Sunday, funday - 562 miles 'til home

Not so bright-eyed and bushy tailed, we piled into the car, ready for the ten plus hour drive that would bring us home. My cousin and his family waved as we backed out of the driveway and headed to the Beltway. I braced myself for traffic, knowing all too well how quickly it gets backed up.

Thankfully, and much to our surprise, we made it through DC, Maryland and Delaware without so much as a hiccup in momentum. We were spared heavy traffic right up until the last few miles of New Jersey, just before the GW. The lines of cars reached from the NJ side of the tolls to the opposite side of the bridge. This was going to add some time to our drive for sure.

Within minutes we made it across to the NYC side, much to my surprise. The delay didn't add as much time as I had anticipated, and soon we were moving at a good pace again. Then we hit Hartford traffic - always a joy. That cost us over a half hour, and the weather was starting to turn.

After days of sunny, hot weather, the sight of clouds and eventual rain made me want to stomp my feet in protest. I am made for hot, summer weather, so rain and dreary conditions definitely affect my mood. The last two hours felt like an eternity. We finally made it to the Piscataqua Bridge, and that is a sight that never lets me down.

There is something about driving familiar roads, seeing familiar sights, and walking through the door to whatever place you call home. It never gets old. Home sweet home, as they say, truly casts its full meaning when you've been away from your familiar surroundings for too long.

Saturdays, sun and national monuments

After a delayed start to the drive, caused by sleeping late and a slow to get served breakfast, we drove two plus hours to Virginia. We went with my cousin and his family to DC via the Metro. Even with the heat, we were excited to walk the streets and see the monuments.

Our first stop was the Smithsonian of American History. The many exhibits proved too much for the boys, and after wandering through a number of them, we decided to head for the mall. The walk was hot, but we didn't let it slow us down.

Watching the boys take in the height of Washington Monument, the epicness of the Lincoln and World War II Memorials was something. Almost like seeing it through their eyes. Nothing could compare to seeing them grasp the enormity of the Vietnam Wall Memorial. The vast number of names on panel after panel; it's impossible to not be moved to tears. They walked away with a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made during that war, and the ones that continue to be every day.

The ride back to my cousin's was a great end to the day. The banter and laughter between my sons, regardless of any part of it being at my expense, is something I will never forget. I love my little family, and I'm grateful for each and every experience that brings us closer together.

Friday and the perfect weather for traveling north

This was probably the latest I'd slept in all vacation. Once we were up though, we were packed and on the road, headed as far north as we could go. We were in no rush, and made a number of stops along the chosen route.

It was slowly becoming evident that long stretches in the car were wearing on all of us. Little snaps and bickering made a few appearances, but all in all we kept it together. I have my suspicions that iTunes and headphones played a role in keeping the peace ;)

We had a great breakfast at a diner on A1A in Daytona Beach. The view wasn't fantastic (we couldn't see the water), but the empty lots having yet to be developed across the street, provided a fantastic view of the blue sky. There was a bit of local banter happening around us, making it evident this wasn't a typical tourist spot. Stuffed, we pushed on to Georgia.

On a mission to get oranges and peaches, we stopped a number of times. The boys got a kick out of the deep, southern accents - mimicking them periodically in the car. I ended up with a couple bags of oranges, peaches, pecan meal, and a whole lot of moonshine. Hey, some people buy souvenirs, me, I buy food and alcohol!

We arrived at the hotel in Richmond just before 10pm and there was a very loud band playing in the restaurant. Had we not exhausted ourselves with all the driving, and were we not completely done in from vacation in general, I may have chosen to stay and listen. Instead, we ordered room service, I wrote a couple overdue blog posts, and we called it a night.

The stretch of road through South Carolina and North Carolina is long, and relatively boring when you are use to the hills, turns and ever-changing landscape of the Northeast. By far my favorite part of that section of the drive, was seeing the actual South of the Border location, because then I knew I wouldn't have to see another billboard telling me about it the rest of the trip. Knowing we only had a couple hours to drive in the morning to get to DC, was the second best part.

Thursdays at the park...Universal overload!

Up and at 'em! Grabbed coffee and breakfast at a nearby Starbucks and then drove to Universal. Parked, got out into the steamy, hot air, and power-walked to the gates.

I found myself excited and grateful for the boys finally being old enough to really enjoy amusement parks. There were no strollers, no whining fits, no complaining of being tired/hot/hungry - it was all about what ride was next.

We made our way around the parks, through Harry Potter and the lot. The weather held out for most of the day, but by the time we got around to going on the roller coasters, we missed the window of opportunity. Far from letting it ruin our day, we trudged on in the rain and finished out the night with Men in Black and Shrek 4D.

Nothing quite like running through puddles with your kids :)

Wednesday working woes...

The boys went kayaking with my sister and Colby, while I stayed behind to work. Of course, as aggravating luck would have it, the meeting that kept me from going along was cancelled SIX minutes before the scheduled call-in time. That just set the tone for the rest of the day.

My last day with Amy and the family was spent in front of my laptop, cramming to get everything done. Sadly, I was not able to finish in enough time to relax one more time by the pool. Definitely NOT taking a working vacation again.

We packed up, said our bittersweet goodbyes, as we won't see them again until December, and headed to Orlando for Universal. The drive was longer than expected; which has been the case each time we head out toward a destination. Although, I'd take this drive over the one we have to get home :)

Once we got to Orlando, we checked into the hotel and went to Sea Dog Brewing for dinner.