Over the past few summers, we’ve taken some great trips for weddings. We visited Asheville, NC for my cousin’s wedding one summer, while another summer brought us to Ireland to meet up with family and to attend our friends’ wedding. Last summer it was a week in Umbria for my sister-in-law’s wedding.

We love to travel, and seeing new places an revisiting old favorites like Ireland is something we have been really excited and blessed to be able to do.

However. . . every year before our summer travel plans are made, we also spend some time wishing we could just experience and enjoy New England in all of its summer glory. It’s the best time of year to live here, and with our new baby the focus of our attention now, staycationing in New England will be the theme of most of the summer.

I’m back at work (never really left) post-baby, but I am trying to take Fridays off for the summer. Last Friday I kicked off summer Fridays a bit early!

Our first stop was Westport Rivers, because what goes better with a beautiful, blue sky New England day than local bubbly? Baby’s first winery!

Getting around with a newborn takes a few more steps and tweaking of logistics, but other than a big spit up incident, our visit to the winery was absolutely lovely. We made sure to keep our melting down baby boy away from everyone else enjoying a quiet day, making all of us less stressed.

It really was a stunning day, and I always love a glass or two of the Westport Rivers RJR Brut with vineyard views.

Once we were settled in, Myles really seemed to enjoy the day as well. He’s a big fan of fresh air and riding around in his stroller, at any rate!

All of that fresh air helped us to work up an appetite, so our next stop was The Bayside, just down the street from Westport Rivers. The Bayside is always a favorite. It has an extensive menu, great cocktails, wine, and local beers, and is located in a beautiful spot across from expansive blue sea.

All I wanted was a buttered lobster roll and a glass of Westport Rivers rosé. This is the most perfect meal ever.

The Bayside has a great patio, but since it was still a bit chilly, we opted to stay inside in the bright and lovely restaurant. It has a great old time feel with friendly staff and a good noise level, key to taking a baby out for lunch. Luckily ours slept the whole time!

While I am eager to be out and about with him, I am also super conscious of the fact that not everyone wants to be near a crying baby!

Once we were done with lunch, and we saw that we had time to stop at Travessia Urban Winery in New Bedford, we were once again on our way. If you are making a trip to the region, I would recommend making time to visit both Westport Rivers and Travessia. Add Cork Wine and Tapas Bar to your itinerary if you have time in New Bedford for lunch or dinner.

We were excited to try some of Travessia’s newer wines,made with grapes from Portugal. We always love the wine at Travessia and have been club members  since the beginning days of this blog when we tasted the wines at the Coastal Wine Trail Kickoff. I can’t believe that was nine years ago!

Myles was a huge fan of the tasting room, where he got a perfect view of the all of the wine. I know some people will likely give us the side eye for bringing him to wineries and breweries as a child, but for us, bringing him up with an appreciation of great, well-made and responsibly sourced food and beverage as part of life is important and enjoyable for us, as we hope it will be for him. People who love to eat and drink and share those experiences with others are the best people!

Tuckered out from wine tasting, we piled into the car and headed through beautiful back roads to Hull, our last stop of the night, to meet family and friend’s at Hull’s Kitchen, a fantastic little spot across from the beach. Talk about a beautiful day!

Hull’s Kitchen is a bustling little oceanfront restaurant with really excellent tacos, amazing views, and on this night, live music. It was noisy and fun and perfect for Myles and his cousin C, who is a bit older and loved the music and beachy sunset. Hull always makes us feel like we are on vacation, and our evening at Hull’s Kitchen was truly the perfect way to end our summer Friday.

Where should our New England travels bring us next?

Technorati Tags: day trips, New England, Travel, wine

Happy first day of Summer! Boston is my favorite place to be during this magical season, and if you’ve been reading my blog any length of time, you know that I spend every minute I can boating, swimming, and on beaches.

As such, I was so excited to learn about Boston Harbor Cruises luaus on Spectacle Island, and to be invited to one that fell on my husband’s first Father’s Day. It turned out to be the perfect day for a cruise over to Spectacle, as it was in the 90s, and we enjoyed beautiful sea breezes.

