Asia at Odd Hours

My mother, sister, and I love taking trips together. We travel very well as a team, have very similar tastes and a willingness to compromise--and perhaps by virtue of spending 18 years under the same roof, we just get each other. This year, given that my son is still an infant, we decided to keep things simple.

We headed on a little road trip to Syracuse, ostensibly to see Destiny USA, the massive mall out there. In truth, it was more about getting away and learning how to travel with a very young child. I packed 7* bags, 5 of which were for my son in some capacity. Plus the stroller.

(*One was a beach bag for the spa later that week, so the bag ratio was really 5:1.)



The trip was really about the company, the laughs, and seeing the Amish in person. They tipped their hats to us, and that was amazing. We got butter tarts and other sweet delights in Lancaster before hitting the border, I got to show Alex's passport to the Customs officer, and everyone we met was an absolute delight. Americans get a lot of flak for being dicks, but every time I've ventured south of the border, I have never personally encountered a single one.



Alex himself was a total gem 99.9% of the trip. He is the best baby ever, and beamed at everyone he met. The trip was right on his 7-month mark, and he celebrated with mashed potatoes and some whipped cream.



We stopped to eat in Watertown, at this buffet restaurant that accepted the Canadian dollar at par. Can't go wrong with that! We stayed at a fantastic hotel with a shuttle service to the mall, which was cheap AND included dinner and breakfast, drinks as well. I am going to look for this hotel whenever I travel now.



Armory Square was all right, but aside from a few interesting buildings, there wasn't much to Syracuse and the museums were all closed. So we packed up and made the long trip back home. Overall, we basically just had a wicked sleepover, but it was nice.