Sanibel trip

We have been going to Florida for Thanksgiving for the past few years and had been planning to go this year before my dad got sick. After he passed more quickly than we'd ever imagined, we started thinking about whether we could or should go this year, and for how long. Jeff and Joan went back on a few different options but settled on a three week trip from mid November to mid December. We weighed the pros and cons of car travel and air travel and decided on flying direct, via flights that would mean we left our house and arrived at the condo only 4.5 hours later. The flights were relatively empty and we felt relatively safe in the airports and on the plane. Dealing with quarantines on both ends of the trip was annoying and we also had a scare in the middle of our trip when cousin TJ, who we had met outside one day, tested positive and so we then had to quarantine again. So we were basically on quarantine for most of our trip and then for two weeks after returning. But guess what? We didn't need to see anyone or go almost anywhere inside for the entire trip. We had great weather, with lots of sun and warmth. Jeff and Bryn both worked for part of the trip, and the boys all had school from the condo, and all went pretty well. We were all very grateful for a respite from the cold weather and a chance to enjoy one of our favorite places together.

K-95 masks plus plastic face shields (no real protection except to keep the kids from touching faces). No eating or drinking from the moment we left the house until we got in the rental car. 

Weather turns cooler

So we head indoors for more cozy pursuits like Lego, and head outdoors with more gear for winter hiking!

And go-karting at the mall!

 

We lucked out with great weather on Veteran's Day weekend for a zoo trip to Buffalo with Auntie Alexis and her girls. We had a somewhat frightening encounter with this lion mama, who lunged and roared at the kids, and had a lot of fun watching the armadillo in constant motion on display. Back at Auntie Alexis' we had a great meal outside with a bonfire.

We tried out the Onondaga Lake trail on our bikes on another beautiful fall day. It's a spectacular ride above the lake and through the amphitheater.

Camillus Natural Area hike. It's a great mix of vistas, fields, woods, and rusted out broken metal things to find and investigate. With halloween candy as trail mix.