Vacation
Okay, I think it's high time I post about our lovely vacation two weeks ago. As usual, the whole fam-damily went. One of these days I have to go on a vacation like a grownup! Granted, I did go to Miami with a friend last year; and The Boy and I went to Lurray Caverns by ourselves last summer, but the alone time is so infrequent, it seems like it's been forever since it happened! Okay, okay, enough griping - on to the vacation!
The family trekked off to North Carolina's Outer Banks again this year. This is a long-standing tradition. For about the last decade and a half we've been trekking to the Outer Banks for a little relaxation, ocean-style. I even managed to convince my (at the time) in-laws to go out there. My MIL thought I was driving her off the ends of the earth. During the drive down there on HWY 12, she somehow got the idea that she was going to be sleeping in a sand-dune. How she got that idea,
I'll never know.
But seriously, we really love the area - it's really great for ocean/beach lovers, and my father has a great time dragging people into the Gulf Stream on a boat to go fishing for the day from the Oregon Inlet fishing center. He's always on the lookout for a seaworthy fishing buddy. So far, all the people he's taken out have gotten seasick. And he's gone through a number of potential buddies. There was my mother - hopeless, our neighbor and good friend Jerry - not quite the pirate he appears to be (pic later), and my ex-husband, who was sick before they even got to deep water! I have not been talked into this adventure yet, and since I have The Boy, I'll probably be spared for a few more years yet. My brother in law, Scott appears to be the most likely candidate since he has his own boat, but, alas - it will have to wait about 7 months, or one tour of duty for a United States Marine in Iraq, since he is shipping out this Friday. More on this sad event later. I think he deserves his very own post, don't you?
The Boy and I enjoyed ourselves at a National Park while we were there. The Wright Brothers National Memorial
at Kill Devil Hill was really great. I had never been before, so I didn't know I was missing THE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF THE YEAR when I forgot to bring the camera. If you go, don't be the dunce I was by not taking the following items: 1) a camera, and 2) a kite. The kite is very important (especially if you go with small children, or the young at heart), because apparently, the whole reason the Wright brothers chose this spot to attempt to fly was because the wind pools in this particular pocket of the shoreline. This could be due to that massive hill/ridge that exists there. Like I said, Brilliant. So, don't forget your kite. You will seriously regret it. There are tremendous winds and wonderful grassy areas just begging people to fly a kite. Which several people were doing while we were there. If I had brought the camera, I'd show you pictures!
Which brings me to the other thing to remember - the camera. There is a wonderful inscription engraved around the memorial, and the engineers that designed the place managed to have a single word on each corner of the triangular structure. So what's this incredible missed photo opportunity? The word "GENIUS" is on one corner of the monument, above the heads of most children, and short adults. If you tell your child to stand underneath this and take a picture of them, it would be brilliant. I highly recommend doing this. And, added bonus - the ocean will be behind them and the memorial. It will be the most beautiful, inspiring, and conversation-inspiring picture you will ever take of your child. I'm really ticked that I didn't bring my camera. Ah, well. I'm sure we'll make it back there one of these days. Probably next year!
Okay, enough vacation posting for now. I'm off to draft the report of my Friday night attempt to work out. I either need to get a real life so that I'm not visiting the gym on a Friday night, or find a better gym! Too bad I JUST joined this one! Details to follow. For now, I will leave you with the highlight of the vacation, according to my four year old. As you can see in the following pictures, he just needs a pool to call it vacation.
The family trekked off to North Carolina's Outer Banks again this year. This is a long-standing tradition. For about the last decade and a half we've been trekking to the Outer Banks for a little relaxation, ocean-style. I even managed to convince my (at the time) in-laws to go out there. My MIL thought I was driving her off the ends of the earth. During the drive down there on HWY 12, she somehow got the idea that she was going to be sleeping in a sand-dune. How she got that idea,
I'll never know.
But seriously, we really love the area - it's really great for ocean/beach lovers, and my father has a great time dragging people into the Gulf Stream on a boat to go fishing for the day from the Oregon Inlet fishing center. He's always on the lookout for a seaworthy fishing buddy. So far, all the people he's taken out have gotten seasick. And he's gone through a number of potential buddies. There was my mother - hopeless, our neighbor and good friend Jerry - not quite the pirate he appears to be (pic later), and my ex-husband, who was sick before they even got to deep water! I have not been talked into this adventure yet, and since I have The Boy, I'll probably be spared for a few more years yet. My brother in law, Scott appears to be the most likely candidate since he has his own boat, but, alas - it will have to wait about 7 months, or one tour of duty for a United States Marine in Iraq, since he is shipping out this Friday. More on this sad event later. I think he deserves his very own post, don't you?
The Boy and I enjoyed ourselves at a National Park while we were there. The Wright Brothers National Memorial
at Kill Devil Hill was really great. I had never been before, so I didn't know I was missing THE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF THE YEAR when I forgot to bring the camera. If you go, don't be the dunce I was by not taking the following items: 1) a camera, and 2) a kite. The kite is very important (especially if you go with small children, or the young at heart), because apparently, the whole reason the Wright brothers chose this spot to attempt to fly was because the wind pools in this particular pocket of the shoreline. This could be due to that massive hill/ridge that exists there. Like I said, Brilliant. So, don't forget your kite. You will seriously regret it. There are tremendous winds and wonderful grassy areas just begging people to fly a kite. Which several people were doing while we were there. If I had brought the camera, I'd show you pictures!
Which brings me to the other thing to remember - the camera. There is a wonderful inscription engraved around the memorial, and the engineers that designed the place managed to have a single word on each corner of the triangular structure. So what's this incredible missed photo opportunity? The word "GENIUS" is on one corner of the monument, above the heads of most children, and short adults. If you tell your child to stand underneath this and take a picture of them, it would be brilliant. I highly recommend doing this. And, added bonus - the ocean will be behind them and the memorial. It will be the most beautiful, inspiring, and conversation-inspiring picture you will ever take of your child. I'm really ticked that I didn't bring my camera. Ah, well. I'm sure we'll make it back there one of these days. Probably next year!
Okay, enough vacation posting for now. I'm off to draft the report of my Friday night attempt to work out. I either need to get a real life so that I'm not visiting the gym on a Friday night, or find a better gym! Too bad I JUST joined this one! Details to follow. For now, I will leave you with the highlight of the vacation, according to my four year old. As you can see in the following pictures, he just needs a pool to call it vacation.
posted by Heather at
7/05/2006 05:26:00 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks so much for this glimpse into your Outer Banks visit. My husband has been visiting there for more than 20 years. We've gone every year since we married in '97--celebrating our anniversary (8/10) and our twins' birth (8/15). Except this year. I had stupid surgery and there's no way I'd make the day and 1/2 trip. Darn it. :(
Where do you stay?
We have always gone to Avon in the past, and stayed in a house right on the beach. This time, however, we went to Kitty hawk and stayed in a time-share condo off the beach so that my son could have the pool access, etc. It was very nice, but a big "buggy" since the condos were in the woods! But the beach was nearby, so it was just fine! What about you?
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