we love north carolina

Jaden and I lucked out this month and got to tag along with Steve on a trip to North Carolina! We never do much when we're down there. Steve takes the car to work, which is usually only for a day, maaaaybe two, so we just hang out around the hotel. But sometimes that's all I really want to do anyway, you know? We live on a peninsula which requires driving over a bridge almost any time you leave. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to cross those bridges and leave the shore! I know that sounds weird. I really love where we live, so I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining. I don't really know how to describe it. I guess it's kind of like island fever. Just nice to get a change every once in awhile and drive on bigger freeways at higher speeds with more traffic. Who knew I would ever miss that?

When you go south, you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I don't know if I've posted pictures of this before and I'm too lazy to go back through my blog and check :). It's quite the experience--this bridge is 17 MILES long. It also has two tunnels you go through UNDER the water, giving ships a place to cross into the bay. It's probably our favorite part of the drive. 

I didn't take too many pictures because we really didn't do much, but I caught a couple of highlights.

Stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner. This is a classic game in my family and it never fails to keep hungry boys entertained!

I promised Jaden we would go swimming after breakfast. Turns out NC wasn't as warm as I was anticipating. But we weren't threatened by barely 70 degree weather! 

We timed the swimming just right, because after we got back to the room and showered, it started down pouring! I had planned on walking up the block with Jaden to the movie theater, but I just wasn't in the mood get soaked just to go see the one G rated movie they were playing. (Rio 2...we haven't even seen the first Rio) Maybe I won't get mom of the year points for this, but I remembered how the best part of going to hotels as a kid was the Disney channel. Jaden ate it up! So I let him watch two hours of Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse and Little Einsteins for free instead of making the hike to the theater. 

In the afternoon we decided to get wet anyway and ran across the street to get some frozen yogurt and explore Hobby Lobby.

That may or may not have been our lunch. Again, coolest mom ever, right?

Doing research for YW camp in Hobby Lobby. Jaden put up with me for over an hour in that store. I think that deserves some documentation.

 Dad got back from work and we had some good reading time before meeting a coworker for dinner.

The next day we headed home and stopped at the pier on the bridge/tunnel to get some wiggles out. There's a place where you can pull off and get snacks or eat at a restaurant or whatever. We arrived at a great time when about fifteen barges and ships were queued for something (entering the bay? docking at Norfolk? we weren't sure). It was so cool to see them just hanging out!

Studying the map to figure out how to get home

Approximately 17 hours of drive time (with countless potty breaks in bushes) for barely 24 hours in NC, but we had a great time. It's always fun to go to work with Daddy. Next time maybe we'll tag along for Asia? Jaden thinks we should... :)