Yikes! I am seriously neglecting the blog these days! Truthfully, if you want to "visit" more often come over to Instagram where I am an annoying presence on a regular basis. Basically, it allows me to post stuff in seconds, as opposed to the minutes it takes me to write a blog post. Time is precious, folks! Anyway, my Instagram account is Barbiscrazy. Apporpriate name, don't you think?
If you want to see some amazing pics from Scotland that my talented hubby took, you can go out to his Flickr account here.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
So Much To Say!
Wow! Um, sorry about the absence! Life got away from me a bit, I guess! You remember back several months ago, I told you I was going to Scotland. Well, I went...and I came back...and I have so many stories to tell!
We just got back last evening, so I am majorly suffering from jet-lag, so I will keep it short tonight.
As you would expect, it was a wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful and full of history. The people are extremely friendly, kind, and warm-hearted. We met so many wonderful people on our trip, some we only spoke to for a few minutes and others we spent hours talking to. People are fascinating! I love meeting people and hearing what they have to say. Ahhhh, it was grand!
Tonight, just a Cliff notes version of our trip...
Spent our first two nights in Edinburgh and explored that beautiful, interesting city! So much to see and do there! We got in a little trouble for breaking a law, but the guards were more amused at us than angry, so that was good.
Moved on to Glasgow and met up with some of my Mumford friends who flew there from Northern Ireland and England to be with us! Wasn't that sweet!!! It was the first time we had ever met in person, and yet it felt like I had known them forever. Very, very sweet, fun, funny ladies! Explored Glasgow with them and met some of the locals.
Monday found us on a train to the Highlands, for the highlands and islands portion of our trip. Spent two nights at a most amazing inn on Loch Ness. If you're ever up in that area, I highly recommend Craigdarroch Inn! Got a Goupon deal on it which made it affordable for us. It was, by far, the nicest place we stayed! The Highlands are gorgeous. A little scary driving (oh, yeah, we picked up a car during this portion of the trip), as in winding, one-lane, two-way mountain roads. Yes, I did say ONE lane, TWO way - thankfully, there are lots and lots of "passing places" so that you and the oncoming car don't crash head-on into each other.
The last two nights we spent in Fort William and explored that area.
Oh, I forgot to mention the four hour hospital visit on the Isle of Skye. Well, yeah, that happened. Lack of sleep, proper nutrition and hydration all combined and I came down with a kidney infection. They pumped me full of really strong antibiotics and fluids, and then, against doctor's orders, I released myself from the hospital and we continued our journey. Unfortunately, my illness prevented us from climbing Ben Nevis, which is the biggest disappointment of our whole trip.
Now for a few pictures that will swiftly convince you that you, too, really want to visit Scotland!
So, are you checking airline prices to Scotland yet? I have 762 more pics to prove that it is amazing, in case you think these are an anomaly!
Anyway, my banana bread is out of the oven now, so I need to go to sleep! More stories later.
We just got back last evening, so I am majorly suffering from jet-lag, so I will keep it short tonight.
As you would expect, it was a wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful and full of history. The people are extremely friendly, kind, and warm-hearted. We met so many wonderful people on our trip, some we only spoke to for a few minutes and others we spent hours talking to. People are fascinating! I love meeting people and hearing what they have to say. Ahhhh, it was grand!
Tonight, just a Cliff notes version of our trip...
Spent our first two nights in Edinburgh and explored that beautiful, interesting city! So much to see and do there! We got in a little trouble for breaking a law, but the guards were more amused at us than angry, so that was good.
Moved on to Glasgow and met up with some of my Mumford friends who flew there from Northern Ireland and England to be with us! Wasn't that sweet!!! It was the first time we had ever met in person, and yet it felt like I had known them forever. Very, very sweet, fun, funny ladies! Explored Glasgow with them and met some of the locals.
