Philadelphia is a really cool place. We stayed in the best hotel (The Palomar) in the middle of the city- close to all the hip shopping, bars, and restaurants. Of course the main attractions of Philly are all the historical sites- The Liberty Bell, Elfreth’s Alley, Betsy Ross House, Rittenhouse Square, National Constitution Center, etc. We got around to visiting most of everything, but I wouldn’t say it was the best part of the trip…

But let me back up…

The first night we settled into our swanky hotel and Gabe and Ashley passed out. Caleb and I strolled through the city center- over to Logan Square and the Swann Memorial Fountain. It was all very beautiful and much more laid back than New York. We had a beer at an outdoor restaurant but ended up calling it a night around 11…

Swann Fountain

Statue of something

they were everywhere!

beautiful buildings

The next morning we woke up full of good intentions and a very detailed plan… See everything we could see in 1 day. With a “Best of Philly” library book and a city map in hand, we hit the streets early but were NOT prepared for the record high heat (103 degrees) and this…

FIELD TRIPS EVERYWHERE!!!

Literally lines and lines of kids causing hours of wait time for almost every historical site…

Independence Hall

Declaration (statue of course)

Ben Franklins House

By noon we were sweaty and exhausted… It just wasn’t worth it. We took a cab down to lunch at another famous Philly “must-try”- Pat’s King of Steaks!

DELICIOUS!

Definitely better than the Great American Steak and Shake in the mall!!!

At this point we were now FULL, sweaty, and exhausted. The idea of facing more lines and crowds was so unappealing we pulled out our handy tour book and realized there was an aquarium just over the bridge in Camden New Jersey- Adventure Aquarium- the 4th largest in America! Being the Sea World freak that I am-and knowing this would be an indoor adventure- we wasted no time heading that direction.

Petting Stingrays

Favorite animals! (they were too hot to come outside though...)

Inside shark tunnel/tank

Lots of kids here TOO!

Hungry hippo

Of course we ended up with 800 pics of every different fish you can imagine but I’ll spare  you… It was only an “okay” time- which actually equals “terrible” when you’re on vacation. But what can ya do? We left after a few hours and had to walk a mile to the train (no cabs lining up outside the aquarium- and Camden is tiny, flat, and ugly) and headed back to the city center to see the famous fountain of Love…

LOVE fountain!

We stayed at the fountain for a while- soaking our burning tired feet and trying to figure out a game plan. We decided to head back to the hotel and chill until dinner time… Boring, I know. After a few hours though we were recharged and ready for (aquarium inspired) seafood!

Gabe- being cheap- ordered the soft shell crab... Which is nasty...

Our restaurant was located in the Old City so we had a good time strolling the streets and seeing a few more historic landmarks…

Elfreth's Alley

Oldest neighborhood in America!

experiencing 18th century way of life...

Paddy's Pub from It's Always Sunny...!

After lots of walking around we finally caught a cab back up to the City Center and sat at a bar and drank until late. All in all- Philladelphia was not my favorite. I was glad I went- but probably won’t be going back anytime soon. By early the next morning I was really missing my friends- and the south. Which is why I was actually excited to be dropped off at the airport to catch a flight to the other side of the country- Baton Rouge, LA!

This was my 4th trip to New York but as always I was completely in love. I’m currently reading the book New York (a fictional history- only okay) so I had even more respect for this iconic city than before. A few things to point out about our trip…

Parking in New Jersey and taking the train to Grand Central Station (and then to Wall Street to our hotel) is really the way to do it. Obviously it’s impossible to drive in New York and parking is $$$.

Caleb, Gabe, Megan- waiting for train (definitely Arkansans...)

But dragging three huge suitcases through this is not that fun…

Downtown New York

Having a brother who works for the government really pays off in big cities. We stayed at the New York Marriott Downtown for less than half the price because of his government rate!

After arriving we quickly hit the streets, walking down Wall Street and into Battery Park. There’s so much to see in New York- and all of it is fabulous! It was exciting to show Gabe and Ash (first timers) around. Although there’s no way to see everything in two days, we did the best we could…

Love them!

Red Lady...

Glen Close filming in Lower Manhattan...

Street Performers in the Park. Ash is 3rd person in line...

Jeremy's Pub- Huge beers and great greasy food!

9-11 victims

Of course we took the ferry out to SofL

And of course I get boat sick every time!!!

Soon it was time to get ready for dinner in my favorite- Little Italy! Obviously I’m a tourist…

Hotel pre-party

subway pros

So fun! Who doesn't love to drink eat and drink outside on a festive street with family and friends??? Love!

