Fireworks and Family

The 4th of July usually feels like a sort of weird display of American pride and never more so than when I'm in the South and/or near a military base which I was both this year. With everything going on in the country right now, I'm not inclined to wave a flag much, but then I wouldn't begrudge the girls their red, white and blue outfits or their sparklers.  Unlike the years when I would visit Stace and hit the base fireworks display with their bands drumming, this year we were more like beach tourists just passing through. So it was nice to have a home at mom and dad's tucked away with a driveway to hang out in for the evening and set off some odds and ends of firecrackers. We had a nice enchilada dinner and then grabbed our stash of sparklers and lit up the sky. 

The next day we made it to the pool and to the bowling alley which were welcome reliefs from the heat. The humidity in North Carolina in July is no joke and I had forgotten how stifling it can feel even when you're running from one A/C to another. Dad was able to join us for a little bit of the bowling and just in time to see Stacey get 4--or was it 5?--strikes in a row. Quite an impressive display and such a funny contrast to the testosterone-jacked egos slamming balls down on the lane next to us. They sucked so bad! Ha. Anyway, afterwards we got the girls ready for their big sleep over at mom and dad's which came about kind of spontaneously. I wasn't sure it was such a great idea given mom's stamina of late, but for one night I figured they could handle it. Elisa and Carolina worked over time on making a list of pranks they wanted to play on Grandpa and I had to laugh at their inspiration. Yes, these two were determined to have a great evening and they had lots of ideas on how. 

Meanwhile, Stacey drove us to New Bern to try to get a rental car for Nacho to take the next morning back to RDU. As fate would have it, we got there after the counter closed at 6pm and no one else had any cars. Like none. Ugh. You know you are in the back-arse of nowhere when that happens. After choking down my rage that Nacho had embroiled us in his misdirected plans, I tried to get on with our "date night" in New Bern and enjoy a nice meal out with Stace and Mia too. We went to a place called The Chelsea which served up a good selection of seafood and one giant steak for Mia. And then we ended the night with a little walk around the waterfront before zooming back to the hotel to enjoy a night cap spritz. The next morning we finally made it over to Flip Flops the Donut Shop near Bogue Inlet Pier and tried their fried doughy offerings. Not amazing by any means, but cute little shop and I guess they have done a brisk business since opening. They barely had anything left--a lot of jelly-filled donuts which aren't my fave--but we sat and drank their Nespresso type coffee with it. At least I squeezed it in before going to pick up the girls and hear all about their fun-filled evening at Sonic and pranking Grandpa. They filled an Elmer's Glue bottle with milk and poured ginger ale into a beer bottle to trick dad. And I'm pretty sure they all equally enjoyed the pranking. We went to the mall and out to lunch with them before making one last stop by their house.  Considering we had an early rise the next day to check out and head on back to Raleigh to the airport, we wouldn't see mom and dad again. On our drive back to the hotel, we stopped by a field of sunflowers I'd been eyeing all week long. It was definitely late enough in the day that the sunlight was just barely kissing the fields and I tried a few quick snaps none of which amounted to much. But it was the thought. Our last walk on the beach was a nice one especially since we were almost alone. Something about an empty beach and a little surf splashing can calm the mind in minutes. Our girls night was just getting started and so I ordered a pizza for us and we went back to chow down at the hotel and drink up the last of our wine. This trip might be coming to an end, but it was worth all craziness getting here. The car was delivered and we were ready to head back home. NC, we'll catch you again in September!

Carolina Summer

Our trip to Emerald Isle was only slightly postponed due to a last minute change of plans by Nacho. His trip was bought off and so he could make it to the beach after all. For at least a little bit. So we picked him up and away we went. A pit stop at Smithfield's for some NC style BBQ and then we were checking in and making plans to meet up with mom and dad for dinner at our old standby Jordan's Seafood which is now called Fishbar 58. The decor has changed, but the waitresses were still the same. And damn, the hushpuppies were awesome. Beer and fried fish and all the fixings. Yes, this was the beginning of a good week. We made it over to take a walk on the Bogue Inlet pier which has had a nice renovation since the last time we were there.  The crowds were light and the blue glow of the water was a welcome end to the evening. Later, we walked back to get ice cream along the highway and I thought I might implode. Vacation is a time of indulgence to be sure, but better to pace myself. 

The next morning was the 4th of July already and I found Carolina's scratchy artwork perfectly fitting for the occasion. Stacey did too and within minutes we were unknowingly Instagraming the same thing. Ha. Only us. But I mean, c'mon...that flag. 

We spent most of the scorching day waiting out thunderstorms in the vicinity and checking out the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. The girls hadn't been there in years and it was good for a few hours of distraction. After I strong armed us into eating at Dank Burrito near Atlantic Beach which I'd seen on a previous visit. It seemed promising but in the end it was a lot of boring white people Mexican food. The dankness eluded me which is too bad. We weren't sure what the afternoon would bring but decided we'd have dinner at mom and dad's and let off some fireworks at their place since the idea of fighting the crowds at the beach or in Swansboro didn't sound like a great time. In between though, we finally opted for a quick trip to the beach to get our toes wet and pulling up at nearly 5pm, parking was free and the crowds were thinning. What a good idea, I kept thinking and it really was. Nacho was happy to finally be at the beach and I was happy he was happy. The girls weren't too keen on swimming in the churning waves, but they splashed and did their thing on the beach and we all enjoyed a couple hours of relative peace. That's pretty good for a holiday anywhere, but in North Carolina at the beach where it can get overwhelming fast, I was relived and that made the rest of the evening all that much better.