Category — Adventures

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day weekend without either a torrential downpour or sweltering 85 degree heat, and luckily this year we had the latter.

After displaying my patriotism by way of food, I slapped on some zinc oxide, and it was off to Rocky Neck beach.

I always get excited when visiting a new beach, because they all have their own unique characteristics and waterfront landscapes, and Rocky Neck did not disappoint.

The only real downside were the crowds. We waited in a line of cars for about 35 minutes to get into the park, so if you are visiting Rocky Neck on a sunny weekend, try to get there by 10:30 AM.

The frustration of traffic though was quickly forgotten once we made it to the beach.

How eerie is it to see such clear blue water in Long Island Sound?!

Growing up in Fairfield, I’m used to murky shorelines filled with questionable oceanic deposits, so it was an unexpected treat to find such clear water along the Southern coast of Connecticut.

There is also a really incredible boardwalk that stretches the entire length of the beach.

The nice thing about this boardwalk, is rather than being entirely in the sun, it takes you through wooded areas, which offer a nice shady escape not easily found on most beaches.

As you can tell by my skin tone, I don’t have much patience when it comes to lying in the sun, so I took quite a few boardwalk breaks throughout the day.

The boardwalk also takes you out along a charming little estuary.

Below Michal watches a family of crabs along the bottom of the river.

A few other pros and cons:

PRO – the sand is really soft (not rocky–despite the name).

PRO – there are ice cream trucks located at BOTH entrances to the beach

CON – with so many people, one of them is bound to piss you off (a guy threw his bottle of coke into the estuary right in front of me, and I snapped).

PRO – the bathroom and changing facilities are clean

CON – certain areas of the beach are extremely narrow, so on a crowded day expect to overhear lots of other peoples conversations, and vice versa.

PRO – besides the beach, Rocky Neck offers hiking, camping, picnicking, and bike trails!

Camping trip anyone?

I’ve been super busy this past week, so sadly the blog has fallen to the wayside, but the plan is to get caught up this Memorial Day weekend, starting with a very exciting event that happened last Saturday–my first Renaissance Fair!

I promise I will reward you all with video footage if you make it through to the end of this entry.

I learned a lot about myself while attending my first Renaissance Fair, such as….

-Spelling the word “fair” as “faire” bothers me
-I do not excel in medieval warfare
-I do not like the smell of leather combined with the smell of hay combined with the smell of small animals
-I only like historical reenactments when I can hide behind the safety of my TV screen

Actually, I’d like to revise my last statement: I only like historical reenactments when I can hide behind the safety of my own TV screen, OR when my friends are being publicly humiliated…

The trip to the fair also doubled as a scouting trip for Michal and Noah, who were on the hunt for some movie props for the film they’re working on this summer–NINJA ZOMBIES.

Below is Meredith checking out some possible daggers for the film (she’s heading up the art department).

We also had the chance to practice our skills at throwing sharp objects.

I love the gusto in which everyone is throwing their axe in the next photo.

Below is what happens when you leave your boyfriend alone for two seconds….

Twould be wise to stay on friendly terms with this brave warrior,

and these fearsome two also….

As promised, I leave you with some video footage….

Who knew that above Heroes Tunnel on the Merritt Parkway is a scenic state park with over 12 miles of trails?

Being a Connecticut native, I’ve driven through this iconic tunnel hundreds of times, but only just discovered the parks existence this past weekend while researching state parks online.

When I first looked at the map and saw a big yellow blob titled, “West Rock State Park,” right over the Merritt, I thought it was a mistake.

Despite my skepticism, I decided to venture up there on Sunday, and was relieved to find it existed.

To be honest, I half expected the park to be a boring open space with some amateur man-made trails. Even after seeing the entrance, I remember thinking, “this is going to be lame.”

And then I entered the park, and I was a bit taken a back by how wrong I was.

Once you enter there is this gigantic lake that appears out of nowhere, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

From the lake, there are a variety of different trail options, but I mapped out a 3.5 mile course which takes you up along the side of the mountain, and then circles you back down around the base of the lake.

The forest was so lush with vegetation, that it almost seemed foreign.

If someone were to show me the photos I took, my first guess would not be Connecticut.

