The Discovery of Something Grand

Matt and I jumped in the car two Saturdays ago (I'm behind, I know) and drove and drove and drove, all the way to Western Massachusetts. We are both from the west and were looking for a little outdoor fun away from the city and boy did we ever find it.

First stop was at a pizza place for lunch. We couldn't believe every table had their own personal TV. I've never seen anything like this before and it just had to be documented.

Next we stopped at this little cemetery by the side of the road because I LOVE cemeteries.

This one was particularly good and had so much character. I'm not sure if people had come through and vandalized or what but a lot of the headstones were broken and turned and really, really dirty. This one was probably my favorite as it had been put back together. I also love that his name was Ezra.

Next we drove to the summit of Mt. Greylock. It's the highest point in all of Massachusetts and would have shown a great view had it not been so cloudy. We were right up in the clouds so it was nothing but fog all the way around. Guess we'll just have to go back. :)

We drove through some pretty awesome little towns on our way to our next destination . . .

A natural marble dam.

At the same location there were these naturally made "Pot Holes" and a natural bridge. It was so beautiful. I couldn't believe all the cool colors.

On our way back to Boston we stopped in Shelburne Falls to see the Flower Bridge. We were starving at that point so we stopping in a little pub. The only seating they had was out on the patio, so we gladly took it.

We were enjoying the view when we looked over and there it was . . . the flower bridge!

It's a little walk way along the bridge with flowers on both sides. We didn't finish dinner early enough to walk through during daylight hours and my camera decided to stop working for a bit. These pictures just don't do it justice. It was unbelievably cute.

Some of the flowers were as big as my head!

Oh how I love exploring New England.

Minnesota!

(this is long over due)

Yes, I am still alive and yes, I did make it to Minnesota! I went for Labor day weekend and had an absolute blast catching up with my best friend Jana, meeting the rest of her family and discovering beautiful Minnesota.

As soon as I hopped off the plane, Jana rushed me over to the Mall of America where we rode on the rides at Nickelodeon Universe and shopped our hearts out.

Jana had me laughing so hard that I really thought I was going to die. It's one thing I can count on every time I see her. She is the funniest person ever.

We took a short break to have lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe. I had never been there and was fascinated by all of the animals and rain storms that accompanied our meal.

Then it was back to the rides and the shopping! This ride was by far the scariest of them all. It was a GIANT skateboard! Jana and I were screaming our hearts out and every time the ride would turn so we could see the other passengers, this little girl would laugh hysterically at us. I think we were the only ones screaming in the entire place. I just don't get it!

After all the shopping and thrill rides we went and picked up these two (below). I hadn't seen Jonathan since Christmas and Justin since he left on his mission almost 2 1/2 years ago. They were on a road trip and just happened to be in Minnesota at the same time as me.

We played games, ate pizza, made smores, went hot tubing and laughed 'till our sides hurt.

(seriously, he wouldn't look normal for any pictures!)

Jana's boyfriend James joined us for the evening as well. He was such a great guy and truly fits with Jana so perfectly.

The next day we went to a sculpture garden where the Minnesota spoon and cherry live (first picture). I didn't know about the spoon and cherry before arriving in Minnesota I'm sad to say but Jana swears it's in text books somewhere.

We came across these awesome flowers in the green house (mom this picture's for you), as well as this hilarious quote on a bench. It says, "After dark it is a relief to see a girl walking toward or behind you then you are much less likely to be assaulted." WHAT!

Honestly, I could live in Minnesota and be very, very happy. It was so beautiful. The picture below is of one of the many lakes there.

For some reason it reminded me of home. I'm sure it had something to do with Jonathan and Justin being there for part of the trip but I think the majority of it had to do with Jana and her family.

(Marla and Jana)

They are the most amazing family and I love them like they're my own. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of them to share. Marla is the only one I captured besides Jana. Next time . . .

Date Night in the North End

Have you ever heard of Professional Administrative day? Well, there is such a thing and it is celebrated in our office each year with a gift card to some great restaurant. This year I was thrilled to receive a $75 gift card for a great restaurant in the North End called Trattoria Il Panino. With a new hair cut and St. Anthony's feast going on, this weekend proved to be the perfect time to go.

Despite the rain and really cold weather (seriously, it felt like it could snow) we were able to sit outside. The area was covered and heated and the atmosphere was perfect. We were served bottled water in wine glasses and I couldn't have been happier. I absolutely love drinking out of cool glasses.

We started with Calamari which interestingly enough came in a brown paper bag on a long white plate. Kind of crazy presentation, but really, really good.

After looking at the menu for quite some time we finally made our decisions. I went with the Lobster Ravioli . . .

. . . and Matt decided on the Veal. To say we were not disappointed is a serious understatement. The food was delicious!

We had a bit of an awkward moment while we waited for our check though. Our waiter came by after picking up our plates and dropped off two little yellow cups.

Not knowing what they were, we flagged down our waiter to ask. He probably thought we were crazy as he explained that it was lemon sorbet, compliments of the house. How cool is that!

After dinner as we walked out and onto Hanover Street, I heard a familiar sound. There was a band parading down the street, playing one of my favorite songs.

We finished off the night with a Cannoli from Mike's pastry and an episode of Psych. It was Perfect!

Happy Friday!

(Here's a little of what I've been up to lately)

• Making friends with the birds - I sat alone on a bench the other day, taking in the sun and watching a water fountain when two little birds came over to keep me company. Aren't they adorable!

• The Boys v. The Birds - I went to the Beach and was thoroughly entertained by a flock of seagulls and a few rambunctious little boys. The boys, with food in their hands, would try to get the seagulls to come just close enough so they could WHACK them with their paddles.

• I once saw a seagull steal someones bag of gold fish right off their towel . . . while they were sitting on it. They are so aggressive out here and need to be put in their place every once in a while, so I was routing for the boys the whole time.

• The Big Switch - I finally did it. I turned in my Idaho license and became an official resident of Massachusetts. I hadn't planned to, at least not yet, but when I was called to jury duty I didn't really have a choice anymore.

• I had to fork over $100 and wait 2 weeks to change my license over. I was a little disappointed when I got the card and it was completely flimsy. I could rip this thing if half if I really wanted to. You'd think $100 would at least get you a more durable card. What gives Massachusetts?
  

• Alegria - My first Cirque Du Sole! It was absolutely amazing. There were some super creepy parts and some super funny parts. I was completely amazed by what these people could do and I now long to go to the Trapeze school here in Boston to try it out for myself.
  
  

• Have a great weekend!