Destinations with Daughters – Waning West – Day 1

December 15, 2020December 14, 2020 / Denise Smith / Leave a comment

Day one of a road trip is always special! We got off to a strange start with our Google Maps doing weird things – but we got it figured out and named the Google Maps voice “Eliza”, basically so we have something to say, “be quiet” to!

The weather was cold to start – 29 degrees at home when we left at 5:20am (goal departure time was 5am). We ran into some fog in Vermont and some rain in New York, but overall the traffic was light and the roads were good! We took the scenic route through New Hampshire and Vermont instead of only highway – this added about 40 minutes but gave us something to look at.

We listened to lots of music (thank you Spotify), sang, ate and did three Mad Libs Travelers Edition!

View of Vermont’s hills from Hogback Mountain overlook.

We made our first goal of Niagara Falls at 2:50pm and the last elevator ride down to the Cave of the Winds was at 3pm. We Made It!!

Then we hightailed it to the Observation Deck to see what we could see! It was rainy and a bit windy – I think more from the falls than anything else – but it was stunning!!!!

On our way to our hotel – a Holiday Inn Suites in Hamburg, NY, we drove by Lake Erie and Char wondered how we got to the ocean! Of course, she knows her geography, but she was confused by the lake’s size. We stopped for the last rays of sunset at a small state park near Buffalo and ran on the beach as the sun went down. It was cool!

Today we laughed, Char slept, I sang, and we enjoyed our time together a lot. Tomorrow is our longest day on the road – 950+ miles ahead of us and I hope to be on the road before 5am. Here’s to a good night’s rest and a thankful heart for a safe and healthy Day 1.

Total Miles = 531

States = Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York

Hours on the road = 10 (including sight-seeing and stops)

Average Temperature = 39.5 degrees

Coffees = 2

Playlist = Hamilton the Musical (twice), The Best of; Billy Joel, Elton John, Maroon 5, and the Beatles

Major Landmarks = Erie Canal, Niagara Falls, Lake Erie, Buffalo, NY

Speed Traps passed = 5 (all in New York)

People not wearing masks in public places = 2

Gas bought = $44.32

Extras = $34.64 (coffee and food)

Hotel = $145.00 – Holiday Inn and Suites in Hamburg, NY – The hotel was good. The staff was very friendly and the room was very nice and clean with a modern design. We used the pool (You had to sign up for a time so you were the only ones in the area for social distancing) and the beds were comfortable! It was conveniently located right off the highway and we would stay there again.

Carpe Diem – Destinations with Daughters

December 12, 2020December 7, 2020 / Denise Smith / Leave a comment

While 2020 has certainly been a year for the record books, all the heartbreaks and disappointments have lead to some very important lessons to be learned. For me, those lessons have included; learning to let go of my Type A – “everything has to happen as I schedule it” – attitude. Another lesson I have learned is to be more flexible and adaptable. But the biggest lesson I have learned is carpe diem – seize the day – and that is exactly what Char and I are going to do!

I am a “live and let live” kind of girl and I tend to be pretty even keeled. But my next trip might not be for everyone, and that is ok…it IS for me and my daughter.

Char and I have been to Paris together and also Hawaii. I really cherish those memories!!!!

Ya know, there is something magical about the opportunity for a mother and daughter to travel together. I tried to pull off a short Disney cruise with my mom this past September but COVID. lol

BUT, because of COVID, my daughter and I are going on an adventure of a lifetime and it is being made more possible by the remote school schedule. We are doing something that couldn’t be more physically distant if we tried!

We are doing a Great American Road Trip and hitting as many of the National Parks as we can!

Our road trip will begin soon and I am bringing you along with me! I can’t wait to take this adventure!!! I mean, how many moms get an opportunity to spend so much time with their 14 year old daughters? ME! I am really going to treasure these precious days!!!!

Stay tuned and check out winter across America – socially distant style!

Time Travel with Teens

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 / Denise Smith / Leave a comment

When your first child turns 18, you start to believe in time travel.

When your kids are young, babies even, you wonder if you will ever be yourself again. As much as you love this little human you created, you reminisce about days sleeping in, eating your dinner while it’s still warm, and doing life on your own schedule and not someone else’s. When they are toddlers, you wonder if their speech is emerging at the “right” pace, if they are potty training “on time”, and if they are good sharers.

In school, you want them to be good students, helpful and kind, but more importantly, you want them to have friends. As teens, you pray that they start putting together all the lessons you have tried to teach them. You hope they are responsible, giving, and thoughtful young people. You worry for every heartbreak (when a relationship ends or a close friend’s parent passes away) and feel all their hurts along with them, whether they believe that or not. You know all their schemes and bad choices before they do because you were a teen once upon a time!

The hardest part of being a parent of an emerging adult is that you see all their life’s possibilities on display before them – an infinite chasm of choices, actions, reactions, and consequences (good and bad). And yet, they see only tomorrow. This is time travel with teens and it lasts forever and passes in the blink of an eye, all at the same time.

My first born, my son, my precious boy turns 18 today and it is bitter sweet. I am not a sentimental mom, but this is a milestone in anyone’s life and I celebrate it with joy, love, and anticipation. Kelton came into the world as a 4 month old! Weighing in at 10lbs, 12oz, he has always been larger than life! He has always been a pensive fellow; aware of other people’s feelings. He is smart, adventurous, and a tinkerer – and can learn how to do and fix anything! He is a Scout Master’s conference away from his Eagle Scout achievement and excels at anything he puts his mind to.

He is a joy and we have so much hope for his future! Whatever path he chooses, we will be there with him!

Kelton, we are so proud of you. Here are some photos that I cherish among all things!

If there was ever a picture that personified Kelton, his sense of humor, and his fun outlook on life, this senior picture takes the cake!!

Travel Ornaments; A Year in Review….

December 1, 2020November 30, 2020 / Denise Smith / Leave a comment

People collect mementos of their travels, and one thing I collect is ornaments. Every year when we put up our tree, the ornaments from vacations past come out of the box and the trip is relived with joy, stories and laughter. It is EXACTLY why I travel and bring something home with me.

This year was a bit different. While we did still get in a couple of trips pre-COVID (Amsterdam and a girl’s trip to Punta Cana – and somehow I cannot find my ornament from that trip…), and still went to Disney and road tripped to South Carolina, we did miss out on a Disney cruise, a river cruise on the Rhine and my hubby missed a boy’s cruise to Mexico. There’s always next year!!!

Here are some memories and our ornaments…I know I will treasure them for many years to come. What do you bring home from your adventures?

Amsterdam – January 2020 – We LOVED this trip with friends – we can’t wait to go back!