Virginia Beach 2017

Days at the beach can take their toll so a good pace is definitely key to surviving.  I also started to get the feeling we were in too much of a mind frame to head home.  So what better way to break it up than with a visit to the Virginia Beach Aquarium and Research Center!  We called up our Uber and we were off down Pacific, across the bridge and we were right there. At first, I felt a little underwhelmed but then we quickly realized that the aquarium showcases both sea life off of Viriginia's coast and the intercoastal life.  Spread across 25 acres with a massive rope course, I quickly changed my opinion on it all.  Otters, seals, snakes, crabs, and a few other great displays all made this a unique experience.  No, we didn't do the rope course  but I have no doubt in my mind it was challenging.  We grabbed a lunch that hit the spot and toured a bit more.  Once we did we headed back for some more beach time. Jake and I hit the waves...

Any day at the beach is a good beach but today's weather was SPECTACULAR!  Blue skies and sun all day with a light breeze.  Got to run the boardwalk today down past the pier.  I have to say this is one of my most perfectly manicured beach areas I have ever seen.  Every mile is lined with flowers, plants, paver stones, etc. No dumpy areas at all. We also got to sample our first Duck Donuts.  You might say a donut is a donut or at least I did until I had one.  The dough itself is really very good.  They custom make your donut and serve them up to you hot.  A nice little treat to kick off the day.  Once we got ready, we were ready for a round of Mini-Golf.   VA Beach is a mix of indoor and outdoor mini-golf which is great for rainy days.  We went to Jungle Golf which was a short walk. The Walking Buddies One word about this location, you can walk everywhere.  Yeah, the heat is there but when we didn't walk we Ube...

Today we woke up to some spectacular weather.  A perfect beach day!  A morning Starbucks coffee and stroll up the boardwalk started my morning while Jen went for a run.  This time I visited the Navy Seal monument and it was another impressive display.  Once we got back to the room, we went down to the beach and setup under our umbrella. The waves were choppy today so no boogie boarding but Jake and I tried out our new dive masks.  They really worked great in the waves.  After a breif stay in the morning we headed up for a lunch on the balcony overlooking the beach.  It was perfect.  Once we finished we went back down and made an attempt to fly the kite.  The breeze kicked up a bit much so we pulled it in and will try again Wednesday. Infinity Pool We decided to try the infinity pool on the roof....not quite an amazing setup.  Too many kids in the hot tub for sure but still a spectacular view. Jill got some reading on the b...

It is no secret we love the beach.  The routine of getting up to hang out all day on any vacation is what we live for on each trip.  But the beach is different than Disney.  Both are quite awesome but both are quite different.  For me today started with a trip to the gym than a stroll over to Starbucks to grab a coffee.  I walked the boardwalk a while.  The boardwalk is beautifully landscaped for miles with differing entry points onto the beach. Aviation Monument Pavillion One entry has a monument pavilion area dedicated to Naval Aviation while others are fun sea sculptures. Carrier Out at Sea As far as the weather goes, we were under some cloud cover early today but temps were near 90.  The water....well....it isn't bath water for sure.  Jake and I spent the day doing some great body surfing. Once you got in you did get used to it or maybe we were just numb. Jill joined Jen to attend a conference session on allergies and Jill reall...

Like all trips, we have goals.  Goals to get on the road is by far the one that leads the way.  After a great time at Kelsi and Billy's wedding on Saturday night, we were slow movers on Sunday.  Oliver, the newest addition to our family kept us in check but so did my packing of our trusty Honda Pilot.  Once we got loaded up we were ready to get on the road only about 2 hours behind schedule.  No worries we are were all about to begin a long awaited, and well needed break away from it all. However, we got a call from Jordan, that we missed the drop off for Oliver at his vacation spot at Puppy Paradise.  Oliver then got sick and well, she and Ryan had to help get things in order. Welcome to pet ownership which we really have no idea what we are doing.  But all is good and Oliver is doing great. Our drive seemed to take longer but to be honest, it went fine.  Jill now 16 and Jake 15, and Jen and I now seasoned kid family vacationers did this...