This was a long overdue trip to visit one of my good friends. The last time we were in Kentucky was three summers ago, and back then, Madi was just starting to toddle around. Fast forward to now, and we found ourselves juggling the usual pre-trip chaos with the added stress of my friend’s basement flooding, which required some serious remediation. We were both feeling the pressure from work and these unexpected hiccups, leading us to question whether the trip should even happen. I was particularly worried about how curious Jules might handle the basement situation. After a few days of back-and-forth discussions, we realized that canceling would only cost us the prepaid parking at The Parking Spot, and after weighing the pros and cons, Erik and I decided to go for it. We knew we’d just have to keep a closer eye on Jules and make the most of the time away, especially since their home on the lake offered a perfect escape for some much-needed relaxation.
Our flight was scheduled for Juneteenth, giving us a bit of a relaxed morning start. I even managed to squeeze in a 5 am Orangetheory class before we hit the road. It felt good to stick to my routine and still have time to help with breakfast and get the girls ready without feeling rushed. We opted for premium parking at The Parking Spot this time around, thanks to a sale. The covered parking and the promise of being dropped off first were appealing, especially with the unpredictability of traveling with little ones. We also invested in a new stroller after our last trip, where our wagon had lost a wheel. We went with a Jeep brand double stroller, a side-by-side that allows the girls to lay flat and lift their legs. It also has a large canopy for each child and a decent-sized basket underneath. Initially, I struggled to maneuver it at the airport, only to realize the front wheels were locked. Once we fixed that, it was a breeze to move around.
We arrived at our gate with about an hour to spare, a much smoother experience than our last trip. Boarding was uneventful, and we settled into our Comfort Plus seats. Madi was thrilled to watch her movie, and Jules, though excited at first, eventually drifted off for a quick nap just 30 minutes before we landed. Despite the short nap, we knew she’d get more sleep during the long drive ahead. We landed in Cincinnati, where our friend met us at the airport. With our lunch consisting of just potato chips on the plane, we were all starving. I found a Chick-fil-A with a play structure, perfect for letting the girls burn off some energy. I ordered a 12-count grilled nugget meal, planning to share with the girls, but they almost polished it off themselves. Erik opted for a maple bacon chicken sandwich special, which he later said was just okay and not something he’d order again. After the girls had their fill of food and playtime, we started the two-hour drive to our friends’ house. Once we arrived, we said our hellos, had a quick snack, and got the girls to bed early, hoping to ease them into the East Coast time zone for the rest of our trip.
The next morning, I woke up early to catch up on work. I felt the weight of deadlines looming and knew I needed to get some things done, so I asked for permission to work without using PTO. Luckily, it was approved, and I was able to knock out a few tasks and join a couple of meetings. After my last meeting wrapped up, we all headed down to the lake. This was the first time the girls got into the water on this trip, and we weren't sure how they’d react, especially Jules. The water was warm, and to our delight, both girls got right in and loved it. It was the perfect way to kick off our lake vacation.
Friday was spent at the house, with most of the day revolving around the lake. We went down in the morning and then again after Juliet’s nap. Madi became increasingly comfortable in the water, to the point where she started swimming on her own with her life jacket and a noodle under her arms, without anyone nearby. My friend’s son was a bundle of energy, jumping off the dock repeatedly and swimming around with confidence. Juliet, in her more cautious way, enjoyed the water while being held, watching all the activity with wide-eyed wonder. It was one of those perfect, lazy lake days where time seemed to slow down, and we could just enjoy the simple pleasures of being together by the water.
Saturday, we decided to mix things up and took a trip to Lexington for a change of scenery. Our first stop was Malibu Jack’s, a place that reminded me of a kid-friendly Dave and Buster’s. There was a play area that, to our good fortune, was empty when we arrived. My friend’s son dashed off immediately, and Madi was quick to follow, though she was drawn to the bounce house. Jules took her time, slowly exploring the space, but eventually found her way to a slide that she couldn’t get enough of. She went down it over and over again. As more kids started to arrive, and the space got busier, we decided it was time to move on. We heard there was a small roller coaster nearby, so we checked it out. Madi was thrilled to go on it with Erik and our friends, while I stayed back with Jules. I have to admit, I wasn’t too upset about sitting this one out—I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, I’m more prone to motion sickness, even on the smaller rides.
