Philly Pit Stop- YUM!

Two years ago Dadam, myself & my brother Jared took a trip to Philadelphia so that Adam could do a campus visit to the Wharton School of Business. We wanted to enjoy the best cheese steak the city had to offer so we did some research. Cosmi's Deli had recieved the best steak of the city that year and so we made our way to the deli to enjoy a true blue Philly Cheese Steak! When we arrived I spotted an Italian Bakery a few doors down (I know that is shocking to you!), but we will come back to that :) When we walked into the deli I was surprised how small it was. They didn't have places to sit, you order your sandwich and take it wit (how ya order the sandwich) ya! We ended up sitting outside the deli enjoying our sandwiches. They were truly great sandwiches! On our way back to the car we stopped into the Italian bakery called Termini Bros Bakery. All that I can say is YUMMY!!
So as we were passing by Philly this time we decided to stop by and enjoy a great lunch once again. I am happy to report that they have won best cheese steak again and they now have a few tables and chairs out front! We had the kids with us this time around so we also tried the hamburger, hot dog & cheese fries as well. Lunch was yummy once again and just to follow along with tradition we stopped into the bakery and loaded up on yummy pastries to share with the family :)
If you are ever in Philly our family highly recommends Cosmi's & Termini Bros Bakery on 8th in south Philly!!
After everyone was full we drove through the city and looked at a popular apartment complex that grad students rent while attending school at Wharton. What a fun lunch stop :)

Stop # 8- New York City

Going to New York City with a family of 6 was very normal for us, but we took New York by surprise!! As I was talking to our concierge at our hotel about seeing the Statue of Liberty she recommended we visit from the New Jersey side so that our family would be more comfortable! We followed her advice and I must say it was great advice. The parking was cheaper and the ferries weren't as full and the New York ferries.
Our first stop was Ellis Island, our little ones weren't as excited about seeing all of the history as we were, but they loved the phones at each of the booths that they could pick up and listen to. The picture of the face up above is drawn on a pillar. Their are also poems, names and people leaving their mark at Ellis Island. The pillars are covered with Plexiglas so that the artwork and writings could be preserved.
We ate outside where Dadam took lots of pictures. The pictures of the names above are from a monument on Ellis Island with the names of everyone that come through the Island. We took the time to walk around the large monument to show the kids the names of our ancestors that came to America through Ellis Island years so that we could have our freedoms that we enjoy today.
On a lighter note...the seagulls were HUGE! They were some of the biggest seagulls I have ever seen before in my life :) They also had brown seagulls which I had never seen before.

After we finished looking at Ellis Island we got onto a ferry again and went to Liberty Island. The statue of Liberty was amazing to behold face to face. Adam and Dadam had the opportunity to go up into the Statue of Liberty. The pictures of Adam in the above picture are taken from inside and outside the top (not the crown) of the statue. My favorite is Adam sitting on the the feet that are the same size of Lady Liberty.

The evening after seeing the Statue of Liberty we loaded the kids into the van and drove into New York. We wanted the kids to see Time Square at night. We drove through the finance district and up to the tourist areas. We got behind a sight seeing bus and followed the bus for a while. We were actually able to see a lot of the sights by doing that. When we drove into Time Square the kids favorite part was seeing Phineas & Ferb on the big screen. I think that the kids over all favorite during our drive through the city though wasn't the amazing buildings, all the lights or even Time Square...it was seeing all the taxi cabs with advertisements on top!!
The next day we visited Central Park and the Museum of Natural History. The museum was amazing and I think it lived up to all of Lil Adam's thoughts of what it would be. He was able to see Rex from the Night at the Museum and a lot of the other displays that where used for the movie. While we were their someone walked up to Adam and me and told us that we had too many kids. Wow people are bold in New York!! He loves science and I think he could have been there all day, but three hours was enough for the rest of the family!!
Before we left the New York for the last time we wanted to partake of some of the food that we hear so often about. Adam dropped me of at Chelsea Market Place below the Food Network studios and I did a little shopping. I picked up a few fancy cupcakes (day old of course), fresh bread and 5 types of cheese from Lucy's Whey. In the picture above you can see the canyon ball cheese that looks like a brain! On our way back to the hotel we picked up a few pies (pizza) to enjoy as well. The pizza was great, Adam said the mozzarella was very sweet and the pepperonis were hand sliced.
New York was quite the adventure!! Dadam had a great time driving in the big city, Lil Adam was able to see the Statue of Liberty and Natural History Museum and Mom was able to create a list of must sees for our childless visit to the Big Apple !!

Stop # 7- Ocean City, Maryland not New Jersey!

