sagamore hill

Long Island was certainly not what I expected (see the idealized wanderlust in previous post!). But it was an absolute adventure, with lots of learning (and driving) and getting lost on purpose.

Hands down, the most awe-inspiring part of the trip was our visit Sagamore Hill (it was the sole reason for our trip in the first place). It was the summer home of Theodore Roosevelt, one of the most intense and rugged personalities of American history. I seem to love him even more the more I learn about him; more so as an icon, admittedly...until my visit to Sagamore Hill. It might sound boring to some, but as someone who loves history and learning from travel, this was a weekend well spent. I have read several books over the last year in my free time about the life of Theodore Roosevelt - books that paint him in a good and bad light - and I have concluded that he fascinates me as a person and a President. I wish I could do some of the things he has done.

During our visit of the house, it was as though TR would appear at any moment; as if he was about to return from a short outing or errand in town.  The interior of the home was beautifully and richly decorated with dark walls, lavish tapestries and carpets, and other relics distinctly from early 20th century America. His desk was arranged as he used it, with the actual candlestick telephone, ink wells, gas lamps, and typewriters that he used. Books were on the shelves - something over 10,000 - in every room. Hallways were narrow, ceilings were huge, and every inch of free wall space was covered with naval art, mounted taxidermy, trophies and awards, collectibles, family photos, you name it. I could go on and on about the details in the house - and yet, it was a house, not a castle or a museum. It had a comforting lived-in feel, as if a great deal of living had been done in this house.

Sagamore Hill is located in Oyster Bay, New York, on the northwestern end of Long Island. I severely underestimated how long Long Island was; we didn't come close to our goal of reaching the far east side. Another time. It was cloudy and dreary anyway, and to be honest, we spent so much time driving that I glazed over and lost interest to spend more time in the car.

Our trip to Oyster Bay turned out to be the highlight - my mom and I absolutely loved the tour and would go back in a heartbeat. We poked around the main town of Oyster Bay and stopped for amazing burgers at Taby's for lunch. We were either in a burger-and-fries coma, or exhausted from the hours in the car, but we didn't find much to do after Oyster Bay besides drive around.

We found a Whole Foods and stocked up on a bunch of snacks for the hotel. My mom and I have so much fun stumbling on these ideas - food fest in the hotel! We got delicious (and I'm using the healthy excuse, too) dinners, wine, and other snacks...before crashing in that delectably cushy white bed.

ciao! xo

next stop: montauk

images sourced via pinterest

Okay, so we may not end up in Montauk, but I couldn't resist that title and it's definitely a location we're going to try to hit today as we embark to Long Island! It's a girls weekend that I have been looking forward to for a while. I love spending time with my mom and stumbling upon the most unexpected places. Some things I am hoping to do:

- shoot an outfit post somewhere along a cute main street.
- visit sag harbor, NY
- see the windmills
- whaling museum?
- get some fresh cut lavender or buy some fresh flowers.
- squeeze in a coffee diaries
- tour the theodore roosevelt home at sagamore hill
- see a lighthouse (I don't have a preference to which one) :)

I've got my weekender packed, the car is filled, to-go coffee in my hand. I'm wearing the most nautical chunky sweater I could find to fit in with the seafaring theme. Can't wait to get on the road! Have a great weekend, everyone! ciao, xo

gettysburg

Today marks the 152nd anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

 Last weekend my mom and I took a whirlwind, last-minute trip to Gettysburg, a place that neither of us had been before. For a sleepy Pennsylvania town, it is brimming with relevant history and is absolutely one of my favorite experiences in a while. It really was an investment to go, as a historian, and as a stakeholder in history education. It was powerful to see the sprawling, hilly fields of Gettysburg and contemplate what it may have looked like all those years ago. It was a somber but meaningful visit, especially as I am becoming more and more interested in the Civil War. Short weekend trips like this can teach you so much, and make you appreciate your country. It was really good timing, as today marks the anniversary of Lincoln's famous address; it was also the weekend after Veteran's Day which really made me think not only about our country, but the people who quietly gave what they could to serve to make our country great. In light of recent events I am even more grateful for this.