Monday found us on a train to the Highlands, for the highlands and islands portion of our trip. Spent two nights at a most amazing inn on Loch Ness. If you're ever up in that area, I highly recommend Craigdarroch Inn! Got a Goupon deal on it which made it affordable for us. It was, by far, the nicest place we stayed! The Highlands are gorgeous. A little scary driving (oh, yeah, we picked up a car during this portion of the trip), as in winding, one-lane, two-way mountain roads. Yes, I did say ONE lane, TWO way - thankfully, there are lots and lots of "passing places" so that you and the oncoming car don't crash head-on into each other.
The last two nights we spent in Fort William and explored that area.
Oh, I forgot to mention the four hour hospital visit on the Isle of Skye. Well, yeah, that happened. Lack of sleep, proper nutrition and hydration all combined and I came down with a kidney infection. They pumped me full of really strong antibiotics and fluids, and then, against doctor's orders, I released myself from the hospital and we continued our journey. Unfortunately, my illness prevented us from climbing Ben Nevis, which is the biggest disappointment of our whole trip.
Now for a few pictures that will swiftly convince you that you, too, really want to visit Scotland!
This was the view from the roof our hostel in Edinburgh. Yes, we did climb on the roof (our room had a window out onto it), and no, that is not what got us in trouble with the guards. That is a story for another time.
Edinburgh Castle
Elgin Cathedral
Something about walking through the ruins of a 13th century cathedral enthralls me! The history that those walls have seen...I have no words!
Then there's Loch Ness. We walked down to the Loch one morning and this...
This gem was just alongside the road while we were driving around the highlands. We came around a corner and I saw it and said, "STOP the car!" It was raining, and I got a really high fever right after this stop, but it was so very cool!!!!!
Anyway, my banana bread is out of the oven now, so I need to go to sleep! More stories later.
We Thrived
Not only did we survive our little wilderness adventure, we thrived in the wild. It was yet another amazing time paddling, portaging, swimming, singing, eating, relaxing, and rock jumping.
Never has the Quetico heard so many Disney tunes, sung with so many different lyrics, at so many hours of the day! We woke up to very loud loons most mornings, and went to bed to somewhat quieter loons each night. We watched a pair of bald eagles whose nest was just across a little bay from us. We ate lots of very tasty wild blueberries. We paddled through rivers of lily pads.
We got many scrapes, cuts and bruises. We drank a lot of lake water. We laughed. We slept. We thrived!
My sister Deb and I talked a lot about how thankful we were that our mom began this tradition of going to the Boundary Waters/Quetico. She had to be almost 50 when she started going in, and she proceeded to make trips for 20+ years. I believe she was 71 when she made her last trip in. Molly, Nina and I were privileged to take two trips in with her. She taught us so much about how to thrive in the wilderness - how to eat well and pack light. Because of my mom's adventurous spirit, Molly has now been into the Boundary Waters/Quetico FIVE times. She was only nine when she went for the first time, and even then she was portaging Duluth packs. Now she can portage a canoe like a pro.
I am hoping this is a tradition that will continue for many, many years!
Never has the Quetico heard so many Disney tunes, sung with so many different lyrics, at so many hours of the day! We woke up to very loud loons most mornings, and went to bed to somewhat quieter loons each night. We watched a pair of bald eagles whose nest was just across a little bay from us. We ate lots of very tasty wild blueberries. We paddled through rivers of lily pads.
We got many scrapes, cuts and bruises. We drank a lot of lake water. We laughed. We slept. We thrived!
My sister Deb and I talked a lot about how thankful we were that our mom began this tradition of going to the Boundary Waters/Quetico. She had to be almost 50 when she started going in, and she proceeded to make trips for 20+ years. I believe she was 71 when she made her last trip in. Molly, Nina and I were privileged to take two trips in with her. She taught us so much about how to thrive in the wilderness - how to eat well and pack light. Because of my mom's adventurous spirit, Molly has now been into the Boundary Waters/Quetico FIVE times. She was only nine when she went for the first time, and even then she was portaging Duluth packs. Now she can portage a canoe like a pro.
I am hoping this is a tradition that will continue for many, many years!
Home
Three tents, three hammocks
Lots of trees and rocks
And you should see their muscles now after the trip!
