I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane

Even after countless business trips, for me flying still feels magical…most of the time (I’m looking at you San Francisco red eye delay). Yes, the security lines can be tedious, delays are a hassle and hauling baby gear can add another level of crazy. Where was I going with this? Ah yes, flying is magical!

Maybe it’s because I associate flying with adventure and new experiences. The first time I flew was in 1995. I was a senior in high school and went on a drama club trip to New York City. Not only was it my first time flying, it was my first trip to the BIG APPLE. I’ll never forget seeing the skyline as we flew in. The city just seemed to go on forever. I saw Broadway shows, rung in 1996 in Central Park, tripped on national television (only me, right?), went up the Empire State Building and experienced all the sights and sounds of a big city. See? Magical!

Recently my husband and I were debating flying verses driving to a wedding in Ohio. I was for flying for two reasons. One, I didn’t feel like driving 6+ hours. Two, see above. It turns out we will be flying, because Tom found a great deal. Isabelle will be at home with my parents, so even if we do have a delay, I’ll enjoy some “me” time at the airport with a good book and a cup of coffee. 

Isabelle's "New" Travel Books

Yesterday our church, Saint Andrew, hosted a used book sale and it did not disappoint. We picked up some “new” books for Isabelle’s library and enjoyed the complimentary coffee and loads of treats. In our pile of books were two that focused on traveling and exploring the world.

Goofy Takes Off: An Adventure in Switzerland has Goofy skiing the Alps and while flipping through the Did You Know... section, I noticed a picture of Mickey Mouse's nephews, Morty and Ferdie (thanks Dad!), enjoying fondue. Right below that picture is one of Goofy indulging with Swiss chocolate. Those are definitely two of my favorite Swiss treats!

The Big World Book talks about how people live around the world and has an awesome pop-up at the end. However, considering Isabelle just tore apart another pop-up book, I think we’ll have to shelve this one for awhile.

 

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Cave Paintings Are Coming!

Last night my husband emailed me an article that I just had to share. In March Chicago's Field Museum will bring replicas of the Lascaux cave paintings. They will even reproduce the cave! It will be just like going to the site in France.

Tom and I visited the Dorgonge region of southwestern France in 2009. We wanted to see the Paleolithic cave paintings, so we went to Lascaux II, which is a complete replica of the original Lascaux cave that was closed in 1963 to preserve the artwork. Lascaux II is situated very close to the original cave and I have to say, it was hard to remember I wasn’t in the real deal. Tom and I took the tour in French and even though I couldn’t understand a word, it was really fascinating to look at the paintings and imagine what life was like 20,000 years ago.

During that trip, we also went to Grottes de Cougnac. It is a huge cave with paintings from 14,000 to 25,000 years ago. The paintings are not as elaborate or as plentiful as Lascaux II, but they are the real thing. Pretty amazing!

Just below this scenic setting is the Cougnac Cave.
We were not allowed to take pictures of the cave paintings in Cougnac or Lascuax II.

Weekend Edition of Fresh Air

There’s nothing like time spent in the great outdoors, so last weekend we made the trek to Door County, Wisconsin. You may remember we went to Door County a year ago. (Details about that trip and traveling with a 2 ½-month-old are here.) Well, this time we went camping in Peninsula State Park. With a 14-month-old. Crazy? No, because Isabelle was a pro!

After driving, a brief picnic outside a quiet rural church, and more driving in a heavy storm, we arrived in Door County. Our first stop was Egg Harbor where we stocked up on Wisconsin beer and milk. Can you guess who drank what? We also popped into a few shops, explored a park and refueled at a local coffee shop.

After Egg Harbor we made our way to our beautiful, tree-filled camp site (#511) in Welcker's Point. You could see Green Bay through the trees and hear the waves lapping against the shore. The entire park is a quiet zone, so it was very peaceful.

Outside our new tent

We managed to get the tent set up while Isabelle yelled at us from her pack n’ play. That was wasn’t so peaceful and I'm sure we broke the quiet zone rule, but we got everything set up in under 20 minutes. Not bad! Of course, once the tent was set up Mother Nature decided to test it out. It started to pour and we took shelter in our nice, dry tent.

After the rain stopped we went out for dinner at Gibraltar Grill. Excellent food and this time we ate IN the restaurant. That’s right, we didn't have to get take-out this year, because Isabelle does pretty well in restaurants. Are you wondering why we didn't cook at the campsite? We decided that having a 14-month-old around a roaring campfire wasn’t a good idea. OK, we could have brought a camp stove, but to be honest, it was just easier to eat out at the mouth-watering restaurants in Door County.

After dinner it was bedtime for Isabelle. The nights were chilly, so she wore a onesie, fleece footie pajamas, and a fleece Halo Sleep Sack. Then, before we went to bed I covered her with a few blankets and put an old comforter over part of the pack n’ play. Don't worry! She was nice and toasty. The first night she was a little scared, so we snuggled in the tent for a bit so she could get used to the new environment.

After Isabelle went to bed, we sat around the campfire and relaxed under the stars. It was a beautiful night!

"Only YOU can prevent wildfires." An early morning before the sun rose.

So how did we spend the rest of the trip? Our days started at 6 AM and we didn’t want to rouse the rest of the campers, so…

• Went “roading” and found a farmers market where we bought pumpkins, coffee and cider donuts.
• Walked to Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. There was a nice trail from our campsite to the lighthouse.
• Picnicked at Nicolet Beach where Isabelle provoked seagulls ("duck!" to Isabelle) and the bees, but luckily she wasn’t stung this year.
• Isabelle attempted to nap, while Tom and I played scrabble.
• Climbed 75 feet of stairs to the top of Eagle Tower. Amazing views 225 feet above the water.
• Went hiking around Peninsula State Park.
• Attended a fish boil at White Gull Inn in Fish Creek. Definitely try this at least once!
• Checked out the cute shops in Fish Creek, including a kite store.
• Ate an early breakfast at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay. Sadly the goats were not on the roof that early, but the food was delicious!
• We went to a lot of parks and playgrounds.
• On our way home we bought a ½ bushel of apples and ate at the Rusty Tractor Cafe that advertised “Barn Good Food”. It was really good food and I love their slogan.

We will definitely go camping again and we can’t wait for our next trip to Door County in 2013. This is becoming a family tradition!

At the top of Eagle Tower

Hiking!

Playing at the beach.

Note: The title is a nod to one of my favorite NPR shows, Fresh Air. Check it out here.