I found out long ago, It's a long way down the holiday road...

This week I'm recapping the 9 best moments from my recent vacation in the RV to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. 

1st Inning. 



Charlestown State Park

Campgrounds...After departing the KC area, we headed down I-70 towards St. Louis then hopping on I-64 for pretty much the remainder of our trip to the east coast.  So, we were looking for campgrounds to stay at along I-64.  The first overnight stop was at the Charlestown State Park in southern Indiana.  A very nice state park with full RV hookups, paved sites, and a freshly manicured campsite.  A recommended campsite near the Ohio River (although we didn't make it to the river).  The second night we stayed at a KOA campground in Charlottesville, Virginia.  In our brief ownership of the RV we have only ventured to state parks here in Missouri so expanding into the KOA campgrounds was a nice little experience.  They had lots of amenities to include full or partial hookups, cabins, pool, volleyball court, arcade, cable, Wi-Fi, and the standard laundry/shower facilities. 

Office/Camp store in Charlottesville, VA.

On our way back to KC, we decided to stay at another KOA campground in Staunton, Virginia.  This was another great little campground with pool, playground, full/partial hookups, private lake, cable, Wi-Fi, game room, camp store, volleyball court, and the standard laundry/shower facilities.  I discovered that these KOA campground also have organized activities for campers, especially the young ones, and the weekend's activity for the day we were leaving was 'Superhero Day'.  Other than a pizza delivery mix-up with a local Papa John's our stay was delightful.  Our last night of camping on our way back found us searching for a campground off I-64 towards the southeast area of Indiana.  After some fumbling around with the GPS we ended up at turning off on the exit for Tell City and headed toward the Hoosier National Forest's Indian-Celina Lake campground.  We were a little late and driving the north loop of the campground looking for an electric hookup (gotta have the A/C!)  we were confronted by the loop-park host who told us the south loop had the electric sites.  So, we headed down the path found us a double site and that loop-park host said his bosses would only charge us for a single.  We ended up buying some firewood from him and enjoyed some roasted marshmallows before we went to bed.  With all that said, I would recommend any of the four campsites. 

 
2nd Inning. 

 

License plates...On our trip we decided to keep the girls busy looking for State license plates to see if we could find all 50 States.  Well, pulling in our driveway at the end of the vacation we were left with only 3 to go--North Dakota, South Dakota, and New Hampshire.  Although we did get some bonus plates--Washington, D.C., Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. 

Another license plate note from our trip...it would appear that the State of Virginia has some informal competition for the best vanity plates because every third Virginia plate had one.  Two of my favorites were: 'STILLFYN' and 'GIMEABUD'. 

 

 Although not a license plate message, my favorite sticker decal on the back of a vehicle that passed us was across the back window of a pickup truck and read, "I wouldn't be speeding if I didn't have to poop!"

3rd Inning. 

Glen Ferris, WV

Detours...Making our way from Indiana to Virginia I made a mistake when typing in our KOA campground address.  When asked if I wanted to avoid toll roads I misunderstood and typed yes (I wanted to take the toll roads to get there faster).  Well, making that mistake took us on a scenic route, the Midland Trail National Scenic Byway.  The road started off pretty good following the river and taking us through some neat little towns but then the mountains started and the S-Curves and being in an RV going through that terrain was well, less than enjoyable for the family as I tried to concentrate on getting us back on the interstate.  It was definitely a white-knuckle ride for a good portion of the trail.  If you are ever in that area and want to kill a day I would recommend it as there were plenty of spots we would have liked to pull over and get out but were pressed for time. Also, if you are interested in staying in the area for a vacation check out the Greenbriar hotel.

4th Inning.

Beach...Sand, ocean, waves, sand, sunscreen, kids, and fun!  We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and left on a Friday morning.  In between there were many hours spent on the beach in Corolla, North Carolina.  From our beach house it was a quick two-block walk to the beach and we did our best to wear down a path on the boardwalk there and back.  My wife's family seemed to have everything you would need while spending time in the sand including chairs, umbrellas, snacks, etc.  The kids enjoyed playing in the water and the waves until I was out in it with them and noticed jellyfish.  They then became terrified but then a cousin pointed out that they were not stinging jellyfish and all was good.  We spent time collecting seashells and the girls even wanted to bring back some of those jellyfish that washed up on the beach.  Also, the girls got a few surfing lessons by a member of the family and seemed to really enjoy that.  I was told by my oldest that this was the best vacation ever--better than DisneyWorld.  (As we unpack here at home, sand is everywhere...)