Free water massage
Looking down on our campsite - we're at the cleared spot across the bay
A little rock jumping after lunch
Our view every night
The happy campers waiting for our tow
And Away We Go
Very much looking forward to getting away from the civilized world and resting my heart and mind.
We'll be out of touch until Monday evening.
So long.
Farewell.
Bears, Backs, and Bad Weather
These are a few of my least favorite things...
Well, not always.
Just when I'm going into the Boundary Waters.
We leave for the Quetico a week from today. I can't wait to get away from civilization and relax, but one of the problems with getting away from civilization is that you are away from civilization.
That brings us to the above list.
Bears. I am afraid of bears. Not so afraid that I won't go camp in their habitat, but afraid enough that I will volunteer to sleep in the middle of the tent, as I'm sure the bears will go for my friends on the outside walls....sorry, ladies, self-preservation is a strong feeling in me! And while Molly and my sister may be sleeping out in the hammocks at night, there is NO WAY you'd catch me out there!
Backs. I am actually in favor of backs. They are very helpful when portaging packs and canoes....provided that they are working properly....which mine is not currently. I have seven days to get my back in a condition where it can support me and a 48 pound canoe...at the same time...in an upright position...over a rocky, hilly portage...Currently, I celebrated because I could hoist my left leg into the car without using my hands to lift it up when I went to the store this morning. Yay for progress! It's going to have to come in miracle proportions in the next seven days! I don't think the six other people are going to want to portage me!
Last, but not least, bad weather. I am a big fan of bad weather when I'm safely at home. I love watching the trees bend, the lightning...I love it. Not such a big fan of it when: a) you have no way to get advanced warning (i.e., no radio or sirens), b) you have no place to hide from it and c) you are surrounded by lots and lots of trees just waiting to topple onto your tent. If you think I exaggerate, you can read about the Boundary Waters Blowdown that occurred in 1999. While that happened 15 years ago, just last week a storm trapped several campers underneath trees, and they needed to be rescued...which up there is challenging, as you need to either be portaged out or get to a lake big enough to land a float plane on. Let's just say, "help is on the way" means "help is paddling in to find you after you send someone out to let them know you are in trouble."
Like I said, I can't wait for our trip!!!!! Really, I can't! But you can bet I'm praying that my back heals and that the weather is peaceful while we're there. I don't pray about the bears....
Well, not always.
Just when I'm going into the Boundary Waters.
We leave for the Quetico a week from today. I can't wait to get away from civilization and relax, but one of the problems with getting away from civilization is that you are away from civilization.
That brings us to the above list.
Bears. I am afraid of bears. Not so afraid that I won't go camp in their habitat, but afraid enough that I will volunteer to sleep in the middle of the tent, as I'm sure the bears will go for my friends on the outside walls....sorry, ladies, self-preservation is a strong feeling in me! And while Molly and my sister may be sleeping out in the hammocks at night, there is NO WAY you'd catch me out there!
Backs. I am actually in favor of backs. They are very helpful when portaging packs and canoes....provided that they are working properly....which mine is not currently. I have seven days to get my back in a condition where it can support me and a 48 pound canoe...at the same time...in an upright position...over a rocky, hilly portage...Currently, I celebrated because I could hoist my left leg into the car without using my hands to lift it up when I went to the store this morning. Yay for progress! It's going to have to come in miracle proportions in the next seven days! I don't think the six other people are going to want to portage me!
Last, but not least, bad weather. I am a big fan of bad weather when I'm safely at home. I love watching the trees bend, the lightning...I love it. Not such a big fan of it when: a) you have no way to get advanced warning (i.e., no radio or sirens), b) you have no place to hide from it and c) you are surrounded by lots and lots of trees just waiting to topple onto your tent. If you think I exaggerate, you can read about the Boundary Waters Blowdown that occurred in 1999. While that happened 15 years ago, just last week a storm trapped several campers underneath trees, and they needed to be rescued...which up there is challenging, as you need to either be portaged out or get to a lake big enough to land a float plane on. Let's just say, "help is on the way" means "help is paddling in to find you after you send someone out to let them know you are in trouble."