After Malibu Jack’s, we headed to Honeywood for brunch. Madi opted for a quesadilla, Erik went for the Honeywood burger, and I chose the bourbon breakfast. The food was fantastic, especially the cornbread pancake that came with my meal—it was a highlight for sure. The only downside was that Jules was getting restless, so our friends and Erik took turns walking her around the shopping center while we waited for our food. Since we were already in town, we made a quick stop at Whole Foods to pick up a few things for homemade pizzas before heading back to their house. Once we got home, Jules finished her nap, and Erik and our friend headed out to the grocery store and liquor store to stock up for the week ahead.
Sunday was another day spent at the house, with more time down by the lake. To change things up a bit, I decided to take Jules out on a kayak. She didn’t seem to mind it much, and it was a nice way to spend some one-on-one time with her. After a while, we headed back to the house, where we made a delicious brunch of French toast, eggs, bacon, and sausage. It was so filling that it pretty much covered us for lunch as well. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and for dinner, we had burgers and brats. Once the kids were asleep, the adults gathered in the TV room, had a cocktail, and spent the evening watching sports and chatting. It was the perfect way to end another great day.
Monday started with a bit of a change of pace. My friend had an appointment in town, so we decided to tag along to get out of the house. On the way, we found Woodland Park and let the kids play for about an hour. It was a nice break, and Erik and I could tell they were starting to get ready to leave. We found a doughnut shop nearby called Parlor Doughnuts, and these doughnuts were like little pieces of heaven—almost like croissants. We got a dozen with a variety of flavors, my favorites being banana cream, cookies and cream, and strawberry shortcake. We cut most of them in half so we could share and try them all. After our doughnut stop, we headed back home and jumped into the lake as soon as Jules woke up from her nap. The water was so refreshing, especially in the heat. For dinner, we made homemade pizzas. I made a green and white sauce pizza loaded with veggies and prosciutto. It was my first time making my own pizza, and I have to say, it tasted even better than some of the pizzas we usually order. We paired dinner with premade margaritas, which added to the fun. After the kids were in bed, I settled in the TV room with one of my friends, waiting for the others to join us. When they didn’t show up, we realized they must have fallen asleep during the bedtime routine. We ended up talking about life and watching the Stanley Cup Final, which was incredibly fast-paced and exciting to watch. Later, I found out that Erik had fallen asleep sideways on the bed while waiting for the girls to doze off. He was a bit bummed to have missed the evening events.
Tuesday was another relaxing day at the house. We had a laid-back morning, but it was clear that the novelty of having guests was starting to wear off for my friend’s son. He and Madi fought more than they had any other day. It’s understandable—having guests for an extended period can be challenging, especially for young kids. I noticed that both Madi and my friend's son were struggling with sharing and taking turns, which is something we’ve been working on with our girls. Jules, despite being the youngest, was surprisingly good at sharing and seemed to act as a little peacemaker, even though she doesn’t say many clear words yet. It was a power struggle between the older kids, but I think it was good for Madi to experience, even though it was frustrating to watch. In the early afternoon, I called into a short work meeting. Once that was done, everyone put on their swimsuits, and we headed down to the lake. We continued encouraging Madi to swim more on her own, and she was getting better and better. Jules, on the other hand, threw a bit of a tantrum when she didn’t want to float in the water with an adult. She ended up sitting on the steps, content to be close to the water but not fully in it. After our time at the lake, we had an amazing Greek dinner with all the fixings for gyros, rice, or a combination of both. The lamb and beef mixture was so flavorful, and everyone loved it. Once the kids were in bed, we settled in for drinks, conversation, and soccer—our usual evening routine.
