Now that it’s officially 2019 let me take a moment to say: Happy New Year! Thanks for visiting this year! Today I’m taking it back to my October trip to the Adirondacks once more to talk about how I stumbled upon the Jay Covered Bridge in Jay, NY. What I love about this was it happened as a true accidental adventure.
We started out the day by driving towards White Face to check out the area because I hadn’t been past Lake Placid before. It was too foggy to drive to the mountain’s summit so we drove past the road for that and took a few random turns to enjoy the scenery. When we finally came upon the tiny town square of Jay, New York we decided to use the opportunity to loop around and head back to Lake Placid. Once I turned the car around, and just as we were about to head out of town I saw a sign advertising the ‘historic covered bridge’ so on a whim we looped around again to see the bridge.
Given that it was a rainy, foggy weekday, no one else was around which made for a very enjoyable and private wander around what we learned was the Adirondack’s last standing covered bridge.
The bridge had fallen into disarray after a truck accident but it was fully restored in 2006. It’s now for pedestrians only as an alternative bridge over Ausable Chasm was built next door.
This more industrial looking bridge gets cars across these days
There are signs up on both ends that talk about the rich history of the bridge.
The portion of Ausable Chasm that the bridge crosses is a popular summer swimming hole destination!
My mom and I both agreed that this was a beautifully serene stop and we were glad we’d turned around on a whim to check it out.
Loved out time ‘hanging out’ at the Jay Covered Bridge!
This is part five of a recap of the 2018 runDisney Dopey Challenge. For part four click here!
When I left off we had just taken a mid race break to ride Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom! I’ll admit that I was crabby when we got off the ride because though my sister was all for it I hadn’t been excited to wait in the twenty minute line. The ride was fun but after I was really cold for the next half mile. We made our way through the Animal Kingdom parking lot and I shook off the bad mood and actually warmed up enough to take off my long sleeves and tie it around my waist.
After marching our way down Osceola Parkway we made it to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. A lot of people complain about this section of the course because it’s a lot of twists and turns so it seems like it goes on forever. I will admit that ESPN seems long but I always love how many character opportunities are available!
Minnie in her soccer gear!Channeling our inner Joy and Sadness from Inside Out!
Next we got to run around Champion Stadium, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves.
Once we finished up at Wide World of Sports we made the short trek to Hollywood Studios where we entered via backstage access behind Fantasmic and Tower of Terror. Lots of people were buzzing about Oswald meeting here because he usually can’t be found in Florida!
Anyone checking in?
There was a lot of construction going on in Hollywood Studios in January 2018 (Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge) so it limited the amount of running we could do in this park.
We exited park’s front entrance and ran down the path that connects the park to the Epcot Resort area. I definitely started to lose steam as we ran by the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts but I tried to remember to keep my eyes on the prize- we were almost there!
We entered Epcot between the Canada and U.K. pavilions shortly before mile 25. Just past mile 25 we stopped to meet Belle and Aurora outside the France pavilion.
Next we stopped for a picture with Jasmine in the Morocco pavilion.
Our next stop with Germany- no characters greeting here but we wanted a nice cold beer to finish the race with! Being able to stop for a drink in Epcot BEFORE the finish line is one of my favorite novelties of the Walt Disney World marathon!
We mostly walked to the end as to not spill our beers!
Tip: If you’re going to grab drinks in Epcot know that characters won’t pose with you with the drinks in your hand.
Finally we saw the finish line arch ahead- we did it!
What an amazing feeing- Dopey Challenge done!
So, would I do the Dopey Challenge again? Yes! Am I doing it in 2019? No!
I recommend Dopey for anyone who loves runDisney to try at least once. It was really fun to get to participate in the whole weekend and not feel like I was missing out on anything. However, the four early mornings in a row were really hard. By marathon morning it took everything I had to force myself out of bed. Plus, the registration fee is high and I don’t think I’d want to pay that every year. Ideally, if it’s still around and I’m still running, I’d like to give Dopey another try in 2023. In the mean time I’ll stick to the Goofy Challenge (the half marathon and the full marathon) or the marathon alone.
Until next time, Dopey Challenge!
I had so much fun recapping my 2018 Dopey Challenge! I’m headed down to Disney World soon for the 2019 Walt Disney World marathon. My training has been riddled with knee problems so this should be an interesting and challenging run to say the least. I’ll be sure to recap it here so stay tuned!
