OT- Where do you MGO on summer vacation?
Wife and I are originally from the West and have kids so every summer we get summoned home so the grandparents get grandkid time. I'd like to take a big trip somewhere but the guilt the mother-in-law can lay down on my wife is epic.
The family trips we do get to take are weekends up north or to Chicago so my son can nerd out with the Dinosaur skeletons and of course, Sue at the field museum.
Couldn't they come visit you and then you take a trip somewhere else a different time? Seems like you gotta lay down the law.
Beautiful day in the South Bay today.
moved here 5 months ago after graduation, didn't realize how many were out here
I really can't stand going to the same place twice. Maybe I just haven't found a good enough vacation spot. I'm going up to Maine this weekend. Portland to be specific. Gonna go to a beer fest and probably eat no less than 3 lobsters.
I'll try to find a place that does that. It sounds good. Of course I'll still have to have my mandatory side of melted butter with it.
Unpopular opinion incoming:
Maine lobster is overrated. IMO. spiny lobsters are much better.
Are you from Florida by chance? I've been in the seafood business 20 years and I think the only people who've met that share this opinion are from Florida.
Unless you're talking about cold water spinys, of course! But who can afford them any more.
Really? Have also heard that some people think Columbus is a better place to attend school than Ann Arbor. /s
I've never had a spiny lobster before so I can't say for sure that you're crazy. I know plenty of people who think lobster itself is overrated but pretty much everyone agrees that Maine produces the best.
...that taste like lobster!
If you have the chance, go eat at Duckfat. FOR REALS.
I'll definitely look this place up. I'm staying with some native Portlanders who are probably familiar with it.
So many good restaurants in Portland for the size of the town:
Fore Street
Miyake
Grace - really cool interior
Bresca
Also one of my favorite, a small local bar/restaurant in downtown Portland. I think it was called J's Oyster. Place was a local hangout on the piers between some massive very "touristy" white ship converted to Italian restaurant (don't go!) and the Harbor Fish Market. It was recommended by the locals and is literally that just a bar with great food. The view is nothing to rave about, just a row of tables along a window and U-shaped bar. Wife had a cup of lobster stew and a classic lobster roll. The stew, much like chowder, was thick, and full of large chunks of lobster. The roll had a toasted bun and large perfectly chilled lobster chunks. I had the seafood bouillabaisse, very tasty with huge chunks of sea scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster over just enough pasta shells. Last ate there a couple of years ago and still judge seafood soups/chowders/bisques against it.
Also, if you get a chance head up to Acadia National Park with a pair of hiking boots and if you are an art lover I highly recommend a quick stop at the Wyeth center-Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, ME and Olson House, in Cushing(of Christina's World fame) Wonderful selection of eastern painters including all the Wyeths, Homer, Inness, and Bellows. (Then you can always hit any of the "Lobster Pounds" on the way back. Had never had as large a lobster before.)
Edit: Yes, enjoyed grace and loved fore street also, but have always had a fondness for local divey places with good food.
Just down the street from there is some of the better sushi in Portland, a place called Sapporo. Haven't been in a couple years but they used to do half price sushi after 9pm.
Sometimes the TSA folks will look kindly on a family with a youngster that age (we were essentially "waived through" a couple of lines when we flew with our 18 month old son back in 2001). Things may have changed, but there are some agents with hearts who will help expedite certain processes.
The best thing, if possible, is to have an aisle seat with the tyke in your lap so that you can walk about from time to time. Ignore any and all stares from fellow-passengers, especially if your child begins to cry.
Bless God you are not changing time zones, so jet lag and other sleep interruptors will be less of an issue.
In the end, of course, much depends on the temperament of said youngster, so experiences will certainly vary. Pressure changes are one of the big problems; if there is something he/she can chew on during take-off and landing, that's great. There are things called "earplanes" that equalize pressure for infants and toddlers.
Final thought: Board last so that you are sitting in the plane for the least amount of time possible.
Vaya con Dios.
Also bring enough food for what seems like 3 days. Don't want to be stuck with just applesauce when the kid want pretzels or crackers or some other random food item.
Lastly buy one of those pull back airplanes from the newsstand. Keep then busy for hours.
resident here. If by chance you make over here while in Destin, I'll buy you an MGoBeer at the Pensacola Bay Brewery.
Get a snack or a drink for takeoff so that the little one can pop his/her ears easiliy. Go ahead and buy them a seat. IMO it is really worth it. The younger they are the more prepared you should be that they won't be easy to deal with the whole time.
Benadryl....plenty of benadryl.
St.Ignace, Mackinac Island & City, Les Chenaux Islands, etc....you cannot beat the Straits of Mackinac area in the summer time!!!!
Heading up there myself in about 10 minutes.
You are right! I live here and work in Mackinaw City. If you have the chance, take the drive down the Tunnel of Trees on M-119 between Harbor Springs and Mackinaw City. Absolutely beautiful scenic drive. Only state highway in Michigan with no lines and no shoulder.
Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg, TN - usually rent a cabin off the beaten path. They have all sorts of tourist trap thing for the kids, trout fishing in the mountains, and scenic drives. Usually have some friends from MI come down and share the cabin. We started going there over Myrtle Beach because it's usually 10deg cooler in the mountains, and I like seeing the bears, bobcats etc.
This year (Next week) we're heading home to MI. Spend some time in Midland with the family, go up near Wolverine and meet our friends at their cabin, then go the Bay City Fireworks. Can't wait, except for the drive through the Worst State Ever.
Cons: No off days
I camped up near Munising/Pictured Rocks, went on some little hikes, and went swimming in Lake Superior last summer and hope to do it again. It's a gorgeous place and doesn't hurt the wallet.
Jamaican by birth, so easier to play tourist if you're already quite familar with the lay of the land. Typically spend time on the north coast by uncle's abode in Oracabessa, but west will do (Hanover or Westmoreland) if the objective is to find a slower, more laid-back vibe. Other option is all the way to Treasure Beach/Alligator Pond for the best seafood on the island at Little Ochee or just to again experience pristine beaches that have yet to be sullied by development.
Curious what the reason is that you choose the north coast? Is it the scenery? I know there is a lot more varied topography there, and in the east of the island, but I've always gravitated south, and west. The West End is my go-to spot, but away from town (I like it quieter). We started with the all inclusive garbage, but in the last five years have gotten away from that completely and are soo much happier when we go now. I love going to the little local dives and just talking to whoever is there. It's great.
Any tips are much appreciated.
We just moved to Big Sky, Montana in March. I don't see myself roaming to far from here. Just a beautiful area. Only 50 miles from West entrance to Yellowstone Park.
Ask me this question again after spending a winter here!
Torch Lake. In Northern Michigan, near Traverse City.
Fond memories of Torch and the Dockside restaurant. We actually ended up getting married at A Ga Ming Golf resort in 2010 and I have been back a couple times since then for weekend golf trips.
I golfed A Ga Ming last summer, I was definitely impressed.
I am prepared to drink lots of beer out at the sand bar.
We've gone to Mullett Lake near Cheboygan for the past 15 years or so and it's fantastic up there