New England Trip Recap - Part III

I'm finally getting around to posting part III of our weekend tour of New England.  Thanks for sticking with me!  If you missed my other recaps scroll down or click here for Part I and here for Part II.

As I previously mentioned, Sunday was a beautiful day and we were anxious to get started on our next drive.  We were headed to Portland, Maine and had heard this would be the most scenic and beautiful drive of our trip.  And it definitely was...

I've never seen Fall Foliage like this and I felt like we could drive through this all day.  Ryan and I jammed out to Ray LaMontagne and enjoyed the views.  I also snapped a few pics of us again on the drive... 

After driving a little over two hours we arrived in Portland.  We decided we wanted to stay at a local hotel and this one was great.  The Portland Harbor Hotel had a great location in the city and had fantastic views. 

I took this picture from the window in our room.  I told you the views were great!!

After we dropped our bags off in the room we headed out for some lunch.  Our concierge pointed us to a great spot where we dinned on clam chowder and enjoyed a few local beers by Shipyard...

We then headed out to explore the city and ended up along a trail that walked along the water's edge.  

A ton of people were out on that day and it was nice to see everyone enjoying the weather.  

After walking along the water for awhile we headed back up to the main area of downtown.  Many of the streets were the original cobblestone which was so cool to see.  

And I had to take this picture for Benny :)

After walking around we headed back to our hotel to catch the end of a few NFL games.  We relaxed and enjoyed a few drinks by a fire in the hotel lounge.

We had dinner reservations later that evening and this was by far the best meal of the trip!  We ate at Fore Street which was just a few blocks from our hotel.  I would highly recommend this if you are in the area.   

The next morning Ryan and I were able to sleep in a little and then started our trek back to Boston to catch our flight.   We were sad to leave and could have easily spent another week in this area of the country but had to get back home.  The trip was definitely a success and we hope to go back one day.

I also need to give a big thanks to my parents for keeping Bennett.  She sent many pictures of him throughout our trip so we were able to get our Benny fix in even though we weren't with him.  Thanks Mom&Dad!

New England Trip Recap - Part II

Now for Part II of our weekend tour of New England....  Scroll down or click here for Part I.

Ryan and I woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful sunny day in Boston.  Where was this the night before when we actually wanted to walk around outside??  Ryan walked a few blocks to pick up the rental car and then came back to pick me up at our hotel.  I was sad to leave but excited about our drive we had ahead.  I think I was much more enthusiastic on our two hour drive than Ryan was or maybe he was just annoyed with me trying to take pictures of him with my phone.  Either way, I wanted to share these pics so you can see the beautiful fall foliage in the background...

The drive was going well and was very relaxing until we got into White Mountain National Forest and it started to rain on us.  Then we lost service with our phones which meant no GPS.  Ryan made a few comments at that point about how it would have been nice to have the Garmin with us.  Luckily we came across a sign pointing us in the right direction or the rest of the car ride could have been ugly...

We arrived at the beautiful Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire right around lunch time.   It was much colder there (think low 40's with 15 mph winds!) so we quickly carried our bags into our room.  I didn't get any pictures of the outside at this point so the hotel tour would have to wait.  I did snap a few pics though of our room which was small but very quaint.  We were staying in a historic hotel which had recently been renovated and I loved that they kept the original feel of the hotel intact but just updated the amenities.

We grabbed lunch at this point and then decided to head out for a hike around the resort.  It was pretty chilly and sprinkling so I didn't get very many pictures.  I was wishing I had brought my gloves along so I didn't exactly want to take my hands out of my pockets.  I did snap a pic along the way though of Ryan at the half way point.  

We hiked for about an hour and a half which was more than long enough for me.  It was late afternoon at this point and Ryan and I came back and put on dry socks and headed to the Great Hall for a few beverages.  I brought my book and Ryan his iPad and we lounged around and relaxed for over an hour.  There was also a wedding going on that evening so I was able to watch the bride walk down the aisle along with all the other women in the lobby area.  I didn't snap a pic this time though because I couldn't have been very discreet.

