Adventure #5: New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans has held a special spot in my heart for years.  We have a long history, me and New Orleans. Growing up in Atlanta, New Orleans was just a hop over Alabama and a skip over Mississippi. Rich and I took many adventures to the Crescent City.  When we moved to Dallas, Rich's work brought him to New Orleans about once a month, so we were there quite a bit. He was even on a float in the Mardi Gras parade many moons ago.  I fell in love with the food, the people, the history, the food, the architecture, the food - oh wait - did I just mention food three times?  Of course I did, silly.  

This city is quite the culinary wonderland!

I honestly think New Orleans is the best dining destination in the country.  It is is just out of this world.  The time and care that the folks put into each dish down there is a matter of sharing their heart and soul - it's not just food, it's love!  

YES.  This is a collard and bacon melt!  So insane.  

Now my heart belongs to New Orleans for a completely different reason - my sweet sister, her awesome husband and my precious six month old nephew, Will, call New Orleans home.  Mandy has been in New Orleans for about a decade now, so Hank and Max have been, probably a dozen times. So, I've had plenty of time to check out this city through the eyes of little guys. This past year they have been three times (I've been five!) - we were even fortunate to be there on the one year anniversary of my transplant!  

And we were able to celebrate together at Commander's Palace, one heck of a historical spot in the Garden District.  Yes, I have steroid face.  I had crazy liver medical stuff going down here. It's what happens sometimes!

On the surface, you wouldn't really think of New Orleans as a kid's spot, but it truly is - this city loves kids.  The restaurants are truly kid friendly - the culture is just super welcoming towards families.  Of course, I probably wouldn't stroll down Bourbon Street with a teenage boy, but really - most of the rest of the city is perfectly suited for a family trip.

A pretty pink lady in the Garden District...

A pretty lady down by the river.  There are beads everywhere in this city.

EVERYWHERE.

And almost all of the streets look like this!

Just when you think you've seen everything...you find wrought iron in the form of corn stalks.  Yes! After our Commander's Palace lunch we took a stroll and found this magical place. This spot is known as the Cornstalk Fence Mansion and is for sale...in case you're interested...

The boys discovered this great little Star Wars replica of the restaurant inside of the restaurant (yes, it is a little confusing) at The Butcher, this out of this world sandwich shop.  It's one of those spots where the meat is all grass fed, the sauces have been simmering for days and Admiral Ackbar's head greets you at the bar.  

To call it a sandwich shop is entirely underselling it.  Have you ever had a Le Pig Mac? Those are breakfast sausage patties, my friends.  You need to share this sandwich. With like ten people.  It is HUGE.

So you're wondering, what do you do in a city where the main thoroughfare is named after hard liquor? Well, there is a TON to do!

Children's Museum.......The boys love the Children's Museum in New Orleans.  It is really cute and pretty big, but not too big - just enough space for everyone so you can relax and not worry about your kiddo getting mixed up in a big cluster of other kids.  I think the boys' favorite spot in there is the pretend grocery store.  It's the real deal.  Complete with real cash registers and a conveyor belt for the food to travel down.  My boys loved it!  I loved the little replicas of the New Orleans style homes.  There are about three distinct home designs that are specific to New Orleans.  Just about every house in the city is built in one of three ways and the museum showcases these styles - which are VERY different from Boston - so this was fun to explore not just for me, but for the boys.

Trees..........New Orleans has some spectacular trees that are PERFECT for climbing!  My boys love to climb trees - Hank in particular has a hard time walking past a tree with low branches and not stopping to attempt to climb it.  It is hard to resist the siren song of a good tree!  There are so many parks throughout New Orleans with some great trees - in fact, City Park and Audubon Park are two beautiful spots for kids to climb.  Audubon Park has a zoo next to it...so while you're outside of the zoo climbing trees, you can see a little giraffe head peak out every now and then.  This spot is dear to my heart, too.  When Hank was two, he named the giraffe Goopy.  We still call that giraffe Goopy.  A little giraffe friend on the other side of the country! 

