Franklins World: The North Fork

When we travel, we are nothing if not organized.  That doesn't mean that EVERY minute is planned out - spontaneity has created some of my favorite travel moments ever.....but we certainly do our research beforehand when we're walking into something new.

This past April we went on a mini mid-week vacation to the North Fork with friends of ours!  Angie and Nate had been SO sweet and suggested that we bring Franklin along...which turned out to be the best idea ever.  All four of us work retail of some sort, so mid-week was just as easy to plan as any other normal person's three day long weekend.  We went Wednesday - Friday, the third week of April.  April in New England is a crapshoot to begin with, so we figured it would be the perfect off peak time to go enjoy the vineyards before the crowds got crazy!    We found an AirBNB that was dog friendly right in downtown Greenport, and off we went!

Before we left, I did a LOT of research into the different vineyards on the North Fork.  They fell into one of a few categories: dog friendly, "BYOS" (bring your own snacks) friendly, neither, or both.  While I didn't want our trip to feel overly rigid and planned out, I did want us to know going into it where Franklin would be welcomed, and when we'd need to leave him behind in the apartment!

As it turned out - we could not have gotten luckier with the weather!  We had weather that was sunny and 70 most of the time, which allowed us to bring Franklin along and enjoy many more outdoor spaces.  Since it was still only mid April, and mid week, we had the vineyards to ourselves probably 80% of the time - and when we weren't alone there were never more than a couple other groups around.  This made the entirely trip TOTALLY relaxing and enjoyable, and Franklin was the best behaved pup the entire time!

There are a couple of websites that talk about dog-friendly vineyards, but here's an overview of our personal experiences:

Bedell Cellars:
As soon as we got off the ferry we headed straight to Bedell.  Bedell Cellars states online that dogs are allowed outside, and *update* no outside food is allowed.  (When we were there in April you were allowed to bring outside food)  When we called to confirm that they were dog friendly, the woman told us that since it was so quiet, we could even bring Franklin inside, as long as no other patrons complained.  When we arrived we were the only ones inside the tasting room, so we enjoyed a full tasting to kick off our trip!  We then took a bottle outside, and enjoyed the view of the vineyard while eating our lunch.

Raphael:
Raphael does not allow outside food, but is the only place that very clearly states on their site that dogs are welcomed both inside and outside of the tasting room.  We have been to the North Fork many times, but never been to Raphael - they are often closed for private functions!  So we were thrilled to find them open when we arrived.  Raphael's building is absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed a tasting at the bar in the center of their main room.

Duck Walk:
Duck Walk was the last vineyard we visited on our first day.  They have such a large variety of wines it was a little overwhelming.  We just grabbed a bottle and brought it outside to enjoy on their patio - again we were the only ones outside so I was able to let Franklin run around off leash!

The Lenz Winery:
Based on what I read online, I believe Lenz would be dog friendly in their outdoor area, however we planned our second morning to go to all of the places we couldn't take Franklin - so we just didn't have him when we did our traditional 10AM visit to Lenz!  Most vineyards open around 11 or 12, but Lenz is famous in our world for their early hours.  We also love their wine, so we make a point to go there first thing in the morning when we're visiting - another perfect way to beat the crowds!

Sparkling Pointe:
Sparkling Pointe is not dog friendly, nor outside food friendly...but their sparkling wines are delicious and so it's a necessary stop!  They also do table service for your tasting, so you can enjoy the weather outside rather than standing at the bar.

Kontokosta Winery:
Another winery that does not allow dogs or outside food.  In this case, their views are a necessary stop so we forgave them and made the trip!  They are the first vineyard you get to coming from the ferry - and they have a sprawling lawn leading up to a cliff looking over the water.

Mattabella Vineyards:
Mattabella is another favorite of mine.  They have an extremely adorable outside seating area - so every group gets to sit at their own table with either chairs or benches - they even have blankets for the cooler temps to keep you cozy!  They offer a red or white tasting, and include some "bites" to go along with the tastings. AND!  Dog friendly :) We often take a bottle of their wine home with us.

Palmer Vineyards:
Palmer is pet friendly in their outside seating area - and ended up being another hit!  Their indoor space looked like an english style pub, and they had tons of patio and lawn seating outside.  Ant and I ended up joining their wine club, so we get 3 bottles from them 4 times a year!  It's been a really nice reminder of the trip.  It's also a really great "easy in, easy out" location with tons of parking, so I've recommended it to friends and family looking to grab good wine when in the area!

As an added bonus, we also stopped by the Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.  They have two locations - their original one in downtown Greenport, and an expanded space a little further down in Peconic.  We brought Franklin with us to the Peconic location and enjoyed a beer flight for a change in scenery!

Overall, our mini getaway was absolutely amazing!  We loved being able to get away with friends, without having to leave Franklin behind. (although there are many grandparents always happy to have him!!)

Have you been to any of the vineyards on Long Island?  Which is your favorite??  Ever since getting pregnant I have been counting down the days until my next vineyard visit!

