Recap of Memorial Day camping

I almost didn't get to write this post about camping in the outer banks because we almost didn't get a campsite! Thankfully, the people who got the last site shared it with us.  We were actually there first, but they talked to the ranger first.  And, the site was large enough that we could each be fairly far apart.  Here's a short recap of our weekend in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and camping in Frisco.

The first, and largest National Park Service campground we tried was closed due to flooding, so we knew we might have trouble finding a spot in the second campground in the area.  But, we got lucky, or at least encountered some nice people who were willing to share.

Our campsite

Darwin found his shady spot immediately!  It was hot at 11am.

On Saturday, the beach was packed with SUVs lined up next to each other.  It made the beach look so ugly with so many cars on it!  It was super windy and the sand actually hurt because it was blowing so hard against you. We didn't lay on the beach very much and ended up going for a long walk instead. We also set up our campsite, drove around the area a bit, and spent most of the evening watching wind surfers that were loving the breezy conditions.  Apparently, I forgot to use my camera on the first day, but made up for it on day 2.  Here is a picture recap of our Sunday.

Heading to the beach to enjoy breakfast during the beautiful morning (~6:30am)

Some scattered showers allowed us to experience a rainbow

Darwin loved laying on our beach towels all weekend!

He did go into the water on his own and actually played in it 

(but no swimming yet - he's still afraid of the water when it gets above his belly)

The walk from the campsite to the beach

Rushing to take down our camping gear before the rain came. We had everything packed, except the tent! I'm so glad our down (feather) sleeping bags were already packed.

Darwin hiding under the table at lunch during the start to our drive back.  The rain was heavy in Frisco, so we made our way up the coast and stopped for lunch for a little delay in the hopes the rain would pass and we'd be able to enjoy a beach day.

My fish tacos were pretty good at the Atlantic Coast Cafe in Waves, NC

Colin opted for the fried medley (fries, shrimp, grouper, crab cakes)

We seemed to be driving away from the rain as we headed up Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  When we got to the last spot before getting on the main road away from the beach, we decided to take a little nap (full bellies after a night of poor sleep in a tent leaves you feeling so tired) and it seemed we were about 20-30 minutes ahead of the rain.  There were lots of clouds, but very little rain when we arrived around 1pm, so we put up the beach umbrella and rested our eyes for a bit.  As the day progressed, the clouds diminished and we slowly brought more of our things out to the beach.  By 3pm, we experienced more sun than clouds.  And with the threat of rain most of the day, we had the beach mostly to ourselves.


What started off as a day with scattered storms, turned into a day with heavy rain,
and later into a pleasant afternoon/evening.  

 Nags Head around 5pm - perfect!

It was a difficult 3 hour ride home from the beach, but after a nice, long shower, it felt amazing to sleep in my own bed.  My bed always feels amazing after sleeping on the ground and it was especially wonderful after experiencing two days of salt water and ocean air.  The best part was that we could sleep in on Monday since it was Memorial Day!

What did you do Memorial Day weekend?

Where is your favorite place to go in the Outer Banks?

Lots of Upcoming Travels!!

Happy almost long weekend to all!!

It's going to be in the upper 80's this weekend so Colin and I are headed to the outer banks this evening!!  The plan is to stay with our friend's parents tonight and then head down the coast to find a campground with room for Saturday and Sunday night reservations.  I know that I always look forward to camping, but never sleep well in a tent.  But, I am just so happy to have a long weekend ahead of me and we haven't really spent a lot of time of the beach since....gosh I can't even remember.  I'm guessing some time last summer, or maybe even before that.  No wonder I can't wait!

We've also been planning other fun summer adventures the past few weeks. Colin's got a work trip to Fort Lauderdale in early June (yes, right around the corner!) and his conference finishes up on a Friday.  I'm very excited to go and spend a long weekend at the beach (3 full days).  And that trip will be even better than the outer banks because 1.) we will be more comfortable in a hotel and 2.) it will come at the end of a very busy time at work (which I am in the middle of now!!).

At the end of June and into early July, my dear friend from college is getting married in Burlington, Vermont.  So, we've got a whirlwind of a trip planned to fly into and out of Boston, visit friends in the area, spend some time in RI and be in Burlington for the weekend.  All of that is planned in just 5 days!!  I wish I could go longer to visit with more friends in the area, especially since there are so many babies I haven't met (and some are already 2).  But alas, we're trying to save up some vacation time for a big trip in the fall (I won't disclose until we are sure we are going).  Thankfully, many of my college gal pals will be with me at the wedding (though none are bringing their babies) and they all live fairly close to each other in Boston. To make things easier, I'm trying to plan a day (or night) with each set of friends along the route between RI and VT.  New York friends will have to wait until a visit in that direction.