Did you know that there is an Ocean City, New Jersey & an Ocean City, Maryland ? Even more...did you know that they are both about 4 hours from Wheaton, Maryland!! When we began our weekend journey to Ocean City our van headed towards New Jersey when in fact we should have been heading to the coast of Maryland!! A few laughs later we correct our route and we were off to Ocean City Maryland for the weekend :) When we arrived we quickly changed clothes and headed for the beach.
We were very excited to see a traditional board walk with lots of fun shops, food and street performers. The beach in Ocean City is quiet large. We were surprised how deep it was, there were soccer fields upon soccer field set up in the sand as well as volleyball courts. The board walk to the beach was quiet a walk, but then the Atlantic Ocean was there at our feet.
As you can see from the pictures above, lots of people were buried in the sand. Shells were a hot item to Jacob and Addison and lil Adam was as you can see from the lack of beach pictures always in the water!!

We enjoyed our weekend at the beach. Grandma and Grandpa scoped out a great location! Uncle Jon & Dad used masks to find shells and the crab that you can see on the bottom left of the collage. I don't know if Alex will want to play with crabs anytime soon though! He picked up the crab from out of the sand and it gave him a pretty good pinch, it even broke the skin :) The last night we were there we walked the board walk after dinner. The board walk was over 2 miles and at the end in the sand they were flying large kites. Some of the kites weren't even being held, they were just anchored to the ground some how.
The weather was perfect, the company was great and the memories will last a lifetime!!

Stop # 6 - Wheaton, Maryland i.e. Grandma's & Grandpa's Part 1

Visiting Grandma's & Grandpa's is always full of lots to do because they live in our nation's capital. Our first week visiting was full of a few traditional stops as well as a few new items to be placed on our list to revisit.
The lifeguard at the apartments my parents are staying at was from the Ukraine. She told us where we could find a Russian store. Adam was thrilled so we made our way to Rockville, Maryland to find the store. Adam was happy to find Russian ketchup of all things :) We also took home a cake, ice cream & candy to share with everyone! I must say the ice cream was pretty good :) They just need to line the cone with chocolate so that it will stay firmer longer!!
Jon and Micaela (my brother and sister-in-law) live in Virgina now...we had a fun time catching up with their family and allowing the kids to play. We took the kids to the National Zoo which is always fun for the kids. The day we chose to go though it was HOT!! We stuck to the indoor Panda area and the bird house :) The pandas were very fun to watch, they had treats hidden in their barrels and they were cheating to get them out faster! Very smart animals :)
Grandma and Grandpa took the older kids to Fort McNair for an Army concert Twilight Tattoo. The concert had helicopters, drill teams, canons, the US Army Blues and the Colonial Guard and The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, U.S. Army Drill Team and so much more. The evening was a great recruiting tool and very patriotic.

Stop # 5- Oh The Places You Will Go

North Carolina brought change to our trip! The landscape of America was changing and the purpose of the trip as well. Driving from Georgia to North Carolina we continually saw signs for the South of the Border, I was elated when we came upon the large sombrero in the sky. We also got pretty excited as we were driving along side the sailor getting a kiss from a pretty lady.
Once we arrived in North Carolina we were focused on looking at the area and seeing if our family might enjoy living there. As Adam is preparing for graduate school he is looking into many schools. We visited both UNC & Duke, we saw both the bell tower and the chapel. The picture of the hallway full of flags was at Duke, we were surprised by all of the flags that were flying. Did you know that their is a Christian flag? Both schools were nice, and we liked the area...only time will tell!

Stop # 4- Savannah & Tybee Island

We arrived in Savannah excited for a new adventure. We had not visited Savannah before so we were excited to see the sites and taste the yummy food that people talk to highly about. I found a brochure in our hotel lobby for a Foody Tour. The bus tour was full, but the walking tour was available. We decided to give the tour a shot (with four kids) and we ended up being with a wonderful tour guide and group of people. We stopped into 6 different restaurants around the Savannah area, having tastings at each location. We tasted breads with flavored oils such as black current balsamic vinegar, shredded pork flavored with Angel Dust (the name of their BBQ rub), bread pudding, many different types of honey and of course Paula Deen's fried chicken, cheesy meatloaf, mashed potatoes and mac & cheese.
While on our tour we learned about the architecture of the buildings the meanings behind park names and movies that had been filmed throughout the city. The fish that Adam and Addison are petting is an original gutter on a building and the kids were told that rubbing the fish brought good luck!! They should have luck for years to come :) We even learned that the Savannah theater played host to John Wilkes Booth before traveled to Washington D.C. (he was a stage actor). The tour was just right for our family. We were able to have the kids in strollers and the group was very helpful and kind to our family. We had a blast and would recommend the tour!!

