Family-Style Paris

by Sunny

follow me on Twitter @sunnylooksleaps

This was the year: our first family trip to Paris! Jimmy, MJ, and I were excited to embark on our first family adventure overseas.  While this was uncharted territory for us, luckily we had my sister, Wendy,  a Paris veteran, join us on our journey.  The trip was amazing and memorable.  As the trip approached and we started sharing our summer trip plans with friends, the general reaction was, “And you ARE taking MJ?!”  I guess for many, Paris is one of those romantic couples vacations, or a high school graduation type trip. Nothing wrong with either of those, but Jimmy and I love to travel and to share travel with MJ.  Not only did our 7 years old get to see France with her parents, but also her fabulous aunt.  Here are some of our tips for visiting Paris family-style!

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Sea Pines at HHI – The Perfect Beach Vacation

by Joe
My what a great week I just spent in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island (HHI). If you’re not sure where Sea Pines is located just check out the coast of SC. It’s smack down in between Charleston and Savannah. A great southern state and typically referred to as the “lowlands” in this part of the USA! But that’s not why it was perfect.

The location is close to a huge part of the US population and in most cases can be an easy drive. From Louisville, KY it’s about a 10.5 hour drive which is about as quick as you can get to the ocean from our city. Florida (gulf side) is the same as well a few locations further north. But that’s not why it was perfect. Continue reading →

Favorite Paris Cafes and their Fabulous Foods

by Wendy
Sunday passed in a jet lag fog, with the Roissy bus from the airport, sleepy walk around the neighborhood, settling in our hotel, slightly dazed dinner and early bedtime. Monday we woke a little more alert and very hungry. We wandered a few blocks to a place we spotted the evening before, Cafe Dalayrac, to order petit dejeuner, or breakfast.

It was a gorgeous day around 11am, and we sat on the border of outside/inside seating so we could watch the street scene and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The basic petit dejeuner a la francaise is about 7 euros: boisson chaude (hot drink like coffee, tea or hot chocolate), une viennoiserie ou tartine (either a croissant pastry or bread with butter and jam), and jus d’orange (orange juice). For another 7 euros, you have petit dejeuner anglais, with an added dish of 2 oeufs au choix (eggs of your choice): au plat (fried sunny side up), brouilles (scrambled), or omelette. We opted for the anglais, which was delicious, and thus began our fond friendship with Cafe Dalayrac. Continue reading →

Go to Paris

by Wendy
Paris and I go back about twenty years. The inaugural visit was with my sister April right after I graduated from college. The second and third connections were with my husband Jack – a long weekend in January, a summer trip in August. When I learned my sister Sunny was planning a first-time journey to Paris with her husband and daughter, I asked if I could tag along. Sunny said Oui, and we spent a week there earlier this month. Continue reading →

Post-trip Packing Post: New Mexico

by Wendy
I have a few trips on the horizon, but a 4 day trip to New Mexico was trickier to pack for than it should have been. This was one of those trips like Iceland/England where I wanted to bring clothes suitable for several different activities: hiking, pool, walking around a city, lounging around a resort. The weather in Albuquerque and Santa Fe could range from 80s during the day to 40s at night. So this was a puzzle. A nice puzzle to have, but a puzzle nonetheless. Continue reading →

Molto Bella Restaurants in New Jersey

by Wendy
There are a lot of things I love about New Jersey. Visiting family. Spending a day at the shore. The boardwalk arcades. Seeing landmarks of my husband’s childhood. The accent. I also really love the food in New Jersey.

As Jack will tell you, New Jersey knows Italian food. Even residents without any Italian ancestry have strong opinions on where to get the best cannoli, mozzarella or prosciutto (even if many don’t pronounce the last vowel – it’s “mozzerelle” or “prosciutt”). The New Jersey tomato should have its own blog about how great it is. I might even say New Jersey pizza style is superior to my beloved New York City and Chicago (please, no hate mail). Continue reading →

Random DC Tips

by Jack and Wendy
Living and working in DC, Jack and I mingle with tourists on a frequent basis. It’s great to see visitors enjoying their trips to our city. As frequent tourists ourselves, it can be entertaining to observe behaviors from the perspective of locals. Here are a few random tips for the Washington DC tourist: Continue reading →