USA

Adventures, USA

VT House - Escaping NYC: Vermont and Montreal

After returning from my big trip a few months ago, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve been permanently infected with the travel bug. All I can think about is where I want to go next and when I can do it. While a big trip may not be in my super near future, I convinced Jonathan to take a few days off of work back in March to get out of New York City and enjoy the end of winter.

We decided on exploring around Vermont for a few days and then heading north to Montreal, as I had never been these areas before. The week prior to our trip the temperatures were in the 50s and 60s, tricking us into thinking spring had arrived early. We were a little bummed, as we figured there wouldn’t be anymore snow in Vermont and we were looking forward to some winter activities.

Regardless of what the forecast had in store, we packed our bags and headed out of New York City early on a Friday morning. Crossing the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey and making our way to I87, we were already seeing the temperatures drop. Somehow I managed to survive most of this winter season without a pair of gloves but I was not about to go without a pair if we were headed to Canada. Luckily we passed by Woodbury Commons on our drive, so I stopped to get a pair of gloves from The North Face and also ended up getting a fleece blanket for the car because #ComfortIsKey.

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Adventures, USA

If you haven’t been to Lake George…go there, now! I keep daydreaming about the views, the lake and the wonderful people I spent it with. Nothing like escaping the city for a weekend filled with hiking and boating in the beautiful summer weather.

My godfather, Stasiek, and his wife, Hania, have a house right on the lake, so it was a total treat to spend this long weekend with them and their kids, Kris and Annette. Saturday was spent kayaking in the early morning with Kris and then relaxing on the dock. Of course I spent it playing with their dog Tasia; she LOVES the water. We had a lovely bonfire at night, grilling kielbasa and hanging out with neighbors and watching the stars.


[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00490.jpg" title="image title" caption="Kris and Jacek relaxing on the dock"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00443.jpg" title="image title" caption="Jacek determined to catch a monster fish"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00524.jpg" title="image title" caption="Perfect little dock"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00467.jpg" title="image title" caption="Tasia loves nothing more than fetching the ball from the water"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00489.jpg" title="image title" caption="Tasia seriously could live in the water!"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00481.jpg" title="image title" caption="Shake it off, Tasia!"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00556.jpg" title="image title" caption="Jacek testing out how cold the water is"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/LG.jpg" title="image title" caption="Jacek and Kris fishing and swimming"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00423.jpg" title="image title" caption="Getting ready for a boat ride"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00618.jpg" title="image title" caption="Nothing like a summertime bonfire"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00619.jpg" title="image title" caption="Getting the fire hot for prime kielbasa grilling!"]
[images src="http://www.theadventurescout.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC00628.jpg" title="image title" caption="The Grajny's!"]

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Adventures, USA

Growing up my Mom always asked for help in the garden. Whether it was pulling the seemingly endless amount of weeds, tilling the dry, hard soil or planting seeds that I would always end up accidentally dumping all in one spot, it felt like a chore.

I always seemed more interested in digging around for worms or playing in the woods. Having two older brothers, this didn’t come as a surprise.

I didn’t understand why she bothered putting so much work into something that the deer, birds and other animals would end up eating half of anyways. You know, because who loves eating fresh peach pies, having the kitchen counter covered in cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes, or spreading fresh black currant and raspberry jam on that perfect piece of toast?

Yeah, let me go ahead smack myself upside the head. Gardening is awesome and there is nothing like seeing your hard work turned into something that many people can enjoy. It’s incredibly therapeutic and get’s you outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. No matter how many times those birds have eaten all cherries off my Mom’s cherry trees, she is so resilient and excited to start the new season of preparing and planting.

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