There and Back Again: North Carolina

Oh this is a long drive! It went pretty well though. We had an early start on Saturday and were well out of town before the sun came up. I do hate getting up early but it does make a difference on these long drives. We made pretty good time and after an early lunch we stopped by Shenandoah National Park.

James has wonderful memories of staying at Shenandoah when he was young and I can see why. Even though the leaves were gone and everything was brown it is a beautiful place. It must be amazing in the spring and summer. The park is over a hundred miles long though and we just didn't have the time to drive all the way through it. So we drove up and found a trail so that we could take little hike.

We found a trail!

Starting into the woods

James and his boys in Shenandoah

It was great to be out of the car and hiking in the mountains. We couldn't go too far because we still had a lot of driving to do but we really enjoyed ourselves. The boys were worried about bears and witches so Jon and Christian each picked up good walking sticks. Christian ran ahead yelling "Bear! Hey, bear! Where are you?" at the top of his voice and telling us that if a bear attacked he would punch it. He probably would too! But the smart bears stayed far away.

Christian watches for bears

Will and Christian consult a moss map

Strange but beautiful ice

Jon twirled his stick and practiced his kung fu moves. He was mostly concerned with witches but he had a lot of ideas for how to deal with them. He wanted to mix animal DNA with human DNA to create animal/human hybrids that would easily take down a witch. Is it too early for him to read The Island of Doctor Moreau?

Mommy and Jon with our walking sticks

Will and Christian

Christian in his "little kid woods"

Running in the field

After our hike we went back to the car for another long stretch of driving. Except for a short break for dinner, James and I spent the next seven hours talking. We were having such a good conversation that we didn't want to stop driving! But by eight everyone was exhausted and ready to find our hotel.

We stopped at a hotel with a pool so the boys were able to burn off some of their energy before bed. Christian and Will spent a lot of time chasing each other around and Jon dove all the way down to the bottom of the pool! We all had so much fun. And Christian is learning how to swim! I don't know what it was about today but he was pushing himself off the edge and swimming to me or James, then launching himself back toward the edge. He was so proud of himself. And I was so proud of him! But the chlorine in this pool was really strong and he had to stop once it started to bother his eyes.

Christian under water

Christian swims

The pool was great and the hot tub was even better. Maybe not for the boys but it is so wonderful to relax in a pool of steaming and bubbling water. If only I'd had a good book it would have been perfect. Jon is just like me and loves his water as hot as it can be. Will just wanted the adults to hurry up so he could get back into the big pool. And Christian was perfectly content to sit on the edge, dipping his feet into the water. By the time we got back upstairs that night the boys were all worn out and bedtime was a breeze.

Jon dives down

Jon under water

Will jumps in

We started a little later than we had planned the next morning but we were so tired. Still, we got out and made it into Brooklyn by 10am. James really wanted to walk on the bridge and there was a playground there too that he thought the boys would enjoy. We've been to New York City many times before but this was our first time in Brooklyn.

Our family in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Bridge

James and the Statue of Liberty in the distance

The view from Brooklyn Bridge Park

We found a parking space by the old piers which had been turned into public spaces and playgrounds. One was a fitness center, set up with basketball, handball, a roller rink, and exercise equipment. The exercise equipment didn't give much of a workout but it was a lot of fun! Will didn't want to leave, "Keep exercising with me Mommy! Just one more!" A lot of the equipment involved swinging or gliding so of course the kids loved it.

Jon on the fitness equipment

Will exercises

Will and Jon loved this thing

James and Jon race across the field

After we tore the boys away we headed up to the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge is beautiful and it was really cool to be able to walk across such an iconic piece of the city. The pedestrian walkway is above the roadway so we had a good view. Since we were pressed for time we only walked about halfway across before turning back.

Jon gets a ride on the Brooklyn Bridge

Christian on the Brooklyn Bridge

James and the boys admire the view

A helicopter flies over. I love the lines.

The Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge

We grabbed an early lunch at a burger place called Shake Shack overlooking the river. The food was good and we even indulged in some milkshakes. The boys choose poorly though and didn't like their shakes so an employee brought us a new chocolate shake on the house!

James, Jon., and Will on the Bridge

Will on the bridge

James photographs the city

Barge coming in

We had a great time in Brooklyn and I'd love to come back and explore this part of the city again. We were able to get back on the road by one and made wonderful time the rest of the day. It is so good to finally be home!!