We had determined our plans for the front half of our trip in the middle of the summer, but the second half was tricky! There were so many possible stops on the way back that it was really challenging to narrow it down, but finally a couple weeks ago we made a decision! Here's a little more about our crazy trip of 2600+ miles:
DAY ONE {420 MILES}
Alex and I drove six hours to Pittsburgh, PA to stay with the groom-to-be for the night. There was going to be a caravan leaving from Pittsburgh the next day so we were inspired by their route and timetable for traveling. {I forgot to mention that before this even occurred Alex had already driven 700+ miles throughout TN and NC earlier in the week for work}.
DAY TWO {436 MILES}
In the morning we met Alex's sister Eileen for breakfast in Oakland {near downtown}. She's a Senior in Musical Theater at Point Park University there. Typically during the year she's busy working and performing so we don't get to see her as much as the other siblings! We had to take advantage of the opportunity to see her while we were in town. After breakfast I was a little disappointed when we had to drop her off at class, because we had such a nice visit!
Then it was back in the car again for our next destination in New York. We drove about six more hours before we arrived in Pawling, NY {near Poughkeepsie} at my friend Maria's place. We were college roommates at Ohio State and now she's a wife, mom and grad student! Maria, her husband Kevin and their two year old daughter Josie, have been living in Upstate New York and the surrounding area since graduating, so needless to say, our opportunities to see them are few and far between! We had dinner and enjoyed a relaxing evening together. It was wonderful to see them in their own element and spend some quality time together. I always want more time with my friends and family, but I've just learned to appreciate the time we do have together because it's better than nothing!
DAY THREE {296 MILES}
In the morning Kev made us a delicious frittata and then we explored their new digs and the school campus where he's teaching and coaching this year. It was so fun to see and I can't wait to hear their stories next time we're all together!
Then it was time to get in the car again for some uncharted territory this time. We drove through quite a few states that we have never been to which is always intriguing. There are so many similarities between each state, but there are also those little unique identifiers as well that are fascinating to discover.
We finally arrived in Maine at the Kossow Lodge around dinner time {located in Raymond, ME about 30-45 minutes north of Portland}. The rest of the gang from Pittsburgh was there as well so there was quite an entourage of friends. It was really cool to see so many people come to town for the special occasion. After a quick change we all drove over to the bride's {Ashley} mom's bar in a nearby town. We enjoyed pizza and beer, their version of a rehearsal dinner. It was great to unwind, play some games and try some new beers with new friends.
DAY FOUR {0 MILES}
The next morning Alex and I went for a nice long walk and explored the area around Lake Crescent. Our legs definitely appreciated the exercise. The rest of the afternoon we helped prepare for the wedding before getting ourselves together. It was pretty hot and steamy, but luckily it cooled down by ceremony time! I was expecting it to be warm during the daytime, but was pretty surprised at how warm it remained in the evening hours as well.
After the ceremony we enjoyed cocktail hour while the bridal party took pictures. I loved trying some of the local seasonal beers. I am a sucker for a good fruit beer or a pumpkin beer. Dinner consisted of lobsters, clams, corn and baked potatoes. Ashley's family is from Maine so they came around to check on all of us Midwesterners to see how well we were doing with the lobsters. It seemed a little involved if you ask me! I was glad that I ordered chicken. I got a few lobster bites after Alex had put in all of the hard work haha.
Then the dancing ensued until finally the only people left were those staying at the lodge. We just couldn't resist the amazing weather so we all decided to get into the lake around 10 or 11pm; it was such a blast!
DAY FIVE {542 MILES}
The next morning we woke up and it was down pouring! I was glad the weather had held out for the wedding, but wasn't so excited to have to pack up the car in it! This was the longest leg of our drive, but it went surprisingly smooth {9+ hours}. We passed what felt like an infinite amount of Dunkin' Donuts and went through toll booth after toll booth. After driving through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and half of Delaware we finally made it to Rehoboth Beach with our wallets about $40 bucks lighter {Note to self: don't forget to budget toll roads next time}.
