Our trip to the Adirondack Mountains 🏔️

On October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 By ourprecioustravelsIn family, family travel, travelLeave a comment

We’ve been waiting to go on this trip for so long. We LOVE nature, mountains, and anything that offers a gorgeous view and an opportunity to explore. Being pregnant, we had to hold off on our adventures for a little bit. But now that our sweet boy is here, we planned this mini getaway in a day and a half, and we are so glad we did!

We left on Saturday night (10/19/2019). Packed our bags that day, waited for Zack’s sister to come over so that she could take our fur baby Bear while we were gone, fed Rylan his baba, changed his diaper, and headed for the road at 9pm. The drive was about 6 1/2 hours one way, and traveling at night time isn’t the most exciting thing but we really wanted to catch the sunset at the top of White Face Mountain.

If you’re unaware of White Face Mountain, it’s the only mountain in the Adirondacks that you could practically drive all the way up too… once you get to the top, there’s a small spot where visitors can park their cars and walk the rest of the way if they desire… If you choose to stay where you parked your car, you’ll still have a beautiful view, but there are some stairs that take you to the very top!

When we finally arrived, we drove halfway up the mountain. What we saw next made us a teencey bit upset.

The first thing we noticed was a sign stating that the mountain is closed until mid May. About 40 feet away we see that the entrance to keep going is totally blocked off. This was not mentioned on the website so we were at a total loss for words. Not only that, but we had no signal at all to find a different “possible” way up. The only thing we could literally do was drive back down the mountain, find the nearest town so that we could get some sort of reception.

We found a town, parked at a tiny hotel and talked about what to do next. We couldn’t check in to our Airbnb until 3pm, every little breakfast diner we passed was closed, we couldn’t go up the mountain, the sun was starting to rise. We were absolutely exhausted, disappointed, starving, and unsure of what to do.

The hotels parking lot we were sitting at overlooked White Face Mountain. The sun was starting to rise, and it turned out to be the most breathtaking view. My husband Zack, being the passionate photographer that he is, didn’t waste any time at all. He pulled out his camera gear and immediately started shooting.

After 30 minutes of taking pictures, we drove into the town to finally get some food. We stopped at a diner called the Downhill Diner. The food was delicious, affordable, and very filling. And the staff was very sweet! They were really helpful with directions, locations, and great places to check out while in town.

Back on the road, and we fell in love with the area!! It was gorgeous everywhere our eyes looked. Zack is on a mission to “chase fall”. The Adirondacks was a couple days past peek when we visited but still the pictures he captured were so beautiful. Here’s a few 🍁🍂

We got really lucky too. It turned out to be a beautiful fall day. On the warmer side even. Perfect for the babies to enjoy! These pictures might make it look freezing out lol, but it was one of those perfect days you didn’t want to be inside…

Finally 2pm rolled around the corner, and we received a message from our Airbnb host saying that the cleaning crew has left because a family was there the night before us, and that we are more than welcome to come and get settled if we’d like.

So, that’s exactly what we did. We drove to our cabin, got settled, fed Mr. Rylan, and discussed dinner because after all of the exploring so far, we were hungry again… Lol

After dinner, we explored a bit more around the town before it got dark, and a bit colder and then headed back to our cabin to relax. The kids were sleeping almost right away. Gracie fell asleep on the couch watching TV, and Rylan fell asleep mid bottle 🍼😂

We took our babies to bed, and Zack and I relaxed for a bit in the kitchen. Zack was determined to see that sunrise from White Face Mountain. He talked about it all day. The only thing holding him back was fear of walking up a dark mountain in the middle of the night, and in the freezing cold, alone. I couldn’t bring the babies obviously, but I did my best to reassure him that if he does decide to go, he’ll be okay no matter what. He’s strong, he’s brave, he’s determined. He’s got this!

Not too long after, we went to sleep. Zack set an alarm for 4am, unsure of how long the walk will take him. From our cabin to the mid way point of the mountain where it was cut off, it took 15 minutes drive time. I can’t speak for Zack, or how he felt that night. But I do know that when he left, it was below freezing outside. The ground was covered in frost, you could see your breath, and IT WAS DARK!!!

He did have a very bright flash light, a head light, water, his insulin and test kit, snacks for lows, warm clothing, etc. But I don’t think he was prepared for just how long the walk ahead was… The road he took all the way up was covered in steep snow. When he finally reached the top, he said it was about 7:10am. It took close to three hours traveling on feet in the freezing cold, and dark one way. And this is what he sends me via text…

But he caught some truly amazing pictures. Take a look

Virginia Beach, Virginia – Baby Free Getaway

On July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 By ourprecioustravelsIn family, family travel, travelLeave a comment

If we are being completely honest: Virginia Beach is one of our favorite little places to visit. It’s a gem for us. We love the life and simplicity Virginia Beach brings. While we do have some cons, the pros outweigh our love for the city much more.

Some of the things we absolutely love about Virginia Beach:

For one we LOVE the food. Some of the best restaurants we’ve ever been too have been from here. Mexican food – AMAZING. Steaks, ribs, chicken fingers – super delicious. The absolute best chicken Alfredo 😍 – INCREDIBLE mimosas and waffles… Our mouths are drooling just thinking about all of the deliciousness. What’s even more incredible? Most, if not all of these delectable restaurants are found on the boardwalk – beach side. Enjoy your meal, sunrise, sunshine and sunset outdoors, soaking up that fresh ocean air. We literally can’t get enough.

