The Kmiec Ramblings

We spent our 5th wedding anniversary in Cancun, Mexico.  Cancun holds a special place in our heart because it’s the place we got engaged on June 5, 2002 and it’s where we spent our 3rd anniversary when Cheryl was pregnant with Cora.

Originally, we had planned to spend our 5th anniverary in Las Vegas, NV.  However, the insane costs of Vegas coupled with the amazing deal we got via Expedia helped guide us back to Cancun.  Instead of staying at the Westin Regina (where we’ve stayed in the past) we decided to stay at the all inclusive GR Royal Solaris.  It was a great choice.  Unlimited food and liquor is never a bad thing.

With this being our 3rd time in Cancun together, it was really tough to figure out what to do.  We’d been to Chitinitza, Isla Mujeres, done some parasailing, and shopped a ton.  Outside of just kicking back on the beach, something that’s very difficult for Adam to do, we took the Jungle Tour for the first time.  There’s a picture from the excursion below.  That was really the only new thing we did.  It was the familiar favorites that we really relished.  We shopped a Plaza Kulkulcan and La Isla.  We ate dinner at Cambalache and this little whole in the wall taco place that we ate at the night we got engaged.  Of course, we also ate at the Captain’s Cove, where Cheryl enjoyed a Banana Monkey.  Basically, we were right at home.

It was tough to come back after 5 days, but it was also great to see Cora again.  She stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Iverson while we were away.

A few select photos are below and the entire gallery can be seen here.

This is the front of our hotel, the GR Royal Solaris. We highly recommend it.

This is a picture I took on day 2. It's probably one of my favorite photos from the trip.

It's rare that I make an appearance in photos on trips. Usually I'm too busy taking them. I really liked the casual and simple nature of this photo. Cheryl did a great job capturing it.

We took the so-called "Jungle Tour." It basically consists of driving a speed boat 30 minutes to a huge reef. You snorkel for about 45 minutes and then head back. We had a great time driving fast and checking out the underwater life.

When we came down to Cancun for our 3rd anniversary, the Captain's Cove was closed due to construction from the hurricanes. It was open this time around and we made sure to eat dinner their on our anniversary. The coconut shrimp were as amazing as we remembered from June 2002; when we got engaged.

Cancun was a blast.  More updates to come, but wanted to get this photo out there so you all could see we actually made it to Cancun and had a great time.  This was taken on our anniversary using the D2Hs, two towels, and the shutter timer.

This was my 4th trip to Cancun, Mexico in the last 15 years or so. This trip was really unlike others I’ve taken. Cancun has changed so much. Here is a list of my observations:

1. The dollar is still strong in Mexico (about 12 pesos to the dollar), but things have gotten more expensive to purchase.

2. English, as a language, is widely adopted. I spoke very little Spanish on the trip.

3. Technology is huge. There were plenty if free wifi hotspots throughout the hotels, bars, malls, etc. This made staying connected really easy. It’s also the opposite of what you’d find in the U.S.; where we charge for everything.

4. The Mexicans I spoke with were pro-McCain. They indicated most of the country was.

5. Public transportation us cheap and runs 24 hours; it’s the lifeblood of the economy. Nearly everyone opts for a bus ride over a taxi.

6. The concept of green friendly hasn’t made its way down here yet, but I saw many products touting: organic, natural, or free from preservatives.

7. I still hate just laying on the beach; I need to be doing something all the time.

8. There is always one set of guests at the hotel who swear they are the life of the party and should be the center of attention. The group this year was easy to spot thanks to one girl’s leave nothing to the imagination bikini and cowboy hat.

9. It’s getting harder to find real authentic Mexican food. The food has really been Americanized. Really do we need 2 Chilis’ in Cancun?

10. Talking to the locals is always better than the guide books; yes, have a conversation and get more personal.

It was a good trip, but I’m torn between appreciating the advancements being made here (eg wifi) and continued commoditization of the city. At what point will Cancun just be a more southern version of California?

