Here's a journal of the trip:
Friday:
We left at 8:15 a.m. and drove until we reached Marietta. Brie and Reese were happy watching movies but Luke was uncharacteristically fussy. I still don't know what was bothering him but he eventually settled down. We stopped in Marietta for lunch at the same parkway we did two years ago. The kids enjoyed running around, but it got a little crazy as we were trying to round them and the picnic things up. One time there were where we wanted them, the next, across the park. Eventually, we all made it back into the car.
Marietta's version of a totem pole
Luke giving the turtle a pat
Reese checking out the squirrel
Picnic at the gazebo
The drive through West Virginia is amazing - so many hills - mountains really. It's my favorite part of the trip. The kids were getting ansy again a few hours later so we found a place to stop in Virginia. That was a little adventure in itself. Dave saw a sign for a state park, but once we got off the exit, we discovered it was 10 miles from the highway. So, he looked for another place to stop. He saw a building that looked like a school (thinking a playground would be there) but it turned out it was a forestry station. Thankfully, they had a nice bench to sit on and a sign near the entrance indicated the chance for a forest fire was low.
Luke in his happier moments in the car
Luke in his sleepier moments in the car
We ended up making it all the way to Mount Airy which is a shade south of Virginia and the birthplace (I believe) of Andy Griffith. We stayed at the Hampton Inn (AAA discount!!!) and the kids demonstrated their approval by immediately jumping on the beds. The next order of business was to find a place to eat. Going on the "suggestion" of the local restaurants in the hotel binder, we settled on Pandowdy's in the downtown area. It's been awhile since we've encountered smoke in a restaurant and even longer since we came across a restaurant with no distinction between smoking and nonsmoking sections - every table had not one, but two!, ashtrays on it. Our server was friendly welcoming, though, so that made up for a lot.
Luke learning to drink from a straw and loving it
Dave and Reese enjoying the water (at the restaurant, not the pool)
So happy together
When we got back to the hotel, we took the kids for a swim. Brie and Reese had a blast. Luke, not so much. I think the noise and splashing freaked him out a little. Reese took to jumping into my arms from the side of the pool like a fish takes to water. :) Brie was able to manage somewhat on her own since she could stand on her own in the shallow end. At point, she had a scare - she had drifted to the part of the pool where it began to slope down and she started taking in water into her mouth. Thank God! I saw her just as this was happening. I could see the look of fear on her face and panic because she couldn't stop the water from coming into her mouth. It's no wonder you are not supposed to take your eyes off of them around the water for a moment - drowning can happen so fast! Thankfully, she is completely fine and it didn't turn her away from wanting to try to swim. Jesus was looking out for her.
Luke chilling on the bed in the hotel room - doesn't he look comfortable?
Saturday/Sunday's installment to come...
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