Not sure if I should be posting this, because technically we broke a rule...but my favorite part of the trip was going onto the fields at night. Not to hunt for ghosts, but to take pictures of the stars. The milky way was fantastic. Streams of stars lit the sky. Little bright balls of white developed the longer you kept your eye on them. The starlight picture above was taken at the site of one of the hospitals at Gettysburg, near Cemetery Ridge.

Even without the history, Gettysburg is a delightful town. All the locals that I spoke to love living there. It is quiet, simple, and well maintained. The town has a certain dignity along with its charm. We found some cute cafes and restaurants on the main street, Chambersburg Street, including this place and this place. 

I can't sufficiently express what I got out of this trip. I loved every second of it and can't wait to visit again.

ciao! xo

seaside september weekend

 Some of my thoughts from our fall beach weekend, which is turning into quite a tradition:

• I am discovering that I am in love with the allure of ships. I think my favorite place at the beach is the inlet, where all the giant steel fishing boats sleep. We went there one sunset and saw fishermen unloading their day's bounty, which included small blue fish. I asked the fisherman, who was very kind, if I could snap a few pictures of him doing his work. He obliged, and that black & white photo above is one of my new favorites.
• We also have a weird new go-to beach that I like to call Carcass Beach (sounds lovely, right)? It's actually gross but I always leave there as wide-eyed and curious as a kid. There is almost always a scattering of fish vertebrae, crab legs, and that pungent smell of fish. This is weird...but I kind of like it. At a distance, of course.
• To go with my new love of watching ships, I have become obsessed with tracking them and reading up on shipwrecks. I started reading a book, Shadow Divers, which I am halfway through...it is SO COOL. All about shipwrecks scattered along the coast of New Jersey. I borrowed the rental house's copy but didn't finish in time, so I bought my own copy and am patiently awaiting its arrival in the mail.

I love the beach in the fall when the crowds have left. It is so inspiring and beautiful, with the most enchanting smell of autumn in the air. It is the season for spices, orange hues, scents and tastes - but by the sea everything is better. 

I woke up every morning around 5am to see the sunrise - thanks to my mom, for getting me out of bed. Once on the roof, we saw the most stunning vistas, even if it was a cloudy daybreak. I also liked watching the ships bob in the water - even the big freighters and fishing ships, too. 

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Last post I announced I was changing my public settings on my blog and going to go "private." So if you're reading this, thanks for staying on :)

ciao xo! 

whirlwind trip: seattle

 Seattle!! What a gem! We spent a beautiful whirlwind of 2 days here in the Emerald City and it was an absolute delight, such a great city to explore from scratch without any major plans. My first instinct was noting how laid back and outdoorsy the city felt; it is not a city of high glamour or materialism. It seems to be booming and growing everyday, with new construction and building. In every corner of the city, blue and green surrounds the eye.

The highlights of the trip were our trip to Bainbridge Island and the family time that we were able to spend with my aunt, uncle, mother and cousins in between our time in the city. We planned the trip poorly, but managed to fit in a lot of the items on my bucket list!

Day 1 : We arrived early in the morning at met my mom at our hotel in downtown Seattle.  We stayed at the lovely Westin and honestly, it was one of the most luxurious rooms I've stayed in! The down sheets and comfy pillows were by far my favorite part! We got started right away after stowing our bags, and headed first for Pike Place Market. S and I wanted to do some touristy things, like see the fish being thrown at Pike Place and the scenic views of the Puget Sound. We had so much fun with my mom goofing off and leisurely walking past the stalls! My particular favorite were all the flower vendors, who had the most vibrant bouquets with generous heaps of sunflowers, dahlias, snapdragons, and ranunculus. We had lunch at the delicious Sound View Cafes - our table had chicken quesadillas, sandwiches, and fries - and enjoyed our seat. We were perched right above the piers along the Puget Sound, so we had a prime view of the ferries humming along the waterways and disappearing in and out of the fog.