Isn't this fireplace so inviting?  I love the moose on the wall and the chess game on the table.  A perfect way to spend a chilly Saturday afternoon :)

Ryan and I cleaned up and headed to another lounge for a few drinks before dinner.  We had a yummy meal at the resort and then called it an early night.

The next morning we woke up to sunshine and had a beautiful view outside our window.  I decided I needed to snap a few pics so we wandered around the resort that morning. 

I love the entrance of the hotel.  So timeless and lovely.

A view of the patio that wraps around the entire backside.  Aren't the mums beautiful??  I have no idea how they keep them alive and looking good for so long.  I would show you a picture of the mum currently in my backyard but it's too embarrassing....

 More pretty flowers...

A view of the golf course and Mount Washington in the background.  

Ryan checking out the views...

"Wait, I'm not ready!  I've got to get this ugly camera bag off me!"

Unfortunately, this is the only picture of us two on this trip but at least it's a good one.  :)

After Ryan and I toured the resort for a while we loaded up and set out for our next stop.

Next up, Maine!

New England Trip Recap - Part I

I've decided to split my recap into three separate posts so I can capture all the details of our trip.  This is mostly for my benefit to document our travels so feel free to scroll quickly through the pictures if you like. 

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Ryan had a break from school and we decided to take full advantage of this time and book a mini vacation.  We debated several cities to go to and after coming across a fabulous deal on flights we booked two round-trip tickets to Boston.  Fast forward several weeks later (as in the week before we left) and we still hadn't booked any hotels.  Being the planner that I am I was slightly freaking out.  Ryan seemed unphased by this and I simply tried to let myself just go with the flow.  Anyways, we booked our first night in Boston through hotwire.com and luckily stumbled upon a gem of a hotel.  And with that, I'll lead into...

Adventures in Beantown

 
Our vacation started off bright and early Friday morning as we showered, dressed and took our time packing our final things before heading off to the airport.  We were staying at my parents house since they were taking care of our little boy Benny and we had dropped him off there the day before.  It was not until we said goodbye to my parents and drove out of the neighborhood that we realized we were cutting it a little close.  As in I'm freaking out thinking we are never going to make it but trying to be the good wife by saying "Honey, you may want to drive a little faster..."

We arrive at the park and ride with less than an hour until we take off and quickly jump on the shuttle.  As soon as we pull out Ryan turns and asks if I picked up the garmin in the backseat.  Oops.... who needs a garmin now anyways when we have GPS on our phones??

The next hurdle we faced was Ryan leaving his bag at the check-in line.  Luckily people don't actually listen to the intercom when they say to be alarmed if you see a bag all alone.  Anyways, we finally made it through the security line and boarded our plane with minutes to spare.

Our chaotic morning was all worth it though when we arrived at our hotel in Boston.  The InterContinental was modern, luxurious and relaxing all at the same time.  Of course I pretended to be PW and took pictures of the hotel room...

 

After quickly changing into warmer clothes (did I mention we arrived in the middle of a Nor'easter??) we headed off to find lunch.  The concierge directed us to a fabulous pub down the street which did not disappoint.  We dined on burgers, fries and a couple of Sam Adams...

Ryan and I used our iPhones to help navigate us throughout the city.  What would we do without them??

After lunch we headed out to the famous Boston Common Park to take in the scenery and Fall leaves. 

We wandered around Beacon Street...

Ryan took in lots of history...

And I stumbled upon a beautiful wedding party in the park taking pictures.  I'm a sucker for weddings and I'm just thankful I had my zoom lens on so hopefully I didn't seem like a crazy stalker...

   

I also took in some of the history and landmarks as well. 

Ryan and I wandered around the city for a few hours looking at shops, people, parks and homes.  We eventually stopped at a Starbucks to warm up then headed back to the hotel for a few hours to relax.

