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The Long Drive Home

August 19, 2014: First Stop Vermont

Driving from Charlevoix to the Mid-Atlantic is a long drive so we decided to break it up with a stop in Vermont and adventure in New Hampshire. We drove to Canadian border and of course had to stop and the souvenir shop right before customs. It was packed with tourists rushing to get their last minute maple candies and syrup before entering the United States where the maple goods would not be as cheap. We proceeded on and after driving for hours we checked into Comfort Inn St. Johnsbury in Vermont.  After we dropped off our luggage, the kids headed straight for the pool while I figured out dinner.  We were tired, I picked up a pizza and we cozied up in bed with food, TV and each other.

The Beautiful Road to La Malbaie

La Malbaie, Charlevoix

August 17, 2014

Our first stop on the road to Charlevoix was to Parc du Mont-Sainte-Anne to visit the falls. The hike was a nice circuit that took us around the falls and gave us views from many angles. It was a perfect

amount of time, about 45 minutes and a nice morning stretch for the kids. During the hike was came across a zip line, which our 9 and 8 year old insisted on doing. A zip line right across a gorge with a 50 foot drop. Why not; most parents would say yes to this! We finished up our walk and headed back to car to continue to La Malbaie. We stayed with friends who owned a house in the area and were nice enough to allow us to crash in their guest house for 2 nights.

Quebec - A Taste of Europe

Montreal to Quebec

Sadly, no Pictures

August 15, 2014

We anxiously piled into the car for our next leg of the trip, Quebec City. Along the way we hit up Tim Hortons for breakfast and coffee. Their donuts taste like Dunkin Donuts did when they were made in store, fresh and melt in your mouth. Coffee was decent as well. We preceded along the highway and the kids were intent on finding moose (but never did). However, it kept them busy for about 5 minutes until they gave up their search and resorted to their electronics.

We arrived into Quebec right before lunchtime and checked into The Fairmont Frontenac Hotel, one of our bucket list hotels. An amazing Old World grand hotel and the kids were floored by the sheer size and elegance of the hotel. We dropped our belongings and headed out to the city to explore. I couldn't believe I was in Canada. It felt like we were in Europe. I'm sure everyone says that, but it's true. We walked through cobblestone streets, old buildings and big squares. We grabbed a quick lunch of poutine, and then made our way to see Cirque du Soleil show. Since the show got it start in the province of Quebec we decided it would be fun to see it in its place of origin. I always enjoy the shows and the kids loved it as well. They were beat after and we walked back to the hotel and just ordered room service, threw on our pajamas and chilled out for the evening in our awesome historic hotel. Sometimes, it's nice to order take out or room service instead of having to get ready again to head back out. A nice way to decompress from a long fun day.

Canada 2014- Montreal

First Stop: Montreal

August 11

Our summer road trip started out as a typical five family adventure. My husband woke us up at 3:45 woke us in upstate New York and we stopped for gas, food and to switch drivers. Kids switched on their electronics and I drove straight into Montreal. We arrived just in time for lunch. Funny how we tend to always arrive around meal time to our destinations. 
am, piled the 9, 8 and 6 year old into the back of the car with the luggage, I dropped into the passenger seat and we hit the road by 4am and left Maryland with sights on Canada. We all fell back to sleep while my husband drove straight for 4 1/2 hours in silence. Finally by 8:30 our stomachs

JWRP 2016 ISRAEL

JWRP ISRAEL

December 2016

I have dedicated this blog to traveling with kids, but I experienced a trip in December 2016, that impacted my family and has impacted many families world wide. I was selected to go on a free trip (airfare not included) to Israel with a group of 18 women from my area. Once we arrived to Israel we met up with other women from around the globe. We are all mothers of children under the age of 18 married, divorced, widowed, never married and at different stages of our lives. We all share in common our Judaism raising children. The goal of the trip is to connect and learn about Jewish values and be inspired to bring these values back to our homes, to our families, to strengthen our Jewish bonds in the house. We were given the opportunity to travel throughout the country of Israel, listen to lectures and learn about who we are as Jewish Women. We spent mornings in lectures learning about historical Jewish women incorporating their strengths and our strengths into current events. Learning that we could apply to our current daily lives, they were funny, interactive and thought provoking. Afternoons were spent discovering different sights of the country along with guides while having some free time to explore.