Drew & NYC

Last week my little brother called me up and said he wanted to come for a visit. He's been working in Tennessee and Alabama for the summer and figured Boston wasn't so far away so he might as well go east before he has to head west again. He was on our doorstep two days later. We already had a trip to New York planned for our niece's baptism and nephew's blessing so Drew came with us. He'd never been before so it was really perfect timing.

The Pope was in town the same weekend so the city was bustling. The first day we were there we headed down to the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial and discovered the Pope had just left. We ate some pizza on the edge of a little park and watched a variety of religious leaders and spectators pour out of the memorial site. 

We walked down to Wall Street and then over to the Brooklyn Bridge. By then I was definitely feeling tired so I let the boys walk across the bridge and back while I sat under a tree and rested. I actually liked having some time to just sit and watch people.

One of the spots I really wanted to see on this trip to the city is a little yarn store called Purl Soho. They have the most amazing yarns in the brightest colors. It was a little slice of heaven. I don't think we've spent much time in Soho and we didn't have a lot this day either but from what I saw I love it! Next time we're in NYC I want to spend all of our time there!

After the my niece's baptism on Saturday (more on that later) we headed out to Governors Island. There was a street fair on the way down to the subway so naturally we had to grab a few snacks.

I'd never been to Governors Island before, it was a very short ferry ride from the city but with green grass and trees it felt much farther away. The views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan couldn't be beat! We had lunch from a variety of food trucks on the island including a burrito that I could eat again and again. I miss Mexican food!

We jumped off the train in Times Square and I think it blew Drew's mind a little bit. We were so tired of walking at this point and in desperate need of a bathroom. If there is one thing New York City doesn't have it's enough public bathrooms. We found one on the third floor of the Toys R Us so if you're ever in Times Square and need one- you're welcome. We ended up finding a little cafe table with three chairs and sat there for a good long while letting our legs rest and just watching all the madness swirl by. By the time we got back to my brother-in-law's apartment we were starving again so we popped across the street for some dinner at Tom's Restaurant (the one from Seinfeld). Drew loves that show so it was the perfect place to go.

After church on Sunday we headed for Rockefeller Center. This is one of my very favorite places in New York. We did the Top of the Rock tour which is always good- I think this makes my third time. We sat on top of the Rockefeller building for a good hour looking at the city and talking. I haven't spent an extended amount of time with my little brother since just after I got home from my mission and we lived in the same apartment complex so it's been really nice to just hang out again.

We left New York that night and got to watch the lunar eclipse from start to finish in the car. It was a very busy weekend and it might take me weeks to recover the regular use of my legs and back but it was so worth it.

Sparkler Writing

We found a few extra packs of sparklers at my dad's house after the 4th of July and decided to have some late night fun. 

This is when we learned that Annalie has no idea how to make a star:

This is an attempted smiley face:

This was a bit better ha!

Celebrating that Blob is a boy!

A Very Southern Babymoon

For one last trip before the baby arrives Thomas and I decided to take a little trip to the South. We loved Savannah last time we were there so we decided to revisit and see some of the surrounding area as well. When we went to get our rental car at the airport all they had left were minivans. I wasn't super excited about that. Our last trip before kids and we have to drive around all week in a minivan. Not cool.

Hilton Head Island was the first leg of the trip and it was great! We got in very late at night and there was the most amazing lightening I have ever seen! Every few seconds there were great big flashes that lit up the entire sky. It was non stop the entire drive out to Hilton Head and well into the night.

We were starving when we arrived at the hotel so we ordered some room service at 2 AM and scarfed it down. I like that about vacation. You can sort of do whatever you want at 2 in the morning.

In the morning we went to the pool for some lunch and to read. There were big storm clouds constantly brewing but it was so warm that the overcast sky provided some nice cool shade. It did rain later in the day but that gave us a chance to duck into a gelato bar for some ice cream as we explored the island. We found some fresh peaches and some lovely wetlands near the ocean. I was actually surprised at how much of Hilton Head is sectioned off to various condo villages or resorts. It seemed like a lot of the island wasn't accessible to the public. 

