weekends can be all sorts of cabin-fever inducing sometimes. you know. something about the monday through friday routine resonates with me. i know exactly what to expect. kids to go off to school, parker and i run errands, hang at the house, have a playdate. snack and nap and lunch and soon thereafter kids are hopping off buses and into the home and dinner cooks and simmers and pajamas are on and bedtime arrives. i like knowing what to expect. sometimes, i’ll have expectations for a saturday. i might not voice them, but they’re there in my head. and then we linger too long in pajamas and steve plugs away at his work, and william heads off to a friend’s, and then it’s nap time and then cloudy and… saturday evaporates and we wasted it. no, not wasted. a lazy saturday isn’t always a wasted one, but sometimes i just want to get out. grab the family, grab the jackets, and go see something.
when the forecast read upper 30s and sunny, i thought perfect. we’ll spend the day outside. steve’s been working like a dog (a book nearing its deadline that he has been seriously slaving away at for the last few years) so it’s good for him to step away from the computer, out of the house, and hit the open road. when i suggested concord, he said sure, and from there the day’s plan was hatched. we had lunch at the main street market (not our first time and not our last either; the food is surprisingly delicious for a little market-type place. the guinness beef stew is a favorite!), toured orchard house (a really good tour, by the way. the very desk where louisa may alcott wrote little women is there just as it looked when she wrote it, the family’s books remain, furniture, paintings, and a chest of costumes from when the girls would act out louisa’s scripts!!). then, we parked and walked about the town, a really sweet little town concord is, and with plenty of gorgeous homes to look at too.
just like that, the day had passed and i was glad to have made something of it and not let another saturday come and go with everyone just passing the time doing their own thing. and, i don’t know about you and yours, but this toddler sleeps harder when he’s gotten his dose of fresh air and that, my friends, is worth a trip anywhere!
Ahhhhhh, I grew up in Concord and this post makes me so nostalgic for home, especially living far away in HOT weather. Visiting the orchard house (and watching Little Women) was one of my all time favorite activities growing up. Glad you enjoyed the trip! And I'm glad I finally came out of woodwork to post for the first time 🙂 I really enjoy your blog! xx Kim
what a place to grow up in! it's so nice there, kim! thanks for coming out of hiding 🙂
Concord is a favorite of mine – we spent some of the snowier weekends this winter snow shoeing on the different trails there. And I will take any excuse to eat at Main Street Market! Glad you had such an enjoyable day!
everything i've gotten there has been really good – love that place!
beautiful pictures, girl!
http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com/2013/03/healthy-salads-galore.html
so gorgeous. i want to go there. when S and i come stay with you guys, you can take us there. awesome.
done.
I've been wanting to go to the Alcott house for SOOO long. I need to convince the husband that he'd like it! Concord is super close to us so it just needs to happen.
this was our first time too! a living social deal that came through on my email was what made me (finally) say–let's go. and it wasn't expensive to begin with either! you need to get there.
i love little women! that would be so fun to see!
such a lovely place x
The top picture is my favorite. Makes me sigh with love for those little women. I am so excited to visit there– it's been on my list for awhile now but have not yet made it happen… making it a must-do soon! Especially after the way you describe it– sounds lovely!
I love your blog for YOU and because you always seem to write what I am thinking…but also because I am from New Hampshire (transplanted down south) and your pictures and words bring me back there.
thanks so much. glad you can get a little new england fix here 🙂
i love seeing cheerful faces in a graveyard. so fun. and great light for photos!
dusk! the magic hour!
i just loooove concord. mm. and of course, henry!!!
i know exactly what you mean! my husband is often so tired on the weekend after a crazy week of work, and all i want to do is jump in the car for an adventure. glad you got in a good saturday 🙂
The post was so nice to read. Not sure why but the whole day routine sounds a little perfect to me. I could definitely use a couple naps every now and again!
Nothing beats a nice roadtrip on the weekend! It is always good to get out and explore something new! Great pictures!
Kristina x
you had me at "the cheese shop"
i feel the exact (EXACT) same way about saturdays. the "evaporated" part… the part about not actually looking at it as it was "wasted"… you described it perfectly.
(even though it's hard not to see it as wasted- if something isn't *made out of it!)
places like that make my heart beat faster…lovely! haha I laughed about the "voices in your head" thing, b/c…that's me. I feel like we HAVE to get out, do something…or else!
cheers.