DC trip recap! + the rest of the weekend

Paul and I had a wonderful trip to the DC area to visit my sister and her family last week. It was a fairly brief trip - we flew out Wednesday morning and got home Saturday afternoon - but it was the right amount of time for us. I like shorter 3-night trips and really like having a one-day buffer before returning to work/school. I opted not to bring Taco on this trip since tickets were stupid expensive (since it was fall break across Mn for an educational conference) and it’s just simpler to travel with 6.5yo Paul. This was my 2nd solo trip with Paul. We visited my sister in the spring of 2022 in AZ. This time around Taco was very aware of the fact that he did not get to come so I promised him that we’ll do a solo trip together in the future. Anyways, here is how we filled the time! 

Wednesday:

My sister and her girls picked us up from the airport and we hung out at their house in Quantico. Her family relocated from Arizona this past summer as her husband is attending special schooling at the Marine Corp University on the Quantico base which is about 45 minutes south of DC. I had never been on a military base so was curious what it would be like. But aside from the gated entrance where she had to show her military ID, it felt like a typical neighborhood with lots of young families.

I thought I hadn’t seen my sister since last September but Abby reminded me we saw each other in April at my grandma’s funeral. I had blocked out that visit since it was so brief and I went by myself since Paul wasn’t feeling well and funerals and an active 3.5 yo aren’t a good combo. Abby is 7 years younger than me but our kids are close in age - our kids’ cousins are much older (they range from 10-20 years old!!). Her oldest is a little younger than Taco and then she has a 16 month old and is pregnant with #3 that is due in late April!

We laid low that afternoon/evening and played at their neighborhood park. 

Enjoying some McD’s pancakes at the airport. I had to text Kae since her boys both work at McD’s. And Paul was wearing a hand-me-down shirt from her boys!

My 3.5yo niece Maddy and Paul. She was a little shy around him at first.

Riding a remote control car at the park that belonged to another family! They really got a kick out of this.

It didn’t take long for Maddy to get over her shyness. She scooted right up next to Paul and he read some Dog Man to her. Hopefully he did not pollute her mind with potty humor…

Thursday:

We had breakfast at home, hung out for a bit and then went to the Smithsonian National Zoo mid-morning. Like most Smithsonian places in DC, admission was free although Abby did pay to reserve parking. 

I was amazed at Maddy’s interest in and ability to color! Taco has zero interest in coloring and scribbles when he does color.

They enjoyed watching the Orangutan eat popcorn!

Millie, Maddy and Paul! Paul rode in the stroller a decent amount.

After the zoo we came back home and the kids played in the backyard. Then we ordered pizza and the kids watched a movie - The Grinch! Turns out Maddy likes this movie as much as Taco does. 

Friday:

This was definitely the highlight of the trip - we went to the Mall and saw some of the monuments! Paul was SO EXCITED about this! 

Paul really loved being the ‘big’ cousin for a change. He was so sweet with both of his cousins, especially Millie!

Abby and me!

I love his ‘senior picture pose’ at the WWII monument. He came up with this pose on his own.

Paul and I on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument behind us

We ended up seeing the Washington monument, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Korean War Memorial. We also saw the Capitol building and White House from the distance. There is soooo much to see in DC so we definitely need to come back as we just barely scratched the surface. But considering the ages of the kids we had with us, I think we saw quite a bit that day! My sister expects that they will live in DC for awhile and Phil has a cousin that lives out here so we have lots of reasons to come back!

When we got back the kids played in the backyard again and then we went out for Mexican. 

Cousin love! I love how Maddy is looking at Paul.

Saturday:

We had a noon flight so we had a slow start to the day and then Abby and the girls dropped us off at the airport. Paul and I grabbed some Cava (basically Mediterranean chipotle - it is so good!) and then boarded our flight home. 

I got a kick out of watching Paul carefully put hummus on each small piece of pita with a knife. 

Phil and Taco picked us up at the airport and we headed home. It was a beautiful fall day so we raked leaves and the boys jumped in the piles.

Pretending the leaf pile was their bed.