Since it was a luau, I made sure we were dressed accordingly. Welcome to a lifetime of coordinated family outfits, Myles!

We enjoyed a lovely and smooth ride out to the island and then were greeted with its beautiful beaches, trails, Boston views, and a tent set up and ready for our dinner.

We made a quick stop at the bar for Sam summers, and then we found seats under the tent to begin our luau feast!

The main dish at the luau was a whole roast pig, which I fully enjoyed, but I decided to omit a photo, as I know many people (including myself) have a hard time looking at the pig itself. I have to say though, it was really yummy, super tender and flavorful, and the team serving it up was lovely and friendly!

As usual, for me, the side dishes stole the show. I ate the majority of this frisbee full of tomatoes. Nothing says summer like tomatoes, and these were simply delicious. I also loved this noodle dish and a combo pasta/potato salad that just says summer picnic.

After we devoured our side dishes and melt-in-your-mouth pork while chatting with our luau neighbors, we were presented with a creamy coconut pudding . . . which was incredible!

The timing of the luau meant that we were able to go for a nice walk on the island before heading back to the boat and enjoying a glorious sunset over Boston as we rode home. We took turns relaxing on the bow (It was a bit too windy for the baby.) and we all just felt super happy and relaxed when we arrived home and ready for a deep sleep and to tackle the week ahead. My husband said he felt like he was on vacation while out at the luau. I wholeheartedly agree.

Thank you for hosting us, Boston Harbor Cruises! I look forward to coming aboard for my annual trip to Provincetown and hopefully for many other journeys this summer!

Technorati Tags: beer, Boston, events, Food, holidays, summer

While we were waiting for our little one to arrive, we talked about taking him on adventures. Travel near and far is important to us, and getting him on the road and in the air right away was a priority. His passport has arrived, and our tickets to Ireland are booked! In the meantime, we wanted to enjoy the gloriousness that is summer in the Northeast. Our first family road trip brought us to New Jersey to visit family, and we made our way back to Boston through one of my favorite places, the North Fork of Long Island. I’ve visited the North Fork four times now, and I just want to keep going back. It has a beautiful serenity, a feeling of closeness to the sea and the earth, that I simply love.

Our drive from my mom’s in New Jersey wasn’t the worst, and Myles slept for much of it. We made a quick stop for a hot dog at Coney Island, and we were on our way to wine country!

We decided that since we are now traveling with a baby, we would try our best to find lodging with suites whenever possible. It worked out perfectly that my husband had Marriott points from work travel and that the Residence Inn in Riverhead was fairly close to the local wine scene. The hotel was beautiful! It was spotless, modern, offered a great lounge with great wine (Bridge Lane wine in a can, hello!). Our room had a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom, so we had space to put the rock and play where the baby could sleep without our being awake bothering him. It was the perfect setup for family travel while also being totally chic and vacation-y.

I have a list of North Fork favorites, but I am also always eager to try new places. On this trip we visited three new-to-us wineries, along with a restaurant we hadn’t eaten at before. Read on to learn all about our trip!

Clovis Point Vineyards was absolutely beautiful and super family-friendly. The expansive lawn leading down to the vineyard had several picnicking families on it. I love that places like this are great for adults while being fun for kids. I have also learned that lots of fresh air = sleep, so being outside is key. Clovis had some fantastic wines, and I especially loved their barrel-aged Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. I love Cab Franc, and the North Fork is definitely one of my favorite spots for this grape.

Macari Vineyards was a gorgeous spot for some delicious bubbles. It was a weekday morning in June, we had the patio all to ourselves, and their music selection was excellent. Our baby loves music, so we made a morning of dancing with him while looking out at all of that green. Bliss.

Their rosé display was seriously beautiful!