When we arrived back at the hotel we were surprised to find chocolate dipped strawberries and sparkling grape juice waiting for us! The lady that checked us in the night before had sent them up to congratulate us on our baby. She had written us the most heartfelt note and it just made us feel extra special. We had our first reeeeeally southern food that night and slept very well thanks to some cheesy grits and fried chicken.

Before heading to Savannah the next morning we took some time to walk along the beach near our hotel. Neither of us could believe how warm the water was! We're used to central coast California water and New England water, both of which are freezing year round. I had delicious pecan waffles for breakfast and then we were on our way down the road.

Savannah is the most charming place I think I've ever seen. The historic part of town is full of beautiful buildings and interesting shops. The Spanish moss hanging from the giant live oak trees on every street make the whole area so dreamy and surreal. We dropped our bags at our hotel and started on a walk around town. It was so humid and hot but again, the threat of rain kept the sun from beating down on us.

We did the riverwalk, hit up Leopold's ice cream, a creepy old cemetery, some funky furniture shops and then headed back to the hotel for a little rest before dinner.

A few days before our trip a friend of mine sent me some pictures on Pinterest of interesting things to do in the Savannah area. One of them was an old Civil War fort called Fort Pulaski. I had never heard of it but the picture was beautiful so we decided to make it a part of our trip. I am so glad we did because it ended up being my favorite thing we did in Savannah.

The fort is on a tiny island and has quite the history not to mention a 10 foot deep moat and a draw bridge. It's entirely made of red bricks with walls anywhere from 7-15 feet thick. At the beginning of the Civil War it was thought to be completely impenetrable.

There is just something about seeing reenactors that takes me back to childhood. I grew up doing Civil War, Pioneer and WWI era reenactments and I miss it! The cannon demonstration was equally exciting. I love the sulfur smell of gunpowder on a hot summer day. I know, I'm a bit strange. 

Poor Fort Pulaski didn't last very long in its first and only real battle. Because of improved technology at the beginning of the Civil War- namely rifle barreled cannons- it was badly damaged and taken by Union forces in a battle lasting just 31 hours. An entire section of the wall was destroyed and the white flag was raised. The missing portion of the wall was repaired but this type of brick fortress was never built again. On the exterior you can still see the battle scars and even cannon balls lodged into the wall from that first and last battle.

From Fort Pulaski we went exploring on Tybee Island. I think Thomas was getting tired of being out in the heat. We went to this awesome lighthouse and he refused to get out of the car. We snapped a picture and drove on. We did end up finding a great beach access point and spent some time at the ocean.

^^Stupid minivan ^^

After some of the best BBQ around (Wiley's Championship BBQ) we spent some time in Forsyth Park, the Central Park of Savannah.

Sunday morning we attended church and then drove out to Wormsole Plantation. This is another place I had seen pictures of and decided we needed to see it in person. the lane of trees dripping with Spanish moss was unbelieveable! We decided to have a little photo shoot which instantly makes me incredibly awkward and unable to keep my eyes open.

 

So then I made Thomas jump in for a few. I think these turned out a lot better, everything is better when Thomas is involved ;)

The remainder of our day consisted of Southern food, charming neighborhoods and the Bonaventure Cemetery.

 

 

Just before we headed home on Monday morning we headed for Mrs. Wilke's Dining room. Thomas heard about this place and put it on the top of our to-visit list. They serve a family style lunch on weekdays only. The line to get in is rumored to wind down the street and around the corner on any given day. We arrived nice and early and were the 3rd and 4th people in line. After about an hour of waiting for the dining room to open we sat at a table with 10 other people and the kitchen staff proceeded to bring out over 25 dishes full of food. From fried chicken to black eyed peas and every other southern food you can imagine! We ate and ate till we just couldn't take one more bite and then they brought out banana pudding for dessert so we ate that too! 

It was a perfect end to a perfectly Southern vacation!