Story Land.........Some of y'all might be familiar with the Story Land parks.  City Park in New Orleans adopted some Story Land pieces from a Story Land that was closing down somewhere out there...so the boys love this part of City Park.  Lots of climbing and tons of fun in the shade!  Which is important in August in New Orleans...

Watching boats on the Mississippi......on paper, this might not sound so thrilling.  But trust me, when you see a barge about a mile long, it's hard not to be impressed.  Plus, there is something cool knowing the history of the river and knowing that thousands of boats have traveled this way and will continue to do so...you can ride one of the old school riverboats, too!  Oh, and a full on train goes RIGHT through the city.  Loud.  But cool!

Aquarium......sharks, birds and all of the usual aquarium friends!  But this aquarium has animals pretty centric to the New Orleans and bayou area...the bird room is pretty incredible, but make sure you don't leave with bird friends!  I noticed one little guy hiding in my bag.  He was adorable.  But I'm pretty sure he would have been a pain to travel with back to Boston and my sister has enough pets already!

And of course...EATING!!!!

PLACES TO STAY!!

We have literally stayed at just about every hotel here.  I sorta kid, but not really.  Honestly we have been to New Orleans at least two dozen times...but my three favorite are these guys, for these reasons:

Hotel Monteleone: this fancy spot is the heart of the French Quarter and there is a carousel bar (!) in the lobby.  Even if you don't drink, watching people drink and try to "step away" from the bar is high comedy.  Lots of famous writers and such have had a drink here.  Even if you don't stay here, check out the bar!  It's just blocks from Jackson Square, where you'll find a random band on a random Tuesday.

The W French Quarter: this modern spot is one of my absolute favorites, because they have the perfect, quintessential New Orleans courtyard.  Pretty little bubbling fountains, trees with low branches with lights strung throughout, a teeny but perfect sized swimming pool.  Plus, it's on Chartres Street, which is French Quarter, but not "Bourbon Street" French Quarter, meaning that you can get a feel of the Quarter without having a drunk frat boy screaming outside of your window at 2am.  

My mom being an utter goofball and pretending to dunk Max into the fountain at the W...

The Roosevelt: this is a classic spot just off the French Quarter.  While it is definitely older, it's been renovated and the pool is fabulous - it's on the 4th floor so it's not a complete rooftop pool, but it truly has the feel of being above the city and you can see a ton of the New Orleans skyline. There is a great bar out there and you can order food to the pool...plus my guys loved the giant Connect 4 game!

BOOKS!!

So much has been written about New Orleans - but I have two favorite children's books that Hank and Max truly dig.  One about food, one about music.  Two themes at the heart of New Orleans.

Today is Monday in Louisiana - Just check out the cover art!  I love the little cut out pieces of the sausage, red beans, rice.  So, the story goes...each day of the week goes through a different, classic New Orleans dish. Monday is red beans. Tuesday is po' boys. And so on!  At the end is a glossary explaining this dishes that are unique to New Orleans. This is the perfect book to read to kids before traveling to New Orleans.  It will expand the culinary vocab of your little one, and when you head to a restaurant in the Crescent City, your little guy or gal will know what a beignet is (powdered sugar goodness, is what it is!).

Trombone Shorty -  This book delves into the music scene in New Orleans, told through the story of a young boy, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews.  Trombone Shorty tells his story of growing up around music in the Treme neighborhood and how he became a well-known trombone player. The illustrations really capture the feel of the Treme neighborhood and the music scene.  Plus, there is the cutest black and white photo of Trombone Shorty playing away at the end of the book.  Adorable. 

So now you know this slice of one of the most unique cities in the world.  Since you're in the south - don't forget to mind your manners, y'all. This was at bar.  Pretty simple, but some folks need a reminder! Not you, those other folks. Bless their hearts. 

xoxo,

Mary

Adventure #4: Newport, Rhode Island

Adventure #4: Newport, Rhode Island

Book:  Kites Sail High

Hotel:  Gilded

Rhode Island.  Until recently, I knew only two things about this state...that it was the smallest in the union and it was home to the best frozen lemonade on the planet, Del's.  I dare you to find better frozen lemonade anywhere.  It's like crack!  I've never tried crack (gross!) but I hear it's pretty darn addictive.  Just like Del's.  With slightly less damaging effects to your sweet body.