Like I said, I can't wait for our trip!!!!! Really, I can't! But you can bet I'm praying that my back heals and that the weather is peaceful while we're there. I don't pray about the bears....
What The.....?
We just got back from our most lovely vacation to Michigan. The weather was great, and aside from the biting flies and one particularly mosquito infested hike, it was a grand experience. We started out in the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula, and then trekked down to a state park near Mackinaw City.
The aforementioned state park, Wilderness by name, was a very unique experience. First off, it is on the shore of Lake Michigan, which is very sandy and Caribbean-blue. I actually named the area the Caribbean of the Midwest.
Now I've been camping for 46 of my 48 years of life. I've been to many, many different types of campgrounds - state parks, national parks, private campgrounds, KOAs, Jellystone...you name it, I've camped in something like it.
The campsites on the lake-side of this park were very crowded which, in and of itself, is not that unusual. The weirdness about this particular park was that almost everyone else seemed to know each other. I felt like we were walking into some great big family reunion! Literally, there were campsites with ten tables set up all together. People would be walking down the street to a neighboring campsite with their beer in one hand and dinner in the other, and they would all hang out together. It was a little bizarre.
That wasn't the weirdest part though. Next on the weird list were the refrigerators! Yes, refrigerators. Not like you have a fridge in your RV. NO! As in you are camping in a tent and you bring along two large dorm-sized refrigerators. And it wasn't just one group that did that. Probably half of the campsites had fridges! "Okay honey, let's pack up the sleeping bags, tent and fridge!" Who does that??
Anyway, that was weird, but the weirdest part, by far, were the large rugs people had outside their tents or campers. We're talking 14' x 20' rugs...Persian rugs....living room sized rugs! I have NEVER seen people have full sized 20' x 20' rugs in a campground.....until now! Now, as I said, it was a sandy place, so I can certainly see a nice door mat outside your camper/tent to keep the sand out, but this....I just don't get it!?
Anyway, enough about weirdness. Here are a few of the 300+ pictures from the week...
The only thing that could have made it better is if Evan, Erin, Nina & Molly were along with us.
The aforementioned state park, Wilderness by name, was a very unique experience. First off, it is on the shore of Lake Michigan, which is very sandy and Caribbean-blue. I actually named the area the Caribbean of the Midwest.
Now I've been camping for 46 of my 48 years of life. I've been to many, many different types of campgrounds - state parks, national parks, private campgrounds, KOAs, Jellystone...you name it, I've camped in something like it.
The campsites on the lake-side of this park were very crowded which, in and of itself, is not that unusual. The weirdness about this particular park was that almost everyone else seemed to know each other. I felt like we were walking into some great big family reunion! Literally, there were campsites with ten tables set up all together. People would be walking down the street to a neighboring campsite with their beer in one hand and dinner in the other, and they would all hang out together. It was a little bizarre.
That wasn't the weirdest part though. Next on the weird list were the refrigerators! Yes, refrigerators. Not like you have a fridge in your RV. NO! As in you are camping in a tent and you bring along two large dorm-sized refrigerators. And it wasn't just one group that did that. Probably half of the campsites had fridges! "Okay honey, let's pack up the sleeping bags, tent and fridge!" Who does that??
Anyway, that was weird, but the weirdest part, by far, were the large rugs people had outside their tents or campers. We're talking 14' x 20' rugs...Persian rugs....living room sized rugs! I have NEVER seen people have full sized 20' x 20' rugs in a campground.....until now! Now, as I said, it was a sandy place, so I can certainly see a nice door mat outside your camper/tent to keep the sand out, but this....I just don't get it!?
Anyway, enough about weirdness. Here are a few of the 300+ pictures from the week...
We spent a lot of time doing this...
And looking at things like this...
Saw a few of these as well...
And a lot of these...
We did a little of this in Lake Superior, and a lot more of it in Lake Michigan...
We spent a few hours doing this around Mackinac Island....
And then we saw lots of these...
We spent a lot of time doing this, which looks incredibly like hiking, but is really "Going exploring" (a much more palatable term to certain children)
And we spent a LOT of time looking at this...
