Outer Banks

For Columbus Day weekend in October, we went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with two other families.  It was so nice to spend time with our old friends and neighbors, the Snows.  We miss getting to hang out and play games with them on a regular basis.  We also had some newer friends along, the James family.  Gary and Kathleen are really fun, and their three girls just love AJ.  It's a good thing he is only one year old, or he might get a big ego from having three older blond women gush over him all the time.

A few years ago when Jordan and I went to the Outer Banks in May, a local told us that September and October are the best times there, because since it's the off season, the crowds are gone, but the weather and the water are still warm.  Not to mention it is a lot cheaper to rent a place.  We ended up staying at "Wild Duck Dream."  It was a huge place with plenty of room for all three families.  We even had one bedroom to spare.  Our family took the basement, and AJ had his own space in the laundry room, which worked out great for everyone.  The weather couldn't have been nicer.  It was sunny and warm the whole time. 

We were right on the beach, so we got to spend a lot of time there.  AJ had a great time walking on the beach.  It was the first time he would walk on our fingers for longer distances.  The truth is, he would grab onto our fingers, and then go running towards the surf.  It made me glad he wasn't walking on his own yet.

Jordan was happy because he got to try some shore fishing and caught a several fish.

 

On Sunday we went to visit a lighthouse nearby.  It was $7 per person to climb to the top of the lighthouse, which was kind of ridiculous.  They wanted us to pay them for the privilege of hauling 6 children up hundreds of rickety stairs just for a little view?  No thanks. We just wandered the grounds instead. 

 

 We took some family photos.  We got a little silly in some of them. 

 

There were some ducks swimming around the pier in the sound side of the islands.  AJ loved watching them.

The day we left we all went to play some miniature golf.  If you have ever played mini golf with a one year old in tow, you know it was not the most competitive game ever.  AJ got really good at putting the ball in the hole, and then taking it out again.

At least we got to ride a fun train to get to the course.

Over all, it was a pretty ideal vacation.  We were all sad that it was over so soon.  If only we had just one or two more days there.  We'll have to make it a tradition.