After lunch, we perused a lot of stores and got used to walking the hills of Seattle. We stopped by Beecher's Cheeses and glimpsed at the first Starbucks location - but honestly they were teeming with people and the thought of being stuck in lines was horrible. We made our way out of the Pike Place area and we ended our day shopping by visiting the REI store. Seriously, it was the coolest of stores I've been to. I'm not a big outdoors enthusiast, but after going into REI I wanted to become one! The camping equipment and apparel had me dreaming of redwood forests and open Washington roads.

For dinner we went to visit family in the northern suburbs of Seattle - a simple pizza and wine with the family was SO relaxing and chill. I was in love with the area and was so glad we spent the day entirely outside. S and I had an early start that morning (we were up at 3am!) so I was definitely craving sleep by the time dinner was done.

Day 2 : The original plan was to see the San Juan Islands by ferry but due to our lack of planning and time constraints, we figured that a short trip to Bainbridge Island would satisfy our desires to travel on the Washington ferries. It was! We enjoyed the morning so much, even though it was a bit cloudy and we didn't see Mount Rainier very clearly (darn!). The expansive blue waters and hazy hills in the distance make Seattle so dreamy - I know it rains a lot, but it makes the greens lush and happy. Bainbridge Island was ridiculously beautiful, and as we pulled up we realized that it was quite small and quaint. S and I strolled around by foot and opted to take a walking trail along the water that eventually led up into the town center. We saw the marina, which was quite parched of water as Seattle is experiencing a dry summer. After exploring the woods, looking at the wild berries and all of the boats in the water, we meandered up into the center of town and found the most adorable main street. It was filled with cafes, a bookstore, cute boutiques and gift shops, and other mom & pop stores. Absolutely no chains or franchises (except for maybe a bank). It was charming! My favorite stop was our spontaneous find at the Blackbird Bakery - seriously we just stumbled upon it! - for a latte and a little apple pie. We loved that little bakery!

On our ferry ride back, we snapped photos of the Seattle skyline once it came into view and figured our next move. I was really interesting in snapping some pictures of the city from a high point - thank goodness S is always up for my outrageous ambitions - so I did a little old fashioned searching on a paper map from our hotel. I found that the Columbia Center, the tallest building in Seattle, was the best spot for observing the city and the surrounding water and mountains. It also happens to be the 2nd tallest building on the west coast! Seriously, it was gigantic and quite impressive. We ventured to the observation deck on the 73rd floor for $15 each (ouch) and had a most amazing 360degree view of the city. If it were a bit clearer we probably would have seen Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker! That was a bummer. But the view was so stunning, we stayed up there for quite a while and really got the most out of the deck. We had lunch at the Columbia Center and planned our way back up to the suburbs for a last family visit.

Our remarkable visit is over, but we cannot wait to be back to explore more of the Pacific Northwest!! I am itching to go back!

Highlights:

- Mercury Coffee based out of Woodinville is seriously amazing coffee - the best I have had in a WHILE! I am so glad I discovered this company, and wish there was a location near me. Check it out! We had a fantastic experience at the cute to-go shack we visited, along with fantastic service. A must-visit. It makes Starbucks taste like dishwater!
- Pike Place calligraphy, flowers, and fish tossing!
- Taco dinner with family outdoors, enjoying the last of the daylight
- The walking trail at Bainbridge Island, and exploring the woods with S!
- Seeing (or at least being pointed in the direction of) Seattle giants such as Microsoft and Nintendo
- The stadiums (S's fave!)
- Blackbird Bakery
- Seeing the Space Needle at night, peeking through the buildings as we zoomed down I-5
- Hanging out at REI and contemplating camping life - it would be fun to hang out in a tree tent, right?
- Introducing Mom to UBER! :) She loved it and we had amazing drivers!
- Stopping for iced coffees with Mom and S
- The Columbia Sky Deck - seriously amazing views, arguably the best in the city.
- Our hotel - love at first sight!
- Metsker's Maps is a favorite store in our family! I use a lot of their maps in my work, and could spend hours in there - it's amazingly overwhelming.

ciao! xo