For my 20th trip to New Orleans and my 8th Mardi Gras, I got to do something I’ve wanted to do for over 20 years: go to one of those fancy pants black tie balls that the various krewes hold. And because I believe in coming strong, we chose the […]
travels
a weekend in Vieques, Puerto Rico
When we got hitched 10 years ago, my bride gave me a copy of a book entitled “1000 Places to See Before You Die” with a nice inscription in the front that referenced wanting to visit a bunch of them together. So, any time I know I’m going to a […]
the annual trip to Saint Simons Island
For the 4th consecutive year, I took the family with me for my annual workers’ comp law seminar at Saint Simons Island in southeast Georgia (I’ve gone every year since starting in 2004, save 2007, when I was in Iraq). This year was a bit different in that I had […]
4 days with 3 children in Chicago
The impetus for a trip to Chicago was the National Organization of Veterans Advocates semi-annual conference, but really I wanted to bring my family to see one of my favorite cities and to return to where my bride and I went more than ten years ago to my friend Jesse’s […]
a week in Munich during Oktoberfest
Sometimes a man needs to hop on a plane to attend a party with over 6 million people. Science and psychology tell us this is the best way to spend our discretionary funds, but I’d do it even if they didn’t. The idea for last week’s trip was actually hatched […]
the Emerald Coast, Florida
“The Emerald Coast” is how self-proclaimed sophisticated people (or local travel agents) refer to the area of land in the Florida panhandle that touches the Gulf of Mexico. Part of it–Panama City–is often labeled the “Redneck Riviera,” but really all of the area could pretty much earn this moniker. It’s […]
What she misses while at the beach
The oldest child living in our house turned 9 on July 16th. She got to get a manicure and have a sushi lunch with her mom before coming home to bake cupcakes and open a wrapped Taylor Swift CD that she has not stopped listening to ever since. Right now, […]
our first family camping experience
One of our family’s favorite weekend activities is visiting estate or moving sales in our neighborhood. Last summer, we got a barely used tent for like $20, and it’s bothered me ever since then that we haven’t used it, so when we loaded up to visit my parents in north […]
Trains, Automobiles, and Planes: our family’s 3 days around Boston
We boarded our train at 7am at Penn Station and began the 4-hour Amtrak ride to the Back Bay Station in Boston, where our Pathfinder was waiting on us. We checked into a Courtyard and then dropped my bride off at a nail salon in Cambridge, so she could see […]
2 adults and 3 children do 2 days in New York City
Our end goal was my sister-in-law’s wedding near Boston, but I wanted the trip to be something to look forward to, and it’s hard to look forward to an in-law’s wedding where the only people you know will be the ones with wedding obligations. So, I cashed in a couple […]