And while our favorite vacations are with our baby girl by our side: Zack and I decided to take one final mommy and daddy solo vacation alone: baby free before baby #2 arrives.

Gracie’s baby brother will be here in the beginning of October. And you guys, I’m SO GLAD this pregnancy has flewn by. If you’ve ever been pregnant in the summer time, you’ll know it’s absolute TORTURE!!! Thankfully, that beach water made this momma very happy. It was so refreshing 😌

Aside from the beach and the food in Virginia Beach, we love the boardwalk itself. We’re obsessed with the small shops, music played by musicians of all genres and instrumental backgrounds, and the artists you’ll catch: sharing their love and passion for all to see and experience. There’s so much talent out there, it’s mind blowing. From art sculptures, to paintings, to jugglers and everything in between – we couldn’t help but stop and watch.

Our stay was at the gorgeous Courtyard by Marriott Oceanfront North 37th Street.

We were a little obsessed with our hotel for a variety of reasons:

It had the cutest indoor / outdoor restaurant
It was right on the boardwalk
Our hotel room was beachfront (literally)
The pool was gorgeous and the perfect place to relax after a long day out in the sun
Very spacious room
The staff was incredible
Very conveniently located next to everything we wanted to see including the Rudee Flipper and Old Time Photos

Some of our favorite activities included a trip to the Rudee Flipper – a dolphin sight seeing boat ride.

It was an awesome experience. The day was humid (check that hair 🙆🙈) and it was a bit rainy, but we didn’t let that ruin our parade. There was so many dolphins – we were in total awe.

Our next stop was at Old Time Photos: If you’re ever around an Old Time Photos while on vacation, we highly recommend it. If you love dressing up, acting totally silly, and role playing, Old Time Photos is the perfect place to do so. While we don’t enjoy being in front of the camera so to say, the people who work there are so sweet. They know how to make anyone feel comfortable, and they’ll keep you laughing from the moment you step into the store all the way up until the time that you leave. Old Time Photos feels like a whole other world, which I think is partly why we love it so much. It’s different in the best way.

Zack and I had a blast getting all dolled up. We felt like movie stars in an old Western movie. We were laughing non stop.

Our Virginia Beach trip was only for two days. It was the best mini baby free getaway we could ask for, but my gosh was I missing those delicious mimosas with my waffles, and giant margaritas from our favorite little authentic Mexican restaurant – Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant 😋

Before we go, some of our cons include:

High taxes. They are a bit higher then we’re used to here in New York
The weather can be very muggy and humid but that’s expected when you’re by the beach

And…. That’s pretty much it for us. Everything else is a total A+ in our book 🤗

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time…

XOXOXO

Jessica, Zack, Gracie and Rylan Mikolajczak

Our New York City Vlog on YouTube 🌃🎥📷

On June 30, 2019June 30, 2019 By ourprecioustravelsIn family, family travel, travelLeave a comment

New York City – Such an incredible experience: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm4rd80CPIlIbLwrrxVjoB1HQXdKYJzD-

Our dream of Travel ✈️🌍

On June 21, 2019 By ourprecioustravelsIn family, family travel, travelLeave a comment

Ever since I was a little girl, I always DREAMED of traveling the world.

There’s so much beauty, how can anyone not be in love with the idea of seeing everything this great big Earth has to offer?

I remember sitting at a restaurant table one day with a group of friends and saying “one day, I’m going to travel the world you guys. It’s happening”. And chuckles from all of the girls arose. I also remember getting really defensive – wondering “are they doubting my dreams?”. Or could it maybe be me? Am I thinking too large?”

Never in my life have I ever met someone who actually cared to see the world. Everyone I know is content with their lives and could go on never knowing all of the beauty that lies before us. Which, in all honesty makes me sad. I just couldn’t understand it… I still can’t!

And then I met Zack, and I swear, I love everything about this man more than words could ever possibly describe, but his eagerness, passion and love to travel too made me fall even deeper in love.

For SO LONG we have talked about traveling the world, it’s almost like a broken record on repeat.

We have seen a few places recently – Virginia Beach, New York City, and Cherry Springs Pennsylvania – but we want to see more. So SO much more….

What’s holding us back you might ask? WORK. We’re scared to death if we drop everything and travel… leave our jobs, our home, our life, everything completely behind, that we’ll struggle immensely financially.

Truthfully, I think if we weren’t parents, we would take this opportunity in a heartbeat – but we have a little girl, and a second baby on the way, arriving very soon. Plus we have two cats and a puppy.

We just don’t want to be tied down to work anymore, and we most certainly don’t want to just “talk about it”. We need to make this happen, but I don’t think that we can do it alone.

We’re reaching out our hands for a little bit of help.

It would mean the world if you could click the link below. Any donation amount big or small – we would be forever grateful for.

https://paypal.me/pools/c/8fOVEigUaZ

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your time and for considering our biggest wish ♥️

Until next time….