The path I mapped out was a fairly strenuous 2 hour hike to the top, and there were lots of rocky sections…

So if you’re looking for something a bit more moderate, I recommend sticking to the trails that circle around the base of the lake. I actually merged onto these trails during the last 25 minutes of my hike, and it was a nice cool down

When I finally exited the woods, the sun was blinding, but once my eyes adjusted I got to experience one last view before I left.

I live for pretty landscapes.

My mother has been dying to get herself into this blog by any means possible, so being that it was Mother’s Day on Sunday, I finally gave in.

I gave her complete freedom in choosing what the adventure would be, and she actually came up with a really nice idea…

…a trip to Beadworks to design some jewelry.

Since so much of what I do on this blog is done outside, it was really nice to mix it up, and do something relaxing indoors…although the massive selection of beads was a bit stressful, especially if you have no idea what you’re doing.

I finally fell in love with a strand of pale green stones, which I decided to pair with some soft yellow Swarovski crystals. I plan on turning the below layout into a necklace and earring set.

This was definitely the perfect indoor adventure for this blog, because creating a necklace from scratch costs a fraction of what it would retail for, and it’s a lot more fun getting to say you designed it. I didn’t have time to complete the above creation yet, but when it’s finished I’ll post pictures.

My mom bought a whole bunch of stuff, so it will probably be a while before she completes all of her creations also.

After the bead store, we decided to eat somewhere semi-adventurous so we chose Chocopologie down the street, which is a very European-style cafe run by a famous chocolatier from Denmark.

The menu is a fusion between really decadent specialty drinks and desserts, and lighter fair such as healthy sandwiches and salads.

My mom and I had already had a massive mother’s day breakfast with my family, so for our first course we split their signature drink, the Chocopologie, which is rich espresso and dark hot chocolate topped with lavender foam.

This tasted absolutely incredible.

For our second course I had my heart set on their grilled sandwich with mozzarella, avocado, tomato, red pepper spread, and grilled portabello, but they were out, so I ended up ordering the Mediterranean Salad, which consisted of goat cheese, kidney beans, pine nuts, lemon croute, string beans, roasted beets, and a citrus vinaigrette.

There was a lot more to this salad than pictured above, but once again, I didn’t remember to take pictures until I was almost done with it. The good news is that this salad tasted incredible, and I’m now so in love with the above combination of ingredients, that I think I’ll try to re-create it this weekend….maybe I’ll feature it as another Meatless May recipe.

After lunch my mom and I had one more adventure at Mashalls Mega Shoe Shop, and then we called it quits.

I guess pretty jewelry, hot chocolate, and a nice pair of shoes is all it takes to subdue even the neediest of mothers (she didn’t call my phone once for the next 24 hours).

The spirit of this blog has always been to get out into the world, try new things, and  hopefully experience tiny adventures along the way.

Having said that so many times before, I now feel a bit remiss in my failure to recognize that not everyone has that luxury…

On Saturday my mom and I participated in a charity walk to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was a bittersweet experience, because on the one hand it’s completely devastating to see those with the biggest sense of adventure (children), have to sacrifice their childhood due to illness, but on the other hand it’s remarkable and inspiring to see the impact that granting a single wish can have on a child’s entire life.

One of the founders of Make-A-Wish Foundation, Frank Shankwitz, spoke at the event (he’s kind of hard to see in the above picture, but he’s wearing a cowboy hat near the blue tent). He started the foundation over 30 years ago, and the story behind his inspiration is so moving….you can read it here, but be sure to have a tissue ready.

If you continued to read this blog entry without reading the story I just linked to, please go back and read it now, because it’s more important than anything I have to say here.

And if after reading the story you would like to make a donation to this incredible organization, please click here: I want to help kids with big dreams have BIG ADVENTURES!

Your donation will go towards helping to give kids the strength and inspiration they need to deal with a life-threatening illness, such as my cousin Dianna below, who after her recovery, will be getting a wish granted from this incredible foundation. Let’s just say her top choice involves a certain movie, based on a certain book, based on a certain vampire (SO EXCITED FOR HER!).

No matter how cool you think you are, this orange haired girl is cooler.