We're friendly southern folks...

5 lemonchello shots later...!

After dinner we walked up to Times Square and stumbled our way through the Theater District and Midtown. Always a site for sore southern eyes!!!

Times Square

Around 2 am we took a cab back to the lower east side to check out the awesome late night dive bar- Arlenes Grocery- know for it’s promotion of super cool and upcoming (but unsigned) bands. It held up to it’s name for sure- we had a blast (and frankly have no memory of getting back to our hotel…)

Gabe was nearing Red Lady stage at this point...

This band was super cool...

After 1 FULL day of walking New York (literally, 24 hours) we passed out and paid for it the next day… Which was rather laid back and quiet. We sat in Central Park, nursing hangovers, and avoiding pictures… Around 8 it was time to head back to the truck in New Jersey and over to Philadelphia for Day 3 of our Northeast vacation!

It’s definitely wedding season and early June was packed with them! My Cousin Emily’s wedding in Pittsburgh started my trip up north and it ended up turning into a family vacation to remember! Me, Gabe, and Ashley decided to fly to Pittsburgh for the wedding while my brother Caleb, who just recently moved to Scranton PA for work, was to drive to meet us at the airport Friday afternoon. Every day was thoroughly researched and planned by yours truly, and the next few posts are my attempts to detail the trip with pictures and as simple commentary as possible…

Pittsburgh – 6/3-6/4 – Emily’s Wedding

The first thing we all wanted to do upon arriving in Pittsburgh was eat! Pittsburgh’s Primanti Bro’s, as seen on The Food Network, prior to our visit, was just as mouthwatering in real life as it looked on tv. Absolutely DELICIOUS! We ended up eating there 3 times in less than 48 hours…

We were also super fortunate to have one of the coolest cab drivers EVER! Mr. Don, a Pittsburgh native, took a liking to us southern siblings and- for no fee- drove us to what’s called the overpass which is basically a mountain that overlooks the entire city. He explained a lot of the history of the town and pointed out all the stadiums and points of interest. Interestingly enough, Pittsburgh is only a little larger than Little Rock/North Little Rock- but has over 80 bridges and is definitely SO MUCH COOLER!  We were all pleasantly surprised at how much we really loved the city!

After a few drinks at some of the local bars we called it a night kinda early in order to be “on” for the big wedding the next day.

We all arrived at Heinz Chapel which is on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh around 2 and were pretty amazed at its beauty. Massive wooden and iron doors and a space of soaring stone arches and 70-foot stained-glass windows! Emily looked beautiful and we were even mentioned in the service as “her cousins from the deep south”… 

Everybody loves a bagpipe

Sibling Love

After the ceremony it was time to be REALLY impressed with prestigious history and class of reception held at Oakmont Country Club, apparently the oldest and most difficult course in America (with more combined USGA and PGA championships than any other course in the U.S.). Of course I didn’t know this, but my brother’s did, and the drinks, dancing, and dinner were definitely to die for!

Emily & Kyle

Overall we had such an awesome town. Pittsburgh was more than I thought it would be and we all hope to come back for a longer visit soon.!!

C

Anyone that knows me knows I’m a little dog obsessed… I love my two little angels more than I like most people and would have 5 more if I could!!! (My tiny house and single status keeps that from happening at the time– Can we say “spinster”?)

So when my mother got her own place, I knew I would be able to do some dog shopping for her- which is almost as fun as doing it for myself. (She’s always liked dogs but Charles wasn’t too keen on having them around…)

The Humane Society of Pulaski County was obviously my first choice and since we’re friends on Facebook I get daily updates of their most “adoptable” pets. So how excited was I when I see this little guy grace my screen early last week…

It’s time for the HSPC “Pet of the Week!” Meet Rascal, a 1 year-old poodle mix.

Rascal is one of the happiest dogs on the planet and makes friends with everyone he sees! You would never guess that he was brought to HSPC with 2 broken legs after being run over by a car. He thinks that life is just great and would love to share it with a special family who will love him and keep him safe. He does have pins in his legs, and although this doesn’t affect him at all, we do ask that he go to a home with no young children. He will need to be an inside dog as cold and damp could cause him pain, and he says he’d rather not go through any more pain thank you very much. Come and meet Rascal so you can see what a great little guy he is.

First, I immediately wanted him for myself… What an adorable little mop! He’s very Sunny-isque- with that cute little tongue and mischievous expression!! After coming to my senses, I hit up my friend Misty to take him instead. She’s getting her own place and LOVES her niece and nephew (Hilde’ and Sunnybear), but the timing was wrong and she couldn’t bring herself to commit. Then it hit me… DUH! He’s PERFECT for my MOM!!!

