South Padre Beach Time

So I would like to return for a longer vacation, probably.  It feels like there is more exploring to do!  The beach is pretty typical, lots of tourist shops, and restaurants, and everyone uses golf carts to get around.  It's about 5 hours away, a little long, but a perfect mid level vacation.

Our little digger loves to make holes, etc...

There were about 12 of us in a 3 bdrm/3 bath condo.  2 kids on couches!

The girls laying out.

The men took over the holes and tunneled caves between them.

Boogie boards, volleyball, sand toys, and so much fun.

Back at the pool and hot tub right outside the condo.

A Walmart run for more supplies.

Where we were within the resort.

Just sitting on the shoreline. Ahhh.

Wrestling with Issac, who keeps thinking every day is the day he is finally stronger than me.

Isabella is missing her bottoms here as she took them off to rinse off sand and Amanda took a picture.

So tired, need to sleep!

Isabella riding in the cart, reliving her youth.

We love finding Whiting streets, especially at the beach.  Heading home!

Vacation Stations - California, Oregon, & Washington

Day 1 [July 7] drive to Phoenix [14 hr] 10pm
Day 2 Kristy, play poolside
Day 3 drive to San Diego [6 hr] get in 5pm
Day 4 san diego
Day 5 Christie[2 hrs] 8am
[  ] Disney 10-6pm $400
Day 6 drive to LA [2 hr]
[  ] Downtown tour
[  ] Griffith observatory
[  ] Hollywood hike
[  ] walk of fame 
Day 6 drive to San Fran [7 hrs] Friday July 13
[  ] Big Sur
Day 7 San Francisco
[  ] Golden gate bridge bike
[  ] Trolley
Day 8 San Francisco [July 15]
[  ] Fisherman's Wharf/Alcatraz - $200
[  ] Redwood National Forest - $10? [6 hr]
Day 9 Medford [5 hr]
[  ] See Redwood park 8am- 11am
[  ] 5 hr to Crater lake - $25 4pm visitors center, video, drive around lake, pinnacles
[  ] Bend [2 hr] 7-9pm hotel
Day 10
[  ] Drive 3 hours 8-11
[  ] Multnomah Falls 2 hr 11-1
[  ] Tillamook 2 hr 1-3
[  ] Rockaway 2 hr 3-5
[  ] Portland 1 hr 5-6 dinner
[  ] Drive to BM 3 hr 7-10
Day 11 Mt Rainier $30 - July 18
Day 12 Seattle - gum wall, pike place, haunted coke machine July 19
Day 13 B&M chill day July 20th
Day 14 drive to new Plymouth Id 6 hr [July 21] 8-4pm Lymans
Day 15 drive to Crocketts 6 hr travis airport 22th
Day 16-17 Crocketts
Day 18 drive Albuquerque July 25
Day 19 drive to Texas July 26

Gas - 600
Hotels - 500
Food - 650
Activities - 800
Total - $1800

Beach, Beach, Beach, Beach

As a total beach bum, it took me all of a week before we made our first day trip.  Just over two hours including a stop for food, we got to the beach.  We went to Corpus Christi, where there is a sheltered bay area.  The waves were small, the water super warm, and it was close to parking, soft sand, and perfect.  I can't wait to do many more trips next year. 

Oh yeah, we pass lots of cotton fields on the way there and back.  It's crazy awesome.  And of course the kids sleep as soon as we are driving. 

The Beach...

In a long line of goodbyes before the move, we hit the beach another time.  Our normal camping grounds were full and the hassle of camping somewhere new and getting out equipment as we were packing our house was too much.  We found a hotel instead at a new beach, one the kids wanted to see before we left - Atlantic City.

As always beach with the family is fun.  We've hit pretty much everyone in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.  It will be exciting to see how Gulf beaches compare, but I know the beach won't be a tradition that ends with PA.  I am far too much of a beach bum for that!

Vacation, Vacation, Vacation

I just can't get enough.  For my birthday, Sue had us to her beach house in Manasquan, NJ.  It is wonderful, amazing, peaceful, perfect.  This is one of my favorite things every year.  For the first time ever, Travis was able to go with us.  Also in the apartment were Ang and Michele and their daughters.  I love these people and this time together!

We play lots of games; this year Dog Monopoly, Trivia Crack and Sushi Go were big hits.
And we spend lots of time on the beach boogey boarding, digging, building, laying out, talking, doing photo shoots and pretending to be mermaids. He, he, he!

This year for the first time, we went to the next town over, Point Pleasant, to go to the Boardwalk.  It was a fun thing to do because we had never done it.  We rode rides, ate the biggest pizza ever, lots of fries and ice cream.  We all cuddled up to Santa, because of course it was Christmas in July. 

Last Travis was able to help Pete do a few things when he got there later in the week, and it wouldn't be a vacation if Sue and I weren't in bed cuddling together.  Until next year...I'll just have to have great memories.