Vacation 2009

We arrived back from vacation around 6:45 this evening. Thanks to anyone who prayed for us as we traveled all of those miles. We saw a couple of accidents, but we all made it safely down and back. I am going to post some pictures on a few different posts, so they won't take forever to load for anyone who may want to view them, but will tell a bit about our vacation on this post, for anyone who cares :-).

We left Lisbon at 3:30 am last Saturday, May 30th. We met up with Vicki, Steve, and my nieces at Harry's Bar across the PA border around 4:00, then headed out together for Breezewood, PA where we planned on meeting up with Paul & Pam and their boys. We had about a 3 hour and 15 minute trip to Breezewood, and Paul & Pam had a 2 hour trip, so they got to sleep in later. Something neat happened with our meeting plans. We had to travel quite a ways on RT 76 before we hit Breezewood, and Paul & Pam had about 15 miles to travel on 76. As we were getting close to Breezewood and was passing an exit ramp onto 76, Dad told us that was the exit that Paul & Pam would be coming onto Rt 76. We glanced over and to our surprise - and their's - Paul and Pam were coming onto 76 at that very moment and were beside us. I don't think we could have done that had we tried!

We stopped at McDonalds for a quick breakfast and played musical vans. Joey wanted to ride with Katie, of course, and Benjy wanted to ride with Stephanie. We reached Nag's Head, NC around 3. There is a Ben Franklin Store there that has tons of awesome souvenir stuff, so we hit it first. I got myself an Outer Banks Hat for $5.99, and everyone else got a few things too. We then ate, and headed for Hatteras Island.

We got to Avon, where we always stay, around 5:30, got the keys, and headed to the house to unpack.

The House

What can I say about the house? It was awesome! I want to live there always! It had 3 stories. The bottom had a bedroom/bath (Vicki & Steve's), a game room with a pool table - which ended up being a clothes folding table and pretty much had clothes on 24/7 - and a washroom with washer & dryer.

Second floor: my bedroom, which had 2 single beds, and opened out on the deck - which ran on 2 1/2 sides, a bathroom across the hall way, a bedroom with a pyramid bunk - the kids' room, and Paul & Pam's room with bath, and a sitting room. It and Paul & Pam's room also opened onto the deck. On the deck, in addition to furniture, was also a hot tub. Halfway up the stairs to the 3rd floor was a half bath.

Third floor: Mom & Dad's bedroom, which opened onto the top deck, and had a bath with a jacuzzi, the living room, which opened onto the top deck, kitchen, dining area, and bar. The dining area opened onto a screened in dining area, which opened onto the deck. The dining area had a large table that seated everyone but 3 kids, who sat at the bar.

We also had a 14' by 28' swimming pool that was a big hit - and we were modest in it you holiness folk. :-) I got made fun of a lot - in good fun. Water scares me. I can't swim at all, so I wore a life jacket, an inflated tube around my waist, and also used a large horseshoe shaped inflated object. The kids said I looked like a turtle, and Allie bought me a small plastic turtle because of that. I may have looked ridiculous, but I felt safe. :-)

We shopped a lot, went to the go karts one night, mini golf another, ice cream a few times, and the beach several times. We usually walk, but that part was too crowded, so we drove a short distance to go where no one else was. My dad and two brothers-in-law fished a lot and caught around 100 fish - not all that they could keep. We did bring a lot home and had a great meal of fish. Speaking of meals, did we ever eat!

On Monday or Tuesday, we had a treasure hunt for the kids. There were 25 clues hidden in and around the house that they had to read and find in order. Clue 25 led to a drive to the original site of the Hatteras lighthouse - it was moved some years back due to erosion from the ocean. Steve had hidden part of the treasure map inside the stones that were part of the foundation, but it could not be found, so we drove up the road to where the treasure chest was buried. The kids dug it up - a wooden chest filled with candy, toys, etc. They seemed to enjoy it, and it was fun watching them.

On Wednesday, we boarded a ferry that took us to Okracoke Island. We went to the lighthouse there and to Teach's Hole - a gift shop and exhibit dedicated to the pirate Blackbeard, who was killed in the harbor at Okracoke. We ate lunch there - subs that we had taken, and went to the beach while Peter, James, and John fished. (aka, my dad and brothers-in-law).

I managed to read 8 or 9 books - lost count, but think it was 9. Last night, we drove down to the Hatteras lighthouse and got some pictures and enjoyed seeing it.

We left this morning around 6:15 and made a safe trip back home, exhausted, but happy we had a great vacation.

I did almost close without telling an amusing story. First, a little background. Our family does not drink alcoholic beverages. Never have. Not even when my parents were not Christians, though not to start a debate, that is why we don't now. Anyway, back about 4 years....

There is an ice cream place that also has mini golf. The place is called "Uncle Eddy's", and they make their own ice cream. We were there on this one visit and they had an ice cream called "Drunken Monkey". Steve or I asked what was in it. In addition to other things, the guy listed bourbon. Now I am not so holy that it would bother me that much, but it didn't sound good, so we passed. We were surprised a minute later when my sister Vicki ordered it. As she started eating it, I asked her if she knew it had bourbon in it. She replied, "what is bourbon?" After Steve and I laughed ourselves silly, we told her it was an alcoholic beverage. Steve asked her "why do you think it is called "drunken" monkey?! We have teased her mercilessly since then.

Now onto this year: Paul, Pam, Vicki, and I were shopping one evening. The store had a sign out front "Going out for business sale. up to 70% off" - not sure what the "for" means, but we went in. Not much was 70% off, but there was some 25 and 50 off. My sisters found shirts they liked on a rack and called Paul & I over to look. To our amazement, the shirts had "Cornona" on the front, and "Lite" on the back. Paul asked them "do you know what Cornona is" - which they did not. When we told them it was beer, they cracked up. They said they would have bought them if we had not been along and had no clue.