Key What?

Every other business trip I take the family with me. The last one was to Florida in May. I also took a couple of days vacation so it wouldn't just be them having fun while I sat in the meeting.

Our first hotel was an Embassy Suites by the airport where the waterfall in the lobby was a huge hit with Alyssa.

The plan was to spend the next 2 days in Key Largo. Lots of good songs mention Key Largo. Of course all of those songs are at least a generation old. We found out why. There isn't much there now, kinda like a tropical truck stop. Our hotel (booked on Expedia) had boasted a private beach, but it was more like a parking lot out back with some sand sprinkled on it. We cancelled, pulled into a Starbucks, got online and booked a new one on Hotwire (I love that site). We had decided to go all the way to Key West.

Below are pictures at our hotel, the Reach Resort, that turned out to be part of the Waldorf Astoria collection (I really love that site). This one really did have a private beach.

Unlike the rock-coral upper keys, Key West is a true Caribbean Island, that just happens to be connected to Florida by a 3 hour drive on the oversea highway.

Supposedly the southern-most point. Looking at the map, I am not sure. Still it was apparently cool enough for Americans and foreigners to line up for pictures. The triangle on top is a symbol of "the Conch Republic," a nod to a semi-serious past secessionist attempt. Some nice Brits took this picture of us.

Daddy/Daughter Swim Lessons

Dan has been gone a lot for work lately, so I thought he and Alyssa could use some bonding time. I signed them up for swim classes at our local YMCA. Here is Alyssa, all ready for her first class.

Dan didn't really want me to take any pictures, but they were just too cute together. Passing the ball around was one of Alyssa's favorite activities. She also liked to splash, as long as she was the one doing the splashing. Daddy and daughter look so much alike!

Spring on the Trail

It has been quite a while since we updated our blog. I know this is a little out of season considering it's mid-June, but the pictures of Alyssa in the Connecticut spring were just too cute to never share.

A couple of months ago we posted pictures of the trail by our house in winter. It's amazing the difference that the seasons make out here. The flowering trees are one of my favorite things about spring.

Here Dan and Alyssa are looking down at the stream that borders the trail. Alyssa is a little obsessed with water.

She is such a big girl!

I just love this picture of her among the flowers. This is her pensive look. I wonder what she is thinking about?

Breaking the long silence and Fun Links

I have a lot of catching up to do. It always seems like I either have a ton going on and no time to blog or nothing going on and nothing to say. I have been to Vancourver and Miami in the past 3 weeks and need to post some pictures. First though, some light hearted thoughts on the financial crisis and, well a really bad movie trailer (yes I think it is for a real move). These links made me laugh.

Jet blue educates CEO's on how to fly like a normal person.

Muppets teach about the Bernie Madoff

Monster Flick Trailer

Like the purposeless "lion headed wall staff" bombay company tried to sell, the 24karate gold rat I saw in Chinatown, and some Zuni sculptures, this trailer made me happy I live in such a wonderful world. I am not sure what is better, the shark bitting the Golden Gate or the octopus swatting the jet. Really they made this into a movie?

Two Trips to the Zoo

We recently made two trips to the Beardsley Zoo. It is a small zoo in Connecticut about a half an hour away from where we live. Alyssa and I went on the first really warm day back in March. The last three pictures are from that trip. We had a really great time. I think the tiger was her favorite animal. One thing she didn't like was the carousel. They have this beautiful carousel that has lots of different animals you can ride, an elephant, zebra, lion, tiger, as well as the expected horses. Alyssa was riding an elephant, but she was a little scared by the whole thing, so I ended up holding her. But overall, it was a great day.

Dan was really sad that he missed going with us. He loves the zoo! So a few weeks later we went again. The first few pictures are of our second trip. Sadly, on our second trip the tigers were sleeping in the back of the cage. Alyssa tried to call them out by yelling, "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!" Anytime we were remotely close to the tiger cage her little voice rang out. At least she got to see them on the first time around!


The weather was finally warm enough in Connecticut to reopen the Alligator exhibit. There weren't any alligators there on our first trip. Of course, this big guy is there all the time. Alyssa thought it was a dinosaur at first, but we managed to teach her that it was an alligator.

Alyssa loves birds of all kinds. In the rainforest building, there are birds flying freely. She also enjoyed these ducks outside.

The prairie dog exhibit has tunnels you can go up in to experience what it is like for a prairie dog. Dan took Alyssa up in the main tunnel. I think she liked the tunnel more than the prairie dogs. She loves dogs so much, she was a little confused by the name.

Ah, the wolves. She of course called them dogs. That is, until they started to howl. Have you ever been near a wolf when they howl? It can be a little eerie. Dan and I were once five feet away from a howling wolf, with no barrier in between. This wasn't quite as nerve wracking, but it did convince Alyssa that wolves are a little different than her little doggie.



This is my favorite picture of our first visit to the zoo. I have to say that there is something a little creepy about seeing her so close to a tiger.