The only thing that could have made it better is if Evan, Erin, Nina & Molly were along with us.
And Everyone's Off..
Said good-bye to these lovelies yesterday, and they have safely made it Northern Ireland (at least that's what flight tracker told me at 2:30 am).
Now, it's time for the rest of us to depart. We're off to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a week of camping and fun!
I am sure I will have plenty of photos and stories to share once we arrive back home! Have a great week, folks!!
I am sure I will have plenty of photos and stories to share once we arrive back home! Have a great week, folks!!
I'm Freaking Out
GAHHHHHHHHHHH!
There. Now I feel better....kind of....
This coming week is going to be...intense.
Nina & Molly leave for Northern Ireland on Thursday...for two weeks. It was hard enough last year when Molly left, and now I have to let go of two of my daughters. I'm not sure I'm okay with this. Actually, I AM okay with it, but it will be hard on my mama-heart.
Please pray for them (and me) while they're gone (July 17-31). Btw, for local folks, the Northern Ireland team is being commissioned at the downtown campus tomorrow (7/13) at 9:00 and at the north campus at 11:00, stop by if you are able to.
Then on Friday, we leave for vacation. We'll be camping in the Upper Peninsula. It should be a blast (and it will help time to go by faster while I'm missing my girls), but camping trips require planning and preparation, some things that I am sorely neglecting right now!
To top it off, our Quetico canoe trip will quickly follow the girls return from Ireland. That requires even MORE planning and preparation....HEEEELLLLLPPPP. I think I'm going to have a meltdown!
There. Now I feel better....kind of....
This coming week is going to be...intense.
Nina & Molly leave for Northern Ireland on Thursday...for two weeks. It was hard enough last year when Molly left, and now I have to let go of two of my daughters. I'm not sure I'm okay with this. Actually, I AM okay with it, but it will be hard on my mama-heart.
Then on Friday, we leave for vacation. We'll be camping in the Upper Peninsula. It should be a blast (and it will help time to go by faster while I'm missing my girls), but camping trips require planning and preparation, some things that I am sorely neglecting right now!
To top it off, our Quetico canoe trip will quickly follow the girls return from Ireland. That requires even MORE planning and preparation....HEEEELLLLLPPPP. I think I'm going to have a meltdown!
It's Our Turn
If you've been around this blog long enough, you know that every other year we take a girls-only canoe trip. We didn't go last year, so that means this year is our turn.
Why a girls-only trip, you might ask? Well, that's a tradition started by my mom many years ago. She began going on girls-only trips when she was about my age, and continued doing that for about 20 years (I think she was 72 years old the last time she went in...and truth be told, if her hips/knees were in better condition, she'd still be going in). She brought me along a couple times, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyway, there are a few advantages to not having any guys with.
In answer to the question, first, lots of girl time! Second, if we brought guys along they would do a lot of the hard work (think portaging canoes and the food pack). Now, I enjoy being pampered as well as the next girl, but sometimes you just want to prove to yourself that "you can do it." On our trips, ain't nobody going to carry that canoe for you! If the wind is blowing whitecaps on a lake, you're the only ones who are going to get the canoe across it and make camp. Oh, the aching muscles and that satisfied feeling of "I did that!"
The past two trips (2010 & 2012) we stayed on the Minnesota side of things, but this year we are going into the Quetico which is in Canada.
You might ask, what's the difference? Well, there is really only one that matters - bathrooms.....there are none. Not an outhouse, not a box in the woods, nada. A small shovel is highly recommended for this trip!
Aside from the minor inconvenience of no biffy, the benefits of the Quetico are: 1) You can camp ANYWHERE. You don't need to stay at a campsite, unlike on the Minnesota side, provided you can find a flat area large enough to pitch a couple tents, 2) While the Boundary Waters is remote wilderness camping, the Quetico is even more remote and more wilderness, 3) Fewer people, as in you may go days without seeing another human being, aside from your camping group who may or may not resemble human beings by the end of the trip.
I am so excited to go!
Here's a taste of our past two trips, put to a most amazing song...
