Beaching with Babies

I rarely went to the beach as a child.

My mother disliked sand, and with six children, an excursion to the beach more closely resembled an invasion of enemy territory than a joyful, memory-making opportunity. Because of that, as soon as I became mobile (read: drivers license + car), I made beaching my job whenever I wasn't actually, you know, at my job. Day trips, weekend trips, corn hole on the sand, day-drinking, wave jumping, body surfing, driving on the beach in a jacked up pick-up truck, raising the Jolly Roger high to the croons of Jimmy Buffett - these are all essential parts of the American beach experience!

Topsail, North Carolina - Turtle Haven & Toddler Heaven

The beach is my happy place.

No matter the season and through nearly any type of weather, I experience a great peace when I hear the waves crashing and can feast my eyes on the great expanse of the water. At the end of last summer, we drove to Topsail Island, North Carolina, to spend five days just steps from the ocean, and despite sick children and a less than ideal house situation, we had a great time worrying primarily about applying sunscreen and rinsing the sand off our feet.

Finding Small-Town America - Mount Airy, NC

There's a certain stereotype to small-town America, and it's no coincidence that it looks a lot like Mount Airy, North Carolina. Small shops. Old-timey buildings. Locals greeting each other on the streets. Vintage and knickknack shops sandwiched between local food joints!

Ready, Set, WEEKEND

I think most of us can agree that there are few things better than the weekend, especially a weekend with a planned getaway!

There have been very few hints dropped about our destination and plans as the details have been a surprise gift for my hubby's birthday. But that man is particularly good at squirreling information out of me, and the cat was let out of the bag last night...

Source.

Mount Airy, North Carolina. Also known as Mayberry U.S.A. due to its role as inspiration for the town of the same name in the iconic Andy Griffith Show. Danny and I have wanted to visit this place for a long time, but we never made the time for it in lieu of visiting more far-off destinations. There's no better reason than for a birthday nor a time better than now to enjoy a town so family-friendly and focused on preserving the slower-paced life of bygone times. It's time to enjoy small-town U.S.A.!

What are your plans for February?

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Wave Jumping & Beach Bumming in OBX

With only ten paid vacation days in a year, our vacations tend to resemble a gauntlet of things to do and see rather than a time to unplug and relax.  After all, I have more bucket lists than I can ever possibly accomplish!  However, every now and then we're able to squeeze in a "mini-vacay" that revolves solely around relaxation.

For Labor Day this year, we spent a long weekend in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, situated on the northern end of the beautiful barrier islands of the Outer Banks (OBX), with some close friends and picture-perfect weather.  Although we began the weekend with every intention of checking out the Wright Brother's museum or driving up to Corolla to see the wild horses, we ended up parking our butts on the beach.  All. Weekend. Long.  It was one of the most gloriously relaxing weekends of the whole summer!

"I've got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, No worries in the world, a cold beer in my hand..."
-Zac Brown Band

 The men-folk were eagerly searching for Blackbeard's treasure so that we'd have enough money to never return to work!

The waves were just perfect for some body surfing.

Bev:  Did that bird just crap on my towel?

Danny:  Bad news, Bev.  He did.

(Henceforth, we referred to said bird as "Carl.")

One of our favorite beach activities is driving our four-wheel drive vehicles out on to the sand.  However, this is only permissible further south in the Outer Banks, so this picture is a flashback to a beach trip from 2009 in Ocracoke.

The Pirate Crew.

Although the Outer Banks can't offer crystal clear waters like Sorrento (Italy) or the Caribbean, I always count them among my favorite beaches due to the wonderful memories made with friends and family, and this Labor Day trip will be high among them!

Have you been to the Outer Banks of North Carolina?  Where are your favorite beaches?

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Linking up with other travel bloggers for #WeekendWanderlust!