Rhode Island is beautiful.  I didn't know a thing about Newport until recently, which is a shame considering it is barely over an hour away from Boston.  Downtown Newport is super cute and full of fun shops and tasty restaurants - one of the best BBQ places ever is here, Smoke House, and this is coming from a gal who spent 30 years of her life down south eating BBQ like crazy.  Another delicious restaurant was this authentic Mexican joint in town, Perro Salado.  Amazing!  Again, I am picky about Mexican food having spent three years in Texas.  So in the food department, Newport is perfection.  And remember, Del's is around every corner. EVERY corner. Almost scary if it wasn't so delish!

What drew us to Newport was not all of the Del's or the boat stuff (apparently it is home to yachting races and all sorts of boat adventures and such), but being the clueless boat person that I am, I had no idea until recently that it was the cradle of all of that.  So my guys got to watch a ton of boats out in the harbor and we spent a chunk of time picking out our dream boats.  

Ok, so back to what drew us here - the Newport Folk Fest.  Last year was our first time - I was due to go into the hospital for five weeks of chemo fueled fun.  But we were able to squeeze in the festival and see one of our favorites, Ryan Adams, just hours before I was to start chemo. So I have a feeling this festival will always have a special place in my heart, because I got to listen to good music in the warm sunshine with my husband and boys. There is truly not more one needs!

Summer, 2014. Hours before a five week hospital stay. Yes, I look sick.  I had cancer! Yikes. Just focus please on Max's curly blonde waves. 

This year, Roger Waters was lined up to play, so we figured it would be great to bring the guys...how often do you get a chance to see him?  The Newport Folk Fest is held at Fort Adams State Park...it is this breathtakingly beautiful old school fort that juts out onto the harbor...a breezy spot with a perfect sunset.  The folks who attend this festival could not be friendlier - everyone enjoys the kids and there is nary a scowl to be thrown in our direction.  Which makes me feel all nice and cozy.  Well, turns out a surprise band was playing and it ended up being My Morning Jacket, which until that moment, I was unfamiliar with and now I'm in love!  Pretty dang awesome.  Well...my spidey senses could tell a huge thunderstorm was heading our way...so we decided to skip Roger and head for dry ground, since thunderstorms, kids and festivals seem like a rotten mix. Plus My Morning Jacket was so amazing that it made up for everything!

Yes, a rainbow behind us! A sign from the big man upstairs that all is ok.  I believe in miracles!

One of my nurses, Nicole, happened to be there, too - how amazing is that? She was my night nurse last summer and really ruled.  Truly, when I was throwing up at 2am, she was there!

Just like My Morning Jacket was new and surprising...so was our hotel!  Even the name is fun...Gilded.  A throwback to the Gilded Age and the crazy old school mansions that are still in Newport. Gilded used my favorite color all over...dark purple.  Already two great things going for it.  Plus it's brand new...and part of a fun fairly new group of boutique hotels popping up around New England, Lark. It was our first experience with these folks and it was perfect.  They give each family an iPad at check-in with fun highlights for Newport - restaurants, kid activities, parks, etc. The decor is refreshing and super modern - bright colors and fun materials. I have to say I'm kinda loving that wallpaper is coming back...especially the florals. It reminds me of my mom's powder room growing up, and that's a good thing.  Cozy, but "not grandmother-ly". 

Back to that purple thing. Our room had this amazing purple plushy sofa that was oh so cozy.  I really fell in love with it!  The colors were just so unlike any I had seen in any other hotel - so vibrant.  The little patio was the perfect spot for a delicious and inspired breakfast which covered a bunch of sweet and savory choices and some fruit, in the shape of balls...which was a delight to my dudes. It's the little things, y'all!  While the boys were eating breakfast, they were also playing croquet, having a blast. 

