It's the weekend for mother-daughter fun! Scout will become an honorary Library Girl this weekend as we traverse the wilds of WonderCon! The weirder the costumes... the better!
Nerdy mom-daughter weekend adventures!! :D
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Library Girls (and Scout) go to the City
New and weird adventures await us at WonderCon 2011 in San Francisco next week. Join the Library Girls (and junior girl, Scout) as we traverse the crazy world of comics. Join us for excitement!! 
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Gratitude above all things...
It's always at the end of vacation, on the way back home, when I really being to digest the trip as a whole. This trip was the right amount of excitement, relaxation, insanity and fun. Since Lizzie and I became friends, I have realized just how lucky I was to find the best travel friend ever. While Scout is the best travel kid ever, I am so thrilled in being able to truly enjoy travelling with someone who embodies a positive travel philosophy. Some of the best memories I've had during this trip was the simplicity of the shared experience.
I've traveled to many places with friends and family. During that time, I've taken a lot of notes about what works and what doesn't work. Those notes have prepared me for the day when I would find a good travel friend in Lizzie. Traveling with others really gives you a sense of what you do and do not want in an experience. Here are some of the little things I've learned along the way:
1) Research is awesome. A time table to help establish things is helpful. Sometimes things don't work out as planned and sometimes adjustments have to be made. Good research helps derail disappointment for things like operating hours.
2) It's okay to not spend every minute of every vacation day together. It's fun to experience different things then return with exciting stories to share. Lizzie and I each had a day to ourselves in London and Paris. For me, those 2 days made me feel nomandic and happy. I loved sharing my day with Lizzie and loved hearing about her day out!
3) Local food is amazing. Seek it out and get the true essence of the city you're visiting. Lizzie and I have enjoyed great meals in every city we've visited. Expand your taste buds!
4) Planning ahead with your entire group is a necessity. Don't waste a lot of time arguing in hotel rooms or stopped cars on where you're going/eating/visiting. Decent planning means that you have a lot of your bases covered and what people want and do not want during the trip!
5) GPS is awesome... but be prepared for the time that it stops wanting to give directions. Paper maps still work!
6) Where one traveler is weak, the other is strong. Embrace your knowledge and know when to concede to your travel friend for their knowledge.
7) (most important) Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. Remember the trip isn't about only you. There are other people involved who are interested in other things! ;) No trip is perfect, but the way you and your travel partners approach challenges can make or break a trip.
There isn't a day when I don't appreciate how lucky I am. I'm grateful for every second that I'm alive and living my life in the moment. Life IS a journey and I'm so fortunate to have good people around me.
Raise your glass, kiddies, to ADVENTURES! :)
xoxoxoxo
Emma
I've traveled to many places with friends and family. During that time, I've taken a lot of notes about what works and what doesn't work. Those notes have prepared me for the day when I would find a good travel friend in Lizzie. Traveling with others really gives you a sense of what you do and do not want in an experience. Here are some of the little things I've learned along the way:
1) Research is awesome. A time table to help establish things is helpful. Sometimes things don't work out as planned and sometimes adjustments have to be made. Good research helps derail disappointment for things like operating hours.
2) It's okay to not spend every minute of every vacation day together. It's fun to experience different things then return with exciting stories to share. Lizzie and I each had a day to ourselves in London and Paris. For me, those 2 days made me feel nomandic and happy. I loved sharing my day with Lizzie and loved hearing about her day out!
3) Local food is amazing. Seek it out and get the true essence of the city you're visiting. Lizzie and I have enjoyed great meals in every city we've visited. Expand your taste buds!
4) Planning ahead with your entire group is a necessity. Don't waste a lot of time arguing in hotel rooms or stopped cars on where you're going/eating/visiting. Decent planning means that you have a lot of your bases covered and what people want and do not want during the trip!
5) GPS is awesome... but be prepared for the time that it stops wanting to give directions. Paper maps still work!
6) Where one traveler is weak, the other is strong. Embrace your knowledge and know when to concede to your travel friend for their knowledge.
7) (most important) Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. Remember the trip isn't about only you. There are other people involved who are interested in other things! ;) No trip is perfect, but the way you and your travel partners approach challenges can make or break a trip.