New York City is flat out the best city in the world.  The culture, the people, the food; New York has it all.  This is Cora’s third trip to the Big Apple, but this is the first time that she was old enough to really enjoy the city.

First stop on the visit into the city was Nathan's Famous in Coney Island. This is the site of the annual hotdog eating contest and has been a New York City fixture for seemingly forever. Cora ate her first "real" hotdog here.

From Nathan's we headed over to Scotto's bakery. Cora can be seen here eating her first tri-color or rainbow cookied. These are insanely hard to find outside of New York City. Minnesota doesn't have them, Nebraska didn't, and only 1 place in Chicago did. They are amazing and Cora agreed.

Cora sat on the stoop at 324 East 7th Street. Adam, his cousins, his mom, his aunts, his uncles, and many more have taken a seat on the stoop outside his grandfather's house. Cora is keeping the tradition alive.

This one could be the best picture from the trip. Cora is striking her presidential pose as she looks off into the distance. Behind her, Adam's grandfather can be seen looking on and approving of the scene.

What would a set of photos be without a photo of Cora running away. Cora played on East 7th Street for about 45 minutes. She ran up and down the block. At this point, it was time to go inside, but Cora wasn't quite finished playing.

On day 3 we arrived at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  Adam has been to the museum several times, but this was Cheryl’s and Cora’s first visit.  We covered the museum inside and out and top to bottom.  We saw Schilling’s bloody sock, all 7 of the balls from Nolan Ryan’s no-hitters, and so much more.

The exterior of the museum.

These are the plaques from the first 5 Hall of Fame inductees: Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner.

This was a letter from Roosevelt to Kenesaw Landis (commisioner of baseball) encouraging Major League Baseball to keep playing even though the war was going on. As Roosevelt stated, "these players are a definite recreational asset to at least 20,000,000 of their fellow citizens -- and that in my judgement is thoroughly worthwhile."

Cora and Cheryl posed in this cut-out. Maybe one day, she'll be a pro.Perhaps Cora's favorite part of the museum was this chair and this room. She had to be practically dragged away. I swear if I could find a baseball glove chair I'd buy it.

Outside of the museum is an exhbit that features a bronze statue of Johnny Podres throwing to a bronze statue of Roy Campanella. Cora was in love with Roy's glove. Perhaps this means she'll become a catcher.

On day two of the road trip we left the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and headed northeast to Niagra Falls.  The journey was only about 3 hours and it was completely worth it.

Adam got a chance to hold Cora near the railing that protects people from falling into the river that becomes the falls.

We let Cora sit all by herself on a podium that was attached to the railing that stops people from falling into the river. Yes, we are totally unfit parents. Cora loved the freedom and we love the photo.

After paying the fare to enter the observation area we took several shots of the falls. This is one of my favorites. Cora really wanted to get through the railing.This is a photo of the river and the bridge that connects the U.S. side of Niagra Falls with the Canadian side. Though the view is better we didn't cross over into Canada.

Yes, we paid the insane amount of money to take the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We had a blast. The video footage of Cora getting soaked by the falls was worh the price.

We decided to take a road trip from Minneapolis to New York with the intention of seeing Adam’s family.  Along the way we made time stops at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Niagra Falls, and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

These photos are from our first stop, after 12 hours of driving through the night, in Cleveland, Ohio.

This is where we ate breakfast. We found this place called Yours Truly that was right in the middle of a farmer's market.

Just before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a park that has the world's largest rubber stamp.

To give you a sense of perspective I shot this photo. Cora is in the lower right hand corner of the frame. This stamp is huge.

Cheryl shot this photo of Cora and Adam waiting for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to open. We got there kinda early.

This is the stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's one of the last things you see before you have to check your camera.

We would have shown you more photos from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but as you can see we weren't allowed to use our camera. Bummer and totally lame.

I nailed this one in Cooperstown, NY last week.  The foliage was spectacular in upstate New York.  This photo just seemed to capture Autumn perfectly.

Fall Is Here