Boogie Boarding!

I haven't done this in AGES.....I felt like a little kid again (note the child-like shrills as I catch my first wave!). Fun times!!

Where in the world is STRATHMERE??

Strathmere is our family's little secret. It is where my parents met, and where my brother, sister and I grew up as kids every summer playing on the beach, fishing in the bay, and enjoying family time. Strathmere is so small that even people in neighboring towns have trouble finding it on a map. Nestled between Sea Isle City and Ocean City NJ, Strathmere is a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Jersey shore. We LOVE coming back to Strathmere each summer and spending some quality time with family and friends. "SSShhh......Don't tell!" is Strathmere's motto. We hope it never, ever changes!

This past weekend, we had our Santa Barbara friends Dana and Tony visit us in our favorite little beach town. They recently moved to Jersey City, NJ and we have been planning this weekend in Strathmere ever since we heard about their move. We thoroughly enjoyed playing in the waves, relaxing on the beach, floating in the bay, "crickin' " in the marshes on my dad's boat, and sharing many laughs. This weekend was also the annual "Nightmare in Strathmere" - a festive boat parade that brings together all Strathmere residents for a night of creative costumes, delicious food, abundant cocktails, and many laughs. It has been so great being back here and spending time with the Hollingers. Family time is the BEST and we have to soak it in while we can!

Matt with my brother Dave

My mom and I in front of our house in Strathmere

Our friends Dana and Tony at the house

Herb (my dad :) with Matt and Tony on the "Midas Well"

The "Best Of" Slideshow!

Click here for a slideshow that we made for our
move and roadtrip!

WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!

After pulling a 9 hour day on the road yesterday across Ohio and Pennsylvania, we arrived in Bryn Mawr, PA around 5:00pm. Phew! It was so great to pull into my parents driveway to find my brother Dave there to greet us. The rest of the family is at the shore in NJ, where we will be heading today. We were glad to get home and unpack our car, but both agreed that our trip could not have gone better! It was definitely a trip we'll remember forever. And the exciting thing is, we're not even close to being finished with our travels!! Stay tuned for more updates from the Jersey shore with the Hollingers as well as from MA with the Harringtons, where we'll be headed next week!

Here are the socks that I finished knitting on our road trip.
Hooray for knitting on long car rides!!!!!

A visit with the Eberlys in Ohio

This was our last stop before home! We stayed near Toledo, Ohio with my cousin Liz, her husband Kevin and their two adorable girls Abby (3) and Kaylee (1 1/2). It was so much fun catching up and seeing where they live. We stayed for two nights, and I can't tell you how great it felt to take a day off from being on the road. It made our final day of travel so much more bearable.

Abby and Matt enjoying the swings

Liz and Kaylee on the slide

Kevin's parents own a beautiful house near theirs with their very own pond! We had fun swimming and playing with the girls and enjoyed a BBQ dinner that night. Thanks, Liz and Kevin, for having us!!

The Bad Lands, SD

It took some pleading and convincing, but Matt finally agreed to stop and see the Badlands. We were just starting out on our 9 1/2 hour drive to MN, when I spotted the Badlands on our map. I had heard from several people that they were NOT to be missed, so we decided that the extra hour added on to our already long day of driving would be worth it. And it was!!


The Badlands are a result of years and years of erosion and sedimentation. It was cool to learn about all of the history in this area, and archaeologists are still uncovering more fossils to this day. You can check out more at www.nps.gov/badl/ . This was defintely unlike anything I've seen before!

Yep, that's Mt. Rushmore!

It's funny, after seeing SO many postcards and pictures of this tourist-happy monument, actually SEEING Mt. Rushmore with my very own eyes was a bit of a letdown. It was definitely incredible, don't get me wrong. But it was something about the tacky billboards and tourist traps leading up to the site of the 4 presidents that was a big turn-off. Luckily, as we entered the protected Black Hills, the billboards faded and allowed us to enjoy the natural beauty around us (ahh). EVERYONE should see this once in their lifetime. My favorites were the pupils of their eyes....they were completely carved out with a long, open cylinder inside. So realistic! Apparently the artist had plans to carve out completely down to the waist of each president, but passed away before finishing. So...this is how they will stay. Can you name all 4 of these guys?


Here's a shot of the campsite where we stayed that night in the Black Hills. It was just 2 miles from Mt. Rushmore and was absolutely gorgeous! It's called Horsethief Lake Campground, in case you're ever passing through and need a place to camp!

Matt cooking up some sausages, peppers and onions:

Bozeman MT with the Broomells!

We have been thoroughly enjoying our time with Chris, Sarah and little Iain in Bozeman, MT. Yesterday, we departed from our campground in Spokane, WA and took an easy 5 hour drive to Bozeman. Matt was starting to doubt my ability to pick good campgrounds (c'mon, it's all done over the internet!!), but I thankfully redeemed myself in Spokane. We had a little trouble finding it, but when we did we were so happy to see that our spot was steps away from a lake. After enjoying several dips in Long Lake (officially the Spokane River) we hit the hay and were up early for our next driving adventure.

Sunset at our campsite in Spokane WA

It has been so great NOT being on the road today!! We had originally planned on making the 2 hour drive down to Yellowstone, but decided to take it easy and enjoy the natural wonders right here in Bozeman. This morning we took a hike in the Gallatin mountains. The trail took us along a gushing creek and ended at a beautiful waterfall. It has been over 5 months since we've last seen the Broomells, and we have been enjoying all of the new things that Iain can now do! He loved splashing in the creek and violently shaking his head "yes" whenever we asked him if he wanted a cracker. He's such a cutie!