6 months: baby girl Mascia!

A lot has happened in the last few months - 6, specifically.  Ant and I found out that we are expecting our first child next January!  We have since learned that "it" is a she, and have named her Tilly Elizabeth :)  Her due date is January 23rd, but regardless of when she actually arrives, we know that 2017 is going to be an exciting year for our family!

I had meant to post a few updates before now, but we're officially at 6 months this week and I thought I'd go back through the last 6 months with a few photo updates.  Going back through these pictures was quite a trip - it's crazy to think about all of the things that have changed (most noticeably, my body!) over these months.  

May 18:  This picture of the three of us was taken celebrating my birthday at Chaffinch....we had no idea then that we were actually 4.5 weeks pregnant.

May 21:  I took a LOT of other pictures that morning - but most of them are more personal for Ant and I.  This was the morning I took the positive pregnancy test(s)!!  What a crazy, sweet morning.

May 22: Because of my terrible timing - and not wanting to tell Ant the news via text message...I had to wait an entire 36 hours to let him know he was going to be a father!  Photo quality is terrible...and I don't care one bit.  That was the best night.  We just sat and talked for hours about our new future.

May 25 & June 8 (5 and 7 weeks): Looking back, these photos crack me up, but I am so so glad I took them!  Obviously, I am not showing yet...but it's fun to go back and see.  June 8 was our first Drs appointment and ultrasound, at 7.5 weeks.  There is hardly anything big enough to see on that ultra sound - but the doctor was able to show us the heart beat!

June 12, 18, & 26:  We wanted to tell our families in person, and got lucky enough that we had plans to see all of them over the course of three weekends right after our first ultrasound: first my parents, then his parents, then my sisters.  We told our parents using the sign on the new wall/door we were installing for what is now the nursery, and I had these bracelets made on ETSY for my sisters.  The bracelets spell "aunt" in morse code, so they could wear them even before they were allowed to talk about it with the general public :)  We had SO MUCH FUN sharing the news!!  Everyone was so surprised and thrilled, and reacted in such special ways.

July 9:  I spent weeks 11/12 in Canada exploring Banff National Park with Katie! I was lucky to have a very healthy first trimester...baby M was a total trooper on all of our crazy adventures!

  

July 13 (12 weeks):  The day after I got back from Canada, Ant and I had our first trimester screening.  Baby M did so much moving around we got to spend more than 45 minutes watching, waiting for the tech to get the right image.  After that appointment confirmed that we had a healthy happy (waving!) baby, we started to share the news with more of our close friends and family!

July 29 (14 weeks):  Again - looking back I laugh at this picture because I see no "bump"...but that day at work I distinctly remember people commenting that I was starting to show.

August 6 & 7 (16 weeks):  We spent our anniversary weekend in Ogunquit Maine, and made baby M "Facebook official".  It was the most relaxing couple of days in the MOST perfect bed & breakfast.  

August 17 & 20 (17 weeks):  This is where I felt like there was a definite "pop".  I posted my first bump picture on social media before heading to the gym one day....and the other picture was taken on cape cod visiting Ant's Aunt and Uncle.

August 23 (18 weeks):  We had our anatomy scan and found out that baby M was a GIRL!  We had already chosen both a girl and boy name, so at that moment she became Tilly Elizabeth Mascia.  I still can't believe how lucky we are.  Look at her cuddled up in there!

August 28 & 31 (19 weeks):  I can't deal with the cuteness of my two bebs together...

 

September 6 and 13 (20 & 21 weeks):  I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I could feel her moving, but I had my first undeniable "flutter" the Sunday of week 20.  She still wasn't very active though - and any small flutters or movement were few and far between.

September 14 (21 weeks):  I have continued to be VERY lucky throughout this pregnancy, and have felt very healthy.  My biggest side effect has been exhaustion...pretty sure I slept most of June away.  To fight that, and maintain control of my back pain, I have been doing my kick boxing workout twice a week.

September 26 & 27 (23 weeks):  Ant and I flew to Iceland for a week - a vacation we had planned long before we knew it would end up being our baby moon :)  We had the best week hiking and exploring this beautiful country.  I could talk for days about Iceland - and just might at some point in the future here!  On our flight over, I felt her first stronger kick.  However, she continued to be very sporadic, and I could never get Ant to feel it.  Tuesday of that week - after a longgggg day of bumpy gravel roads, she got especially active and Ant felt her kick for the first time!  It was so special having  her with us on that trip.

I have no pictures of week 24 - but we are officially at 6 months.  Since Iceland, Tilly has gotten even more active, and Ant has gotten to experience a bit of the amount of moving and shaking she's doing in there!

In between all of this, we have done a TON more work around the house to get ready for her.  Since I work retail - we know the holiday season will come and go with very little free time...and I want to be able to enjoy that free time as much as possible.  That has meant making the nursery a priority, and I am so so thrilled with the progress.  More on that later...

We can not wait to meet our Tilly bug in four short months!

xoxo