Home at Last

We slept until 7:00AM this morning. After an excellent complimentary breakfast that featured actual real food, we set off. We found ourselves at a cool place about an hour down the road from our hotel called the Seven Springs Resort. It's mainly a ski resort, but in the summer they have mountain biking, golf, and one of the coolest things we've ever done...Alpine Slides. I always wanted to ride one of these and I figured Jennifer and the boys would like to as well. I was right. Seven Springs is way up in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It looks like a great place for downhill skiing...and a perfect location for an Alpine Slide. Everyone loved the chair lift to the top. The dual tracks are 1980 feet long. There are lots of banked turns and sudden drops. Jennifer and Justin rode on their own sleds and Josh and I rode together. I guess they took one look at me and decided I couldn't safely pilot my own sled, so they paired me up with Josh. Sorry Josh! Anyway, we hooted and hollered all the way down the hill. We all wanted to ride it again, but a long ride home lie ahead so it was back in the van. Our only other stops today were for lunch at Wendy's in Pennsylvania and for gas and Slurpees at a Speedway gas station somewhere in Ohio. Other than that we drove, drove, drove. Oh yeah, we did stop for a quick photo at the Ohio border. Josh was sleeping when we finally hit the Michigan line, so we skipped that one. It was smiles all around when we pulled in to the driveway around 5:00PM after 12 days, 9 States, 32 Slurpees and 2126 miles. Sadly, the lawnmower fairy hadn't visited us while we were gone, so i have some cutting to do. We took our time unloading the van and putting things away. Tonight it's pizza for the boys and early bed for me. Work tomorrow...

Ohio!

Alpine Slides, Somorset, PA

This was a blast...

That was a long day

5 different States today. we started at 6:45AM and headed for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It was 18.7 miles of stunning views of the ocean. Too bad it was so cloudy this morning. Oh well. By 11:ooAM it was sunny again. Along the way we stopped for pictures at the North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania borders. Good thing we're almost home because Josh has had it with the roadside photos. We drove between Washington DC and Baltimore, missing a ton of traffic going the opposite way. Our only stops today were for lunch and later for gas and refreshments. It was a long day of driving and we're all happy to be to the Quality Inn in Bedford, Pennyslvania. We rolled in at 5:30PM. The room looks real clean but the heated pool is reportedly quite chilly. We're going to bed early tonight so we can hit the road for the ride home early tomorrow morning.

Last Hotel

Quality Inn, Bedford, PA.

Another round of Slurpees?

You bet.

Lunch

Arby's for Jennifer and I...McD for the boys.

We think this is a funny name for a store

Wawa

Maryland Welcomes You

Quick stop for snacks and a picture...

Goodbye Outer Banks...

We've had a great week here in North Carolina. The weather today was a lot better than the Weather Channel said it was going to be. It turned out hot, sunny and windy for most of the day. After another great pancake breakfast Jennifer, Joshua, Justin, Amanda and I drove down the coast to visit the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It was hot and muggy by the time we got there, but we climbed the 12 stories to the top anyway. The view of the ocean was spectacular! I could have stayed up there all day...but they only give you 5 minutes. We all worked up a sweat so we hit the 7-Eleven on the way back for some serious Slurpee action (Rob, I got one for you too. I'll bring it in on Monday). After lunch we swam in the pool for the last time. Very refreshing! The rest of the day was spent dodging raindrops and packing for the trip home. We plan to be up by 6:00AM. I'll let you know how that worked out...

We made it

...with liberal amounts of whining.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

257 stairs to the top. Will Josh make it?

Friday Morning Sunrise

This was taken under the Nags Head Fishing Pier across the street from our house at around 6:30AM.

No beach bumming today...

Too windy! Instead, we spent a lot of time at the pool. It was another early morning. After breakfast Justin and Grandma Cheryl went for a walk along the beach. Meanwhile the rest of us went swimming in the pool. After lunch Mike and I visited the Wright Brothers National Park. It was pretty hot out by then and it was a long walk to the monument...but worth the trip. Soon after we got back it started to sprinkle. Jennifer suggested we take the boys shopping and we were off again. The boys picked out cool t-shirts and before long we had had enough of the shopping. After a nice barbecue chicken dinner Jennifer and I took a walk along the beach to watch the sunset. We looked for hermit crabs but didn't see any. Back at the house we did a little hot tubbing and a little more swimming. All in all a good day despite the rain. Tomorrow we hunt down some lighthouses. Hope the rain stays away...