Chris, Sarah and Iain Broomell

Hiking in the Gallatin Moutains

Sarah and Iain at the creekside

Tomorrow we're off to the Black Hills, SD where we will experience Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument for the first time. From there we will camp a second night in Minnestota. I'll try to write again from Ohio, where we'll be visiting my cousin Liz and fam. Hard to believe we'll be landing in PA in 5 days!!

(Not) Sleepless in Seattle

We are about to depart Seattle, after spending a fun day/night with friends Ben and Debbie. We had a short drive (probably our shortest!) from Portland yesterday and got up to Seattle by 2:00. After finding Ben and Debbie's great condo, we wandered downtown by foot to the famous Pike Place Market. Even though it was Monday, the area was bustling with so many people who were soaking in the sights of fresh fruits, local crafts, and flying fish! We met up with Ben and Debbie after work and had some dinner at a local French restaurant called Maximilien's. Then they took us up to an overlook at sunset where we had the most incredible views of the city. We could clearly see Mt. Rainier in the distance...quite impressive! After having some decadent desserts at a local coffee shop/bakery, we were full and ready for bed. What a fun day!! Thanks Ben and Debbie, for being our amazing hosts!

Enjoying a gyro at Pike Place Market

Matt walking into the market

Delicious grapes

Today we depart for Spokane, WA where we will camp. Then it's off to Bozeman for 2 days! I can't believe that today starts our actual journey east. We've already traveled 1200 miles....about 3000 more to go!!

Road Trippin'

Greetings from the road!! With the Subaru packed to the gills, we hit the road yesterday morning and embarked on our first day of travel - 9 hours to Whiskeytown, CA. As we approached the old mining town, the car's outdoor thermometer hit close to 100 degrees. Whew - we were hot. Luckily, the Oak Bottom Campground where we had reservations that night offered a refreshing dip in the cool waters of Whiskeytown Lake. What wasn't so refreshing, however, was the smoky air from the nearby wildfires. To top it off, we had some rowdy camping neighbors who decided it would be fun to stay up (with kids in tow) until all hours of the night, screaming and yelling obscenities! This didn't really bother us, however, since we were still enamored by the comforts of our new tent, which felt like an estate compared to our old one.

Playing Rummikub at the campsite

Brickoven pizza....almost

We got up early this morning and drove 7 hours to Portland, Oregon where we excitedly checked into our hotel: The McMenamin Kennedy School. It's an old elementary school from the early 1900's that was converted into a hotel. We both agreed that this was BY FAR the coolest place we've ever stayed. With original blackboards and coat racks in our very own hotel room, we could play school all day long (OK my dream, not so much Matt's...). There's also the hallways full of art and photos, the "Detention Hall" (a bar with unique brews), the "cafeteria" - a great restaurant, outdoor fireplaces......aah a teacher's haven!

Matt got sent to detention

Were these water fountains always this low??

Tomorrow we depart for Seattle - only 3 hours away! So far we are thoroughly enjoying our time both on the road and at our daily destinations. What a nice change from the hustle and bustle that preceeded this trip....it's so nice to RELAX!!

Goodbye California!

We are hitting the road on Saturday...farewell Santa Barbara! We are so grateful for 5 wonderful years out here. It's fun to sit back and think of how it all unfolded....coming out here with just 2 suitcases, no job, nowhere to live.....we have come so far!! This "5 year vacation" as Matt likes to call it has been full of amazing experiences. So now we're off to experience more. This Saturday, we will be starting our road trip across the US. We'll visit some friends and National Parks along the way, and end up on the east coast where we'll bounce between Philly and Boston for 1.5 months. Then in October it's off to Berlin for 2 years!!

Another fun update is that Matt defended his PhD yesterday! He's now Dr. Harrington. I'm soo proud of all of his hard work...it all paid off! Here's a pic of us at a celebratory dinner last night with Matt's dad, brother, and adviser Herb.


Here's our road trip itinerary (for the moment anyway...). Check back for more upadates from the road!!



Saturday, August 9th – Depart SB in the AM. Drive to Redding, CA and camp in Whiskeytown at the Oak Bottom Campground.


Sunday, August 10th – Drive to Portland, OR (6hrs). Stay at the McMenamin Kennedy School (an old elementary school converted into a hotel!) http://www.kennedyschool.com/index.php?loc=57


Monday, August 11th – Drive to Seattle, WA (3hrs). Stay with Ben & Debbie and explore the city.

Tuesday, August 12th – Drive to Nine Mile Campground near Spokane, WA (4.5 hrs). Camp by the water!


Wednesday, August 13th – Drive to Bozeman, MT and stay with the Broomells!

Thursday, August 14th – Day trip to Yellowstone Nat'l Park with the Broomells. Stay with the Broomells another night in Bozeman.


Friday, August 15th – Drive to Black Hills, SD (7 hrs). See Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. Camp at the Horsethief Lake Campground (only 12 miles from Mt. Rushmore!)


Saturday, August 16th – Head towards Chicago (~14 hrs. away). Stop somewhere in MN or WI to sleep.

Sunday, August 17th – Drive to Chicago. Sleep in a hotel in the city!


Monday, August 18th – Drive to Toledo, OH (4hrs). Spend the night at Liz & Kevin Eberly's!


Tuesday, August 19th – Drive to Bryn Mawr, PA (8.5hrs) WE DID IT!!!!!!!!