Check out this breakfast spread.  So inspiring and not the usual stale crumb cake. Even the little containers were adorable!

Morning croquet!  

Not only was the hotel super original, the staff was so friendly and sweet, giving us great restaurant tips...that's where we heard about Perro Salado.  Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood filled with old giant trees, but close enough that you're only a five minute walk from the heart of town. So, Gilded was a home run!

So the weekend was amazing...the festival, the food, downtown, Gilded, Del's...but I think my favorite part of all was Benton State Park.  I was reading that this spot is one of the prettiest along the coast and that it's known for being the perfect kite flying destination.  There was a Del's truck parked there (yay!) and a little truck selling kites.  Hank picked a minion one and immediately it was up in the air (and I am horrible horrible horrible at getting kites up...I usually end up in a tangled mess), but this spot where the grassy hills meet the sea has a pretty constant breeze that is just perfect for kite flying.  Lots of folks were flying kites...it was fun seeing them all up there. 

Three hours flew by...laying in the grass and just chilling.  Hank and Max both rolled down the big hill and I joined them...of course afterwards I noticed the big "tick warning" sign, but honestly.  

So Newport, I am officially a big fan.  My family and I have a date with a breezy hill, the sea just feet away and a minion kite.

Our book to tie into this trip was "Kites Sail High" by Ruth Heller.  The artwork in this book is stellar - I love the kites on the cover.  Pretty kite fish.  Just like our kite adventure was a surprise, so was this book - turns out it is all about verbs, but with a clever way of describing the various types. While reading this book to my guys, I realized that I badly needed a refresher on verbs.  I know...it's when you teach your kids something that you realize how much you needed it, too. 

Yay for kites, frozen lemonade, festivals, unique hotels and teensy beachy states!

xoxo

Mary

Adventure #3: Legoland, California

Adventure #3: Legoland

Book: Lego Minifigures Character Encyclopedia

Hotels: Legoland Hotel

Disney and my family had a date...one that we had to postpone for two years.  You see...my family and I were supposed to go to Disney World in February 2013, but I was diagnosed with leukemia just days before our trip.  So, we had to put it off, which we did - to that December.  Well, I had a relapse and we AGAIN had to postpone our trip!  So, we were thrilled to be finally going this summer.  My boys had been so sweet about postponing the trips.  Not one bit of a fuss.  So I really wanted to make this trip extra special for them since they were such sweethearts about it.

The boys are REALLY into legos right now.  By the look of things around our house, you could open a lego store. I truly mean that - we have legos EVERYWHERE.  I stepped on one about five minutes ago and have the indention in my heel still. We thought the boys were at the prime age for Legoland and since it's close to Disneyland, we thought to combine the two parks into the same trip. I have to say that I was super impressed - we never waited longer than 15 minutes for any of the rides at Legoland. Some of the rides even had little "lego pens" where your corralled kids can build their creations while the adults wait in line. Genius.

The park also has my favorite little theme park hidden gem - playgrounds.  Why wait in line for rides when your kiddos can just run around and play?  Within minutes Hank and Max were into a "dinosaur story show" with a group of new friends at the playground.  It was pretty awesome. Hank and Max came running over to tell us that they made new friends and were going to put on a show. 

We also fell in love with the mini-worlds in the park - models of San Francisco, Vegas, the various worlds in Star Wars - it was very chill and fun to check these out. You could just stand there and stare at the details all day.  Max really wanted to stop and smell the roses and check these out while Rich and Hank rode a scarier coaster that Max wasn't into.

The set from the live action part of the Lego Movie (the part with Will Ferrell and his son at the end) is at the park.  My boys really got into checking it out and were in there for quite awhile examining the construction.

Now this is where Legoland really rules.  Dance parties.  They're everywhere!  My boys are really into dance parties.  I mean, they REALLY love to dance!  There was a random dance party in the park and every night in the hotel, there is this amazing dance party, Jester Jam, where disco balls, flashing lights and loud Katy Perry music thump to the sound of kids singing and dancing as if their very lives depended on it.  