It’s been ages since I did a Five Things Friday! I figure I’m overdue and this will be a good way to round out November. With 2019 barreling towards us I’m going to share five trips I plan on taking next year!
Walt Disney World- January 2019- That’s right, I’m going to Disney World (queue the Superbowl Commercial confetti haha!) My sister and I make an annual trek to Disney for the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Training has been rough so I’m nervous about the marathon but excited to get back to Disney!
Flashback to WDW Marathon 2018 where we bought beers BEFORE the finish line!
Las Vegas, NV- January 2019- After running the marathon at the beginning of the month, I’m heading to Vegas for the first time at the end of the month with Morag on the Map and our friend Seb. This is my first time in Vegas so I’m really excited- any must-do suggestions?
Adirondack Park, NY- May 2019- Morag is coming to visit for two weeks in May and for part of the trip we’re headed to the Adirondacks for a week in the mountains. This is originally where we met so we’re excited to hit all our favorite local joints.
The Adirondacks is so beautiful- it’s why I love to visit so much!
Boston, MA- May 2019- Though not officially planned yet I’d love to bring Morag to Boston for a few days during her visit. There’s a ton of cool U.S. history in Boston and it’s home to many of the North East’s most famous sports teams. What’s your favorite thing to do in Boston?
Taking in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston
Paris, France- September 2019- Morag and I are excited to see each other three times this year (which is rare because she lives in Scotland and I live in the U.S.) In September we’re meeting in Paris for the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon weekend of races. We’re planning a couple days at Disney before heading into the city for a couple nights. If you could pick one thing to see in Paris, what would it be?
For today’s Throwback Thursday I want to share one of my favorite Disney things to do: crawl! Bar crawl, that is! One of my favorite arguing points when people say Walt Disney World is only for kids is all the food and drink experiences to be had. I love to suggest people try to the Monorail Bar Crawl, or the Boardwalk Bar Crawl which I’ll cover today.
Like the Monorail Bar Crawl, the Boardwalk Bar Crawl doesn’t require you to have a park ticket so it’s a great option for a day or night you won’t be hitting the parks. The Boardwalk Resort area is easy to get to by Uber, Minnie Van, or by taking a bus to nearby Hollywood Studios and following the walking path. While it would take more time, you can also take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs and take a Boardwalk, Yacht Club, or Beach Club resort bus to get there.
First stop: Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Big River serves up American pub favorites in a family friendly setting. You can see 6 specialty beers being handcrafted on site!
We started our crawl with some nachos and beer:
Second stop: AbracadaBar
AbracadaBar invites you into a 1940s magician’s lounge with a few tricks up its sleeves. With a selection of old fashioned cocktails to choose from we went with the Conjurita and Seahorse Sweet.
Seahorse Sweet on the left and Conjurita on the right
If you’ve peeped the menu you might have noticed the Seahorse Sweet and it’s disappearing cotton candy are technically non-alcoholic but when I used the magic word (please, in this case) the bar tender was happy to add some vodka. The conjurita is poured table side so you can enjoy it’s color changing trick!
Once we had our drinks we enjoyed the ambiance and checked out the magic memorabilia. Pay close attention to the posters on the wall- you never know who’ll disappear!
Third stop: Jellyrolls
After crawling up and down the Boardwalk, the dueling piano bar Jellyrolls is the perfect place to sit, relax, and belt out your favorite music! While Jellyrolls serves typical bar drinks (we ordered Bud Light) its really the music that you visit for.
A couple things to know about Jellyrolls:
Cover is $12 per person and only those 21 and older are admitted (sorry kids!)
Songs are played by request and requests are submitted with a cash tip (usually the better the tip, the more likely your song is to be played)
Other options to try:
Trattoria al Forno is a great place to start your crawl if you’re looking for dinner as you go! The drink menu includes a large assortment of wine, Italian brandy and cocktails. Dinner is served 5p-10p, reservations recommended!
ESPN Club is an excellent choice for a sports fan to take in a game mid crawl. Lounge seating is first come, first serve. Dinner hours and reservation needs vary so check the Disney website prior to your visit!
Have you done the Walt Disney World Boardwalk Bar Crawl? Or, would you want to try it?
The Adventuring Emily 