Jameson and I strive to place people at the center of our lives.  Careers and life goals and adventures are all of great import.  But at the core of what makes our world revolve is the people we choose to share our mundane life with.  We know a remarkable couple (who happen to be our high school gym teachers and later our landlords) that possess this unbelievable ability to love on others.  When you are in conversation with them it is always intentional, and they truly have the gift of making you feel heard. In them both is the capacity to earnestly share in your joy regardless of circumstance.  Beyond that, they also love God with the same vigor they love others with.  We look up to them.  Jay and I would consider it our greatest accomplishment if we are ever able to walk out our marriage in the same loving manner they embody, and make those around us feel even mildly as cherished as they manage to do.

Fortunately for us, we have people quite literally across the globe that love us and we love whole heartily. Our circle extends from from Dallas, to Sydney to Victoria, with stops in Toronto, California, New York and everywhere in between.   It is friends and family who feed us. They possess the ability to transform a dreary day.  They are the ones able to speak encouragement, and wisdom into our lives; whether we connect daily or only every so often.  We are so grateful for all of those that are willing to come along side us to share in this crazy, adventure we are on. So thank you to each and every one of you.

So needless to say it was such a soul filling time for us this summer when we got the chance to carve out a week of road tripping with three of the people who are firmly entrenched at the center of our universe.  Truth be told Jay and I are in full agreement that it is probably one of the highest highs of our entire time in NYC thus far.  It wasn’t the adventure or the scenery or all the great food.  It was simply because of who we shared the time with.  We are so grateful to have created our own little New York family.  Even though it doesn’t replace or keep us from missing those at home like crazy, it at least helps bolster us in the place we currently are.

1. New York City

Since NYC is home, this is always the starting point of every road trip.  We have covered New York highlights in previous posts so for a list of things to do, events and insider insight check out:

• Playing Tourist: Things to do in NYC
• Summer in NYC
• Christmas in the City
• Dating (my husband) in NYC
• Playing Tourist: Arts, Food and Athletics in NYC
• Best Places to Wine and Dine in NYC

2. Darien, Connecticut

This is always our first stop out of the city to acquire coffee and sustenance .  They have a great Trader Joe’s where you can wrangle all your road trip necessities.  As cliché of a coffee stop as it is Darien’s Starbucks is a touch more adorable than your run of the mill franchise chain location.  The real merit of a stop in Darien is in the drive through the town which is picturesque with it’s colonial homes swathed in american flags and red, white and blue bunting.  This is quintessential, cute Americana at it’s finest.

3. Providence, Rhode Island

We have previously mentioned our favourite aspects of Rhode Island.  However, we figured it was important enough to reiterate verbatim once again (just to drive the points home). So once again we LOVE Providence. There is something about idyllic, small college towns that warms me to the core.  There are moments that I would pack my bags in an instant and move to Providence.  Every time we are in town we make a stop at Brown University to soak in all the ivy league collegiate goodness.  Followed by a stroll down Thayer Street, where a stop at Ben and Jerry’s and East Side Pocket are mandatory.  Really we love all the College Hill neighbourhood has to offer with it’s cute architecture and awesome public art.  Go and explore, you won’t regret it. If you don’t feel as charmed by Providence as we do, than Newport is just a short drive away and it surely will blow you away.

4. Boston

Again Boston in a Jordan family staple on most Northeast road trip adventures.  As such, we have previously chronicled some of our highlights and must sees in the following articles:

• Boston: a Love Story
• Get out of town: Best Summer Escapes from NYC

5. Bar Harbor, Maine

This is where the bulk of our attention will be today because Bar Harbor is AMAZING.  We spent nearly a week here with some of our nearest and dearest. We only accomplished three vacation goals, and that was perfectly exceptional.

We hiked. Acadia National Park has a vast number of trails that are adequate for all levels of hikers.  Sand Beach was particularly stunning which can be reached via the Ocean Path Hike.  Whereas the most scenic hike that afforded us the most breath taking views was the Cadillac Summit Loop Path .  But I would bet a hard earned wage that no matter what trail you choose to adventure down you will be stunned by the beauty of the forest, and views of the expansive waters.

We ate. A lot. Our top recommendations for coffee and great patio spaces would be 2 Cats and Choco-Latte.  The boys were repeat patrons for the later’s impeccable iced mochas.  For a sweet treat, Jordan’s Pond Ice Cream and Fudge Shop has perfectly, creamy homemade ice cream (the excellent namesake is just an added perk). For seafood and the traditional Northeastern seafood fare, Able’s Lobster Pound did not disappoint.  The ambience of cracking lobsters at beaten up picnic tables on the bank on an oceanic inlet as the sun sets is really what sets this place apart from the plethora of seafood eateries you have to choose form. For dinner, and amazing atmosphere McKay’s Public House made for a perfect evening.  Savoring Lobster Mac and Cheese under a canopy of white lights as live music filled their open air patio made for an exceptional last evening in Bar Harbor.

We played on the beach. We snuck through a vacant property to secure our own private beach for the evening.  However, if that type of risky behavior isn’t something you a preferential to we has a blast exploring Desert Island Beach and Echo Lake.   Both afforded exceptional swimming, and warm waters.   Sand Beach was another great spot we checked out.  Sadly it isn’t dog friendly, and Ole is a top priority so we didn’t stay for too long to savor it.