I texted her his picture and it was love at first site! Adopting him on my own- as a gift- wasn’t quite as instant a process… In fact, it’s impossible (note to self). The Humane Society does not allow “gift adoptions” so if that’s what you’re doing you best not tell them the minute you walk in the door. Ashley (Gabe’s girlfriend) came with me to see him and we both just feel in love! He was SO friendly, so funny, and the poor little thing had been through A LOT… (he’d been hit by a car and brought to HSPC with two broken legs and a crushed pelvis!!!) His stitches were still in his back leg which kept them from being able to bathe or groom him and he stunk to high heaven! He also had a bit of conjunctivitis (pink eye for dogs) and was so matted you could barely scratch him They informed me my mom would have to fill out the application and pick him up herself. This made me sad to leave him- especially considering the storms of Monday and Tuesday and he was trapped in a cage all alone!!! But thankfully she was able to get off Wednesday and whisked him away to a new and very happy life- beginning with an oh-so-fun grooming session at Pet Smart.

Are you ready for this transformation??? Meet the all-new, clean, and obviously very skinny Rascal Knight!!! (gallery requires flash to view… If not flash click here to view static gallery.)

He is soooo funny- so busy- so GOOD! Mom says he doesn’t bark, turns circles by the door when he wants to go outside, and loves to go on walks (her favorite past time)- so he’s very well leashed trained… He already makes Sunny and Hilde’ look like spoiled little bitches- I can’t wait for them to meet each other!

Thanks so much to the great folks at Pulaski County Humane Society for helping us find this great little dog!!!!

Monday and Tuesday night of this week (April 25th and 26th- day after Easter) were pretty darn scary… My poor dogs are terrified of thunder and I’ve been trying to break them of it by acting completely nonchalant about it myself. I started by sitting outside and bribing them with treats to come with me- but then it started to rain- and the tv acted like this was more than just a little thunderstorm… The video below shows how scary it was- even to me!

mp4-download_6741685b33a448bd838359b1b9f64471.36.1.12293605

However, at the time of this video I had NO IDEA the true damage this storm would bring- to none other than my tiny and much-loved hometown of Vilonia, Arkansas. My grandma, uncle, and a few cousins still reside in Vilonia so when I started to hear the name of the town of the news I was more than worried. I had many calls with my dad and brothers to make sure grandma was in the storm cellar and safe… But I still (at this time) had no clue what was to come…

And what was to come? This…

I used to work at this Sonic in Highschool...

Obviously I was up all night after hearing a massive tornado had hit Vilonia. #Vilonia streams on Twitter were terrible- “whole town destroyed”- “over 70 people missing”- “pavement ripped from street”- basically the worst was coming true… I finally was able to talk to a few people to know they were safe and fell asleep dreading the morning…

News Except from ArkansasBusiness.com:

VILONIA – A tornado tore up a small central Arkansas town, killing four people and leaving the governor wondering Tuesday how so many others managed to survive. The night of brutal storms killed at least 10 people in the state, and more harsh weather was forecast.

The tornado smashed through the heart of Vilonia, just north of Little Rock, on Monday night, ripping the roof off the grocery store, flattening homes, tossing vehicles into the air and twisting one tractor-trailer like a wrung dish rag.

Four people died in less-than-sturdy structures in the Black Oak Subdivision of Vilonia….

Jason Hawkins Photography

The news was more than grim. My friend Amanda who still lives there and was thankfully spared from terrible damage all around her gushed “Megan, it’s worse than you can image… It’s like someone took a gigantic broom and swept through the middle of the town… Houses aren’t just damaged- they’re GONE…”

Some photos of the aftermath from a friend, Jason Hawkins, who was there the next day to help clean up the unbelievable damage—

And here are some great edited photos from Vilonia resident (and friend) Shelia Saddler who added some heartfelt quotes that really make them special to those of us who are from there…

The town still desperately needs our help (manual labor or monetary donations) and prayers. For more information on how to get involved you can contact 501-626-2093 to donate supplies such as nonperishable items, clothing, fuel or items. Or you can go directly to the old Vilonia High School gymnasium off U.S. 64 and Highway 107 (open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily) or the Vilonia Primary School on U.S. 64. (open 7 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Make sure and bring identification so that authorities can scan a driver’s license or other identification and produce a volunteer badge to give volunteers a badge and the accompanying access needed to help.