Just please ignore the fact that she’s in middle school, and we’re the same height.

Thanks.

That’s right, it’s time to get your smelliest cooler out of the basement, because beach season has officially begun!

On Saturday, Michal and I packed a cooler full of lunch items, and headed out to Hammonassett State Park to spend the day at the beach.

The entry fee into the park is $9, but if you’re like me, it will end up costing you more, because the minute you park you’ll realize you forgot to bring any sort of beach towels or blankets. Luckily your entry receipt is good for the rest of the day, so you can go buy towels at Job Lot leave for a bit and then re-enter the park without having to pay again.

I liked that there were a variety of different landscapes at the park.

Scenic fields, picnic areas, bike paths, boardwalks, and of course the beach….

We did a few epic walks to explore the coast line…

Other than the awful sunburn I now have on my right shoulder, the first beach day of the season was a success.

What is it about cascading water on steep rocks that makes us so happy?

On Saturday, my friends and I took a break from the film festival to visit Kent Falls State Park, which was only a 5 minute drive up the road.

From the parking lot, you cross over a scenic little bridge to enter the park.

Now I knew there was going to be a waterfall here, but I didn’t quite expect it to be right out in the open once you entered the park. It was a pretty incredible view to be immediately hit with.

There is a beautiful sitting area built around the waterfall too. Below is a picture I snapped at the base of the waterfall looking out onto the park.

For those looking to get a nice hike in, there is a steep trail along the stream that takes you to various lookout points. We didn’t have that much time before we had to get back to the festival, so I only climbed about half-way up.

As fun as this short hike was, I enjoyed my time at the base of the waterfall the most.

I felt so relaxed and happy sitting at the base of the waterfall, and I think it was pretty clear that it had the same therapeutic effect on everyone else…

There is nothing cooler than getting to relax in the sunshine with a rushing waterfall as your soundtrack.

And just in case you missed the waterfall, there was this kid to point it out for you…

cute baby + scenic waterfall = sensory overload

After visiting Kent Falls, I became curious if “waterfall therapy” existed, so I  googled it, but only came across a spa that offers a”waterfall therapy package,” where you drench yourself in a cold waterfall and then receive a deep tissue massage. I would much rather just save my money and enjoy the therapeutic view from a far.

I’m happy to report that I can now add “waterfalls” to my list of adventures that cost zero dollars.

You know you’re going to have a good Saturday when it starts off with Starbucks and a Garmin.

At around 9:30 am my friend Mandy and I set off on our mini-road trip to Kent, CT to attend the Kent Film Festival.

I was extremely excited to attend the festival for a few reasons.

The first was because I love the idea behind independent film making, and how if you’re passionate enough, you can make a powerful film on any budget. And the second (and main reason) was because Michal had a film in the festival!

Mike (Actor), Noah (Director AND Writer), Michal (Cinematographer)

I was extremely proud of Michal, along with everyone else involved in the project, and I’m always amazed to see how much a person can light up when they’re in an area with hundreds of others who are equally as passionate about their dreams as they are.

My parents also drove up for the event, and absolutely loved it. Below is my mom showing off her cool new film festival tote which she purchased to “support the event,” but I just think she wanted to look more “indie.”

The film screenings took place in various buildings all over town, but Michal’s film played in the Kent Community House, which was a really beautiful venue.

After the screening, everyone was starving, so we all split up to grab some lunch at various places. Michal, Mandy, Jesse and I chose to get sandwiches at J.P. Gifford.

The town was packed, but we were able to score a nice table outside.

And the sandwiches were very tasty…

I had turkey with sun-dried tomatoes, topped with lots and lots of pesto. I was very happy that they were generous with the pesto, because that was the best part.

After lunch the four of us explored the town a bit, but be warned, you are about to experience cuteness overload….

These pictures don’t even really do the place justice. You just have to go there and experience Kent for yourself.

After lunch we met back up with the rest of our friends, and decided to all drive up to Kent Falls (about 5 minutes up the street). This adventure deserves it’s own entry, so I’m going to write about it later this week, but here is a preview….

After Kent Falls, Michal had to attend some more film screenings, so Mandy and I decided to go back into town and explore some of the art galleries.

