Midwest Road Trip--1,900 miles!

We packed the fam in a rented caravan and headed west last weekend.
The destination was Cuba City, Wisconsin.
So we broke up the trip to visit with fam, do some sightseeing and eat some Chicago pizza.

First, the outbound leg.

Day one took us from Baltimore to Cleveland Heights, to spend the night with Aunt Lacey, Uncle Nate, Will and Sadie.

 Day two we made it to Madison, WI in time for lunch. Cheese curds were a must.

 Aunt Mary flew in from NYC and we explored Madison some more.

 Day three we made it to Mineral Point, west of Madison and north of Cuba City.
The kids loved the homemade root bee floats at the brewery next to our bed and breakfast.

 Grilled cheese made with Hooks Creamery cheddar? Yes, please.

 That evening, we enjoyed a traditional Cornish pasty dinner in the miners cave in the basement of the B&B.

 The kids approved of both the pasty and dining in a cave.

 Day four...heading back east. We stopped for lunch at Giordano's in Hyde Park in Chicago. It didn't disappoint.

 Night four, fourth hotel. We spent the evening on the shore of Lake Erie, just outside Toledo.

 The final stretch back home....the kids were good travelers but worn out.

Heavenly Palmetto Bluff

I got the opportunity to spend a magical night at the Montage Palmetto Bluff resort, located just outside Hilton Head, SC.
Sumptuous doesn't begin to describe the resort. The service and all the other elements are there. Just what you would expect when you think "Southern Hospitality".

 The bourbon milk jam and biscuits left bedside were no joke. Pretty sure there is crack in the jam.

 When you have one night at the resort, and it's the full moon, you don't turn down the offer to kayak.

 A smores cart. You know I have a thing for carts bearing food.

 Sunrise on the May River.

 One of the cottages on property.

Kiawah...aka My Happy Place

My company has been hosting an outing on beautiful Kiawah Island since 2014.
We tried to change things up in 2016 and have it in the fall, vs. the spring.
Hurricane Matthew had other ideas, and so, we got skunked. The redo was earlier this month.
Thankfully, no hurricane to contend with. Just sunny skies, great golf and a wonderful bunch of people.

Enjoying a glass of wine at the legendary Ocean Course.

 Getting ready to send the group off at Turtle Point.

 Enjoying what is one of my favorite meals of the year, the oyster roast at Mingo Point.

Jamaica, Mon

Two certain people turn 40 in 2017. One waaaaay before the other (ahem, Dave).
To celebrate, we did some research and decided Jamaica was the perfect place to celebrate.

• We could be on the beach by lunch, thanks to direct flights on Southwest out of BWI
• Secrets has a resort there--adults only, all-inclusive, near the airport
• Jerk chicken. Need we say more?

We put the call out to our friends and got a group of 14 together all in. We had a great long weekend playing on the beach and chasing the jerk chicken man around. 

We heart the jerk chicken cart. It was a great bedtime snack too. I love my chocolate. But how could I turn down a cart of chicken outside the bar on the way back to the room?

The resident peacock definitely owns the resort.

A great time with great friends. What a way to welcome in our 40s!

Resort: Secrets Wild Orchid, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Phoenix Work and Play

I was asked to serve on a committee for the National Wood Flooring Association, an industry group that promotes, you guessed it, wood flooring.
We had our first in-person committee meeting during NWFA's annual expo this week in Phoenix, so it was a chance to visit with my parents as well as deep dive in to our committee work.
Win/win.

The 'rents live in Scottsdale so I was doing a lot of driving up and down I-51 but it was all worth it.

Once the meeting part was over, mom, dad and I took a field trip to see the newest exhibition at the Heard Museum, "Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera". It featured many of their paintings and sketches, as well as photos of them. Fascinating.

It's the only time it will be displayed in the U.S. so we had to go.

Plus, it got my mom and dad downtown, which they hardly ever do.

Last evening, I took dad to the closing night reception for the expo, which featured the Lt. Dan Band. The talent Gary Sinise has in the band is amazing, and they all go to showcase their skills equally. Gary himself was happy to play backup, and of course would once in a while make his way off the dance floor to join the crowd; he knows what the people want.

A short two days in the Valley, time to head home to celebrate Easter with the family, and to unpack/repack.

Next adventure begins Tuesday.