Travel & Leisure Diaries in Pictures

Had an interesting trip to the old city.  Boston is the most European-like city we've visited outside of Europe.  We enjoyed the walking trail and many historical sites.  There are plenty of great places to eat and of course drink. I don't think it will be the last time we visit but we'll have to save some cash cuz that place is expensive!! The massacre site 

We've been to this restaurant once and really liked it. Good food and their all you can eat blue crabs looks good too.    So on a perfect Sunday, we took the short 30   minute ride across the Patapsco with our friends to enjoy the weather, atmosphere, and views.  What's better? The best all you can eat blue crabs!    Scallops wrap with bacon was so delicious!

 We traveled up the bay for about an hour to get to our destination.  Once we leave our home river, we end up in the Patapsco River which can produce about 2 foot waves, even on a day with little wind.  There are so many other boats going in all directions that the waves just build up.  But as long as you are safe, it's no problem.  Here is a picture of a set of navigation aids to lead us to our anchor spot.   Once we got to our spot and anchored, Chris was able to relax while floating on the tube.  With a drink in his hand, the day just drifted away!  The area we chose was a spot called Pleasure Island.  Of course we weren't alone and plenty of other boats with the same idea. After getting our fill, we decided to check out the entire area, called Hart-Miller Island.  Now this is the place to be!  Hundreds of boats anchored in a nice sandy area.  However, the day was winding down and we still had a good hour to get home.  Being the safe boaters we are, we headed

Friday night outing and learning how to dock a boat in the marina.

We've only had the boat for one week but we've already been out 3 times.  This Sunday was the perfect day for a cruise.  It was 90 degrees with just a few clouds.  So we got out and headed for the Inner Harbor.  It was quite busy but we kept it safe. Sparty doesn't love it but no matter what, he loves to be with us.  Here he is just cruising on the seat next to his Pop-Pop!    After touring the Harbor, we found a peaceful spot in our area, called Bear Creek.  Pop-Pop hung out on the swim platform before eventually taking a dip.  Sparty couldn't jump in because we don't yet have a ladder for him to climb back in.  But he sure had fun hanging out!         

We settled on this.  Our first boat!  It will be a new learning and fun experience for us with this boat.  Our neighbors, plus a ton of research convinced Chris to buy a used boat. Thank God he listened!  Just before this we almost bought a new one and I stopped the process the day before signing.  I want a boat but I wasn't ready to buy a new one knowing that we have no experience in owning a boat. We bring her home in a couple weeks and now we have to decide on a name.

(Late uploads) World Cup match between Germany and the USA last year.  When we got back from this trip, we had to go to the vet right away to pick up my beloved dog. The whole week we were in Recife he was sick. So sick he was transferred from the kennel to the hospital.  The vet was updating us on his condition through email so it was a stressful vacation, to say the least. Olinda Market

Gator 21 Feb 1996 - 15 Apr 2015 Rest Easy Little Man On March 7th, 1996, we went to a friend's house to check out a litter of puppies his cocker spaniel had delivered 2 1/2 weeks earlier. Our only intentions were to see some cute little pups. While their daschund father watched, the runt of the litter struggled to fight with his brothers and sisters for his mother's milk. Of course we ended up taking that little fella home that day and called him Gator. And for the past 19+ years, Gator has been by our side, protecting our household and giving us a companion like none other. Today, regrettably, father time caught up with him. He has ascended to be with his older brother, Buddy, with whom he shared his love and kinship with for more than 13 years. We are completely heartbroken. Although we've been preparing for this day for quite some time, nothing will lessen the pain but time. What seems to help the most is when we can look back at all the amazing adventures we&#

Feels like I'm on in a different planet... ice planet that is! The sunshine is trying to come out from the gray sky. Despite the cold I think its beautiful!  Beautiful Icicles! Yesterday at dawn.

Love, love this picture of Sparty. <3  With it snowing for the 3rd time this week, Sparty is checking out the flowers inside, dreaming about when he can smell the fresh ones outside!

Lunch at this hidden spot on the water in Middle River on Valentine's Day; avoid the big crowds by going early.  Can't wait to visit this summer when the weather is warmer. Salmon /NY strip with sauteed lobster on top!

We moved to Baltimore last July and there are places in our area that we had not been to or seen. So Saturday we went out and drove down roads we hadn't been down.  Nothing really exciting to report! Later that night we went to Outback for dinner.  I had the grilled mahi with rice and steamed veggies. It was good! Hubby ordered steak and crab legs combo and our friends ordered steak and  tilapia with crab cake. They both said it was delicious.

Well, in order for us to experience real travel & leisure, we need a way to get around.  So on Super Bowl weekend, we attended the 2015 Baltimore Boat Show.  Here, we looked at many different types of boats.  We had one in mind but wanted to keep our options open.  What size? Type and size of motor? Style? So many questions.  However, the one question that already had an answer is the name of the boat.  One of the vendors was a company that designed boat names.  So that's the picture you see.  Stoncada.  It's a combination of our last names So as we battle through the long winter days, we continue our due diligence to find our mode of travel.  Once we bring home Stoncada, the adventures will really begin. Stay tuned...

Coastal Flats Restaurant in Tyson Corner, VA Now that we are settled in our new home, we have time to spare.   We drove an hour to meet up with friends just to have dinner at this place called Coastal Flats in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, and walked around the mall afterwards.   It was a typical Friday night, not holiday, and the place was packed! People were standing around waiting.   The best thing to do is call ahead for seating if you didn’t want to wait too long for tables. That’s what we did.  Jumbo Grilled Shrimp Cranberry Drink Mix