Out of the City

Something that I've always loved but have always taken for granted until this year is, simply, driving. We drive everywhere in the Midwest -- because we can, because we have to, because we enjoy it (well, some of us). In the big city, it is neither easy nor convenient to drive; public transportation is great, but sometimes I just want to hop in the car, blast some tunes, and sing to myself. I had the opportunity to do that recently when I drove to Burlington, Vermont, to visit Kristen. Once I crossed the Hudson, the remaining 5 hours of the drive were stunning: green mountains, fields, trees, country roads, Flogging Molly, and lots of caffeine are all it takes to make me happy, apparently.

The rest of the weekend was delightful. What exactly does one do in Burlington? All the things that I've been missing (and even some that I didn't know I was missing) this year in the city:

Hiking in the woods with friends...

Chatting by the lake in the warm sunshine...

Planting a garden...

And having an unexpected photo shoot at the hippie party on the beach...

...of beautiful Lake Champlain.