Why a girls-only trip, you might ask? Well, that's a tradition started by my mom many years ago. She began going on girls-only trips when she was about my age, and continued doing that for about 20 years (I think she was 72 years old the last time she went in...and truth be told, if her hips/knees were in better condition, she'd still be going in). She brought me along a couple times, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyway, there are a few advantages to not having any guys with.
In answer to the question, first, lots of girl time! Second, if we brought guys along they would do a lot of the hard work (think portaging canoes and the food pack). Now, I enjoy being pampered as well as the next girl, but sometimes you just want to prove to yourself that "you can do it." On our trips, ain't nobody going to carry that canoe for you! If the wind is blowing whitecaps on a lake, you're the only ones who are going to get the canoe across it and make camp. Oh, the aching muscles and that satisfied feeling of "I did that!"
The past two trips (2010 & 2012) we stayed on the Minnesota side of things, but this year we are going into the Quetico which is in Canada.
You might ask, what's the difference? Well, there is really only one that matters - bathrooms.....there are none. Not an outhouse, not a box in the woods, nada. A small shovel is highly recommended for this trip!
Aside from the minor inconvenience of no biffy, the benefits of the Quetico are: 1) You can camp ANYWHERE. You don't need to stay at a campsite, unlike on the Minnesota side, provided you can find a flat area large enough to pitch a couple tents, 2) While the Boundary Waters is remote wilderness camping, the Quetico is even more remote and more wilderness, 3) Fewer people, as in you may go days without seeing another human being, aside from your camping group who may or may not resemble human beings by the end of the trip.
I am so excited to go!
Here's a taste of our past two trips, put to a most amazing song...
School's Out!!!!!
Yay! It's been a long time in coming, let me tell you! We pushed on through to the end and officially called off school on Friday.
And how did we celebrate the end of the 2013/2014 school year, you ask?
Like this....
And then some of this...
And then there was this...
I'd say we've started off our summer quite nicely!
And how did we celebrate the end of the 2013/2014 school year, you ask?
Like this....
And then some of this...
And then there was this...
What's New?
Holy buckets! I haven't blogged in over a week! I don't think that's ever happened in the 6+ years I've been blogging! Sorry I lost touch.
How have you been?
My big news here is that, at long last, we actually booked a vacation for just Chris and me. Yes, we're going on a trip....and....it's over my birthday. Birthday in Britain! Can't beat that! AND to top it all off, some very dear friends of mine (Mumford friends - the very best kind) are going to meet up with us there! Do you believe it? They're actually going to meet us in Glasgow!
Hopefully, we will be exploring the Glasgow/Edinburgh area for a few days and then heading up to the Highlands. I say hopefully because this will be my THIRD try at getting to the Highlands. The first two attempts met with failure.
A long time ago BC (Before Children), Chris worked for Northwest Airlines. This meant....flight benefits! These lovely benefits allowed us to travel a bit...for FREE....first class. On one trip we explored London, but our next trip to the UK was supposed to see us land in London and then meet up with a friend and drive to the Highlands. Unfortunately, I was two months pregnant. I got violently airsick on the flight over (something that NEVER happens to me, and hasn't happened since). When we arrived and started driving north, I began spotting and was very concerned about the pregnancy, so we opted to call off the trip and head back to the states to make sure the baby was okay (he was...and still is).
Second attempt to get to the Highlands was four years ago when I was in Scotland with Evan for the World Pipe Band Championships. I was hoping to take a little drive north to the Highlands at that time, but the practices, etc. for the pipe band didn't allow me the time to get up there. So, I guess Evan is to blame for both of my failed attempts to get there! I'm not bringing Evan this time!!
This time should work. I'm not pregnant (thank God for that!) and I'm not traveling with a pipe band.
I will try really hard not to be too obnoxious over the next three months.....
How have you been?
My big news here is that, at long last, we actually booked a vacation for just Chris and me. Yes, we're going on a trip....and....it's over my birthday. Birthday in Britain! Can't beat that! AND to top it all off, some very dear friends of mine (Mumford friends - the very best kind) are going to meet up with us there! Do you believe it? They're actually going to meet us in Glasgow!