Souvenir Shopping

It started raining again...so it's off to the souvenir stores.

Wright Brothers Monument

This is the site of the Wright Brothers first flight back in 1903. Everyone besides Michael and I were too lazy, so we were the only ones to make the trip. It's a hot day (88), so it was toasty up on the hill (no shade). I'm glad I saw it since I missed it last time we were in North Carolina.

Tummy Ache

Josh doesn't feel well.

Sunny Wednesday

Another early start. Josh was up at 5:45AM ready to play with all of his new Legos. Because of that he was tired all day. After an early breakfast we headed to a bright sunny beach. Everyone had a great time. Josh fell asleep in Jennifer's arms. After lunch (as usual) we swam in the pool. It was very warm today. Jennifer and I left at 6:00PM for our first dinner alone in over a week. We watched the sun set over the Roanoke Sound. Very peaceful! Josh napped most of the afternoon while the kids switched between the pool and the hot tub. Right now we're watching TV. Everyone seems tired after a long busy day. Only two more days in North Carolina left...

Our Anniversary Dinner

We're at a nice place on the Roanoke Sound called Sugar Creek. Jennifer looks beautiful. It's nice to spend an evening alone...

Darn...

Another boring day at the beach.

Big Day for the Birthday Boy!

We had a great Tuesday. Josh was very shy this morning. He didn't really want any anyone to acknowledge that it was his birthday. He eventually warmed up to the idea of getting gifts (mostly Legos). Justin set up a rather complicated scavenger hunt around the house that led to lots of presents. After breakfast everyone headed to the beach to work on their tans. It was a much nicer day today, 80 and mostly sunny. We went thru a lot of sunblock! Justin and his cousins worked on their body surfing while josh chased everyone around with the water squirters. After lunch we spent some serious time at our pool. At one point a full-scale water balloon war broke out. There were many casualities. After our dinner at Outback Steakhouse we headed back for cake and ice cream and to watch Josh open his presents. He was happy to get lots more Legos along with his very own Nintendo DSi system. Brother Justin was shocked, to say the least.

Tour of the Beach House

Josh's Birthday Dinner

Outback Steakhouse

Body Boarding

Happy Birthday Joshua!

Sunny morning at the beach.

Stormy Monday

It was very muggy and cloudy when we got up around 8:00AM. Everyone was pokey so we didn't make it to the beach until 10:30 or so. There was a storm blowing in so the waves were pretty big. Justin's been body-surfing so the big waves made him happy. It started to sprinkle around 2:00 so we packed up and headed back to the house for lunch. Within minutes it was pouring rain. Perfect timing! The rest of the afternoon was spent inside watching movies, reading and playing games. By 6:00 the rain had slowed enough to fire up the barbecue. The pork chops were good. After dinner the kids took a cold swim and we watched the Home Run Derby. Later it was time for some Cold Stone Creamery and then off to bed. Since it rained so much we didn't shoot too many pictures. So here's one of the front of our house from yesterday. Tomorrow is Josh's 5th birthday. He can't wait!

Pool was too cold for Josh, too...

Hot tub time.

Late afternoon dip for Josh...

Too cold for me.

Rain is here...

Big thunderstorm. The boys are watching a DVD. Jennifer and I are relaxing. Here is some video from beach this morning...

The view...

Not so bad.

Hazy and hot.

It's 80 already and very muggy. Chance of rain later so we're headed to the beach early.

Lazy day in North Carolina.

We were all up by 9:00AM and ready for some fun in the sun. The girls went to the grocery store to pick up food for the week. $725 and 3 hours later (not a typo) they loaded the car and headed back to the beach house. While they shopped the kids swam in the pool. It was freezing cold. No heater! Oh well, we got used to it after awhile. Later on we all headed for the beach. It's only a 500 foot walk across the street. We swam and soaked up the hot sun for 3 hours before we had enough. Back at the house we went back in the pool (a bit warmer by now). By 5:30 everyone was tired and worn out from the sun. Justin took a nap while the rest of us relaxed before dinner (spaghetti!). After dinner we headed to Dairy Queen for some tasty treats and it was time for bed. As I type this I can hear the swamp frogs barking under the moonlight. I hope they shut up soon so we can get some sleep...