There isn't a day when I don't appreciate how lucky I am. I'm grateful for every second that I'm alive and living my life in the moment. Life IS a journey and I'm so fortunate to have good people around me.
Raise your glass, kiddies, to ADVENTURES! :)
xoxoxoxo
Emma
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A free, quiet moment to write about Sunday!
Laundry is in the dryer. Lizzie is napping after the late breakfast and I have a moment to myself to steal the computer and write about our travels.
Before I begin on Sunday's adventures, I'd like to say that driving through Arizona / Phoenix at night is boring. It was also dark. No lights and all together scary when you're on a 2 lane freeway through the desert. Our drive that was supposed to be 5 hours started to leak into 6 hours with the sudden emergence of road closures due to both accidents and construction. We were very angry and tired monkeys when we arrived at our hotel.
That being said, let me tell you about Sunday... our first real day in Phoenix. We got to the hotel at about 1 AM and found out that the hotel clocks said 2 AM. Our phone clocks said 1 AM but hadn't reset. One of the fantastic parts of our day was finding out that my hotel scouting and reservations paid off in a room that was over 30% off the current rate because I had booked so early. Our very basic and out of the way hotel in Mesa was at capacity due to Spring Training. Yay us!! :D
The first game was in Surprise, AZ at Surprise Stadium. This was the venue that was furthest away from our hotel. At an hour drive through very un-picturesque landscape, we were happy to arrive and find our seats. We were not prepared for the heat (a crazy 88 degrees) and how close we were to the field (right past the 3rd base bag in the 5th row). They were so close!
The Giants stomped on the Rangers with a great score of 11-8. Take that, Claw fanatics! Their food at their stadium was lackluster. The only thing that was delicious there was the shared sno-cone. Perfect for the weather!
The day was capped with a trip to Alice Cooperstown for dinner. I had the veggie sandwich (which promised grilled veggies... and ended up being some marinated mushrooms and salad mix crap) and Lizzie enjoyed pasta with andouille sausage, chicken and a cream sauce. I had one bite and it was tasty. I whittled my sandwich down to random carrot shreds and looked around at other goodies. There's a 2 ft hot dog called "The Big Unit". When someone orders it, there's a huge bell that goes off so everyone looks to see who is eating the Unit. Heh. It got annoying after the 2nd time. The first time, I thought it was a fire drill.
Back at the hotel, Lizzie and I stressed out about Monday's game and our big surprise which we will write about soon.... with pictures. There are some people who know about our project, but we will reveal more soon.
Be well and travel safely!
xoxoxoxox
Emma
Before I begin on Sunday's adventures, I'd like to say that driving through Arizona / Phoenix at night is boring. It was also dark. No lights and all together scary when you're on a 2 lane freeway through the desert. Our drive that was supposed to be 5 hours started to leak into 6 hours with the sudden emergence of road closures due to both accidents and construction. We were very angry and tired monkeys when we arrived at our hotel.
That being said, let me tell you about Sunday... our first real day in Phoenix. We got to the hotel at about 1 AM and found out that the hotel clocks said 2 AM. Our phone clocks said 1 AM but hadn't reset. One of the fantastic parts of our day was finding out that my hotel scouting and reservations paid off in a room that was over 30% off the current rate because I had booked so early. Our very basic and out of the way hotel in Mesa was at capacity due to Spring Training. Yay us!! :D
The first game was in Surprise, AZ at Surprise Stadium. This was the venue that was furthest away from our hotel. At an hour drive through very un-picturesque landscape, we were happy to arrive and find our seats. We were not prepared for the heat (a crazy 88 degrees) and how close we were to the field (right past the 3rd base bag in the 5th row). They were so close!
The Giants stomped on the Rangers with a great score of 11-8. Take that, Claw fanatics! Their food at their stadium was lackluster. The only thing that was delicious there was the shared sno-cone. Perfect for the weather!
Back at the hotel, Lizzie and I stressed out about Monday's game and our big surprise which we will write about soon.... with pictures. There are some people who know about our project, but we will reveal more soon.
