Wednesday, April 22, 2026

A Wanderer's Guide to (two days in) Florence

Adam and I made plans to each take the kids somewhere fun this year while the other had a chance for some kid-free time.

For my part, I took the kids to Florida to visit my snowbirding parents in Daytona Beach Florida, while Adam and some friends had a guy's weekend skiing at Pico. In turn, Adam was taking the kids to South Carolina with his parents to visit family, and I had a 4-day weekend to myself. I quickly started searching around google maps, the only way I ever book a flight, and instead of something "simple" like Florida, a round-trip flight to Rome priced at $380 caught my eye. From here, an idea was born. Why spend a long weekend in the US when I could spend it abroad for truly a fraction of the price. An inexpensive flight, cheaper lodging and food, public transportation and no rental car needed. And of course, the chance to explore Italy with a glass of wine behind a plate of pasta.

While I was more than happy to go alone, I quickly ran through my friend list of people who would A) be interested in traveling abroad and B) were okay with traveling the way I travel. I choose to travel in a budget-friendly way, focused on wandering and experiencing the culture through good food and a lot of walking instead of high end resorts and seeing big ticket items through tours. Instantly, Corey came to mind as someone who was wildly easy-going, and was okay with skipping the tourist high-ticket items in exchange for a long lunch filled with seafood. It was a pretty quick yes and from there, our Girl's Trip to Italy was born.

A week at Lake Brome, Quebec, Canada

I consider myself wildly lucky to be surrounded by friends who love to travel, especially the international ones. My friend Mary Ellen, who invited us to join her for a week in Italy, invited us out of the country again but this time, a little closer. She booked a house on a lake in Canada, making an out-of-country getaway a bit easier with kids by making it within driving distance to the amazing lake area of Lake Brome.

Lake Brome is about a 5.5 hour drive from coastal Connecticut, and just over the border of our northern neighbor. It is only 40 minutes over the border but you instantly notice the change of scenery and culture and you enter the very french area of southern Quebec. While there is plenty to do in the area, you are also only an hour drive from Montreal and three hours from Quebec City. We went up in August which was the perfect time of year to float on the lake, bike the recreation paths, and enjoy a different culture so close to home.

We loved the area, and loved this relaxing week away with friends and wonderful weather. It is truly a perfect family destination with outings to local zoos, a trip to the city, and slow days spent at local parks and playgrounds. Canada does open spaces and parks so much better than we do, and we enjoyed free access to public pools, splash pads, parks, and recreation trails. There is such an emphasis on the outdoors, and making it accessible to families, that makes you envious of a bit disappointed we don't hold those same values here in the United States.

This post is a bit different than most as it isn't a formal travel guide. We truly just spent the week relaxing on the lake, enjoying all it had to offer. I included some highlights which highlight some of our day trips and activities as we ventured around the area.

An Ode to Olive

In 2011, I applied to several different rescues with the hopes of adopting my first dog. I was finally out of school, out of my parent's house, and into my first rental in the quiet little town of Essex, Connecticut. It was the first real time in my life where I could get my own dog and I convinced my boyfriend at the time that a puppy was a great idea for our early 20 somethings lives together. I didn’t have the normal prerequisites rescues often require like a fenced in yard, or big dog experience. What I did have was a passion to rescue, and a marathon training plan with an open spot for a training partner.

I applied to cute bouncy little puppies all throughout the state, a white shepherd mix, and countless others. Each time, I was met with the same answer - no fence, I was only renting, and there were better applicants ahead of me (especially for the puppies). While their reasons were completely valid, and the reason so many dogs are returned, I was frustrated and knew I would have to get a little creative if I wanted to adopt.

It was 2009 and Facebook Marketplace didn’t exist yet. Craigslist was the local web yard sale for everything from used cars to kid’s toys for sale. Craigslist is also a dangerous place for rehoming dogs as there is often little to no vetting process. It is where “free dogs” find themselves being rehoused into a dog fighting ring, or some other awful situation.

Not for Olive. It was there on Craiglist that I saw an ad for a “Lab Mix Puppy”. I can still remember the photo like it was yesterday, a little black lab puppy with long black ears, laying down resting her head on a floral print chair.

Year in Review 2025

This year was a wild one. Between the news, the kids, and my company, it felt like I was chasing my tail for 12 months straight. It was crazy and chaotic but in all the ways that makes life rich and full. It was full of all the things that make a life worth living with people I love in places I thrive in. We took the kids abroad (first time we took both of them together), I learned a new hobby (weekly tennis lessons all year), Whitney started a Pre-K program at his elementary school, and my business thrived. We balanced weekends home with camping trips, skiing weekends, and a road trip to Canada. Winter was spent on the slopes, spring at home, the summer in all the water split between Cedar Lake and the beach, and fall in our favorite northern states. It was a magical year for their ages (2 and 4) and a year that challenged us as parents and partners. We grew, we changed, we filled out calendar and enjoyed our neighborhood. 2025 was good to us and I can't wait to see what the new year brings.