At the pool

We spent the morning at the Ocean and the afternoon at the pool. It's 90 and sunny. Woo hoo!

Down the mountain to the beach.

We started our day with a tasty breakfast at the beautiful Hampton Inn in Lexington, VA. Back on the road we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway for a couple hours. It was very scenic! We didn't spot any bears (bummer) but we did see mile after mile of stunning views. We pulled off at one overlook and discovered another waterfall and some old abandoned logging train tracks. As we wound our way down the mountain Josh started getting antsy. He felt a little sick so we stopped at a neat General Store to pick some Dramamine. A half a tablet later and we were on our way. We cut across Virginia through Williamsburg (sadly passing on a very nice looking theme park), stopping only for a round Slurpees. Today is 7/11, National Slurpee Day. Did you get your free Slurpee? We did! From there it was down through Norfolk, Virginia and finally over the North Carolina state line. Josh was sleeping so he missed the photo. We'll shoot another on the way home. By 7:00PM we were rolling over the Wright Brothers Memorial Bridge and on to the Outer Banks. Not much looks different from our last trip here 7 years ago. We ended the day with an hour in our most-excellent private pool, and a feast prepared especially for us by our good friend Colonel Sanders. Tomorrow we hit the beach to show off our ripped physiques...

North Carolina!

We made it. Josh was sleeping in the van so I took a picture of Justin and Jennifer at the border.

Hope the traffic in to Nags Head isn't too horrible...

Gas and a Slurpee

yum.

McDonald's for lunch...

yuck.

Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

Another great drive! Lots of twisty winding roads through the mountains. We stopped for snacks along the way. Justin loved the "old-fashioned gas pump."

It pays to get off the Interstate once in a while...

We slept in til' 8:15AM this morning and headed for the nice indoor pool at our hotel. We had the place to ourselves and it was nice swimming since we missed out last night. The water felt great and after an hour or so we were ready for breakfast. Our old friend Bob Evans did the cooking and by 11:00AM we were back on the road. Since we didn't have too many miles to travel today we decided to get off the highway and take the scenic route. It was beautiful. The road was winding back and forth through the thick forests. We ran alongside a river for a couple hours when we discovered this waterfall. I was certain we were the first people to ever witness this magical natural wonder...but then we spotted a couple picnic tables and an overflowing garbage can. Oh well. An hour or so later we stopped at the New River Gorge Bridge. There's a stunning overlook with a great view of the bridge and the whitewater rafters way off in the distance. We didn't want to leave but was time for lunch. After a quick stop for Burger King we continued on to our hotel in Lexington, Virginia. This is an old historic town that was the site of a famous Civil War battle. Nowadays it is home to the Virginia Military Institute. After a short swim in a cold pool we had dinner at Pizza Hut, followed by some yummy Diary Queen. By tomorrow night we should be in North Carolina...

Cool pool...

Beautiful hotel...chilly pool.

Hello Virginia...

Quick stop to stretch. West Virginia was beautiful. Virginia has very nice restrooms. Only another hour or so to our hotel. See you at the pool...

New River Gorge, WV

We're taking the scenic route to our next stop and look at what we found...

Long day...

After a quick "complimentary continental breakfast" courtesy of the Comfort Inn we arrived at Kings Island just before the gates opened. Lots of serious riding to be done. We tackled the Scooby Doo Haunted Castle, The Fairly Odd Coaster, The Lazytown Sportacopters, The Avatar, The Rugrats Runaway Reptar, The Beast, The Diamondback, The Backlot Stunt Coaster, and The Train Ride. Josh really loved all the attractions at the water park! He rode water sildes, swam in the wave pool, and was extremely lazy in the lazy river. After a great day at the island we were back in the van by 7PM. We made it to the Comfort Inn in Barboursville, West Virginia at 10:45...a new late-night record for
the Patrick Family. Straight to bed. Zzzz...

John's favorite roller coaster of all time...

Yeah!

Yummy!

Quick snack...

Kings Island!

We're here, time to ride!