5th Inning. 

Summer Breeze Too

Beach houses/food...My wife's uncle provided us a beach house to stay in for the week while we were there.  The house's name was 'Summer Breeze Too' and it had plenty of space for all of us that were staying in it including my family, my wife's sister and her family, mother-in-law, another former in-law (mother of the cousins hosting us), plus an uncle and his wife.  When not at the beach the kids were playing in the pool or playing pool on the billiards table on the ground floor.  My brother-in-law and I spent most nights in the hot tub drinking adult beverages and listening to music on his iPad.  One night it did get a bit awkward when the former in-law decided she would come down and join us in the hot tub.  Not sure if it was her leg rubbing mine or if it was my brother-in-law's leg rubbing mine. 

Lobster we wee about to devour

Every morning breakfast was served by my wife's uncle in either our house or the one he had rented for his family across the boardwalk from Summer Breeze Too.  The doughnuts from Duck Doughnuts were awesome! Also, every evening included a meal supplied by either my wife's uncle or one of her cousins and they did a fabulous job at keeping us from starving!  The meals included Italian, Mexican, and even one night there was a private Chef dinner where they came to the house and made dinner for us.  The Chef night included lobster, shrimp, ribs, and all sorts of goodies!   

RV outside Summer Breeze Too

Overall, the lodging accommodations were spectacular and exceeded everything we could have hoped for during our vacation.  The only issue we encountered was getting to Corolla on the Sunday we arrived as traffic was bumper to bumper for several miles and we clocked it at one point of moving 1 mile in 1 hour.  North Carolina might want to think about adding a middle turning lane to alleviate some of those traffic jams but that is just my two cents.  Being able to roll up in the RV and hop out and hop in the pool or run to the beach made for a relax-filled trip.

6th Inning. 

(Picture borrowed from the Internet)

Crab hunting...One night the kids decided to go sand crab hunting.  This adventure was organized by my wife's aunt and included all the kids.  For the rookie like me it was quite the sight.  Since it is at night and along the beach there are really no overhead lights.  What you have is flashlights and special blinking lights zooming here, zooming there, zigging, and zagging all over the place.  I swear if someone was not aware and happened to stumble onto the beach they would think aliens had landed and they were making there way towards the homes of all the tourists in Corolla.  Now I didn't get to take any pictures or videos of this event but that was only due to me being busy catching crabs to then throw on my wife as she screamed and ran around with arms waving and grabbing at her clothes.  When you do find them and try to catch one beware because they are really fast!  Now they did find quite a few of them but it was a 'catch & release' night.  The kids did enjoy it and wanted to bring some of the crabs home but we convinced them that it wasn't a good idea.  If you ever get the chance I would recommend it as it was a lot of fun.  I found the video below on Youtube which is a perfect example of the chaos that ensues with kids chasing the crabs around the beach with flashlights. 

7th Inning.



Wild horses spotted grazing.

One of the more colorful beach houses we found.

Stuck in the dunes looking for horses...There is one main road that leads into the northern part of the Outer Banks and that road literally ends and becomes the beach.  You are allowed to drive on the beach if you have 4WD and you will see many people pulled over letting air out of their tires for even better traction on the sand.  As you turn off onto the beach you will see a sheriff's deputy sitting on an atv and probably under a tailgate tent (they apparently need to be there to catch idiots attempting to drive in with a 2WD vehicle).  Cruising north on the beach you see ocean to your right and sand dunes with shrubs/trees to your left, eventually coming up on beach houses.  On a good day you will pass folks parked and tailgating on the beach as they enjoy the water.  One particular thing that makes this area special is the wild horses roaming the terrain.  So, one day a group of us (my brother-in-law, nephew, cousin's husband, and cousin of a cousin, and me) decided to check all this out and as we made our way down the beach and to the beach houses.  Meandering around the dunes and around the houses we searched until we found the horses who seemed to be used to human interaction as they were spotted all around the houses.  After a few more rounds of driving the dunes we headed back to the families. 

