We're Baaaack!

We're home from our wonderful vacation to North Carolina's Outer Banks.

When we pulled the camper into the driveway Saturday evening, everybody helped unload. Leftover groceries, dirty clothes, clothes that weren't worn and needed to be put back into our drawers and closets, beach toys galore, and a few extra t-shirts bought or made at the beach (our campground organized a time to tie-dye t-shirts. We loved that!).

I still have some work to do out in the camper to get it ready for our next road trip. But I'll probably never get every bit of the sand out of there.

Water hookups at the campground piped in only salty water, so we bought lots of bottled water while we were there to drink and cook with. Showering with salt water leaves you feeling... not quite clean and refreshed. (When we were finished unpacking the camper and I told the kids to shower, Clay ran up the stairs, saying, "Me first! I can't wait to take a shower at home again.")

I'm going to bring into the house all the dishes we used while there and run them through the dishwasher because Spencer, my biggest milk drinker, informed us that he hated milk at the beach. This was a mystery until Bruce confirmed that the residue from washing dishes in the salty water left a funky taste while sipping milk. Yum!

My first impression of the Outer Banks was actually one of disappointment. It's not like Myrtle Beach... or any other beach I've ever been to. Driving on the main road, alongside the strand, you can't see the vast ocean on the horizon, stretching for miles upon miles. The huge sand dunes actually hide the beach, except for a few glimpses here and there.

But once we stepped onto the beach, it was lovely. Far less crowded than Myrtle (and other beaches, too, but I have more experience with MB). Even during the holiday week.

We never had a problem finding a spot to put our things when we sat at the beach. And we never lost sight of our children because of a sea of unfamiliar faces crowding around. (This picture was taken early in our week there. It got a little more crowded by the Fourth, but still no big deal.)



It was windy... very windy. A huge advantage on a hot, muggy day. But not so good for the camper awnings, which we kept rolled up for the first few days we were there.

And because of that lack of coverage over our heads, we were unable to eat our meals outside at the beginning of the week. We tried. And scenes from Hitchcock's movie "The Birds" flashed in my mind.



Seagulls.



Probably every single one within a mile radius. Hovering over out heads and our plates of food. Before the week was over, we no longer called them seagulls but "rats with wings."

You already know what the next few days will hold for me.

Laundry.

Lots of it!

And vacuuming... to rid our house, truck and camper of as much sand as possible.

We had so much fun! And I'll post more pictures soon.

This one I took on July Fourth. It made me homesick.