Three's Company

Back in the beginning of June, our friend Jorge came up from New Jersey (he's also from Texas but working up north) to visit for the weekend. We wasted no time packing in the fun and took him kayaking on the Susquehanna River then ended the day relaxing at our favorite local winery on the first day.

The next day we headed up to New York to show Jorge the 8th wonder of the world, Watkins Glen. It is seriously the most breathtaking place. As you walk along the gorge with 200 ft cliffs, you pass nineteen cascading waterfalls that have carved their way over thousands of years, it is truly a geological wonder. 

After trekking through the Glen, we drove up the east side of Seneca Lake for some wine and beer tasting. The Finger Lakes in New York are like the Napa Valley of the northeast, with bit more rieslings and ice wines due to the cooler climate. 

We started at Grist Iron Brewing Company that has spectacular views of lake, then continued to a few more wineries and ended at Two Goats Brewing which is a sweet little barn-turned-brewery with probably the best deck to watch the sunset. 

*Check out some of Chris' custom Aggie hats he designed here*

We had a blast hanging out with Jorge, as always, and love getting the chances to see good friends when we're far from our home state. I think Jorge will agree that it sure beats the heat of Texas when you're sipping a tall glass of beer over looking the sunset on the lake, with a cool evening breeze...cheers to summer!

Atlanta Anniversary Trip

For our five year anniversary, Chris had planned a surprise trip that I had no idea about. For the longest, I thought we were going to the mountains, I kept asking, "should I pack hiking boots???" So he finally told me the night before leaving, after months of keeping it secret, "Ok, for our anniversary weekend, we are going to Atlanta, Georgia." I immediately asked, "Can we go to the aquarium?!" Needless to say, we didn't just go to the aquarium...we swam in the aquarium....with the whale sharks. WHALE SHARKS. 

He not only planned the whole dive including an extra Padi Whale Shark Specialty, but also made reservations at one of the most beautiful restaurants in Atlanta. I'll have to give it to him, the weekend was incredible.

The amazing thing about the whole trip is that it pretty much sums up our relationship. We met at an aquarium, we've worked at aquariums and we both have a love for diving, marine life and adventure. Oh, and food. Our trip to Atlanta was unforgettable and a great way to celebrate five awesome years with an amazing man.

Here is a little glimpse of our weekend adventure in Atlanta...

Memorial Weekend, From Pennsylvania to Canada

Chris and I have had a couple things on our northeast bucket list so when Memorial weekend came around, we decided it was a perfect time to check them off. We started in Pennsylvania, where we kayaked along the Susquehanna River. We then headed out to Canada the next day to check out Niagara Falls and stopped along the way in New York. It was a whirlwind trip and we had a blast crossing two states and the Canadian border!

After a beautiful day on the river, we relaxed at River Barge Brewing Company with some local beer and our new friend, Gus. 

The next morning, we made our way through New York, stopping at the Corning Glass Festival. We couldn't have asked for better weather, it was in the mid seventies and not a cloud in the sky. 

We made it to Canada mid afternoon, just in time to walk around and grab some dinner overlooking the falls. It brought back so many great memories of family trips to Niagara and it was just as beautiful as I remembered it. On Sunday we took the Maid of the Mist into the heart of the falls, a first for the both of us. 

As we made our way back home, we stopped in the town of Macedon, NY where I lived fifteen years ago. I had been hoping  to do this ever since we moved up north. It was like a walk down memory lane as we drove by my old house and caught up with a good family friend. We even stopped by Erie Lock 30 where my dad used to take us on the boat and the historic Lock 60 where my brother had many birthdays playing capture the flag. If you're not familiar with the lock systems, check out this video, it's pretty wild that they were built about 200 years ago and many are still in use. 

Everything was just as I remembered it and it was really great to share these memories with Chris and make new ones as we explored Pennsylvania, New York and Canada...eh!