Critter Collection Explosion!

We started the trip allowing the kids to take their special blankets and a couple of stuffed animals. Had we known that we were going to acquire a new stuffed creature on a regular basis, we would have curtailed how many we started with. Much of our time was spent searching for missing friends in the car. Thankfully no one was left behind.
The final day of our voyage had us at the Maine Mall and the kids got to go to Build a Bear. I was nervous to think what the cost of three bears would be, but it was much more reasonably priced than here. Definitely a worthwhile activity that allowed me a little more shopping time! 

Wright Brothers Memorial

All of us really enjoyed visiting the Wright Brothers Memorial in Nags Head, North Carolina. It was our last sight-seeing activity before seriously heading for home. This area of North Carolina is definitely worth revisiting. We could have spent more time here, but time had run out and home beckoned! 

Blow me down...

The winds were too strong for our tent when we were at Ocracoke Island, NC. It was a lovely site, but the wind picked up our tent and told us we weren't welcome. We ended up at the Pony Island Motel that evening. We were just happy it happened during daylight hours and not 2 a.m. 

Still smiling

Meredith is still smiling in spite of the soggy start to our day. This was one of our few two night stays in one location. We were in Carolina Beach and thankfully the weather cleared up enough to do some fun things and we also caught Cars at the theatre while waiting out the rain. Little did we know that the future of our tent was near its end! 

Our bike rental in Carolina Beach, South Carolina. A lot of work for Andrew and I, but the kids really enjoyed it. 

Hunting Island Lighthouse, South Carolina. The kids climbed all 166 steps. 

Beach beauties at Hunting Island Beach, South Carolina 

Savannah, Georgia. A very interesting city. We enjoyed strolling around and visited the museum. The trees in the city are just beautiful, and necessary in the heat! 

The kids didn't seem to mind standing in the heat to see Tigger. I couldn't imaging the heat the person in the suit has to bear! 

Olivia's holding the hot item for our last two days at Disney. The fan/spray bottle. It was the only thing that kept the kids cool enough to persist in the line ups. The heat was stifling, but we managed to cope pretty well. 

No pretty pictures this time...

We've survived our travels home thus far and are in Delaware right now. We've gone along the coast and really enjoyed visiting Kill Devil Hills, NC where the Wright Brothers' Memorial is. Very interesting stuff.
Unfortunately we didn't come out of Hurricane Alberto completely unscathed. Our tent blew away (we weren't in it) and a pole broke and a window ripped on Ocracoke Island, NC. We ended up in a hotel and haven't been able to make repairs yet.
The girls and I are in a quaint little internet cafe called the Artful Bean in a town called Bethany Beach, Delaware. Very nice little resort town. We enjoyed breakfast at the Frog House restaurant. Lots of cute stuffed frogs everywhere to keep the kids amused.
Findlay's eager to get home, but we don't expect to make it until about Sunday or Monday. We'll see how it goes. We're planning on getting to New Jersey today and then from there it's anyone's guess.
We're still contemplating taking the CAT ferry to cut down on driving.
Must get going as my time is running out.

Me

We enjoyed seeing Lightning MacQueen from Cars and behind him is Tow Mater. These guys were at Disney-MGM Studios and were so loud the kids didn't really want to get much closer. Very cool to see them before the movie was even out!

Not just for little kids...

Andrew got to meet some of the characters too, and Minnie paid him special attention!

Epcot...the Living Seas

We enjoyed visiting the Living Seas at Epcot. We got to talk to Crush, the Turtle from Finding Nemo. The crew posed for a photo outside of the building, but Findlay was done by that point.

Epcot...the Living Seas

We enjoyed visiting the Living Seas at Epcot. We got to talk to Crush, the Turtle from Finding Nemo. The crew posed for a photo outside of the building, but Findlay was done by that point.

Animal Kingdom

The kids were thrilled to have their faces painted while we were at Animal Kingdom. Findlay managed to keep his in tact for about three minutes, but the girls were very careful to keep from rubbing theirs off. Here's a shot of them with Minnie at the end of our time in the park. We enjoyed the late hours offered to resort guests. Definitely one of the bigger perks, as the park was much less busy.

Our Little Tiger

Finn's impressive Tiger face. He sat still very patiently to have it done. Wonders never cease!

Popsicle Anyone?

While waiting for the parade at Magic Kingdom, we opted for a cold treat to beat the heat (sorry about the cheesy rhyme). Findlay thoroughly enjoyed his.

To Infinity and Beyond...

The kids were excited to see so many characters at Disney. Findlay couldn't take his eyes off Buzz to pose for a photo. Andrew took three pictures and was unable to get Findlay to look his way.

Boca Ciega Bay

Another part of our view from my Mom's spot. Andrew enjoys hopping out onto the patio and just watching all of the waterskiers go by. We have seen huge crabs and fish and even some porpoises from the sixth floor!

Sunshine Skyway

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge as seen from my Mom's condo in Isla Del Sol. The Sunshine Skyway is 15.1 miles long and a manmade wonder of the world. We drove on it the other day to get to a shopping centre a little bit south of where we are.

Sun Worshippers?

The little family sunning themselves poolside. We had a quick dip after the beach to cool down before heading inside for lunch. It's been a great time at "Nanny's hotel" as Findlay calls it, and the pace at Disney will be a big change for us. We've managed to lose track of our days, so that shows that we're really enjoying ourselves.

Little Fish

Meredith in her glory. She's been loving the swimming and can't believe how often we've been able to go. We swim in the morning, noon and evening many days. I hope we'll still be able to enjoy some swim time once we hit Disney. The pool at Nanny's condo has definitely seen a lot of action since we've been here. I think the permanent residents will be glad when we've gone so they can swim in peace!

Surfer Dude and clam digger

Findlay enjoying the boogie board and Olivia found dozens of tiny clams in her bucket. You can see the fishing boat in the background. It was very far off, but you could see the net hauling in huge nets with its crane.

Path to sun and sand

The walkway to get onto Fort DeSoto Beach. It is ranked as America's Best beach. It was a lot of fun and amazing to see how long the beach stretches.

Fort DeSoto...a view from the top

The view from Fort DeSoto.

Fort DeSoto, Florida

We visited the Fort as well as the beach. The heat was stifling as we walked around this fort that was key in protecting the Tampa Bay area during the Spanish American war in 1898. The kids just wanted to get to the beach and I think the magnitude of the guns we saw was lost on them.