We asked if Hilton Head was the best place to spend time on the beach and we were told about Tybee Island. After our walking tour we headed out to the island to check it out. We decided to stay another day and enjoy the island and what it had to offer. We saw two lighthouses, one being built on a bed of oysters that you had to boat to and then be out of the lighthouse by the time the tide came in so that you didn't loose your boat, and one on land.
Our family signed up for a dolphin cruise! Adam, Addison and Amelia had a wonderful time, but Alex had a hard time with the boats vibrations and noise. We were able to see a lot of dolphins. We would come up on shrimping boats as they were cleaning and getting ride of the unusable stuff!! The birds and dolphins would follow the boats for their feasts!
We had a great time and I was very grateful for the guide that had bubbles in her pocket to help calm Alex!
Savannah was full of amazing history, fun parks and yummy food as expected. Tybee Island was a bonus which we enjoyed thoroughly...it was time to continue our adventure to Raleigh, North Carolina :)

Disney World Part 2

We enjoyed all the parks at Disney World including Downtown Disney. Above there are pictures from each of the parks. Addison and Amelia were in Morocco and enjoyed the style. Addison really enjoyed the wrap that the dancers in Morocco wear. We have video I just need to figure out how to add it to the blog! There is a fun fountain in France that our family has enjoyed and had our picture taken in front of since our honeymoon. Last but not least...if you have a little one that loves dinosaurs as much as my Adam...Animal Kingdom is where to be! Adam was able to ride dino rides as well as excavate a dinosaur!

Lil Adam loves WII Lego Star Wars, lucky for us Disney Star Wars Weekend was happening during our visit. Each day before the gates open the Storm Troopers line the tops of the ticket booths and buildings to welcome everyone into the Hollywood Studio Park. Amelia got the attention of three Storm Troopers. They were playing off of trying to figure out what she was being so small and in a stroller. We enjoyed watching them play with her, at one point she grabbed one of their fingers and wouldn't let go, she even started to put their finger in her mouth, very funny! Adam was able to get his picture with them after they were done retrieving their limbs from his sister!!! The kids loved seeing Mickey as a Jedi, Goofy as Vader, Minnie as Princess Leia and Donald as a Storm Trooper in the Star Wars Parade.

During our visit we enjoyed old traditions of Mickey Ice Cream, but we also started new traditions as well. Our family was able to have dinner with my cousin Matthew and his lovely wife Natalia. We enjoyed dinner at the very quiet TREX restaurant located at Downtown Disney!! Our dinosaur fans had and incredible time walking around the inside of the restaurant and seeing all of the amazing creatures come to life. Our dessert even came to the table erupting! I don't know if the restaurant will continue to be a part of the tradition, but spending time with Matt and Natalia will be a must :)

Over all a great time was had by all and we are looking forward to returning to "The Happiest Place On Earth" as soon as possible!!!!

Stop # 3 Disney World

Characters are always a huge part of visiting Disney! We enjoyed getting to add a few new breakfasts to our list. Adam turned 7 while we were visiting and he told his Dad and I that he was to old to eat at Chef Mickey's. He decided that breakfast with Lilo and Stitch was more up his alley. Alex enjoyed Chef Mickey's for his birthday breakfast, but if I had to guess 1900 Fare was his absolute favorite. He was able to meet Mary Poppins whom he adores!! Addison and Amelia were able to enjoy lunch in a castle with the princesses. I have said it once and I will say it again and again...eating with the characters is worth every penny for the amazing memories that they create for our family!

Magic Kingdom is always just that...magical. The faces of our little ones walking down Main Street each time we have gone is priceless. The belief that their favorite characters are really and walking beside them is truly amazing to behold. I am sure that as they grow older their Disney wishes will change, but I love riding the Tea Cups, It's a Small World etc with them and it being so fun each time they ride!

We arrived to Disney World during their Summer Nightastic events. The fireworks at the Magic Kingdom were AMAZING! We also enjoyed the original Electric Parade that they borrowed from Disneyland. Fantasmic was enjoyed by the older kids while the younger two caught up on some well needed sleep. The older kids loved the show and as always Mickey saves the day :) We watched Epcot's Illuminations from Italy this year (a great place to see everything). Dad held our spot from 7 to 9 so that the kids could run around and work on their Guide to the Magic books. Thanks Dad :)

Stop # 2- Great Grandma's & Great Aunt Debbie's

Two years had past since the last time our family had visited my home state of Florida. I must say it was so wonderful to visit with my Grandma and Aunt Debbie. My brother Jacob was also able to stop in for a brief visit. I was so grateful to see him as well, he and his better half live in England and he was in the states taking a class for his job.

