What a great trip! Each year we’ve had a camper we have ventured out for a Spring Break trip, and this year was just as good and fun as ever! Great memories for sure.
We headed out on Sunday morning around 8:15, somewhere an hour later than I wanted to leave but oh well. I had already decided that I was going to loosen up and just enjoy everything this trip. I was going to say “yes” instead of “no” when the kids asked or when Kelly had an idea. It was a new me … a “Vacation Donald.” Yea … it didn’t last very long. I was a happy dude but I wasn’t quite as carefree as I was hoping for. Regardless, we were loaded up and on the road … headed for a good time.
The trip there was normal beach-destination driving for us. Fair amount of traffic, do-we-go-this-way-or-that-way discussions (Kelly is always right ;) … ), movies on the DVD, snacks, and anticipation. Since this was our second trip to Topsail we knew what to expect and were very much looking forward to getting there. We landed about 1:30 or so and got everything set up. This back-in was difficult because there was a tree and a palm-like bush I had to maneuver through. Not fun at all. The site was also right next to the shuffleboard court and the swimming pool, so that was an added bonus. At first I didn’t think we would like that but it ended up being a total plus. Once we were settled in, the kids changed into their swimsuits and we drove down to the beach for a bit. As is now the case, Kelly and I usually think it will be a quick trip that just involves playing in the sand, but it really includes a long trip where everyone gets wet. The kids ran and ran and ran from the waves. Cora loves the sand so she made herself at home with some sand toys. Carter and Caroline had a blast together and allowed Kelly and me to stand off to the side with that pleased parent look on our face. It was one of those times where your kids are being kids and having a blast doing so … and you realize it. Good stuff.
Of all the camping nights we’ve had, this was without question the best night of sleep ever. No one moved in the camper until 7:24am. Amazing. Caroline managed to sleep all the way til 8:30. I am pretty sure she’ll be our teenage that sleeps til noon each weekend (but not if I can help it). We had a lazy morning of playing cards, riding the shuttle around the park just to take a tour, and "scootering" around. This particular day was slated to be cloudy and only about 70 degrees. They were correct on both fronts so we did not spend as much time on the shore.
We ventured to Santa Rosa for lunch and ate at Pizza by the Sea... we haven't been there since we went with Carter when he was 2 and we have fond memories of him getting to "sing" karaoke. The pizza was great, the kids behavior was ok:) Afterwards we let them run off that energy on the quad, playing frisbee and football and ventured to a fun dog boutique.
After Cora's nap we ventured to the beach again that afternoon when the sun came out (and then hid again). Of course the kids had just as much fun, even if Kelly and I were getting close to being cold. We came home to wash up and settle into watching Zootopia that happened to be on tv. Once again, the kids slept great all night. They had an earlier rise but we did not complain.
Tuesday was set for great weather and it actually got even better than we thought! We had a simple breakfast of champions of donuts and bananas. Kelly was dying to take someone on a bike ride, Cora was so excited and as soon as they took off she was screaming in fear. So then she made Caroline jump on and even though she said she felt like a baby in the bike seat, she thoroughly enjoyed it! They got off the bike and explored the boardwalk, looking for deer like we saw last year but no luck this time.
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| Shuttle ride, Shuffle board and some corn hole |
We decided to work extra hard in the morning to make it to the shuttle by 10:00am. We got there and caught a free ride to the beach. The kids did more playing and Carter went on a shell hunt. It was pretty much perfect out. The water was a little cold for me but it did not bother the kids. After missing the noon shuttle we were roped into another hour, and that wore us all day to where some camper time was a good remedy. Cora got in about two hours while Carter and Caroline went to the pool. Yes, it was cold but they stayed in and had a blast! More kids showed up and it was even more fun for them. By this point Kelly and I had decided we would be heading to Seaside for the evening, so we were swapping out getting ready to go out. Seaside was great as always. The kids played on the green and also listened to a cool kids band play. We ate at the food trucks and then walked around a little while. We rolled back into the camper and had a great night’s sleep
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| Carter decided to play photographer... he said now kiss and then lets change it to black and white:) |
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| Thank you Aunt Blair for our Happy Camper cups! We love them! |
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| Seaside: fun kids band and the kids had fun on the stage. It never gets old watching Cora dance to the music! The kids highlight was getting to each pick out two animals from the bookstore. |
Our final day is always a mixture of do something fun and get packed to go. This trip was no different. Kelly and I even talked about staying another day but the park didn’t have any openings. Before we decided on the day’s events, Kelly and I made breakfast over the fire with our new dutch oven and pie iron (or “pie-rn” as Kelly says in her half-pirate half-country girl voice). These two little beauties worked great and we cannot wait to test out some more recipes in the future.
The kids decided we needed to head to the pool so we got them dressed and properly greased with sunscreen, only to find out it was closed for maintenance. They then agreed to go back to the beach but we told them we didn’t have much time since checkout was 1:00 and we had a lot to pack. We got to the beach and started walking around, and started seeing jellyfish about every 10-15 steps. Carter was excited at first because this meant he would get to see the purple “marine life” flag. He then began to panic because he was so afraid he was gonna step on one. It didn’t happen but everyone decided we better head back before it does. I had a fun idea to do an Easter egg hunt at the campground and that closed us down for our activities before packing up. Then Kelly and I went into turbo mode and knocked everything out. The ride home was great, just like the whole trip. Spring Break 2018 forever.
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| They loved the camper Easter egg hunt! And the chocolate inside:) |
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