Sunday was the usual program - I ran, then we went to church/Sunday school and had swimming lessons in the afternoon. And we added in a visit to CVS for flu shots for both and a COVID booster for Paul (they couldn’t give one to Taco due to his age so he’ll get one at his 4yo appointment in December). 

Today I fly to NJ for work. I can’t say I am excited about this since I just got back from a trip but so it goes. I have another trip next week (to Detroit), get a one week break, have back-to-back weeks of travel (DC and NYC) and then it’s Thanksgiving. I only travel once in December (NJ again) thank goodness. I knew going to DC would add more travel to an already heavy season of travel - but it was worth it!! I just hope Taco sleeps better during my work trip this week. He was up 1-2 times/night during our DC trip. He tends to wake during the night when I travel. 

I’ll leave you with a picture from my run on Sunday and another leaf play pic from later than day! It’s so gorgeous in Minneapolis right now although it’s bizarre that it was 80F yesterday.

5 on Friday: vacation edition

We got back from Florida late last night. Here is a 5 things Friday style recap of our trip, written from the airport while we waited for our flight back last night!

1. The weather was unfortunately a bust. We knew it was a little risky to come to the panhandle area in early April but hoped it would be fine. It was cloudy, extremely windy, and on Wednesday there were tornado warnings. But we made the most of it. Of course the weather will be gorgeous after we leave, go figure!

Another ‘challenge’ of the trip was that Taco slept in a big boy bed for the first time and wow, we are NOT in a rush to move him out of his crib. We moved Paul into a big boy bed after he dropped his nap and we will do the same with Taco. It could have been worse but he was up during the night most nights and was up early a couple of days.

2. We stayed in a 3 bed/3 bath condo in Fort Walton Beach that had a pool so we alternated between the beach and the pool. The pool area was protected from the wind most days so that was nice. But the beach was the main draw for us Minnesotans so we spent a lot of time there. The beaches were pristine with sugar sand. We would love to see this coastline when there aren’t 15-30+ mph winds!!

The first morning was calm! We enjoyed breakfast on our balcony.

I went for a walk each morning. 

I love this pic of the boys walking on the path to the beach. After the first morning we learned that they need to wear swimsuits when on the beach. They both got soaked the first morning!

Checking out a pretty blue jellyfish

3. The weather was the worst on Wednesday so we went to a local science center that totally exceeded our expectations (Emerald Coast Science Center). They had so much hands on stuff to do so everyone from age 3 to 76 had a great time! Other outings included checking out a walking trail to a little bay where we saw a great blue heron and lots of turtles and walking the pier where we really got up close and personal with a heron. 

The boys enjoyed playing at the robotics stations

Paul was very excited to get close to this heron

Another heron in its natural habitat

4. We ate breakfasts and lunches in our condo and ate out most nights, except our first and last night when we got take out for dinner. The adults enjoyed lots of fish and shrimp.

5. It was a good getaway but we are definitely not in the prime stage for travel yet. The wheels really fell off on Thursday when Taco was up during the night and then woke for the day at 5:30 am. And then our 6:45 flight (which was pushed back twice in the last couple of months) got delayed until 8:30pm. Taco was in full meltdown mode and needed a rescue nap in the car, woke up and fell back asleep on me in the car while Paul played at a park.

Phil and I talked about how each year will get easier as Taco gets older. Paul was a total delight on this trip at age 6 and has been a great traveler since age 4. So a year from now, things should feel easier. But even though this isn’t an easy stage for travel, I still feel it’s worth it to go places and do things. The change of scenery is good for everyone and we enjoyed the time with my parents. 

Totally amazed by all the buttons! The pilots were so friendly.

. . . . 

Unfortunately while we were away my grandmother fell and fractured several bones including her sacrum. This fall resulted in her taking a turn for the worse and she will be entering hospice care today. It was a hard time for my parents to be away. They were on the phone quite often checking in on her, talking to doctors and nurses, and making decisions with family about next steps. Given her level of pain, we are hoping that the end comes soon for her. She has a very strong sense of faith and has been ready to meet her maker and to be reunited with my grandpa, her daughter, and other loved ones she has lost for years now. She has had a full, wonderful life and would have celebrated her 101st birthday next month.