The kids had a wonderful time swimming in Great Grandma's "Big Pool". They really couldn't wrap their brains around the fact that Great Grandma's pool was the bay not a pool. We also spent time on the beach and at the Niceville Children Park.
On a personal note...it is very hard to see the gulf coast devastated by oil. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone having to deal with the lack of business and income that comes from this devastating mess. May the healing and cleaning process happen quickly.

As my children are getting older I want to share our family stories with them as much as possible so that they know who and where they come from. Adam and I took our bunch to the Armament Museum to see what Great Grandpa had help create and build. We took pictures with the plaque outside the museum before going in and I made a facsimile to have for our family genealogy.
You might not know what to think of the two left hand pictures above, but you are looking at the Garbage Burger. Nine years ago I took Adam home to Florida to meet my Grandma and Aunt while we were dating. We stopped at McGuire's Irish Pub for lunch and Adam ordered the Garbage burger and a root beer. That meal is now a tradition...each time our family visits a must have is Dad's garbage burger, and in case you are wondering...that really is ice cream on top!!
What a wonderful visit! I hope we don't have to wait two more years before the next one.

Dinner in the Big Easy!

Driving from Houston to Great Grandma's house takes a good 10 hours and that can make anyone hungry!! When driving along Interstate 10 we highly recommend eating in New Orleans! Our stop in New Orleans was truly a drive by...Adam dropped me off at Cafe Du Monde to pick up our dessert first!! I picked up a few beignets, pralines & pecan rolls. As for the main course...Adam and I are fans of the muffaletta at Serio's Deli. We learned on this trip that they are closed on the weekends. We headed to the tourist deli's and they were running low as well. I found a sandwich on the third try though and we enjoyed our olive salad sandwich!!
On a side note we were happy to say that New Orleans was busy. We hadn't seen that many people walking the streets our last three visits. We were very excited not only for the city, but our nation's economy as well :)

Stop # 1- Home of the Texas Queens!!

Day one of our trip was all driving! We headed out of Phoenix early the 26th heading to Fort Stockton, Texas. We made it to Fort Stockton around 9:30 pm. We woke up the next morning enjoyed our continental breakfast (lol) and began our journey to Katy, Texas. Oh wait...we stopped at some BBQ place for lunch!! Rudy's BBQ in Boerne, Texas right outside of San Antonio. This is the original Rudy's and truly is a country store. We enjoyed our lunch and then went into the country store and had Blue Bell ice cream for dessert :) Hello Texas!

Our first stop of our trip was in Katy, Texas! We had a wonderful time visiting with Mark, Amber & their wonderful family! The first night we arrived the kids enjoyed a great rain storm in the backyard. As you can see in the photo the kids enjoyed playing in the rain, I think the umbrellas were just for show. Big Daddy's BBQ was served up for dinner and enjoyed by all. BBQ twice in one day, we really were in Texas :)
We were very lucky to be visiting during the end of the school year. Rebekah had an end of the year play that I was able to attend. Albert and Tori were able to come and spend some time with us as well. We took the kids on a picnic and brought the teenagers along for the ride...Amelia fell in love his her cousin Albert, she even fell asleep on his shoulder. That evening we all loaded up and headed to Kemah Boardwalk for dinner and a good time! The kids enjoyed a train ride and carnival games. Rebekah and Sarah won a prize for each of the kids, what great cousins.
We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the Texas hospitality, but our adventures were just beginning!!

Sabbatical 2010

We had an amazing time this summer enjoying Adam's Sabbatical. Intel offers their employees an 8 week sabbatical every seven years of employment. We started our journey the last week of May and 56 days later we arrived back in Arizona. I have mapped out the trip above and you can click on the map to enlarge it and see the full version.
Over the next few days I am going to post our trip from beginning to end with video (hopefully) and pictures.
We had such a wonderful time and created a lot of memories that I am very excited to share :)

Just to wet your taste buds, a few items we counted along the way....

Days- 56
Miles- 8,556
Rides- 80 (not all Disney!)
Large Crosses-13
McDonald Stops-12
Stops for Alex-10
Restroom Only Stops- 2
Stimulus Projects- 10
Ate at Costco-4
Rain Storms- 17
Cases of Water- 6
Tolls- $ 68.60
Islands-5
Lighthouses- 5
Amelia Firsts-7 and still counting!!

We are very grateful for the opportunity we had to travel our great nation and visit our family and friends. I can't wait to share our memories with you over the next few days and weeks!!