Lion's Head Mountain and Cape Town

After an incredible first day in South Africa visiting Cape of Good Hope, we spent our next day touring around Cape Town. Our first stop was Lion's Head Mountain, one of the four mountains surrounding the city (Devil's Peak, Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and Lion's Head).

Lion's Head Mountain

Reading online, it seemed there were two options for our climb. An easy route suitable for beginners or a more challenging route recommended for experienced climbers. The difficult route included ladders and chains, whereas the easier route was wide paths and great views. Which one do you think we did?

Trick question! We thought we were doing the easy path but more than halfway up realized that was not the case. Funny story. Right after we decided we were not going to climb up the ladder to the next part of the mountain we watched a university rowing crew come by carrying an entire rowing machine! They were climbing the difficult path with all of their equipment to raise money for their team. It was a little deflating, but I'm proud of how far up we went. And the views were definitely worth it!

Climbing a ladder with a rower

Views from Lion's Head Mountain

After our climb we went into the city to explore the V&A waterfront. We listened to an audio tour of the area that was produced by the city. It was really interesting to learn the history of the area and explore some of its secrets. I loved watching the professional buskers, seeing all the seals, and looking out at Table Mountain.

After the audio tour we took a stroll down to Bo-Kaap, a neighborhood most known for its colorful houses. We took another audio tour here and learned the history of how during Apartheid the majority Muslim neighborhood was deeply impacted with many forced from their homes and the formerly colorful neighborhood painted white. Once Apartheid ended, residents re-painted the vibrant colors to signify their freedom.  

We finished our day with an incredible meal at the Test Kitchen Fledglings. Not only was the food fantastic, but the mission of this restaurant is amazing. Underprivileged people with an interest in entering the culinary world are given employment, training, and mentorship.

Another incredible day in South Africa! Next up, Hermanus and whale watching!

Read more about our trip:

Southern Africa: A Trip of a Lifetime

Touching Down in Cape Town

Touching Down in Cape Town

We started our epic journey in Cape Town on Thursday night after around a day's worth of travel. We saved up credit card miles and found an amazing deal for a one-way business class deal so we could arrive in style. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Lie flat beds, excellent service, great amenities. It was so good that even 15 hours felt too short.

The beauty of traveling business class is that we probably got more sleep on the plane than we do on a regular night at home! We arrived in Cape Town in time for dinner near our hotel and a soak in the hotel's hot tub before it was lights out for the day. 

We spent our first full day in Africa driving from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope (in a manual car on the opposite side of the road! Glad we learned to drive in England!). We stopped in Muizenberg on the way for the picturesque views of the tidal pool and colorful beach huts. I couldn't believe how many sea stars, sea urchins and bright coral were in these waters. 

Tidal pool in Muizenberg

Beach huts

Our next stop was at Boulder Beach, famous for its penguin colony. I was not prepared for just how many penguins there would be--and how badly they smelled! I enjoyed learning how to spot penguins of different ages: grey fluffy = newborn; slick grey = teenager; black and white = adult. Watching them burrow in their nests, play on the beach, and dive in the water was really special.

Boulder Beach

Next we were at the Cape of Good Hope, which is often wrongly cited as the southernmost part of Africa. It's actually the south-westernmost point of Africa, but it still has some incredible views. It's a hike, but I definitely recommend walking up to the top of the lighthouse if you're able. The color of the ocean water is dreamy!

Cape of Good Hope

Have I mentioned the wildlife yet? I know we talked about penguins, but did you know ostriches live here too? I also had no idea how many baboons there are in South Africa. I loved them! All the little babies, the mamas, and the big daddies. The only time it was less than ideal was when Dan was chased by a big dude in the Cape of Good Hope parking lot. I thought it was funny, but yeah, it was a little scary.

Stay tuned for more to come!

Southern Africa: A Trip of a Lifetime

For years Dan and I have said that we would celebrate our 40th birthdays with an African safari. It's a huge bucket-list item that we knew we wanted to do right. After hearing about my parents' trip for their 40th anniversary, we started planning our trip modeled after theirs.

We consulted with our travel agent, my parents, friends, the Internet, and many library books and came up with this final itinerary. I wouldn't change a thing!

1. Cape Town - 3 Nights

2. Hermanus - 2 Nights

3. Franshoek - 2 Nights

4. Sabi Sands Game Reserve - 3 Nights

5. Victoria Falls - 3 Nights

6. Johannesburg - Departure City

Though we are experienced travelers, we decided to work with a travel agent for a few reasons. First, we are still in Covid times. Travel restrictions and health requirements are constantly changing and we did not want to be figuring out each country/city/hotel's policies. Second, even in the best of times crossing three countries with multiple international and domestic flights and visas is challenging. Working with an agent allowed us to just enjoy our experience without having to think about the logistics. I cannot recommend using a travel agent highly enough. Helen Kirby from Rhino Africa was especially fantastic!

Though it will be impossible to fully document our incredible trip, I'll try over the next series of posts to bring you with us through our trip of a lifetime! Get ready!