I am extremely close with my grandma as her and my grandpa lived just down the road when I was growing up. I saw her in February when she was having a good day. Every time I saw her in the last several years, I knew it could be the last so I made sure to leave no words unsaid. She knows how much I adore her and how much I treasure all the memories I made with her and my grandpa. So I feel at peace with her passing and hope she doesn’t linger for long. 

That’s a heavy way to end a vacation post so I will close with two more pictures of the beautiful beach!

How I Pack for a Work Trip

I'm back from what was a very busy work trip to New York City. The days were long as I had happy hours and dinners each night so there wasn't any sight seeing, but that's typical for a work trip, especially when I'm in the city where we have a large office, as we do in NYC. There are so many people to see so I end up having 12+ hour days. I did a lot of client meetings including on really really big one on Monday afternoon and got to see a lot of colleagues so it was a successful trip. 

But as promised, here is a breakdown of how I pack for work trips. I have it down to quite a science since I travel fairly often (I will do 14 business trips this year). 

Tip #1: Apple Notes (or something similar) is your friend.

I am a heavy user of the apple notes app on the iPhone. I have packing lists for work trips and trips with the kids. Basically I do not trust my brain to remember much so I make a checklist so I don't forget something. My packing list for work trips never changes. If I don't need something, like a work badge (which I only need if I will be in one of my company's offices during the trip), I just keep it on the list but keep it checked rather than deleting it. 

Tip #2: Do not pack much.

Novel tip, right? This is not going to work for some people but I pack as little as possible. I do not need clothes for after work. I do not need several clothing options for each day. I have a "uniform" when I travel which is typically a black dress, black tights, my Rothy's flats (I only wear flats because then I know I can walk 10k+ steps and not be in pain), and a necklace. I love my work dresses and find them incredibly comfortable so I do not need an outfit to change into after work. So for this trip, I was there for 3 days so I brought 3 black dresses. If I wasn't seeing the same people day after day, I could get away with wearing 2 dresses. 

I like to workout while traveling but I usually give myself one rest day since my days can be very long. So on this trip, I planned to work out on Monday and Wednesday mornings. For my workout top, I bring a tank top with a built in sports bra (which I can get away with because I am, um, small chested - I realize this is not an option for everyone). That means I have 2 less things to pack. 

All the clothes I wore on this trip. 3 dresses, 2 pairs of pajamas (I rewore one pair), and 2 sets of workout clothes.

Tip # 3: Do. Not. Check. A. Bag. 

Again, this is not going to work for some/many. I am NOT high maintenance. At all. So it's very possible for me to pack all of my things into a teeny tiny carry on bag. I actually got this suitcase as part of my high school graduation gift in 1999. It is cute? No. Do I care? No. What I love about it is that it fits on every single plane, even the tiny regional jets I sometimes take between Minneapolis and Chicago. I do not even like gate checking my bag because you still have to wait around for said bag in the jetway and I do not like waiting around. I value efficiency above all else when it comes to packing/traveling! But I think if you travel as much as I do, you want as little friction in your schedule as possible!

So there you have it! How a very low maintenance person packs! 

I've got a really fun day ahead of me. I work this morning and then I pick Paul up at 2pm and we are going to Wild Kratts Live this afternoon. Sine the show is downtown, we are going to swing by my workplace so he can see where mommy works and meeti my fun coworkers who are nearly all older than me and completely enamored with young kids. And then tomorrow I have a day off which I am treating as a "shouldless day" meaning I am only doing things I WANT to do and nothing I feel I SHOULD do. I badly need a day like this after the string of busy weeks I've had at work!

What is your packing style? Are you super minimalistic like me or do you like to have allll the options? 

Lake Louise + Canmore: days 4 + 5

And just like that, my trip is over! I’m writing this post as I wait to board my flight from Calgary to Minneapolis. Here’s how we spent our final days! 

