Monday, April 12, 2010

Spring break!

This spring break we planned a course through Virginia and North Carolina, where we enjoyed some history, some beaches, and some good times! Seriously, if we could live in a Winnebago on a permanent road trip, we would! These kids are pro travelers, and we're all up for roadway adventures.

Attraction number one: Jamestown, VA
The National Park Service has created stunning displays to describe America's first permanent English settlement. Walking along the shore of the James River,  we visited the beautifully preserved/restored buildings and viewed hundreds of artifacts. I was interested to see a collection of rounded buttons that look similar to those on one of my favorite blouses. It struck me as odd that the button hadn't been through any major transformations in at least 400 years. I guess that if it works, it works. 
During the first several years, the colonists suffered a drought--the worst in eight centuries!--that caused all but a handful to die. Skirmishes with the Powhatans and failed economic projects made the colony seem hopeless. Why did they stay? 
It felt sacred to be there, hearing about the colonists' lives. What sacrifice. What moxie!  

Attraction number two: the hotels!
Is there anything more fun than a hotel pool?
Zachary's hooked on swimming. He even convinced me to go with him at the OUTDOOR pool at the next hotel. It was 75 degrees outside, so I said okay. He squealed when I cannonball splashed him--then he braved the water himself!
And here, witness a moment of boyhood bliss: they're eating corn dogs, at bedtime, while watching a monster truck rally. Living it up!

Attraction number three: Outer Banks, NC beaches
The kids had never been to an actual ocean beach before, but they ran right up into the water as if they'd done it every day of their lives.  

We did the normal beach things: 
watching,
digging,
swimming (yikes! Eric wins the bravery award, because the ocean was much cooler than the pool!),
more digging, 
crabbing, 
burying,
and, finally, de-salting.
I wasn't expecting such nice beaches, but these were Florida-esque!

Attraction number four: Wright Brothers Historical Monument, Kitty Hawk, NC
Learning about the Wright Brothers makes you proud to be an American, as you have some stake in the gutsiest, most enthralling endeavor in modern history. The NPS visitors' center describes the Wright Brothers' experiments in some detail. Jacob was earning his Junior Ranger patch there, so we attended a lecture about the brothers, too.
And here, these brothers stand at the landing spot to the fourth and longest flight on the day that the Wrights flew the first airplane. After this flight, the wind took up the craft, along with a bystander who tried to save it. He struggled with the plane, eventually crashing down again. As he tells it, there were five flights that day--and he earned the distinction as the first person injured in an airplane crash.

Attraction number four: Yorktown, VA
We did another Junior Ranger program here, rode the trolley throughout the town and battlefields, and even climbed up on some of the Revolutionary War earthworks. For the third time in that many days, we're awestruck over the history of American bravery.
We love being in these places together, and we're already looking forward to future adventures on the road! 

5 comments:

Jon said...

What's your secret to traveling with 4 young children? Mine have a very difficult time, especially over 6 hours per day, even with multiple breaks and stops. I would love to hear how you do it, you are always so inventive! :)

Erin said...

I like your use of the word 'moxie'. I think I'll work that in a conversation later today.

I also like the pic of the corndog fest, too fun.

Amy Brinton said...

Road trip tips with kids:
1. A DVD player, used in moderation, breaks up the day and is a powerful incentive.
2. Napping for the little ones--there needs to be quiet, dark time so that they can get their rest and feel energized for later.
3. Praise and prizes throughout the day (e.g., "You have kept busy for an hour all by yourself. Here's a cookie for you!") We've also done structured reward systems that work well.
4. Sites to see on the way--this is the fun of it all! We make at least one major stop a day, stopping for at least a couple hours.
5. A schedule ("We're going to read for half an hour, then we'll have a snack. After the snack we're stopping at this cool covered bridge. Then we'll watch two Scooby Doo episodes, then we have three car games, then lunch," etc.)

Seaside Vacations - OuterBanksVacations.com said...

Great post...thanks for sharing.

That looks like such a fun trip and some great pictures.

So glad you enjoyed your time on the Outer Banks. Now that the kids know the ocean, I'm sure they will want to come back soon...especially when the water is warm!

Hopefully we can welcome you back to the OBX soon.

Please let us know if we can help you plan your next trip to the Outer Banks.

Seaside Vacations
OuterBanksVacations.com

4820 N. Croatan Hwy
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(866) 884-0267
Blog.OuterBanksVacations.com

Sarah said...

Thanks, Amy! I just realized I commented from my husband's account - oops. :) I appreciate all the tips, I'm sure we have some long trips ahead of us! :)