Wednesday was a bit of an adventure. Our friend decided to take the day off and join us. We planned a trip to Frankfort, where Buffalo Trace Distillery is located. The idea was to visit a park and maybe do a distillery tour if we could get a spot. Frankfort is about 40 minutes away, and on the drive, Madi kept saying she felt sick. She often says this in the car, so we weren’t sure how serious it was. As we drove, we smelled a skunk, and that was enough to push Madi over the edge—she threw up. We quickly pulled into a gas station, and Erik took Madi to the bathroom while I cleaned the car. Luckily, there was a Walmart next door, so we grabbed a new dress and play shorts for Madi. After getting her changed, we were back on the road. We were glad we hadn’t booked a distillery tour ahead of time. When we arrived in Frankfort, we went to Cove Spring Park, a beautiful nature park. We walked around a bit, hoping to explore the creek, but a sudden downpour cut our time short.
With the rain driving us indoors, we decided to grab lunch at Bourbon on Main. Erik ordered a BOM sidecar, and I had a perfectly poppy cocktail made with bourbon cream—it was so refreshing and delightful. We shared a taco quesadilla and Kentucky beer cheese with a soft pretzel as appetizers. For our meals, Erik had the bologna sandwich, and I took a chance on the Indian butter chicken, which was surprisingly delicious with just the right amount of spice. After lunch, we headed to Buffalo Trace. Although we couldn’t do a full tour, we were able to do a tasting, and the girls could join us. They even got wristbands that said they were under 21, which was adorable.
At the tasting table, the girls enjoyed Freddy’s root beer and chocolate while Erik and I sampled Wheatley vodka, Buffalo Trace bourbon, Eagle Rare, Sazerac rye, bourbon cream, and Freddy’s root beer. The highlight was mixing bourbon cream with the root beer to create an adult root beer float—it was so good that I ended up having it a few more times during our trip. We picked up a few bottles on our way out, including a bottle of Eagle Rare, premade old fashioned, and bourbon cream. We knew we were pushing our luck with Jules, so we hurried out as she started to get fussy.
On our way out of town, we stopped at Hoggy’s ice cream. Madi got Superman ice cream, Erik chose peanut butter and cookie dough flavors, and I went for the classic chocolate chip cookie dough. Jules was asleep, so I stayed in the car with her while Erik took Madi in. For dinner that night, our friend made an incredible Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken—probably the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had. One of the things I love about visiting them is how much they enjoy cooking and experimenting with new recipes. We ended the day as we had the others—relaxing with drinks, chatting, and enjoying each other’s company.
Thursday was a day we knew could be challenging if we didn’t plan some activities, so we decided to explore a park in Danville, the closest town. Our first stop was a park with both a splash pad and playground, but when we arrived, we were greeted by multiple school buses and what seemed like a sea of kids. We quickly pivoted and found another option—Millennium Park. This park turned out to be perfect, with play structures that catered to both older kids and toddlers. We spent about an hour there, letting the kids burn off some energy before heading back to the house.
Back at the house, the kids had been asking to watch a movie, and today seemed like the perfect opportunity. We had some leftovers for lunch and got the older kids ready for their movie outing to see Inside Out 2. Since Juliet was due for her nap, we decided Erik would stay behind with her, giving him some alone time while I took the older kids to the movies. This was Madi’s first time at the theater, and she was most excited about the popcorn and treats. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize how delicate the popcorn bag was and ended up dropping it. After a brief, embarrassing outburst from me—one I’m not too proud of—we salvaged most of the popcorn and continued enjoying the movie. Madi didn’t fully grasp the storyline but was thrilled to be there, soaking in the experience. After the movie, we returned home for another session in the lake, followed by a simple dinner of leftovers. We ended the night with some soccer on TV, winding down from the day.
Friday was intended to be a laid-back day at the house, without any grand plans. However, we knew that the kids could get restless if we didn’t keep them engaged. We set up a water table for them to splash around in, brought out chalk for drawing, and let them run around popping bubbles. The variety of activities kept them entertained, and it was heartwarming to see how much they enjoyed the simple pleasures of outdoor play. In the afternoon, we headed to the lake for more water fun. Dinner that evening was a delightful surprise. Our friends had planned a homemade sushi night, which was a hit with everyone. It was just what I needed to satisfy a sushi craving I’d had for weeks. Rolling sushi together was not only delicious but also a fun, interactive way to end the day.