That evening we dined at a fabulous restaurant in the North End called Panza.  I had read great reviews and we actually had made reservations earlier in the week.  The food was delicious and I loved the intimate feel of the restaurant. 

And now I'll post one final pic from that day.  As I mentioned earlier, the Nor'easter definitely brought some strong winds, rain and cold air but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves.  Ryan always makes a point to walk everywhere we go and this weather didn't stop us this time.  Needless to say, my umbrella did not survive the evening....

Next up,  New Hampshire!

Back to Reality...

Why does vacation always seem too short??  Ryan and I spent this past weekend traveling throughout New England and we could have easily spent an extra day or two up there.  Who am I kidding?  We could have spent another week up there!  We had a fabulous trip and traveled to Massachusetts, New Hampshire and even Maine.  I promise to post a full recap soon with tons of pictures but for now I'll leave you with a picture of us two in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.  In the meantime, I'll be unpacking, catching up on laundry and heading to the grocery store...

Cute vs. Crazy

This past weekend Ryan and I stayed at my parents house to watch their dogs since they were out of town.  Champ and Koby are old but so sweet and calm.  I mean, how much cuter can they be???

We also watched my brother and his fiance's dog as well.  Benny and Georgia may be cute but are definitely not so calm when they get together.  I think this picture says it all....

Don't worry Mom, I swear I hosed them down and dried them off before they slept on the couch/bed!  :)

Life Lately

These past two weeks have been super busy in the Rudy household and I'm just now sitting down to capture it all in commentary and pictures...

Last Saturday Ryan, Benny and I loaded up and headed out to the farm for one night.  It was the first weekend for antiquing in Round Top this Fall and Ryan's mom once again took all the the girls out for a day of shopping.  My mom joined us this time as well as Alison's mom and we had a great day and managed to buy a few things....

Meanwhile, back at the barn Ryan and his dad were busy with their tools building a deer blind.  You're not supposed to shoot deer on their land but you clearly need a fort-like box so you can watch them for hours on end without them seeing you, right?   

I asked a lot of questions during the building process and I think someone got a little annoyed of me talking and taking pictures...

So I then decided to turn my attention to the deer that were by the feeder and use them as my next photo subject.  I decided that I could see them just fine from up at the barn and I didn't need to be hiding in a box...

 

I also managed to get a few shots in of the cows...

 And Benny...

And then I retired my camera and enjoyed the rest of the time in the country.  It's so peaceful up there and I love sitting out on a rocking chair watching the sunset.  Life seems so much slower up there and I love getting away from the city even if it's just for one night.

As soon as we pulled back into our driveway last Sunday evening life seemed crazy again.  Ryan had quite a few things to do for school and I barely saw him this past week.  I did manage to get some girl time in during the evenings though and had a wonderful night out with Nicky T just chatting and catching up over a bottle of wine.  I also met another dear friend one night for dinner and even met up with her another evening for a run.  This weekend wasn't much different as Ryan had class all day Friday and Saturday and while he was gone I managed to get a long run in, cleaned the house, brunched with friends and might have done a little shopping :)

Ryan did make it out last night for an evening of fun and we celebrated the glorious OU victory over Texas!  We met up at our usual spot for fajitas and margs....

Then we decided to be adventurous and actually head out to another bar instead of going home for our usual 10 pm bedtime.  The weather was beautiful last night and it felt great to sit out on a patio and drink a few cold ones with friends. I also made Ryno take a mini photo shoot with me...

Take 1 - Clearly he missed me a lot these past few weeks...
Take 2 - Hmm, something must have been more interesting on ESPN
Take 3 - Yay!  We finally got a semi-cute one!

And lastly, I'll leave you with one final picture of Ryan and I.  I couldn't resist.... :)  BOOMER!!

Now that I am caught up I am going to enjoy this beautiful Sunday by relaxing and putting up my Fall decor.  I'm also planning on picking up my first bag of candy corn for the season :)

Have a great week!