If you enjoy art, Kent would make for a great day trip, especially since there is no charge to explore the galleries, and there are gorgeous sculptures displayed all over town. Below was one of my favorites.

Later on that night, they had an awards ceremony, which was held in the same art gallery that Mandy and I had explored earlier.

It seemed as though everyone (including myself) had some sort of camera in their hand, but around this same time my exhaustion started to take over, so the above photo was my last.

I guess I’ll end this entry then with one of the first pictures I took, so it will be as if this awesome day is just beginning….

On Sunday was New Haven’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Although there were no cherry blossoms (I guess they hadn’t bloomed yet?),  every church-going woman over the age of 60 was there to dazzle you with cherry-themed knickknacks.

Everyone at the festival was so nice that it was hard not to make a donation or buy a little trinket at every table. At one point I almost adopted a bow-legged dog, but Michal stepped in, and suggested we take a “break” from the animal shelter booth until I stopped crying in front of all the happy kids with balloons.

So we took a breather and listened to some great steel drum music….

And smelled some amazing smells…

And then we each bought a cookie…

With camera in hand, I was able to document the four stages of cookie rapture:

1) ANTICIPATION

2) TASTE

3) EXCITEMENT

4) SHARING (some people just repeat stages 2 and 3)

Since my cookie was a gift, I remained in the euphoric phase of anticipation for the rest of the festival.

After staring at so many anthropomorphic baked goods, I was feeling a lot more emotionally stable, so it was back to The Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter booth.

What an incredible organization. They basically direct all of their efforts to three fundamental areas: increasing adoptions/decreasing euthanasia, reducing pet overpopulation, and enhancing the quality of life for animals by providing medical care beyond the shelter’s ability and by socializing with the animals.

Michal and I were really impressed with their compassionate views on animal care in shelters, and after reading through a few of their brochures, I definitely want to attend their next volunteer group meeting to see how I can help out this summer.

Above is a photo of Piglet. She’s thought to be a cross between a pit bull and a chihuahua, and she has some pretty serious knee issues. The good news is that the organization just finished saving up the funds to get her the costly surgery she needs to have full mobility again, and after her surgery she’ll be fostered, and then put up for adoption. I spent some time interacting with her, and she was extremely loving, and really lit up around people.

If you know of any loving families who might be looking to adopt a dog, please pass along this information, or have them visit the website.

Definitely expect some animal-themed volunteer adventures in the upcoming months.

B.good burger joint…

The best thing to happen to Boston since the Red Sox won the world series.

I’m confident that I’ve eaten at least 100 b.good burgers, especially since I went through a 3 month phase where all I ate for lunch was their blackbean veggie burger topped with avocado, cilantro, and Chipotle salsa. Let’s just say that working around the corner from their Dartmouth Street location and having no concept of money was a dangerous combination my first year after college.

As fate would have it, they just opened up a sixth location around the corner from where I was staying for the weekend.

I was downright giddy when we walked inside to place our orders, especially since I hadn’t enjoyed one of their burgers in over a year, and also because I have a profound respect for their philosophy on food (i.e. raising cattle right, and buying produce from local farmers!).

Everything, down to the potatoes, is grown locally and grown right. They even have bios hanging on the walls of the farmers they use for each ingredient. Love it!

I ordered my favorite (the”West-Side”), except I swapped out my usual veggie burger for a turkey burger.

Perfection = Avocado, cilantro, tomato, and homemade chipotle salsa.

Below is Michal’s order (the “Cousin Oliver”), which is lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, all atop a homemade veggie burger.

We wanted so badly to order the sweet potato fries, but after all the food we had consumed in the past 48 hours, we didn’t think our bodies could handle it, so we opted for the healthier option, and split a side of crisp veggies.

And now I must place my vanity to the side to show you what happened next:

wait for it….

Believe it or not, these were the  “classiest” photos of the bunch. All the others were even more disturbing, and looked as though I was brutally attacking my burger with my mouth (apparently I like to inflict pain on my food and those who watch me eat).

On a final note, if you live in the Boston area, and haven’t yet tasted the mouthwatering wonders of b.good, then you’re missing out on what’s sure to be a Boston trademark in a few more years.