Saturday started early with a paddle boarding session on the lake with my friend. We wanted to get out before the boats started to crowd the water. It was peaceful to paddle around, and we took a short break to sit on our boards and chat, soaking in the quiet morning. The guys had plans to help a friend redo the boards and carpet on a boat trailer, so the morning was busy. However, we wanted to fit in a boat ride as well, especially since the weather was perfect.
We planned the boat ride around Juliet’s nap and decided to head to Chimney Rock Marina and back, starting mid-morning. We packed some sandwich fixings for lunch and enjoyed a picnic on the boat. Despite our concerns about Jules falling asleep, it was Madi who dozed off during the ride. Once we returned to the house, Erik took Jules up for a proper nap while the rest of us cooled off in the lake. The guys eventually headed back up to finish their project while we wrapped up the day with leftovers for dinner, making poke bowls. As usual, once the kids were asleep, we ended the night with cocktails, more soccer, and some much-needed adult conversation.
Sunday started with a nice paddle board adventure, just Erik and I. I find paddle boarding very relaxing and it was great to have time without the kids. The rest of the day was a day filled with family fun as our friends' extended family, visiting from Wyoming, joined us at the lake. They have four kids, all older than our two, and the plan was to set up the water trampoline, which turned into quite the event. Watching them try to anchor it away from the dock was both amusing and impressive, but they eventually got it figured out. The older kids were kind enough to let Madi have a turn jumping around before they took over, which was a thoughtful gesture that she really appreciated.
The day was filled with snacks and laughter, and their family brought over fried chicken for a late lunch. It was a feast, with spicy and regular chicken pieces, chicken nuggets for the kids, and sides of macaroni salad, potato salad, potato wedges, and coleslaw. For dessert, we had a delicious apple cobbler. I couldn’t resist trying a bit of everything, and by the end, I was definitely feeling the effects of overindulgence, but it was so worth it.
We considered heading back down to the lake after lunch, but a sudden rain and thunderstorm had other plans for us. Instead, we stayed indoors, watched some sports, and let the kids play together until it was time for their extended family to leave. We wrapped up the day with our usual routine—sports and cocktails—before getting the girls ready for bed.
Monday arrived all too soon, signaling the end of our trip. While I was sad to leave, I was also ready to get back to our own space. Our flight from Cincinnati was scheduled for the evening, so we spent the morning enjoying one last bit of time at the lake. The storm from the night before had left the air cooler, and we weren’t sure if we’d swim, so we started with some paddle boarding and kayaking. Erik took Madi on the paddle board while I kayaked with Jules. We didn’t venture far, just enough to soak in the last bit of lake serenity before heading back.
When we returned to the dock, Jules decided she wasn’t interested in getting in the water, even though it was warmer than the air. So, I stayed with her while the others played. Madi showed incredible progress—she even jumped off the dock by herself twice before we headed up to the house. It was a proud mom moment, seeing her confidence grow over the week.
After a quick shower and packing up the last of our things, we had lunch and then began our two-hour drive to Cincinnati. Knowing the girls would need to burn off some energy before our flight, we found a place called We Rock the Spectrum, an indoor gym designed for kids with autism but open to everyone. It was perfect. The girls ran around, played on the swings, trampoline, rock wall, and zip line. Jules couldn’t get enough of the toddler coaster, spending most of her time on it.
Dinner was at Garzelli’s Pub and Pizza, where we enjoyed some pizza and salad before heading to the airport. The process of getting to the airport, through security, and to our gate was surprisingly seamless—just 15 minutes from drop-off to gate, which was a record for us.
As a final surprise, Madi and I got upgraded to first class. She was thrilled to have dinner served to her on the plane, and it was a special treat for both of us. Erik, who was seated in comfort plus, helped out as much as he could from a few rows back. Jules and I sat together, and she also enjoyed the first-class dinner. We arrived home after 9 pm, quickly got the girls to bed, and prepared for a return to normal life the next day, with work and school back on the agenda.
Reflecting on the trip, I’m so glad we didn’t cancel. Spending time with such good friends, in their remote and peaceful setting, gave us the relaxation we needed. The kids had their moments of bickering, as all kids do, but overall, they got along well and had a blast together. The adult time in the evenings, chatting and unwinding, was something I especially cherished. We were all sad to say goodbye, but we left with wonderful memories and the hope to visit again soon.
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