Burr Oak Weekend

It was only the second state park weekend getaway in as many years, but the kids were looking forward to it as much as any vacation they had ever taken. After all, they get to spend 36 hours traipsing around with friends who are just footsteps away! But truthfully, that's why I enjoy the weekend, too.

Our trip two weekends ago to Burr Oak State Park in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio had been on our calendar for months. A good friend organizes the weekend, basically setting aside cabins that are available to rent from the lodge for a discount. Something like 14 families were there in our group, and I knew almost all of them. The weekend was filled with fires, food, pumpkin decorating and crafts for the kids and indoor swimming (mostly for the kids again!). Some people went on hikes, although lazy me did not. But I enjoyed the camaraderie.

It's not much of an exaggeration to say the kids were devastated when we returned home on Sunday morning. It's a fun way to spend a weekend, and only 90 minutes away.

Photo Friday: Wise Old Owl

Nov. 1, 2016. Inniswood Metro Gardens.

Photo Friday: Inniswood Metro Gardens

We took advantage of a fine fall day by exploring Inniswood Metro Gardens -- a lovely place to play!

Nov. 1, 2016

Exploring Inniswood Metro Gardens

For several weeks now we've finally been at the point where we're not letting a newborn change our plans. As in: If we could do it before Atticus was born, we can do it with him, too. A good test to that theory was our morning at Inniswood Metro Gardens in nearby Westerville.

We packed up the kiddos on Memorial Day and spent a couple of hours walking the trails and exploring the park. When I needed to feed Atticus, Paul walked with Edith in the gardens. When Edith needed to use the potty, we found them and took her. Doable.

Not just doable, but pleasant. We could have spent much longer there -- we didn't even make it to the storybook maze! -- but kids do change some things. Namely, nap time and the need to get home for it.

"Sunday Afternoon" in Columbus' Topiary Garden

I've lived in Columbus a total of nine years, but it was only last month that I finally visited the city's well-known topiary garden. The garden, a recreation of Georges Seurat's famous painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte," is located at the Old Deaf School Park downtown.

That's one thing that I got wrong all these years. I thought it was near the current deaf school, which isn't all that far from where we live here in Clintonville. But the old deaf school, which was in operation from the 1890s until 1953 (according to the self-guided tour paper I picked up at the park), is located behind the main library and just a short walk from the city skyscrapers.

The topiary garden has been there more than 20 years and sits on a seven-acre park with more than 200 trees. Climb the small hill in front of the topiary and stand off to the side of a relief of Seurat's painting, and you can clearly see how it took the form of trees. Even a pond is included, said to represent the River Seine.

Edith and I visited the garden on my birthday in mid-July, and it was a lovely way to spend a perfect summer morning. Next time, I'll bring lunch.

Photo Friday: Brooklyn Bridge Park at Night

The "Other" Brooklyn Bridge Park

I'd long considered it the "other" Brooklyn Bridge Park, since it was on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, where we rarely went. I'd seen it from the subway, crossing the East River on the Manhattan Bridge, but I'd never been there. Since I wanted to visit Jane's Carousel, however, a visit to the "other" park was imperative.

It's worth a trip back, mostly because we didn't have time to visit a playground that looked terrific and that I'm sure Edith would have loved. Besides the carousel, there was a small park practically underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and, of course, beautiful views of the Manhattan Bridge and the city across the river.

A Visit to the High Line, 2014

Paul and I generally visited the High Line -- a long park set on and around a pair of railroad tracks on Manhattan's west side -- once a year. This year was no different, even if we don't live there anymore.

But since our days to visit were limited to our one week of vacation in New York, we didn't have the luxury of choosing a cool, pleasant day. It was bright and hot. We prepped by first enjoying the air conditioning in the nearby Chelsea Market. Then it was off to the park to see the views.

The question we probably asked when we first moved to NY.

At Chelsea Market, before the park.

Making Music in the Park

Clinton-Como Park a short walk from our house has a cool feature that I've never seen before: a small music board with blue notes that swivel to bang adjacent metal hemispheres. Neat, but I'm glad that I don't live too nearby -- they're loud!

Squibb Park Bridge: A Bounce in Your Step at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park and the nearby Brooklyn Heights Promenade both offer some of the best views of Lower Manhattan and, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge.

But although they sit practically next to each other, it's not as easy as a hop, skip and a jump to get from one to another. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway bisects them -- the promenade is above and to the east, while the park is below and to the west, right along the East River.

My favorite way to get from the promenade to the park is over Squibb Park Bridge. It isn't as dramatic as the nearby Brooklyn Bridge, but Squibb has something its sibling doesn't: a bigger bounce.

"The bridge was designed with trail bridge technology and is meant to be lightweight and flexible like the trail bridges in our state and national parks," according to the Brooklyn Bridge Park's website.

If you're prone to motion sickness, beware. A few steps is nearly enough to make you seasick.

I like the feeling, however. And although Squibb Park Bridge probably doesn't warrant a special trip, it's worth a stroll if you're in the area and want a good view of that other bridge.

Edith Crosses the Brooklyn Bridge

My Brooklyn baby couldn't leave New York without first crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, could she? So last weekend Paul and I made our more-or-less annual trek, this time with Edith in tow.

Although the scenery changes very little from year to year, it's one I never tired of. I always loved making the walk with out-of-town visitors.

This time, however, we did something we rarely ever did when crossing the Brooklyn Bridge: We walked in both directions. The three of us started in Brooklyn and turned around only when we reached Manhattan. Usually we walk only in one direction, or cross halfway before backtracking.

The Brooklyn Bridge isn't too exciting for some babies.

The bridge is always crowded with sight-seers and bikers, and I was afraid that taking a stroller was going to be much more annoying than it actually was. But we weren't the only ones up there with a baby by far, and in a way the stroller was an asset. It parted the Red Sea of tourists.

Afterward we walked down to Brooklyn Bridge Park, but only long enough to get a few photos of Edith before her squeals were too much for even us to handle. So my Brooklyn baby is going to have to wait for a really good shot of her with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background!

Paul at the High Line

My favorite photo of Paul so far this year. At the High Line.

Visit to the High Line: 2012

Throughout my 12 or so weeks of morning sickness, I went from being confined to the apartment each weekend to being content to stay in the neighborhood. Even when the worst of the morning sickness was over, I still got queasy on the subway and was loathe to take it when I didn't have to. So I never did on the weekends.

But after a week of feeling completely back to normal -- so long as you don't count my insatiable hunger -- I was ready for a weekend adventure into Manhattan. So Paul and I took a walk along the High Line on the West Side for the first time in about a year.

I've posted lots of photos of the High Line (see here, here and here), but I managed to catch a few more lovely views this time around. Here are my favorites.