Dear Asher: 6 Years

Dear Asher,

Happy 6th birthday! I think I say this every year, but this might have been my favorite year so far. You are just so darn loveable. I mean, look at this face!

I love that you genuinely want to spend time with us--whether it's going on adventures in our forest, reading books, playing with Lego, doing science experiments, baking, or just being silly together. We always have a good time playing. You're also becoming more independent though. You've taken your first solo flights (to Texas and Florida) and are getting better at solo play.

You graduated kindergarten and are on your way to first grade! This school year was a big adjustment for you and it wasn't always smooth sailing. But you did a great job communicating with us about what you need. Your teachers also helped a lot, getting you extra help to learn how to write better. Now you're reading, writing, drawing, and doing math problems in your head for fun. Oh, and you're learning Hebrew too. It's a lot! Even though you are still a reluctant reader, it's fun watching you discover the world around you through this unlocked talent.

You made some good friends this year in school and still remain close to your buddies from the Pod from last year. You had several playdates with many of the kids in your class and you got "married" a few times to Roxy, Raquel, and Eva. But Zahara and I still seem to be your number one girls.

I wouldn't necessarily call you an athlete, but I'm proud of the efforts you've been putting in with karate, soccer, swimming, and skiing. Karate and soccer weren't your favorites, but you'd be happy skiing or swimming any day. It's so fun watching you learn a new skill! You'll be out-skiing daddy and I next season!

You finally lost your first teeth just this week! I know you've been telling everyone that you already lost teeth but that's not true. You grew shark teeth just like your sister and the baby teeth are hanging around forever. I'm sure more visits from the Tooth Fairy are just around the corner.

One of my favorite things about you, other than your incredible sense of humor, is your empathy. You are (almost) always thinking of others. You ask about how people are feeling, how their days are, if they'd like to share your food. It's incredibly endearing. Paired with your hilarious sayings, like "this oatmeal is kind of dry if you ask me," you just keep me smiling all day long. Not counting when you go full Hulk mode and start throwing pillows, of course.

Ash, we love the young man you are today and can't wait to see what the next year holds for you. Happiest of happy birthdays! We love you!

NYC Vacation

Earlier this summer, Dan and I shipped the kids off* and snuck away for a quick break in New York City! We were celebrating the trifecta event of Dan's birthday, Father's Day, and Juneteenth!

Dan got us a great deal for a hotel near Bryant Park. We took the train up and were able to walk everywhere. It was perfect! Here are some of our highlights:

Food

Obviously I have to start with the food. We had a few must-dos but were otherwise fairly open to what the city chose to put in our path. Must dos included:

Pizza

• I wasn't picky about where this staple came from, but I wanted it hot, huge, and greasy. I was very satisfied with my slice of white from Joe's near Broadway

Bagels

•  I was aiming for a perfect bagel from Ess-a-Bagel, H&H, or Russ & Daughters. We ended up getting breakfast at Best Bagel & Coffee and it was still pretty good. As they say, it's the water that makes the bagels so chewy and light.
  
  

Meat

• Prime Grill was my favorite NY Kosher establishment, but sadly it closed in 2017. Le Marais is always a good choice though. I got the ribeye and Dan got steak au poivre (pepper-crusted steak). We split the duck and veal spread. Dan liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. We also got a chocolate mousse dessert to go, which we happily ate in our comfy hotel bed.
  
  

Pasta

• We stumbled upon Eataly, a super fun Italian market. We sat at one of the food counters and ordered fresh pasta while Dan drank a Chinotto. I loved checking out the vibrant fruit and veggie stands too. We didn't have as good of luck at Becco, Joe and Lidia Bastianich's restaurant. It was fine, but I expected more.

Dessert

• You know I love a good dessert. We had some pretty good ones while on vacation. Some of our favorites were the ice cream from an ice cream truck in Bryant Park; the black and white cookie from Zaro's in the train station; our chocolate mousse bomb described above; and multiple baked goods from the delicious Marvelous by Fred. We loved that patisserie so much that we actually went back a second time for the freshly baked brioche!

Activities

Broadway--Hadestown

• We had to see a show while we were in town, and what better show to see than the one for which my cousin won a Tony!! That's right. I'm related to a two-time Tony award winner, Bradley King (hey Brad!). 
  
  

Brad designed the lighting for Hadestown, a retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades. At first I wasn't sure what to expect from the lighting, but wow did it deliver. The show is incredible. The music is dark and jazzy, the story is told so well, and the scenery is magical. Honestly, it's one of the best shows I've see. Highly recommend!

Highline

• We spent a day walking around the Highline. It was such a wonderful way to see the city!

Books

• We made a quick stop to The Strand to see the miles of books. It's fun seeing a place in person that I've read about in many books (like Dash and Lily's Book of Dares). I especially loved the rainbow book wall and the blind date table!
  
  

It was a quick trip but it was much needed. I love getting away and seeing (and eating!) new things. Now we're ready for our next adventure!

* I've said it before and I'll say it again--Dan and I have the BEST families. Our kids were awesome adventurers and hopped on separate planes to visit grandparents. Coincidentally, they both left from the same gate at BWI only a couple of hours apart.