I MUST DANCE.  I was going to post pics of my boys dancing.  But I think I'm going to save that in my rehearsal dinner blackmail folder.  Actually, it was beyond cute how INTO it they were. 

Jester Jam. Oh yeah, some DJ is dressed like a jester.  Hence the name.  This hotel was really way better on so many levels than I thought it was going to be - the lego folks really put a lot of time and effort into every little detail. 

The lobby has a giant pirate ship, which my kids liked just as much as the theme park rides.  Swashbuckling seven-year-olds were everywhere. Every night there is a pajama dance party on the ship, complete with limbo sticks...and kid graffiti.

Each floor of the hotel has a different theme - this was a major dinner topic at our house leading up to the trip.  Well, really it was no contest - Indiana Jones won out.  Every room on that floor has an "Indiana Jones" type theme and they did a great job making it look like lego central in your room.  The kids even had a bunk bed and little lights on each level.

There is a treasure chest in your room and each day the kids get to unlock it to find a new treasure, which is a new lego mini set.  This is lovely, because while I was packing up our gear for the day the boys were putting together their new set and playing with it...pretty rad.

Yes, the hotel has a bar.  We didn't go, but I like the idea of it.  A giant lego bartender dude.

There is a great pool with a kids movie playing every night and you can even see the Pacific Ocean from the balconies facing the poolside. That was a nice little bonus...I am thrilled every time I can see the ocean.  That just never gets old.

Any day where you can raise your sword to the air with the ocean in the background, is a good day in my book.  You go, Hank!

We loved the hotel...the restaurant was a buffet style and it made it super easy to get in and out before going to the park in the morning. A princess and pirate were walking around chatting with the kids...but Max didn't want anything to do with the princess...he said her eyes were black and scary.  When I finally got to the root of it (trust me, I wanted to figure this one out), it turns out that he thought she was wearing too much makeup (which she was).  Good, Max.  Steer clear of gals wearing gobs of makeup.

So besides the scary eye makeup princess (she seemed sweet, quite frankly), this hotel was practically perfect.  Oh, the concierge saved us some money on the second day park pass, when we wanted to only visit the water park.  I'm not usually a water park gal (too many floating unknown objects for me), but I bit the bullet and went for the guys...and ended up loving it.  Lots of slides for little ones like Max and bigger slides for the older kids like Hank. So a perfect mix!  And nary a floating turd to be found. Yay for that!

Sweet cozy dreams after water park adventures.

To make our Legoland adventure complete, we read through some of our lego books.  We have a TON of books about legos. Tons.  But this one the boys can just sit and look at for hours.  To be quite honest, I love it, too. It's actually very soothing, reading an encyclopedia, but with pretty colors and little mini figure back stories.  

All of my lego knowledge will save my life one day.  I KNOW IT.  This book has a gazillion post-it notes sticking out of it from Hank and Max marking their favorite figurines.

If you have little ones who love legos, Legoland and the Legoland Hotel will be right up your alley. Oh, if you don't like kids, please don't bring your grumpy face around here.  (Thankfully, I didn't see any of that).  Go to Sandals or one of those kid free places.  Because this is all kid, all the time! (and everything is awesome!!!)

xoxoxo

Mary

Adventure #2: Coronado Island, California

Adventure #2: Coronado Island, California

Book:  Our California 

I am a sucker for all things beachy. Sand, waves, breezes.  I even dig the beach year round...I like the coziness of walking on the sand while wrapped in a sweater.  But, after this past "blizzard every Monday" winter, I am ready to take my beach with a humungous side of warmth.  So, southern California, here we come!

Hello, beautiful California succulent friend!

The last time we were all out this way was in the summer of 2012.  We loved where we stayed, so we picked the same spots as last time, but slid in a visit to Legoland.  So, our plans were to be gone for a week, doing some hopping around all over Southern California.

