Weekend Recap: Driving, Eating, Scanning.

For me, this is the true sign of a road trip:

I was a little wary of eating McDonald's the night before a 14 mile run along a trail with absolutely no bathrooms, but it didn't prevent me from getting my usual - 6-piece chicken nuggets, hamburger with extra pickles and fries. I know, gross, right? Well, it all worked out for the best. The run went splendidly - more on that tomorrow - and I got my quintessential road trip food.

The main reason I went home was to work on a project I'm putting together for my grandmother's 90th birthday. I spent all afternoon Saturday and most of the day Sunday looking through old family photographs, like this one: 

I only took breaks from my sorting and scanning to eat. My mom made a fantastic early dinner of spare ribs, potato salad and fresh Jersey tomatoes. Later, my aunt stopped by and we all drove up to my favorite Jersey restaurant Hot Dog Johnny's. It's an establishment. 

We took the long way home. Crossing the Delaware River on a small (toll-less) bridge into Pennsylvania, we drove along the river to the Portland, PA, pedestrian bridge, where we were blessed with this view of the Delaware Water Gap:

Looking south from the bridge gave us an almost equally beautiful view. The juxtaposition of the smoke stacks and the natural landscape is interesting. Sadly, this GenOn Energy coal-burning power plant is the main source of sulfur dioxide in North Jersey, negatively impacting air quality and, likely, the respiratory health of New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents.

And considering this is the New Jersey I grew up in, with trees, rivers, vast farmlands with the best tomatoes and corn you will ever eat, this is particularly upsetting. I know most people think New Jersey is Camden, the Turnpike, or the oil refineries they see when flying into Newark Airport, but this is is my New Jersey:

Ok, I'm climbing down off my Jersey soapbox now. I'll just say that it was a wonderful weekend, filled with my favorite things - long drives in the country, farmer's markets, food and family.

Happy Weekend: On the Road.

In honor of hitting the road this evening, here are a few of my favorite road trip songs. Hope your weekend is full of music, adventure, fun and family.

Wearing: Road Trip, Weekend Away.

This weekend, hubs and I are hitting the road for New Jersey to visit my family and get away from the city for a couple days. One of the reasons I love living where we do is because it is closer to my family - only about a four hour drive. Whether traveling by car, plane or train, this is my go-to in-transit outfit:

The perfect grey t-shirt I wore on July 4th is great for traveling. Same with these pants. They are chambray, so they are super light, ideal for summer when you may experience an over-air conditioned airplane, movie theater or grocery store, but don't want to bake when you're outside in the heat. The pair shown here is Joe's Jeans, but I got mine from Target. My no-brainer travel shoes are these DKNY flats I bought a few summers ago at Macy's. They keep my feet cool, but have a substantial sole, so I can walk for miles in them.

I wear the same jewelry every time I leave town. The pyramid earrings work for dressy and casual outfits, and so are the perfect pair to wear all trip long. These necklaces, aside from being beautiful, are kind of my good luck charms. I have this Max & Chloe initial necklace (with a G) and this Jess LC Franklin necklace with the phrase "Be Brave" in braille and I wear them every time I travel. Another accessory I always bring with me when I travel is a scarf. I love this one from Aldo. No matter the temperature where I am or where I'm going, chances are, at some point, I am going to be cold.

For a weekend away, I'm usually able to get all the items I need in this Hollywood Intuition bag I bought at Target last year. For a longer trip, I use it as my carry on because it fits my DSLR camera, a change of clothes, toiletries, travel documents, wallet, phone and iPad like a champ. For this weekend we are just going on a low-key trip, so I'm not planning on bringing much. Aside from my running stuff and PJs, this is all I'll pack:

My striped longsleeve t-shirt is a staple in my wardrobe. The one I own is from Gap, purchased last summer for about $20. The one shown here is from J.Crew and costs more than I would spend on almost any piece of clothing. I have a shirt similar to this gingham check button down from Old Navy and love it. Mine is flannel, so not ideal for summer, but still light enough to wear when temps are mild, as they should be this weekend. If it warms up, I'll probably change into a tank, like this one from Old Navy. These shorts are perfect because they go with every other piece I'll have with me for the weekend. I have a similar pair in linen that I bought at Target a few years ago.

Because I am staying at my parents' house, I can keep my toiletries to a minimum. So I'll make sure to bring my face cleanser and tinted moisturizer from Kiehl's and a pretty coral-colored lip gloss (Revlon Color Stay Mineral Lip Glaze in Continuous Coral). C'est tout.