Be well and travel safely!
xoxoxoxox
Emma
We're sorry!!!
Lizze and I had anticipated more writing on the blog. Before we run out to breakfast, I'll try to put some fun tidbits on here (and add more when we return and are doing laundry).
Sunday was our first game at Surprise Stadium in the city of Surprise (!). The stadium was new and beautiful. It was the right venue for the Giants to beat their World Series Rivals, the Texas Rangers! The food was meh... but the one treat that Lizzie and I enjoyed on a hot day was a Sno-Cone. We shared a Cherry / Watermelon slushie.
We're off to breakfast, but we'll write more soon!!
xoxoxo
Emma
Sunday was our first game at Surprise Stadium in the city of Surprise (!). The stadium was new and beautiful. It was the right venue for the Giants to beat their World Series Rivals, the Texas Rangers! The food was meh... but the one treat that Lizzie and I enjoyed on a hot day was a Sno-Cone. We shared a Cherry / Watermelon slushie.
We're off to breakfast, but we'll write more soon!!
xoxoxo
Emma
Sunday, March 13, 2011
let it begin!!
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Saturday, March 12, 2011
Lucy and Ethel rent a car
So tonight we arrived at McCarren International Airport in Las Veas feeling like experienced world travelers. Everything ran like clockwork. Our flight departed early, was absolutely smooth flying, and we arrived ahead of schedule. Then Lucy and Ethel went to pick up the rental car... and hiarity ensued.
So the process is that you pick out your vehicle (the keys are in the ignition) and they scan the vehicle when you leave the lot. We picked out a blue Nissan Versa-- yes, big spenders-- and Emma pulled the car forward so we could put our luggage in the trunk. Then she tried to get out of the car... and the door wouldn't open. I pulled on the door from the outside, and the door wouldn't open. She was stuck in the car looking sad and defeated and pleading for help. Getting locked inside the rental car doesn't sound like a good way to start this trip. Finally Emma realized that the door won't open when the key is in the ignition. *facepalm*
Then we tried to pop the trunk, and spent 5 minutes trying to find the lever, only to realize that we could use the key. *double facepalm*
this is how we do it!
Waiting leisurely at the airport and enjoying the beautiful weather and quiet lobby. Today has been good to us and thanks to Lizzie's smarts, I have downloaded the blogging app for my phone. There's nothing better than a fun adventure with a bestie. we will have touched ground in 3 states by the end of today!
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File under "only in San Francisco"
After our delightful snack at Tartine we stopped by the Bi-Rite Market, just for fun, and then headed through the Mission District toward 101 to get to SFO. On the way we noticed a man sitting alone on a bus stop bench who was having a very animated conversation with himself.... in sign language. Whatever the "voices" in his head were saying, his hands and fingers were flying.
TSA... yay!
Emma is more excited to go through airport security than a normal person. It's quite amusing. We have an hour before boarding so we're crusing the duty free store. (heh)
Who said getting to the airport has to be a hassle?
We have discovered the joys of a late flight. Since we don't have to be to the airport until 2 p.m., Emma and I are enjoying a Saturday brunch at Tartine in SF. Lattes and pastries before out flight make for a leisurely start to our adventure. This beats battling traffic at 6 am any day!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Memories
It suddenly occurred to me that it has been almost exactly two years since your Library Girls went on our grand trip to London and Paris. It really seems like just yesterday. The best thing about blogging our travels is being able to relive all those wonderful experiences through the pictures and words that we set down. Scrapbooks are lovely, but usually you're writing tidbits about something days, weeks or months after the event actually took place. In documenting our travels as they happen we have truly preserved a moment in time.
And in those short two years technology has made it possible to capture so much more information on the go. This trip we will be blogging via mobile phone. So check back often and you can follow us almost to the minute!
~Lizzie~
And in those short two years technology has made it possible to capture so much more information on the go. This trip we will be blogging via mobile phone. So check back often and you can follow us almost to the minute!
~Lizzie~
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
We'll follow the sun
Your favorite globe-trotting book pushers will be hitting the road again in just a few days. We've grown weary of these dreary winter skies and are heading to warmer climes. Stay tuned for fun in the sun!
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