We checked into our hotel about two blocks from the boardwalk and after freshening up we hit the town on two legs with the goal of not using the car until it was time to leave. It seemed like a lot of the crowd had headed home now the the official holiday weekend was over, but it was still pretty busy! We found a great little spot on Rehoboth Avenue called the Back Porch Cafe. We ordered some crab ravioli with lemon sauce and a filet to share. It was rewarding to indulge a little bit after all of our driving! Afterwards we walked along the ocean and grabbed some ice cream to share {Love to share everything with Alex because then I can try more food without getting so full and it's more cost effective!}.
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| The Boardwalk from the Beach |
DAY SIX {16 MILES VIA BIKE}
After a good night's sleep we walked back to the boardwalk to pick up a couple of bicycles. We biked over to the next town, Lewes {the first town in the first state} and then back to Rehoboth Beach. I don't think I have ever biked that far so I was pretty proud of myself! After returning our bikes and changing we split a couple of fish tacos at a nearby Mexican restaurant before hitting the beach. The sun was shining and there was a perfect breeze. I love a good warm breeze. We even spotted a few dolphins pretty close to shore! Unfortunately, the water was a a little too chilly for swimming by our standards, but all I really needed was the view anyways!
After we were both showered and fresh again we hit the town for a little restaurant/bar hopping {I know I am on vacation when I'm showering every night before dinner}. We ended at a restaurant with the most amazing rooftop. It was a Japanese restaurant and the entire roof was a giant coy pond. There was a deck built on top that had one main walkway with a few alcoves off of it where there were wooden tables and pagodas with white curtains. We enjoyed a few cocktails and some Smoked Edamame while the sun went down. The only thing that would've made it better would've been a view of the ocean.
DAY SEVEN {278 MILES}
After a brief, but relaxing stay, it was time to pack up the car again! We drove about 20 minutes to the Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE where we had a tour and enjoyed some beer sampling as well as a couple beer flavored Italian sausages {I'd love to try to replicate some of those. What a perfect pairing}. Then we drove to Alex's Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill's place in Verona, VA. It was our first time there and it was almost idyllic. I wish we could've stayed longer to visit them and explore the area, but it's definitely close enough to home to plan another trip out there! Normally, when we see them during the holidays it's when all of the extended family is together, so it was nice to have a little time with just the four of us.
DAY EIGHT {397 MILES}
The next morning we packed up again, this time for home. Since leaving Rehoboth we had gained a pack of beer from Dogfish Head and a few fresh zucchinis and cucumbers from Wendy and Bill's garden. Yumm! After one more six hour stint we were finally home! I loved seeing how the scenery changed from state to state. Our final drive through VA and WV was really picturesque {Ohio is still the winner for the most boring drive!}. Once we arrived home Alex had to head to his first class of his second and final year of his MBA Program. I promptly unpacked everything, hit the grocery store and started all of our laundry {a week's worth of clothes x2, four beach towels, a set of sheets and a few blankets}. It's not fun to unpack right away, but I find it gives me more peace of mind that night and I don't have to dread it the next day following vacation!
And as if that wasn't enough, there's more to this "vacation"...
DAY NINE {16 MILES}
The next morning we got up early and headed downtown to a Habitat for Humanity build site. The timing was just too perfect, we couldn't pass it up! Alex gets time off for community service so he was able to add it on to our vacation. It's something we'd been wanting to do for a while. Alex and I spent the whole day working out all of our muscles, including those that I didn't even know that I had. It was so rewarding to see the house go from just a foundation to one with walls and a floor plan.
They still have quite a lot more work to do on the house, but we're hoping to volunteer again once it's time for the interior painting. That's really my forte as opposed to swinging a hammer and carrying 2x4's!
DAY 10 & 11 {210 MILES}
After an evening of pizza and an episode of Sons of Anarchy {our guilty pleasure} we packed up again for another road trip! A shorter one this time. Alex had gotten alumni tickets for OSU vs San Diego State. He wanted to go to the game and it happened to be his birthday as well, so we said why not? We drove up to Columbus and met up with two of his brothers, the youngest is a sophomore at OSU and the other lives in Cleveland so he had driven down to meet us.
We tailgated and then went to the game where the sun beat down on us and the team beat down on San Diego State. After the game Alex spent some time with his brothers and their friends and I had a relaxing evening with my friend Karleya, whose birthday also happened to be this past week! This morning we all went to brunch together at North Star Cafe before Alex and I headed back home. Home Sweet Home. For at least five days anyways...