Our first stop was Coronado Island in San Diego.  This little island is so pretty - and only just slightly north of Mexico (yes, we thought of going; no, our rental car company was not cool with that idea).  We stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado.  This hotel is one old lady - it was built in 1888 and has some beautiful architecture and a crazy history.  L. Frank Baum wrote most of "The Wizard of Oz" there!  The white and red colors are so pretty and so classic - you really can feel swept back in time a few years.  Just don't look at the fro-yo shop across the street!  If you look closely, you can see a falcon resting on the falconer's pole...strange, yes - but I'll explain shortly.

The folks here are super kid friendly.  They gave the boys these little backpacks filled with maps and other exploration gear.  The hotel has a big scavenger hunt set up for the kids.  My guys are the perfect age for that sort of adventure, so they were super into it, hunting all over the hotel for the secret spots. Hank uncovered one of the clues under this marker for the world's first outdoor lighted Christmas tree.

We pretty much had all of our meals outside on this trip, with succulent friends nearby.  I love these little guys! Hank and Max liked them, too - cacti without a ton of danger of getting pricked. So rubbery and colorful!

Since I live in the city and we don't have an outdoor space, eating outside is always a nice treat.  I'll take my omelet with a view of the Pacific Ocean, please!  By the second day, the boys were even cool with an ant crawling across the table.  

Ok, cool with an ant, not so cool with the seagull from hell.  We were having a lovely, breezy dinner on a patio by the beach.  Earlier in the day, we saw something very cool - a dude with a falcon on his arm.  Apparently, just having this guy hanging around scares away the seagulls from the restaurants by the beach.  Well, the falcon and his keeper were obviously off duty, because this giant seagull swooped down and stole our neighbor's pizza.  I mean, ripped off a slice and flew off.  Cool.  To Hank.  Not so much, to Max.  This seagull must of had a taste for blood (or more pizza), because he swooped in behind Max and stationed himself behind my curly little fella, completely freaking him out, squawking loudly in Max's ear. 

Is it wrong I took this picture?  Possibly.  You can see Rich's hand attempting to shoo that sucker away.  Don't worry about Maxie.  Seconds later when that evil seagull fluttered off, Max was smiles.  

Evil seagull.

Hank was really into this seagull.  We all were!  It doesn't take a lot to get the Shertenliebs excited, apparently. Thankfully we were done and let the seagull dig in to our leftovers. I'm not kidding!  Look at that seagull's mouth!!!

Besides the "great seagull incident of 2015", the Hotel Del Coronado had a bunch of stuff to do - the pool, the beach, surf lessons. I highly recommend this hotel for families - they really have thought of everything and all of the staff were super nice to my boys and when they were running bonkers around the lobby. 

Hank took a surf lesson and I joined him, even though the lesson kicked my butt.  Literally.  As in the surf board swung around, hit my rear and there I went...face first into the ocean and swallowing a gallon a salt water. That stuff can really burn your throat. Especially when you have crazy cancer throat (a whole other story for another time).

Hank is a much better surfer than me.  Well, just about everyone on this planet is a better surfer than me. 

And wouldn't you know it, there was a big yoga convention at the hotel...complete with chia seed samples and alfalfa juice shots. So California.

You don't see this everyday.  Well, maybe you do.  We don't.  That's some gal twirling on a rope, yoga style. Namaste. 

There is also this great sand sculpture guy who builds a new castle every day.  He's been doing this for twenty years.  Still haven't figured out if that's a good or a bad thing. I'm leaning towards good.  There are lots of worse jobs one could have, for sure. 

Although Coronado Island seems very vacation-y, it's not tourist-y. Lots of folks live here full time.  I guess you could twist my arm and I could live here on this lovely island year round where it is always 72 degrees. We found an awesome playground a few blocks from our hotel - it had a bunch of climbing structures that were new to my boys, even though we've been to hundreds of playgrounds.  Plus it's kinda cool to play on a structure with palm trees nearby. There was also a sweet little Spanish mission style church across from the park.

Crazy twirly playground spinner!

Coronado Island is a great family spot - really, the only creepy thing we saw was an "earthquake" button in the elevator.  Hello?  What does that do?  Thankfully it went unpressed and the vacation was earthquake-free!  Of course, I had to Google "earthquake elevator button".  If pressed, the elevator goes to the next floor and opens up.  Fun. 

