Vacation!

We have returned from our vacation....a drive down-one day at the beach-drive home kind of vacation, but it is still nice to get away, even if just for a bit. ;)

We stayed at Cedar Point Campground in North Carolina....absolutely wonderful place! They say quiet time is from 10pm-6am, and it really is.....everyone there - and all the sites were full - was polite and nice. Mostly older couples, with dogs, and a few young families.

The salt marsh just down the road (in sight from the campground entrance) was beautiful - and SO interesting! Clams and crabs and birds all over.

That was one of our favourite parts....waking up to the bird songs! So many different kinds of birds! Although, besides the sea birds, the ones I saw were the same ones we have here, there were so many more there! :)

We took a wrong turn at Raleigh on the way down and circled the city twice before heading on down, and then I had us on a different road (I hesitate to say "wrong", because it did lead to our destination, but took a bit longer to get there), but we managed to make it to the campground before it closed up for the night. The tent went up really quickly - yay!, and we were in bed by about 10:30. The dogs weren't happy, though, so I got in the van with them and slept in there.

We stopped at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on the way down, and it was Awesome! And free...free is always good for families! ;) I would have preferred more *real* exhibits, but it was interesting even with models.

On Saturday we had planned to explore Beaufort, NC some, but happened to stop at the beach and the girls didn't want to leave. ;) We finally left about 2:30, but the street with the museum was closed off for a boat show, so we just drove around town a bit and went back over to the island and explored Fort Macon.

Today - Sunday - we drove home, taking the "right" road this time and making much better time, and stopped by Mt. Airy to see the Andy Griffith Museum ...a must-see for any Andy fan. ;) I took Schnitzel's picture with the Andy and Opie statue....it might be his new Facebook photo once I get it uploaded onto the computer. ;) My favourite thing in the museum was Barney's Salt and Pepper.....classic. :)

We also stopped by the World's Largest Open Faced Quarry ...when I finally found it. They really should have better signage.


Then we headed home, and it was SO nice to cross back into Virginia and drive up into the mountains. ;) That flat land's okay, but there's nothing like home. :)