And if these three trips were not exciting enough, I had a meeting today at work regarding a conference in Asheville in September.  I love that town because the vibe brings me back to Burlington and always get excited to spend some time there.  The best part about the conference is not that it is in Asheville, but that we are all staying in The Grove Park Inn!  My friends in the area will need no explanation, but for those of you unfamiliar with the resort, it is a large antique resort spa that boasts a "bed and breakfast" feel and is located in the middle of the mountains with amazing views all around.  The spa is supposedly a-m-a-z-i-n-g and September is usually a fantastic time of year in the mountains of North Carolina.  Though I do have to present at this conference on Sunday, I'm getting excited at the prospect of going up early to enjoy the area, especially since all rooms are discounted for conference attendees.  I hope I can convince Colin that it is an opportunity he does not want to miss.

I'm sure that by now you know that I love planning trips and getaways.  With the beautiful weather we've been having in Raleigh, we've been enjoying "staycations."  Now that the weather is getting a bit too warm, it's time to escape to places that offer more comfortable temperatures (like the mountains) or places to cool off from the heat (like the beach).

I'll keep you posted on how Darwin does with his second attempt at camping.  We will definitely be taking the "chew-proof" tie out cable and stake to prevent him from chasing night time critters in case he's still scared of the tent.  And we are taking our big tent in case it rains and he needs to sleep with us.


What are you up to this long weekend? 
Any summer vacation plans being made?

Celebrating with friends in the Albany area (May 27-30)

I usually join former Knoxville, TN teammates for a weekend soccer tournament in Charleston, SC for the Memorial Day holiday.  This year, however, Colin was a groomsman in his good friend's wedding.  Our travels for the long weekend instead brought us to upstate New York for a wedding!

Enjoying the wedding atmosphere!

From late April until mid-May, we unsuccessfully bid for cheap flights on Priceline.com.  We jumped on a (non-Priceline) $149 roundtrip ticket to Providence, RI, hoping the airline would overbook the flight on Friday evening so we could fly directly to Albany on Saturday morning.  Failing that, we'd still get to spend extra time with my family, resulting in a win-win situation.

The addition to our family posed some challenges.  Because we now had a puppy to think about, we gave serious consideration to driving up to New York for the 3-day weekend.  If you've ever driven in long weekend traffic, you probably know that was not tops on our list.

The planets aligned for us that weekend.  The first wonderful thing that happened was our roommate graciously agreeing to watch our little guy all weekend.  The other wonderful thing was that Darwin stayed in his crate all night without any accidents while we were away!  It set the precedent for keeping him in his crate in the living room overnight - which led to more restful nights when we returned!

Our travel plans worked out just fine.  While our flight was delayed 2 hours out of Raleigh, it was not overbooked and we still made it to Providence, RI almost on time.  Nothing like making up the time "in the air."  We also had some smooth riding for the three hour drive from Rhode Island to Albany.  My family was nice enough to drive us to western Massachusetts for the first part of the trip and Colin's parents were nice enough to pick us up and drive us the rest of the way to Albany.  It was also really helpful that Colin's parents let us drive their second car all weekend!!

After freshening up and a quick snack, we were off to the afternoon wedding rehearsal, which was followed by cocktails and a catered meal in the garden of the house of the groom's mom.  The weather complied with a perfect 80 degrees and even felt quite hot in the mid-day sun.  Apparently we brought Raleigh with us, and the airline didn’t charge for extra luggage!  It was great to catch up with Colin's friends, whom we only see a few times a year.  Thankfully, most still live in the Albany area, so it's easy to see them when we visit Colin's family.

The big wedding day arrived on Sunday.  In my typical "fashionably late" way, my late arrival resulted in not getting the best seat in the church.  But I was grateful to sit in the back near the open door when I realized how hot it was in the church!  I would call 80+ degrees in upstate New York in May, "unseasonably warm."  Most people didn't have to worry about overheating though, because the church service was among the quickest I have attended.  I'm sure the groom was grateful, considering how nervous he looked the whole time.

Mr. & Mrs. Paul and Lynn Hoffman

Partying with the Albany crew is almost always a good time.  After a few drinks, most everyone is on the dance floor.

Even Colin gets out there to cut a jib on occasion.  The food and cake were delicious, the conversation enjoyable, the bride and groom looked fantastic. Overall everyone seemed to have a great time.  I would consider it a great success!

A group photo with the Bride and Groom

Friends over 15 years

It was nice to have Monday off as another travel day to get back to Rhode Island to then head back to Raleigh. Colin's friends who live in Boston were able to take us most of the way, which made it easier on my family.  While our time was short in Rhode Island, we enjoyed a nice Memorial Day barbecue.

Coming back to Raleigh was exhausting.  With all the excitement and adrenaline of traveling and a wedding behind us, the lack of sleep hit us when we returned.  Thankfully, the memories of a good time made it all worth it. 

How often do you get to see friends who live far away?
Do you find yourself only getting together for major events, like weddings?