Oh, I think I failed to mention something very rad.  Coronado Island is training ground for Navy Seals.  So, you just might get lucky and see them training on the beach!

To go along with our Coronado Island/California adventure, we found this book, "Our California", by Pam Munoz Ryan.  I really fell in love with the artwork; all of the bold colors were so beautiful! The book really does a great job of spotlighting all of California's varied landscapes - the beaches, deserts, mountains - the different cities and various cultures.  Hank and Max really got into it and thought it was neat that a state can be so different.  

Our next adventure - the second part of the California trip.  

Theme park central - Legoland and Disneyland!

xoxo

Mary

Adventure #1: Spectacle Island, Massachusetts

Adventure #1: Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor

Book: The Snail and the Whale

My family of four is different in many ways – but we all share a passion for travel and books. Whether the book leads us to the adventure or the adventure leads us to the book, each is enhanced by the other and we are inspired to LIVE OUR BOOKS!  

Summer is truly the best time for adventures because there is extra adventure time to be had. One of our first little adventures of the summer was to this cute little island in the Boston Harbor, Spectacle Island.  I’ve lived in Boston for almost ten years and I’m ashamed to say that this was my first time on an island in the Boston Harbor. Spectacle Island is part of a group of islands in the harbor that comprises the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.  When I was a teen, I was sorta obsessed with visiting National Parks, so the fact that one has been in my backyard for years and went unvisited is crazy! 

Ok, so this day trip happened and it was amazing – better than I had hoped!  It’s a short ferry ride (about 30 minutes) from Long Wharf to Spectacle Island.  The boys were thrilled just by the boat ride - nothing beats a breeze through your hair on a hot summer day. 

Once you’re there, it’s pretty bare bones – no gift shops or nuttiness, which is quite nice, actually. The island has quite a varied history.  At different points it was home to a quarantine hospital and then basically was a giant trash heap – yep, tons of junk is buried here.  But the boys didn't care - in fact, Max stood here as if to claim this island as his very own and stated that he wanted to live here.  

Yep.  I love that Swiss Family Robinson fantasy, too.  It's all fun and games until someone gets malaria and a doc is no where to be found. 

Once I told my brain to stop thinking about the trash, I could focus on the pretty grass and flowers blowing in the breeze (don’t go there brain…hypodermic needles underground…) ok, I finally let it go!  Then it would come back again and I would attempt the whole Buddhist art of letting the “trash cloud” float through my head…trust me, it's a lot harder than you would think. Or at least for me it is!

The boys were thrilled to be on an island.  A real deal island.  We were with a gang of friends and a lovely guide, Ashley, from the aquarium, who helped us find little sea creatures hiding in the tidal pools. 

The sea creature discovery was going fine and dandy until Hank fell in love.  With an adorable little snail.  He noticed that the snail would move his (or her) antennae when he spoke to it.  Hank was smitten.  He wanted to bring his snail friend home forever. When I explained that the snail would definitely not survive in our small fresh water tank (and might miss his island friends!) Hank agreed that keeping him here was the best and kindest plan. So Hank created a safe spot for the snail, a little fortress shaped out of rocks, and nestled the snail into a wet, sandy spot there.  If you look closely, you can see the little guy (or gal). Cute. 

I told Hank that we would come back and visit his little snail friend and Hank blew a kiss goodbye. Bye, little sweet snail friend.  BFFs!  

Our day trip island adventure was pretty magical.  I wanted a book to keep the magic going and I found this little number…"The Snail and the Whale", by Julia Donaldson.

I'm a sucker for interspecies friendships and cute animals.  This book has them both.  I love the message of the snail leaving his safe harbor and exploring the world with his friend.  The snail saves his buddy in the end - the tiny snail saving the huge whale.  I love reinforcing the message to kids that even though you're a little wee kid, you can still do a lot.  You go for it!

And the author wrote another favorite of ours, “The Gruffalo”.  Super clever and cute story.

Our next adventure - Southern California!

Enjoy exploring and reading!

xoxo

Mary