Deep Creek to see Aunt Kelly’s new cabin, but we’ll save that trip for another post. For our typically quiet travel season, I was on the go for 4 out of the 5 weekends in November…busy-busy but wouldn’t want it any other way!