 


The lighthouse in Corolla and the kids at the bottom.

A day later I was riding along with my sister-in-law and her kids and my kids (minus my soon-to-be 2 year old) as we went to see a lighthouse there in Corolla.  After visiting the lighthouse she wanted to take the kids to see the wild horses since only her son got to go with us guys the previous day.  Since we were in the same 4WD vehicle as before we headed to the beach road.  As we drove along the beach the kids were bouncing up and down looking for a horse.  At the same time the kids were showing their enthusiasm we headed down the beach road and my sister-in-law kept saying she was nervous about driving in the sand and was worried about getting stuck.  I kindly suggested a few times that we turn around but in her excitement it must have fell on deaf ears.  She kept asking where we saw the horses the previous day and I explained that we turned left and drove down a sandy path in between the shrubs (remember-there are no paved roads or marked roads at all).  So, with the first resemblance of a path she turned left and off the beach we went.  Now the first mistake we made that day was turning left before we came upon the majority of houses out there in that stretch of land as there wasn't much to use as a proper landmark to determine direction.  We then proceeded up and down sand dunes and through paths crowded with trees and shrubs with very few other vehicles around us.  We ended up passing a suburban who was also looking for horses but through all the paths and shrubs/trees he was quickly gone.  After 5 minutes or so we were all alone driving around and around with no horses, no cars, no houses, and no beach in sight.  With my sister-in-law behind the wheel we began trying to make our way back to the beach but kept getting turned around and even more confused and then she began to panic and stopped and asked me to take over.  I jumped in the driver's seat with the kids hootin' and hollerin' about wanting to see a horse and wondering if we were lost.  As I tried to find direction among the dunes we finally hit a point where the 4WD was not doing in good and well, we got stuck.  I went forward then reverse, forward then reverse...put it in 4H then 4L but we were not going anywhere.  At that point my sister-in-law hit full-blown panic mode and hit her OnStar button.  As I got out to try and survey the terrain for a way out she was talking with the OnStar customer service rep and trying to explain our location but after a few holds they wanted her to provide more information as to her location.  Let's see...there is sand, hills, trees, and shrubs.  That's it. Nothing more to tell. 

 

I jumped back in and did some more forward/reverse and finally got us out of the stuck situation and floored it driving over a hill with expectation of a path to the beach only to find a downhill path to a marsh.  Quickly putting it in reverse I got us out of there and back to what I can describe as a bowl of sand with paths leading out in about 6 directions.  The only problem was I couldn't get her Tahoe up any of the hills and out of there.  I put it in park and she wandered up a hill to try and get a visual and direction but quickly returned with a message of 'there is sand and more sand and nothing else'.  Now the kids began to panic wondering if we were going to make it out of there.  With determination I kept at it trying to get enough momentum to get up and over one of those hills out of the bowl.  Finally, we made it up and out and lo and behold we were on our way!  Quickly busting down a few paths and through many trees we saw a tour jeep with sight-seers and a path back to the beach.  It turned out to be one heckuva day trip and I didn't have to wander off like Clark Griswold in the desert trying to find help!

 

8th Inning.

Vacation Mixed-CD...To prepare for the trip to North Carolina I decided to make a mixed-CD for our listening pleasure.  My interpretive dance moves from behind the steering wheel were stellar! You can check out my track selection here in video format.  Enjoy!


9th Inning. 

Chesapeake Bay Tunnel-Bridge

Random vacation observations...Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina are beautiful states...Seeing the massive piles of coal in West Virginia...I have now listened to 'The Incredibles' a record 57 times and actually watched it 1 time...The Chesapeake Bay Tunnel-Bridge is an awesome feat of engineering...We were reminded of many other locations we would like to go on vacations to such as Colonial Williamsburg, VA and Roanoke Island...My kids love to play non-stop on my wife's iPhone while travelling...No matter how much you have packed and how many souvenirs you bought, you can always find room to pack a few cases of Yuengling beer...It is a mandatory requirement that after driving 8-10 hours and you arrive at your campground to immediately exit the RV and consume a beer (trust me on this one)...There is nothing wrong with teaching your 21-month old to flip the bird out her window at cars that cut you off on the Interstate...