Baby S First Independence Day!

We are back from probably the MOST fun vacay I have ever had in my life, except for our HM in Greece of course, in Door County WI!  We had so so so so much fun, I can't even begin.  Baby S was a natural, and took to DC like a true Chicagoan haha!  We did have a few issues getting there and back (13 hour drive, yup!) but every day was an absolute gift and the weather was sunny, and mid 80's the ENTIRE time!  Now if that is not a WI miracle I don't know what is.

So suffice it to say I am incredibly grateful for every single minute we had on our trip, it was absolutely glorious- every fraction of a second.  I will always treasure our first family vacay.  It was definitely a different kind of trip than I've ever had, our days began at about 5am and were typically over by 8pm.  We had this adorable but eensy weensy teeny tiny little cabin (so we could accomodate a screaming human baby and a very vocal furry big baby dog) and S had her own room with borrowed pack 'n' play, which was great, except the only TV was located in her room and alas, when she goes to bed at 6pm there are a couple hours of very boring daylight, especially because we were essentially trapped there.  But we traded off nights so each of us was able to see the breath-taking sunset, which was almost transcendent as you watched it from the pier, the sun disappearing behind a tiny island, into the bay. The Edgewater was really superb, I really hope all the cousins stay there next summer, so we can actually hang out with other people at night!

I could go on endlessly about all the myriad ways this trip was so special, and I want to try to remember as much as I can, so here goes:
-Leroys Coffee!  It was about a .5 mile walk and fit in perfectly with my 6am work-out, Leroy's you are the best!  But you've got to get a better refill policy, well actually, you don't even have one!
-I found UNSWEETENED DC cherries, an enormous bag!  It cost $24 and I stupidly bought them anyways but they are worth it! YUM!
-Fred and Fuzzy's!  What a super fun find that was!  Gorgeous view from the water and the setting for Aunt M's and MKG's hilarious Patron-taking vid.  See link!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmjM2w299ig
-The Oilerie, a brand new store in Fish Creek with hundreds of different kinds of EVOO's and vinegars, I finally found Meyer Lemon EVOO and got delish raspberry balsamic!
-Not that I partook, but Leinenkugel Summer Shandy was definitely the sleeper hit of the trip!  Great job MKG on starting the trend and getting the whole crew to indulge!
-Really amazing fish boil, we all had a blast and the white fish was beyond!  Such a fun experience too!
-As usual on one our our trips, we got off the beaten path a bit to enjoy something a little out of the ordinary, for instance, the Ellison Bay Scenic Overlook, and the Newport Beach State Park, c'est magnifique!  We had a blast in the outdoors and exploring the peninsula. 
-Jeffrey Taylor in Fish Creek- um how have I never been there before?  Gorgeous jewelry and objets d'arts, I feel jipped that I have never been there, especially now that I know it was one of grammy's favorite places and where she got tons and tons of her jewelry!  I got two very modest little rose gold pieces (my new obsesh!).
-The freaking Flip- what would I do without it?  Click here for some amazing footage from our trip!
-Moravia Street, another hidden gem that I have never seen in like a lifetime of going to DC!
-Although the location, setting, and amenities at the Edgewater have the Waterbury beat hands down, the pool at the WB is definitely superior, we had a great time splishing and splashing there on Saturday with the crew!  It's also where S got on a swing for the very first time!!!!!!
-Of course no July 4th trip to DC would be complete without the Egg Harbor parade!  We had a really fun time and MKG thoroughly enjoyed the brats, corn, and beer!
-So glad I brought the following items: COOLER thank you god for the cooler and every darn thing I packed in there, water diapers, sun hats, appropriate clothes for our daytime endeavors and not too much for once!  Bug spray, baby SPF, baby headbands, a vast assortment of leashes for Mr. Jer so we could hook him up outside and give him plenty of room to roam around, my walking shoes, camera, and BOOKS OMG I would have died without the books I read (The Paleo Diet, So This is Where We Live, Freedom, and In Defense of Food if you're wondering, yes I read all of them.).
-THE SMOKED FISH.  Oh. My. God.  It will knock you over.
I'm sure I'll keep adding to this as things occur to me.

 

Does it not look like we had an absolute blast?  We did!  Until next time DC!  And this post will probably keep growing and growing for the next few days as things occur to me, and if my flips ever finish uploading to youtube! (They're all here!  http://www.youtube.com/user/rjg0027)