The Adirondacks

Labor day weekend my husband and I traveled with another couple to New York for some hiking.

Dinner in Akron, Ohio

We stayed overnight in Akron & had dinner with my husband's best man and his girlfriend.  Then we continued our drive to meet up with our hiking friends.  (12 hour drive from NW Ohio to our lodging spot in Wilmington, NY).

We stayed at Mountain Brook Lodge, one of the friendliest places I have ever stayed!  

Husband & Wife owners
(sporting two of my wares they purchased before I left)

They held bonfires every night in the courtyard to get to know their guests & really created a sense of community among their guests.  We felt like we were staying in a friend's home!  (ex. I forgot to bring milk for my coffee so Al brought me a glad of milk to keep in our fridge!).  Note: Al says to book with him directly to get a discounted room rate (check their Facebook page for their contact info).  They also have free wifi, allow pets for a fee, & include a modest breakfast.

We hiked Mt Marcy the first day.  It was my first mountain!

We packed lunch (sandwiches) + snacks: a "Mountain" trail mix from Costco (HIGHLY recommended!  It had chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, and dried fruit - really hit the spot while hiking), a water bladder for each person's backpack, CLIF bars, crackers (salt), and some oreos for a bit of a sugar kick.

First Trail marker.

We left the parking lot around 7:30am and reached the summit by noon.  We ate lunch (packed in our backpacks) and "napped" a little, & wandered gently around before heading down an hour later.  We returned around 5/:30pm.  

View from the Summit.

The boys hiked the Gothics the next day (us girls stayed behind, too tired & sore from our first day) and we hung around the cabin, recuperating.  According to the guys (and their pictures), Gothics was way more intense and challenging than Mt. Marcy.

http://mountainbrooklodge.com/

All four of us can't wait to return, even if it's just to see these guys again. :)

Nassau, Bahamas

Flight - $370(?) for one round ticket from Detroit (DTW) to Nassau, with one stop.

• Kayak.com

British Colonial Hilton

• Private Beach ($50 just to sit on it if you're not a guest)
• wifi is $10 for 24 hours unless you have an Executive suite with access to the Executive Lounge on the 7th floor (free wifi, medium signal, plus complimentary hors d'oeuvres)

WI-FI

• $3 for 1 hour at Starbucks
• Complimentary at Dunkin' Donates: 15 minutes per username/password set (2 given per order)
• Located across the street from British Colonial Hilton.
• $1.35 for one donut/ $1. 50? for small coffee

FYI

• 15% gratuity is included in almost every bill; it is usually stated at the bottom of your menu or bill.
• Starbucks is owned by someone on the Island THUS: giftcards from the States won't work.
• US Dollar = Bahamian Dollar at this posting, THUS they are used interchangeably.
• English is regularly spoken, though accents can be heavy.
• Taxes & shuttles can get expensive 
• $11 + $3 per 2nd and more persons - hotel to Atlanis = $25 (6 people)
• $27 + $3 per 2nd and more persons - hotel to airport = $40 (6 people)

VISIT

• Fish Fry - local restaurants run by fisherman (they bring their catch here).  MUCH cheaper to eat here than Downtown.
• $3 for 10 conch fritters at Fish Fry vs. $10 for 10 conch fritters Downtown
• Straw Market - tourist trap but locals selling handmade items (woven bags, ax-carved wooden sculptures, jewelry, etc).
• $15 scarf
• $1 for 3 postcards (vs. $1.50 in the hotel giftshop or $1/2 else where)
• Grocery Stores - we passed two grocery stores on the main road between downtown & the airport.  We weren't able to stop at either, but they would probably be cheaper than eating out every meal (approx. $30 - $50 for 2 people, 1 meal).
• Fresh Market was the newer constructed "super"market
• Stuart's Cove - great for snorkeling & scuba diving with a guide
• $65 for snorkeling or $40 to just ride in the boat (I wasn't ready to snorkel in open ocean water)
• They offer scuba diving with sharks (*reef* sharks)