Road Trip

Last Wednesday, we headed to the beautiful Hudson Valley in Upstate NY for a little late summer vacation. We were all in a bad mood when we left the house. The shower was clogged, the dryer was broken, Daphne wasn't cooperating, and the milk (which I had just bought the day before) was off so I didn't get my customary morning latte. Not a good way to start. Nobody was the least bit excited when I announced that I had planned a surprise stop at an exciting roadside attraction on the way.

Luckily, by the time we reached the Utz Potato Chip Factory in Hanover, PA, things were looking up. We got to tour the factory and see how chips are made (very cool!), and stock up (WAY up) on snack foods, and eat at an authentic 1950's drive-in, and everyone was significantly cheered up and ready for the adventures awaiting us in New York.

We had a GREAT time. Highlights included the always fun Dutchess County Fair (milkshakes, fried mushrooms, a Wonder Wheel, and a Fun Slide) with good friends, a short hike at Poet's Walk, BBQ chicken wraps from Coco's, Nell's Oreo Ice Cream Cake, Friendly's Watermelon Sherbet, Kev's Grandma's 90th birthday party, lots of time hanging out with family, beautiful delightfully cool weather, and - surprisingly this turned out to be Daphne's favorite part of the trip - a visit to Uncle Gary's garage which ended with a drive in the country in a 1915 Ford.

We took 407 pictures. Well, 404 pictures and three short videos. If you are interested, 65 pictures and one video (of the Ford!) made it to Flickr.

Now we're home. The shower is unclogged (hooray for Kev!), I got some new milk, and Daphne's behavior has been excellent. The dryer is still broken, but the dude from Sears is coming Thursday. It's hot again, but only until Friday. And tomorrow is September. Life is good.

By the way, Utz chips are really really good. Try them!