Friday, July 4th
We set out on the first leg of our trip on Independence Day. We spent the morning at home packing and wrapping up loose ends, had some lunch, and then left for Raleigh to stay with Kelly and Jon for the next two nights. We arrived around dinner time but had some swim time and hors d'oevres first.
Henry was sleeping, and when I went to get him up from his nap I was greeted by this darling smile:
We had a dinner of burgers and hot dogs out by the pool.
We enjoyed dirt pudding for dessert (Carter especially) and then the kids gave Grandma her birthday present, a bird house that they painted for her while we were visiting in June.
We debated going to watch fireworks but decided to watch them on TV instead. Once it got dark we got out the sparklers, which were great fun for kids and adults alike.
Saturday, July 5th
The next day we spent just being together. There were golf cart rides and a visit to the Durham farmers market in the morning, and lots of swimming in the afternoon. Even Charles got in the pool! Charles and Jon also enjoyed some quality brother-in-law time with a trip to Home Depot.
That evening at dinner Sophie got to open the first of her birthday gifts, a stuffed lemur and some jewelry (necklace and charm bracelet) from the Keane family. Over the course of our vacation the stuffed animal came to be known as "Femur the Lemur," courtesy of Charles. Later Carter showed us the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom toy that he made and plays with.
Sunday, July 6th
Sunday was a long traveling day. We wanted to leave Raleigh by 7am and managed to pull out at 7:30. Kelly wasn't quite ready for us to go, blocking our path out of the driveway. We took the opportunity for a group photo.
We drove all day, stopping only for gas and potty breaks. If the potty break involved a visitor's center, you could find Charles collecting travel brochures and Sophie collecting maps.
When we got to Florida we hit some rain and related traffic delays once we got to I-75. Charles was driving this leg, and the going was very slow. We stopped at a pizza joint between Ocala and Tampa. It was a bit like Cici's Pizza except locally owned and kind of sketchy.
We finally arrived around 9:30, after 14 hours on the road. We were all very glad to see our beds that night.
Monday, July 7th
Monday was kind of a low key day. We went to the grocery store in the morning to get supplies for the week, as well as our breakfast. The girls reacquainted themselves with the house, and we unpacked and got settled in.
After lunch we went for a drive down into Naples proper, just to see the lay of the land and check out the visitor's center there. We wanted to collect ideas for Sophie to decide on the events for her official birthday celebration day. We also had a heck of a time trying to find a wireless signal for Charles in downtown Naples. While he and I worked on that, Grandma and the girls walked down to the public beach front to see the gulf waters and stick their toes in the sand. We finally found success at a local coffee shop called Bad Ass Coffee, where I enjoyed a very delicious decaf iced coffee.
That evening we grilled some chicken for dinner and had a relaxing evening. One of the only photos from this day of getting settled is this one Charles took of me enjoying a glass of wine by the pool after dinner. We spent some time planning the rest of our week, and the girls swam for a little in the pool as well.
Tuesday, July 8th
Tuesday morning was our first official trip to the beach. We spent time there three mornings of the week, and each time I took the opportunity to run there while the rest of the crew drove to meet me. It was about a 6 mile run, which was quite sweaty in the heat and humidity of the Florida summer.
Our beach of choice is Barefoot Beach Preserve, where you can often see gopher tortoises and their nests. There are also lots of shells, which you may be able to see in the photo with my shadow on the beach.
Here's me and Charles chilling on the beach with our fancy eyewear. Mine come from my eye doctor visit, and Charles is wearing swim goggles to block the glare of the sun. Apparently we are facing a shortage of sunglasses in this household.
Charles, Sophie and I took a walk up the beach to look for shells, and the girls spent time just playing in the warm gulf water. It was 90 degrees the first couple of times we went to the beach and dropped to 86 by the last day. Eighty-six degrees is still very warm for ocean/gulf water, but it felt almost chilly after the 90 degree temperatures.
We returned to the house for lunch, and then the girls and I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon while Charles and Grandma went and played a round of golf. Charles says he actually played several rounds worth, given the number of times he had to hit the ball. I did some reading and had a nap while the girls worked on a puzzle, which was a favorite activity during the first few days of our vacation.
That evening we took our first trip to Mel's Diner for dinner. The plan was for mini golf afterward, but first they had to take me home. The quinoa salad I had eaten for lunch gave me an upset stomach, so I missed out on two rounds of golf under threatening skies that thankfully never rained. By the time they returned from golfing I was feeling better already and was back to 100% by the next morning.
There's more to come! Look for Part II of our journey in the next couple of days.
