Day 3 - North to Leland

We were up at 8:00a this morning for showers and breakfast... cereal and more bacon.  I sat outside on the back of the boat to do my morning devotions.  I love this so very much!

After I wrapped up, Scott and the kids had the kitchen cleaned up and we were ready to get underway.  The wind was significantly stronger today so we had some concerns that we would make it the next stop. 

We left the slip at 10:10a and had reached the end of the channel by 10:20a.  There were 3' rolling swells with chop mixed in.  Not too bad... considering what we had expected based on the winds.  We turned north and enjoyed a great trip up.  Because we were traveling with the wind, the waves didn't bother even as they grew larger on the way.  

We arrived just outside Leland around 11:45a but held short as the marina advised there was someone still in our slip.  The lake was quite calm here as its naturally protected so the kids and I sat up on the bow of the boat and relaxed in the sun while we waited.

 

Once the call on the radio came in, we proceeded to slip 7 at the Leland Township Marina.  Once we were secure, Jen responded to some project emails while Scott prepped our lunch sandwiches.

After lunch we walked into town to check out the shops and walk through Fishtown and visit the dam.  

I was thrilled to find a mercantile with a great supply of items we would regularly need.  So took a moment buy some groceries that weren't available last night in Frankfort.  As we continued our walk, we found the cutest book shop with a outdoor space set up for painting canvas, ceramics and other crafts.  Scott asked Sammy if she was interested, and boy was she!  She and I spent the next 2 hours meticulously painting a very sweet princess statue.  Clearly our girl had a vision... and it turned out great!  In the meantime, the boys finished a walking tour of town, bought some smoked fish and crackers and then headed back to the boat.

 

We have very slow internet and next to no cellular connection either.  Its amazing how much we rely on technology... even when walking around town or trying to meet up.  

When we all were back, I called on a restaurant Scott had suggested and the hostess said she could seat us immediately if we came right away but otherwise, they couldn't take a reservation for later.  So, quickly we all pulled our shoes back on, put the dog in her crate, and off we went again for dinner.  We ate at the Cove... burger, tenderloin, and a New Orleans fish & pasta plate that Scott raved about.  Then we took a short walk to find some ice cream and then headed back to the boat.

OK.  So this is an inside joke but Scott has this thing with big trees.  I think its simply being in awe of how old it must be and to imagine what the area was like when it was just planted.  I cannot tell you how many times he's insisted that the kids and I stand next to a big tree for a photo.  So, imagine our surprise when we heard another dad stop his kids to talk about a tree.  We turned around super quick only to see this beauty...  So big, they left the tree in tact and stopped the curb and road short of its roots.  Because of its sheer size we insisted that Scott be in the photo this time!  Enjoy it!

Sammy and Scott both took showers aboard and we just took it easy.  It looks like rain coming in overnight so we put on a movie and just cuddled in.  I love sleeping aboard when it rains!

Girls Day 4 - Painting and Central Park

It was an alarm clock sort of morning, but not til 8:00 am.  Then it was a long wait at Starbucks so we had to eat while we walked to the American Girl Store.  We had a painting class at 10:00 am.

 

The instructor began with a simple instruction... “Draw your pumpkins on the canvas”... no further direction or advice on how to make authentic looking gourds.  Within 5 mins, Sammy whispered that she was frustrated and with tears in her eyes, asked for a break. So we stepped out of the classroom only to be smacked by the crazy busy noises of the cafe.  We quickly ducked down the employee entrance to the kitchen and asked a waiter for advice on an escape.

A manager found us a quiet space, brought us drinks, and checked on us regularly.  As I held my girl and reassured her that her pumpkins were fine in quality and value, I became frustrated with myself for missing the signs... for not realizing she was upset before it got to this.  Ugh.  I guess in some way this trip has tricked me into forgetting what a struggle adventures can be... which in and of itself is incredible.  For four days, we haven’t had a single issue or even hiccup.  I dried my own tears and decided to be grateful instead.  It took almost 30 minutes to calm down but even then I could tell my girl was fragile.  I set her up for success in every way I knew how and we re-entered the paint class.  The teacher approached and told me that the manager had found a quiet place for us to paint together.  And so we were escorted to another room with couches and end tables fully draped in plastic and our very own little paint studio.  Oh thank you American Girl.

 

We painted around 45 minutes and when the final glitter was added, we headed out for lunch in the cafe.

  

We wrapped up a little before 1:00 pm and headed back to the hotel. The route we usually take along 6th Avenue was completely transformed into a street market... over 6 blocks of vendors of food, clothing, and all things for the tourist.  It was actually really cool.

After a quick rest time, we headed up to Central Park.  We walked it since this was an area of town we hadn’t seen yet.  And along the way we found Donut Project... a small bakery I had read lots about so we stopped in to see what the hype was all about.

It was a little hole-in-the-wall place with amazingly large donuts of all sorts of creative flavors. Seriously we took one of the “Black Gold” to share but I wanted to try them all.  We crossed the street and found a bench in the park to enjoy it.

 

We had almost an hour until our carriage ride was scheduled so we decided to head over to the playground but on the way we saw these amazing rocks that you could climb and decided that was a much better use of our time.

 

  

How fun!  I could have stayed for hours!

We got to the carriage ride a little early and Peter got us loaded up and whisked us away with Bazooka at the lead.

 

  

The tour was great!  And Peter pointed out so many iconic spots and views in the park from movies, history, etc.  I really enjoyed it.  We did have a stop about halfway where we met a photographer to take some shots of the two of us.  But those pics wont be ready for a few weeks.  As we wrapped up the tour, Sammy was snuggled in enjoying her movie.  We both had a great time!

By the time we had wrapped up, I was feeling hungry... so I suggested Ruth’s Chris for supper tonight.  I mean, how many chicken strips can one eat in one 4-day trip?  Sammy loves steak so I knew it was a plan.  We called for a table and walked the 6 blocks to the restaurant.  Yum!

On our walk home, we passed through Rockefeller Center and considered ice skating until we saw the crowds gathered so we decided to watch a bit instead.

My feet were getting pretty sore by now, so we took a pedi-cab (rickshaw) back to the hotel.

We snuggled in bed to watch a movie... and I hate to admit it but this Mama fell asleep for like 45 mins.  My sweet girl woke me as Ice Age 4 was wrapping up to see if I wanted to get a snack.  So I placed an order at Starbucks and we ran across the street to pick it up.

Back in our room, we put on our PJs and settled in for another movie.

What a great way to wrap up another excellent day!