Trips
Skiing at Pico and Killington (solo and with the kids)
Backcountry skiing the Sherburne Trail in New Hampshire
10 Days in Ireland with the kids
Summer Killington/Quechee Gorge, Vermont
A week in Canada at Lac-Brome

Camping
May: Witch Meadow Lake, Connecticut
June: Hammonasset State Park in Connecticut
July: Riverside Park Campground, Maine
September: Lake Taghkanic State Park, New York
October: Maple Brook Campground, Vermont

January

January is always a slow month which is what we always need. After the chaos of the holidays, we slow down and savor the slower month before the birthday month of February starts the chaos again. We skied a Powder Ridge, baked in the kitchen, took the dog for hikes, and spent a lot of time in Whitney's new power wheels rolling through the neighborhood.

Skiing with Whitney

Piper at Adam's new piano

Whitney's new power wheels

Hikes with Piper and Otto

Mini chefs

Storm King Art Center - New Windsor, New York

Storm King was a name I had heard from friends and a sign I had seen in passing while wandering around New York. I didn't know a ton about it but I knew 1) it's an outdoor sculpture park you can walk around 2) you can rent bikes and enjoy the art center on two wheels 3) it seemed like a quaint way to enjoy the outdoors and art. So now that I've been, I can tell you what exactly is Storm King Art Center is (a 500-acre outdoor museum open rain or shine) and how much I enjoyed it (10/10, will be back).

Let me start by saying that I am not a big "art person". I will quickly cruise through an art museum if you ask me to go but it isn't my preferred outing. I figured I would like this larger art form, especially in this outdoor setting with some physical activity involved. The art center is about 2.5 hours from home on the Connecticut Shoreline so while it's a doable day trip, it is a longer one. Storm King was on my list for a bit and when work asked if I would visit an office literally next door, I happily said yes, excited to finally experience the sculpture park.

Mirror Fence, 2003, Alyson Shotz - my favorite piece at the park

Bathroom view

Fall Views of Storm King

Storm King Welcome Center and Ticket Booth

From the moment I pulled into the parking lot, I was impressed. You are greeted by the beautiful welcome center building and you immediately understand that everything about this art center was thought out and planned. The bathrooms were stunning, with a gorgeous modern structures and open air style that was truly like an art piece in itself.

I visited the art center on a rainy day in the end of September and I am so glad I didn't let the rain scare me away because it set me up for the perfect day. It was a Thursday and the day went on with a light drizzle but warm humid temperatures. Because I was alone, I decided to forgo the bike and turn my outing into a trail run through the park which basically turned into a private viewing. In a normally crowded art center (especially in the fall season), I only saw two couples and I was able to enjoy the park in all its beauty and quiet. The moody lighting and clouds really set the scene and I felt so calm and rejuvenated, enjoying the quiet and the beautiful art throughout the park. There were beautiful willows, fields, ponds and bridges, benches everywhere, and the park landscape itself is beautiful. The large form art dispersed throughout the park elevates the experience even further.

Gravel trails through Storm King

Joel Shapiro, Untitled, 1994


Zhang Huan, Three Legged Buddha, 2007

If you visit the park, you have a few options. You can walk the paved paths and choose the paved roads, wooded trails, or gravel options throughout the park. You can rent bikes from the park (you cannot bring your own), and access the park on a bike. You can also hop on and off a trolley and visit the art and sculptures without having to walk the entire park. You can grab a map to help navigate and all of the sculptures have a naming plaque where you can read more about the art in your brochure.

A visit to Storm King would make an amazing date day, a great girls trip with a picnic (or stop at the cafe for lunch), or even a fun way to get kids into art in a more active and outdoor setting. You are free to wander and play and it feels like a great way to get kids outside and around art in a fun and low key setting. The art is also interactive and you can walk underneath and through the structures, a playful way to enjoy the outdoors and the creativity of the artists features at the art center. Plan a trip in the fall and you can enjoy the beauty of the park through the lens of a Northeast Autumn.

Storm King Map

Visiting Storm King

Contents: Over 250 works of contemporary outdoor sculpture, said to be the "possibly the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States"

Highlights: Includes large-scale sculptures and site-specific commissions

Established: Founded in 1960

Visiting: open year round - Closed Tuesdays (check out their hours here)
Open rain or shine and entirely outdoors (except for a small museum building) - dress accordingly!

Bike rentals: No outside bikes allowed, two-wheeled and three-wheeled bikes, as well as kids tag-along bikes and kids trailers or strollers are available to rent

Terrain: Paved roads (no cars except for the trolley), gravel roads, fields/lawns, and wooded trails

Bathrooms: There are indoor bathrooms throughout the park as well as port-o-pottys at sections of the park

Cafe: You can bring outside food or enjoy food at the ourdoor cafe.

Kids: If you are walking, you can bring your own stroller to the park. There is also an option to hop on and off the trolley to access the park and sculptures.

Fee: As of 2025, adult price is $25 weekday, $28 weekend