The winery with the most lasting impression on us was Jamesport Vineyards. It was our last stop on our very first day, and it happened right in the middle of a very long baby meltdown. I was crying, he was crying, life felt like it would never be fun again. I felt like a traveling failure, like taking trips was over. And then we went into the beautifully sunlit tasting room and received the warmest hospitality. Thanks to Matt for suggesting we get the bottle and for not rushing us, even though it was the end of day and near closing. The rosé we had was a breath of fresh air, with summery strawberry notes. The space at Jamesport is so beautiful, both the indoors and outdoors. Inside, light streamed in through a lofty ceiling, while out back, a huge stretch of green space awaited. We left feeling a bit more put together and relaxed!

Thanks to Matt for capturing this family photo!

We were tired from our travels and found a cute restaurant, Jerry & the Mermaid, for great seafood and more local wine for dinner.

Blue Point oysters are some of my favorites!

I paired them with a salad and Clams Casino while Eric had fried shrimp. Everything was delicious, the restaurant is on the water, and it was perfectly baby friendly. Everyone around us was smitten with Myles!

After a fairly decent night sleep, we had the next day to explore and revisited Lavender by the Bay, and while it wasn’t yet in bloom, it was still a magical place. You can view my photos from the full lavender bloom here.

I never visit the North Fork without a stop at Kontokosta, and we made it our last stop before we headed to the ferry. You can read about a past visit here. Kontokosta is absolutely gorgeous and has some of my favorite wines anywhere, including, you guessed it, Cab Franc! We grabbed a picnic and ate it on their sprawling property which overlooks Long Island Sound. We found a bit of shade and had a happy baby while we sipped great wine and indulged in meats and cheeses.

Summer paradise

We said our goodbyes to North Fork wine country an headed to the Cross Sound Ferry dock to get ready to make our way back to Boston via New London. The ferry itself is incredibly relaxing and has a great selection of food and craft beer, making the experience part of your getaway. Look at that sparkling sea! The engines of the ferry made Myles fall to sleep almost instantly, and he slept the entire ride. One recommendation I would make, especially if you are traveling with children, is to get the priority tickets. We were able to board early and were one of the first cars off, which made the trip a bit smoother. As we navigate family travel, I am using every tip and trick I can find!

Until next time, North Fork!

Technorati Tags: family travel, North Fork, Travel, wine

Summer has been flying by, and  true to our wishes for a summer close-to-home, we have made some beautiful family memories enjoying our surroundings in the coastal Northeast.

My husband celebrated his 40th in July, and to make it extra special, I found a house on Narragansett Bay, where we spent three nights relaxing, eating, drinking, and playing with our little one, who happens to be a huge fan of the beach. We opted to stay a little closer to Boston than actual Narragansett and found the most adorable waterfront cottage in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Prior to booking, I had no idea that Warwick is home to such beautiful views and some great restaurants. . . more on those later. Bay Breeze Cottage is where we spent most of our time, and staying here again is definitely a priority for us.

The two bedroom house was immaculate inside and equipped with everything you could ever need to feel at home. . . a full kitchen, books, games, towels, linens, beach chairs, even sweatshirts for chilly nights. The home-like nature of the house made it easy for us to have some meals in, and the views made us never want to leave.

The beach was mere steps from the house, and being on the bay meant that the water was warm and calm. We enjoyed walks and taking turns taking dips while Myles looked on. He had his toes in at one point and wasn’t impressed. We’ll work on the swimming.

Right down the street from the cottage was a park with views toward more open waters and a beautiful lighthouse. Having the park nearby gave us even more reason to just leave the car in the driveway and spend our time outside walking and taking in the views.

One of the best parts of the cottage was the sunset view, which was spectacular and changed daily. We were blessed with clear and perfect weather every day which resulted in long, stunning sunsets.

And on our last night at the cottage, fireworks dotted the skyline over the bay. We never needed to turn on the TV or open our laptops because our surroundings and some great music provided the perfect backdrop for reconnecting and making memories.

We spent so much time outside that I didn’t get many indoor photos of the cottage, but it was truly lovely. Cottage owner Jackie thought of every detail to make the cottage an ideal getaway. And since it was just over an hour from Boston, we didn’t end up tired from travel and traffic.

Have you enjoyed any close-to-home trips this summer?

Technorati Tags: family travel, New England, Rhode Island, Travel