October Mash Up

And now for some wild and wacky videos....enjoy!

Fall Foliage Drive

Our fall foliage weekend this year wasn't nearly as eventful as last year's outing to PEEC with lots of other Sunnyside families. But the fact of the matter was that circumstances are a bit, ahem, tighter this year. Not a lot of extra cash (or time in Nacho's schedule) for that bit of nature splurging. So we tightened the buckle a bit and decided to take off on our old standby--following Route 7 up from the Merritt Parkway near Wilton, CT--and enjoy a scenic day trip out of the city. This trip started even before we had kids and it was pretty enough that we have repeated parts of it for many of the past 5 years. This time, however, I wanted something newer. I wanted to maybe try a new place for lunch or find a new trail to hike. We did both of those things and followed a slightly more family friendly start (we landed at a nice playground near Wilton to begin) which meant a fresher take on our well worn path. The lunch at Dog Daze Cafe just outside of town was also a real treat with its farm stand charm and classic burger and dogs with all the funky trimmings (roasted cauliflower with truffle oil, anyone?). The weather couldn't have been nicer--it was almost too warm for the layered look I dressed the girls in--and we enjoyed all the great outdoors had to offer. But before I knew it, we were losing daylight and the girls both konked out on our drive past Kent to the waterfalls. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be this time around. Nacho and I jointly agreed it was best to turn back towards home and so we did hoping to make it back without crazy traffic jams on this last night of the holiday weekend. All told, it probably took us about 30 minutes more than usual, which wasn't terrible given the timing. The girls had dinner on the way in and we managed to make it back in time for them to get ready for bed before 8 p.m.  As I look back at the blue waters of Lovers Leap or the burst of orange and yellow leaves around the bend near New Milford, I'm so glad we made the trip up north. It's always way to reset my mood around this time of year and embrace all that fall has to offer, even if the girls didn't fully appreciate their natural surroundings as much as I would hope. Sometimes walking through the woods in relative quiet is enough for me. It was today. 

A Walk in the Woods

The first four day weekend of the school year came just weeks into our new routines. So what were we to do? I thought about running wild through an empty city, and while that plan had its merits, I also really wanted to go some place new--some place we might not get to on a usual weekend. So the idea of heading out further into Long Island to a nature preserve along the north shore called Bailey Arboretum sprung to mind. Several moms in the neighborhood have posted photos of it before and I've always been intrigued. It also looks like a good place to hit for family photos some time, and best of all, it's free! So yeah, it had a lot going for it when I mentioned the idea to Nacho and he was absolutely game. Driving over the LIE wasn't too bad and we were zooming up towards Oyster Bay in no time just making it there after lunch. The girls spotted the wild bird haven first and made their way out of the car and over to check out the hawks and owls nestled in the cages recovering. Some had lost wings or other vital parts of their wildness and wouldn't be returning to the forests. But it's wonderful that they have a volunteer staff to take care of them and visitors can stop by and check on their progress. After that, we walked a little closer to the mossy lake before hitting the children's garden with its fun instruments and hammocks. The nature trails were pretty empty and it really felt we had the run of the place. Part of me loves being outdoors on those kind of days because of the contrast with our city life. It feels like a wild kingdom is just outside our doorstep (or, okay, 1 hour and 5 minutes away) and we could come back any time. And gauging the reaction Nacho and the girls had to our time there, I think we will.