MINI VACATION GUIDE: OCEAN CITY

Dear Olive,

At the end of the summer, we planned a five day trip to Ocean City Maryland.  In our own childhoods, we both frequented North Carolina, but the 15 hour trip felt too daunting for a first try with our littles.  Ocean City was our closest ocean, so we went for it.

Ella's first reaction to seeing the beach was pure rapture.

So we participated in all things Ocean:

Sand castles....

Mermaids...

Crabs...

At night, after the kids went down, Jason stayed in to catch up on some sports scores and I walked the beach and meditated.  

PLAY

About halfway through our trip, the kids discovered an amusement park that they became obsessed with.  So we made a trip across the way.

Sibling battles were put on pause for a roller coaster ride

And a shared lemonade.

The last day there, we hit up the boardwalk at the end of the strip.

The candy stores there made for dangerous parenting stimulus.

But the tourist art was hilarious.

We are already talking about going back.  

STAY

In case you are interested, here is where we stayed.  It was a brand new ocean-front condo with two bedrooms, two balconies, and two baths.  

At night, the restaurant next door had live music and we constructed our own cocktail hour.  

MINI VACATION GUIDE: LAKE ERIE

Dear Olive,

This weekend we met some extended family at a Lake Erie for a few nights.  We go every year and it there is something about being on the water that slows everything down.  We ate steak, floated in the lake, and took long naps.

Ella wore her swimsuit all day and ate pie for lunch.

Gabriel learned to "swim."

One afternoon we made foil boats and launched them into the lake to see which would float.

Pap was kind enough to recover the vessels so that we didn't leave any litter behind.

And we ended each night with an amazing sunset.

Since we visit Geneva on the Lake every year, we've zeroed in on the best sites and rentals.  Here are my recommendations:

STAY

Stay in one of these cottages with your small family

Lakefront on the Strip

Tiny Cedar Cabins at the State Park

Acorn Cottage: Tucked Away with a Hot Tub

Or this one with an extended crew.

Lakefront with Private Beach Sleeps 13

EAT

We dine at home most nights but the following eats on the strip are a must:

Eddie's Grill for lemonade and fries

Madsen Donuts

The Old Firehouse Winery

PLAY

Hiking: Geneva State Park

Spa: The Lakehouse Inn

Mini Golf: Adventure Zone

THESE STREETS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BRAND NEW

Dear Olive,

You would have loved New York this weekend.  Lunch in Little Italy and breakfast at Tiffany's, it couldn't be beat.  It seems the consummate location for extroverts.

For some, cities drain energy, the stimulation becomes overwhelming.  But I never feel more alive than when surrounded by architecture built over lifetimes and a multitude of lifestyles. 

So I incessantly played this song in my mind.