adventuring

I realize I haven't blogged since JULY. Wow. That is because I lost my "voice" a long time ago, between deployment, reintegration, 1/4 life crisis, etc...

Anyway, I am at a really good place in life now. I am working living a happier, fulfilling, more ME life.

My latest big adventure was in honor of our 1 year wedding anniversary. I wasn't sure if we could top (let alone match) our honeymoon trip to Ireland, but my expectations were blown out of the water. I live to travel, and while trying to plan the perfect anniversary trip, groupon started their travel program. On a whim, I booked us a trip to a place called Ludlow, Vermont.

It was AMAZING!

We stayed at a wonderful hotel Castle Hill Resort and Spa

in this gorgeous mountain town. Ludlow is a small town in the Green Mountains, and is usually a ski resort town. We however, went off season, in October. Here is a pic of the lovely resort. It is a former mansion that now houses a 5 star French-American Restaurant and 10 guest suites. I can't begin to describe how beautiful the building is. I am an architecture junkie, and the gorgeous details of this house took my breath away.

We rented a car, boarded the dogs and embarked on the 10+ hour journey into the unknown, as I made a loose itinerary that left more room free for exploring than a rigid schedule. I am SUCH a control freak, and we don't normally travel with such a casual plan. But I am so glad we did. I got to explore the next town over (Springfield, VT. Who's claim to fame is that the won some type of Simpson's contest and were chosen to host the Simpson's movie premiere. Random!) I found the most beautiful used book store there and spent about 2 hours exploring it. I came away with a lot of rare books, so I was in heaven.

Later that day, and back in Ludlow, we ate at a small family owned restaurant and the sweet owners told us how to find our way up Mt. Okemo. So, we did it. We drove a long winding road, going higher and higher until we found a good place to park. We then hiked 3 miles further, and came to the highest point around. There is an old fire-tower the rangers used until the 60's. we climbed that and this was our view. We actually watched a storm roll in about 30 miles away. It was unbelievable.

and here I am at the top. Freezing my fingers off.
husband and I. On our 1 yr anniversary.
we ended the night at (of course) the local Irish Pub, The Killarney

I didn't take pics because my camera was dead :(

This bar was great for a number of reasons, but we loved it because 2 entire walls were dedicated to patches from Police, Firefighters and Military units from all over the country. In case you don't know, Vermont is right next to NY, and the Sept. 11th attacks affected them greatly. They take their support of those who defend and protect very seriously. When my husband offered the bartender a 4th ID patch of his own, not only did she exchange a free drink for it, she thanked him for his service and introduced him to the entire staff. For military wives, that small appreciation means a lot. It's not everyday that I see the support and appreciation given to my soldier. Especially from people that were so deeply affected by the terrorist events that have defined our generation and this war.

I will be adding more pics and stories soon. Thanks for continuing to read my poor neglected blog!