Norris Family Reunion: Pinnacle Preserve Hike

One morning while in Lake George, a large group of my family went on a hike at Pinnacle Preserve in the town of Bolton which is like 15 minutes from Lake George. There was a little bit of rain when we started but there were so many trees on the hike that kind of kept the rain out. It was a quick short/steep hike but the views were totally worth it. We do a decent amount of hiking in AZ when it is not dangerously hot but this trail was much different than AZ hike. There were a few times where I wasn't even sure if we were going in the right direction. Most Arizona trails are extremely clear and well travel so the path is easy to follow. Once we got to the top the views of the lake were amazing. It was actually even a bit hot with the sun beating down since we were above the trees. All in all the hike was probably less than an hour but it was a lot of fun. When I was younger I never realized how active or not active my family was but now that I am older I realize just how active we are and I hope that sets a good example for the girls as they grow up.

My sister, brother, and his girlfriend

Kim hiked while wearing baby Nora

 

so pretty!

 

Amazing lake views!

Norris Family Reunion: Water Fun!

While up at Lake George for the family reunion we got in lots of water time. We actually got a decent amount of rain while we were there which maybe bummed other people out but us Arizonans love any rain we can get so it didn't bother me. The kids did a little swimming at the pool at the cottages which was convenient. Our family rented a boat for our time there that we all shared so we could take it out on the lake and go fishing. Also, we almost found out the hard way that you need fishing license to fish on Lake George. Tony talked us out of a ticket, thankfully. I don't fish but I had fun out on the boat exploring the lake. Some of the family also went out to Million Dollar Beach with the kids to let them swim and play in the sand. We obviously don't get a lot of beach time in Arizona so that was good for the kids. It was a really pretty lake and much bigger than Keuka is so I am really glad we got to experience that.

 

Norris Family Reunion: Country Cottages, Lake George, NY

I still have a few more posts about our time at our family reunion in Lake George, NY last month. Once we left Rochester and got to Lake George, we spent the family reunion at the Lake George Country Cottages & Motel. I am sure there are nicer places to stay in Lake George but I really think this worked out well for our family. Some people had their own bigger 2 and even 3 bedroom cottages and others had smaller condo's or units. We stayed in a regular "motel" room but it had a little kitchenette with a fridge, sink, microwave and coffee maker and was plenty big enough for our family of four. We also were able to take advantage of my mom's cabin to cook breakfast and hang out when we needed to. There was a big grassy lawn area in the middle of the property with a pool, big gazebo, playground, fire pit, and grills. This was probably the best part and where we spent most of our time. Everyone just hung around outside and the kids had a blast playing with each other. Every night was spent making s'mores and staying up way too late drinking by the fire. It was so nice to stay up till 1 AM just hanging out with family. It is so out of my usual routine which normally includes going to bed at 9 p.m. but hey that is what vacation is for, right? We have a really big family (I think there was 49 people there) so it was hard to find a place that could accommodate us all but this ended up working out perfectly!

 

Our room was right in front of that black car

Big grassy area for the kids to play in

Lots of time spent here

These kids had so much fun playing together

silly boys!

 

lots of time spent around the fire pit

 

some of the Dad's with their babies

Still got my workouts in including a run with that lake view and a circuit with my sister

s'mores every night including that Reese's variation on the right

Couldn't go on vacation without ipads!

Rochester Favorites!

Our family reunion last weekend was located in Lake George, NY which is about a 4 hour drive from Rochester, NY which is where I was born and grew up. We decided to fly out of the Albany airport but fly into Rochester so that we could see some of my dad's family and hit up some of our favorite spots. On our first night we went to our favorite spot to eat, Schaller's. It is a hot dog and burger place but they serve "white-hots" which I love. They also make their own pickles and have yummy fries and onion rings. It is totally a hole-in-the-wall  but I love it and am glad we got to go. We went to a location that was close to Lake Ontario so afterwards we went down to the lake and got some Abbott's. My dad's family used to own a couple Abbott's ice cream stores and it is actually how my parents met. It doesn't hurt that it is also really good frozen custard. We walked to the water for a second too but Lake Ontario is really nasty. My cousin said the Canada side is not gross but it is definitely green seaweed water. The girls thought it was cool though. We also made a quick stop to our favorite grocery store, Wegman's before ending the night. They have the best bulk foods section that we love to stock up on. The next morning my sister and her boyfriend shockingly got up with me to go on a run. It worked out great because we got to run by our old church/school as well as the house we lived in and then we caught a path that went behind my Grandma's house. It was a really nice run even though it was humid. I love running in new places. That night we also got to see both of my dad's brother's and their wives as well as my grandma and a couple of my cousins. The kids loved playing with my cousins and it was really just so good to see everyone. I am so glad we made sure to get a couple of days in Rochester before heading up to Lake George.

 

 

 

That white hot!!!

  

I remember helping my dad make Turtles at his store when I was little.

 

Wegman's!

Humid run and the house I grew up in.

running behind my Grandma's house

6.2 miles

Everly with my uncle on the left.

My grandma with my niece Nora and some beer from the brewery my cousin works at.