Hopefully, we will be exploring the Glasgow/Edinburgh area for a few days and then heading up to the Highlands. I say hopefully because this will be my THIRD try at getting to the Highlands. The first two attempts met with failure.
A long time ago BC (Before Children), Chris worked for Northwest Airlines. This meant....flight benefits! These lovely benefits allowed us to travel a bit...for FREE....first class. On one trip we explored London, but our next trip to the UK was supposed to see us land in London and then meet up with a friend and drive to the Highlands. Unfortunately, I was two months pregnant. I got violently airsick on the flight over (something that NEVER happens to me, and hasn't happened since). When we arrived and started driving north, I began spotting and was very concerned about the pregnancy, so we opted to call off the trip and head back to the states to make sure the baby was okay (he was...and still is).
Second attempt to get to the Highlands was four years ago when I was in Scotland with Evan for the World Pipe Band Championships. I was hoping to take a little drive north to the Highlands at that time, but the practices, etc. for the pipe band didn't allow me the time to get up there. So, I guess Evan is to blame for both of my failed attempts to get there! I'm not bringing Evan this time!!
This time should work. I'm not pregnant (thank God for that!) and I'm not traveling with a pipe band.
I will try really hard not to be too obnoxious over the next three months.....
Mardi Gras & More
Sorry, virtual vacationers, we've been too busy to blog. Just know that we are having a wonderful time down here despite the weather being somewhat cooler than we'd like.
Yesterday was, of course, Mardi Gras, and we celebrated it by going to the Gulf Shores parade and then going to a nature center at a nearby park. Of course we had King's Cake with dinner as well.
Today we went mini-golfing and then did some antiquing and shopping in Foley.
Sad to say, we only have two days left.
Yesterday was, of course, Mardi Gras, and we celebrated it by going to the Gulf Shores parade and then going to a nature center at a nearby park. Of course we had King's Cake with dinner as well.
There were lots of floats
Even Jesus got into the act, tossing out moon cakes
There were plenty of beads!!
Sorting through the loot at the end of the parade is always fun!
Just a "few" of the beads we collected
We made some new friends at the nature center
Today we went mini-golfing and then did some antiquing and shopping in Foley.
Traditions
We've been coming down here to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach for many, many years. As you might expect we have developed a few tradition, one of them is going to the "Shark Store." The actual name of the store is Souvenir City, but the kids have always called it the shark store because of the large shark you must walk through to get into the store. It has a rather eclectic collection of cheap souvenirs and nice clothing and shoes.
I pretty much go catatonic as soon as I step foot into the Shark Store, overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of it and the thought of children wandering aimlessly for the better part of an hour trying to choose a toy which will, no doubt, break within an hour of getting home.
Today, when we took our little excursion to the Shark Store, I decided to entertain myself by finding some of the more "interesting" items for sale there, Here is a sampling...
Well, there's one tradition I'm glad we've gotten out of the way!
I pretty much go catatonic as soon as I step foot into the Shark Store, overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of it and the thought of children wandering aimlessly for the better part of an hour trying to choose a toy which will, no doubt, break within an hour of getting home.
Today, when we took our little excursion to the Shark Store, I decided to entertain myself by finding some of the more "interesting" items for sale there, Here is a sampling...
Just what everyone wants on their shelf at home - a dead shark in a jar!
Why just pick up shells on the beach (which are in abundance, btw) when you can spend money and buy them at the Shark Store.
Voodoo dolls renamed Good Spirit Dolls, that sounds like a good idea, right?
Nothing says, "I love you," like a furry cat head on a ring!
No home is complete without a coconut head on their shelf.
Just look at all the fun you can have with a severed alligator head!
Ummm, not even sure what to say about these guys. Not sure why the one is sitting on the other's head either.
Aww, look! Kissing seahorses!
You can even pretend like you're a totem pole.
There's simply no end to what you can make with a bunch of shells.
And, in case you forgot your swimsuit at home, you can buy a top right here.
Well, there's one tradition I'm glad we've gotten out of the way!
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