Day 4: Lake Louise

When I thought about the Banff area, I always thought about Lake Louise. My paternal grandparents had visited this area on a trip when I was a child and had said the area was so gorgeous. So a visit to this area was must. All the online research we did said to get there early! So we left our condo at 6am, made a pit stop in Banff for Starbucks and gas and arrived at the parking lot for Lake Louise around 7:45. We easily got a spot so our early departure was worth it! The parking lot does fill up fast! 

The views were stunning! There is another gorgeous Fairmount hotel that faces this view - I think I might prefer this one over the Banff one since there is so much hiking steps from the hotel!

Arriving early paid off as the board walk in front of the lake was very quiet. So we snapped some pics before heading out to do the Lake Agnes and Little Beehive Trails. One review describes this hike as ‘the Disneyland of hikes.’ That wasn’t really our experience but it had started to lightly rain at the start and the rain came down progressively harder so that probably deterred people from the hike. But even when we thought it might be mobbed with people, we were still willing to do it because it’s obviously busy for a reason! I love quieter, less busy hikes but I wanted to see these views. 

The Lake Agnes hike is about 3km and ends at a tea house. The tea house is only accessible by this trail so the workers all hike everything up each day!! It’s a pretty strenuous hike - not the hardest I’ve done but not a causal stroll either. The views on the way up were gorgeous!!

Mirror lake actually looks better in photos than in person. After seeing Lake Louise, it looked like a pond but the reflections off the lake were beautiful - hence the name Mirror Lake!  

We stopped for tea and treats before continuing onto Little Beehive. The tea house had lots of GF options for me! 

Little Beehive was about 1.5km further. The views were stunning. Pictures do not do this area justice. 

You can see the Fairmount on the left side of this photo. Our parking lot was just behind it so it gives you perspective on how far we had hiked! 

The hike down went much faster but it was steadily raining so we had to be careful with our footing to avoid falling! The hike was 6 miles round trip and took 2.5 hours. I was so glad to have my nice rain jacket! While the rain kept some tourists away, the rain clouds obstructed our views but so it goes! 

We stopped in Banff for lunch at a brewery before returning to Canmore. We were so very tired and opted to lay down when we got back. We had been gone for 8 hours at that point and had 3 busy, active days so rest was what we needed. At the start of the day, we had grand illusions of doing a sunset hike… but we were just so tired from all the hiking and biking. So we ate leftovers and called it an early night. We sure are fun, huh? But Amber (and all the girls I’ve met through blogging and traveled with) and I are so compatible - we prefer early mornings and early evenings! 

Day 5: Leaving Canmore

We were up early so had a light breakfast and then headed out for a short, easy ‘hike’ to a viewing point of the three sisters mountain peaks. I use hike lightly because it was more of a stroll/scramble on a rocky path. We meandered along and found a nice bench to sit on and chatted while taking in the views. You’d think we would have run out of things to talk about after talking for probably 10 hours/day the last 3 days - but nope! 

Three sisters reflection

Wearing my new Banff sweatshirt. It was a chilly morning!

It was so quiet and peaceful out there so was the perfect end to our lovely getaway. 

We grabbed brunch on our way back to the Calgary airport and then it was time to say goodbye! :(  We vowed to not let 6 go by again and will aim for seeing each other every other year! 

Closing thoughts:

This trip was exactly what I needed. It reminded me of who I was before I became a mom. Of course I am still myself as a mom, but some of your wants and desires are sacrificed when raising children, especially when they are young. It was really nice to do something for me! I recognize the privilege I have in being able to go away for 4 nights/5 days. Having a supportive husband who is willing to do more solo parenting is something I will never take for granted. But he will get his time away soon as he’s going on a guys golf weekend in northern Minnesota next weekend! 

10/10 I would recommend coming to this region and I hope to return here with Phil some day! And maybe the kids when they are hearty enough for some hiking! Luckily it’s a short 2.5 hour flight from Minneapolis so very accessible! We only scratched the surface in terms of things to do in this region but since we both have very young kids, 4 days away was as much time as we could swing. You could easily spend a week plus in this region of Canada.