We had such a fun, relaxing vacation this year to Harbor Island South Carolina. If you missed my post sharing about the island, the house we stayed at, and a few highlights read it HERE. Forewarning for picture overload and details. These are the memories I want to remember.
Thursday June 16
Van is loaded, got kids to bed early, alarm is set for a very early wake up.
Friday June 17
We got sleep, about what my normal amount of sleep with a little girl. Thankfully Anna slept the whole night. We got ourselves ready, packed the cooler, got the kids up and dressed and hit the road.
Brian's goal was to leave the house at 4, we pulled out of the driveway at 3:59 the clock in the van is 2 minutes fast.
We hopped the kids would fall back asleep quickly. That didn't happen. Austin talked the first 10 minutes non-stop. Anna talked the next 30 minutes. Anna was the first one to sleep right around sunrise at 545am.
It was a gorgeous sunrise.
We made a stop for gas and picked up McDonald's for breakfast, we were hungry and not much was around where we stopped for gas. I surprised the kids with a Paw Patrol movie and a few episodes. Anna even wore her headphones for the first time. In our van if the kids have on headphones we can listen to music on the car speakers.
We made a little detour on our trip. I have always said when we drive cross country, which we plan on doing in a few years that I want to take our time and stop at random places on the way. I made this happen.
We stopped at New Gorge National Park. It was a nice stop to stretch, move our bodies, look around, and use the bathroom.
Their is a trail and wooden steps that take you down to get a better view and to see the bridge.
Anna insisted on walking the steps back up. There were 178 steps. Ella was about dead when we got to the top, Anna was ready to do more. They all took a good nap afterwards.
As soon as we hit North Carolina (we had traveled from Cleveland Ohio through Pennsylvania, West Virginia) we stopped at the rest area to have lunch. We packed sandwiches, chips, fruit, and veggies.
We arrived at our hotel at 230. Austin had to really go to the bathroom. Somehow I ended up taking him and Anna, as our room wasn't ready yet. The joys of a toddler.
We stayed at Springhill Suites by Marriott in Lake Norman/Mooresville. They have been our go to hotel since becoming a family of 5. The rooms have two queen beds (not doubles) and a sleep sofa. Ella loves to have the sleeper sofa. Bonus for two tv's in the rooms. They are always clean and usually have a complimentary breakfast buffet that has options for everyone. .
For dinner we had some North Carolina BBQ at Lancasters. It was good. The kids liked all the Nascar decorations. Their favorite part was the bathroom that had sinks made out of Nascar tires and fuel jugs.
The rest of the evening we spent low key at the hotel, watching tv, and went to bed early after a crazy long day.
Saturday June 18
We started off having breakfast at the hotel. Ella and Austin loved these Belgian chocolate chip waffles. Brian and I had eggs, biscuits, and sausage gravy. Anna had fruit, yogurt and eggs.
After breakfast we cleaned up the room, packed our bags and cooler, filled all the waters (Anna has two. The hot pink one doesn't fit in her cup holder very well so we use it to refill her red cup when it gets warm or she runs out) and got ready to hit the road.
The van is packed. This vacation we took a fold up stroller and a beach wagon along with a carry on for our night at the hotel, two large suitcases, a cooler, a water bag, and 2 backpacks plus the kids toys. Still with plenty of room.
Austin liked the water towel with the alligator. We stopped for lunch at a Zaxby's which we don't have at home. It reminded me of Raising Cane's, but Cane's is better.
Brian was using his iphone for our gps. We had time to spare so he took a longer route that was suppose to be all highway still. There was also an accident and lots of red and yellow stop and go on the main route. We ended up on back roads with nothing in sight for miles. Off the road we were on was legit dirt roads.
The bridge to the island we were staying on.
We made it to our house for the week all safe and sound. We got there 30 minutes before our check-in time but we were able to get into the house. This view off the back porch is my favorite.
The kids picked their rooms and beds, we unloaded, and made a quick grocery list. My dad and I headed to the closest grocery store which was Walmart. Which also turned out to be a huge mistake on a Saturday afternoon on check-in day for most of the island. The store was crazy busy, picked over, rude people. After getting our groceries we waited in line for about an hour to check out. Their was a man who tried to haggle and steal from our cashier, at the same time one of his friends tried to cut in line. I was so thankful when we were done and headed back to the house to make dinner.
While I was shopping Brian took the girls down to the beach.
When I got back their was a beautiful sunset over the marsh. (one side of the house faced the ocean, the other side faced a marsh)
After unloading, making a quick dinner we headed back to the beach.
Sunday June 19
I did not wake up to see this beautiful sunrise, but Brian did and sent it to me.
Brian and I walked the beach early this morning to find the best way to get my parents to the ocean as it is a long uneven boardwalk, then soft sand, and one boardwalk didn't have any guides showing you where to go. It was a 1/4 mile to the ocean from our house and my parents can be unstable on their feet with bad knees. While we were out we saw volunteers marking more sea turtle nests.
We also saw a dead half shell from a horseshoe crab.
Also on our walk Brian and I got all the details about the pancake breakfast the island was having. We walked back to the house, got everyone ready and walked back to the racket and beach club to have a delicious pancake breakfast.
After breakfast we checked out the pool area and saw this cute little friend. Who started off green....
Then he turned to brown hiding from my kids.
Our first day having a beach day was really windy but the tide and waves were good. (you didn't have to go out far to enjoy the water)
Anna had fun playing in the water and sand.
Austin made his own sand castle.
Look I found a little crabby friend. Well he wasn't my friend he ran away from me after the picture.
I did end up catching a blue crab who also didn't want to be my friend. We spent a good 2 hours on the beach, then went back to the house for lunch. The kids relaxed on their electronics while Brian and I took Anna in the stroller for a walk to go find Ella's water bottle that she left at breakfast. Anna ended up taking a nap.
After naptime to kids got out their scooters that they brought. We knew we were on a dead end street with a cul de sac.
Even Anna went out too. Unfortunately the asphalt was little peebles and not the easiest to scooter on.
At the bottom of the stair was a bunch of sand that the kid turned into their own little sand box and played in.
After dinner we headed to the pool. We were there for about an hour and a half.
We watched the sunset and headed back to the house.
The life of a two year old. She got wrapped up in her beach towel and got to the in the wagon everywhere we went. A few times she fell asleep.
At dark Brian and I decided to walk the beach. We grabbed flashlights and went on an adventure. We saw a few cute crabs along the way. When it gets dark, it gets dark, our little flashlights didn't do it justice to be able to see. Thankfully we left our shoes at the end of our boardwalk or we wouldn't have found our way back. Harbor Island is a safe place for sea turtles to lay their eggs and they don't allow and lights on porches overlooking the ocean to keep the turtles safe.
Well thats a long wrap on the first 3 days of vacation. So much more fun to come.
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XOXO
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