Outerbanks, NC

We had the opportunity for a mini getaway last weekend, so we decided to head to the "outerbanks." It is a thin strip of land off the coast of northern NC, accessible by ferry. It's connected to the mainland by bridge on the north side, but since we were coming from the south we took two small ferries for a total of 3 hours! It was quite the experience and we would love to go back for a summer visit...

Our first ferry was a little smaller than expected... 2 bathrooms, a couple chairs for walk-ons and that was it... it was a little cold and windy to be outside, so we used the opportunity for a little extra sleep in the car!

Pulling into Ocracoke Island you get a beautiful view of the harbor and lighthouse. The sun was just coming up so lighting wasn't the best, but I did try to get a few photos.

Ocracoke has a bit of pirate history, and holds claims to the fact that Blackbeard was killed here.... Tales are told by the passing wind that his treasure is buried somewhere just offshore.

We made a few quick jaunts out to the beach, but 30 degrees and windy is not quite the weather for outdoor lounging.

There is a herd of horses on the island which were at one time wild. Although their origin has not been successfully determined, some believe them to have been tossed overboard by european ships battling storms years ago. They are now fenced in on 200 acres of land as they were becoming a nuisance to the town.

The road to the northern end of the island is quite impressive. Just a small strip of pavement with sand and water on both sides!

We hopped another ferry from the northern end of the island up to Hatteras Island. The ferry is free and runs every hour so it's fairly easy for residents to get on and off the island.

Hatteras has a much greater population and there are a few business that stay open year round.

Driving north from Hatteras we frequently passed heavy machinery along the side which they use to remove sand and water from the highway after storms come through.

Typical road signs

...and another lighthouse!...

The next day we headed to Kill Devil Hills which is the site of the Wright brothers first successful flight.

These stones represent the distance of the first 4 flights.

Joel and Holly arrive tonight! Temperatures into the 60s are forecasted for the weekend! Looking forward to thawing out a bit!!

Winter vacation

We, meaning I, couldn't seem to get it together enough this year to send out holiday cards, but don't give up on us!..it just might happen one of these years...

So here's sending everyone our very best wishes for a wonderful new year!

We had a great trip out west over christmas and new years! We enjoyed our "winter vacation" but were looking forward to coming home to some warmer weather..and we're still waiting for that warmer weather... temperatures have been dipping into the teens and bringing frozen water pipes along with them. Snow is in our forecast and the town is prepared to completely shutdown. :)

Once we got home we realized the only photos we took at the Barnes were of Branson...Jason was smitten with him from the beginning. He is a precious little guy!

Dad and Rob recently added a wood stove to the garage which was the perfect excuse to go cut firewood. We enjoyed some fresh air and a few hours in the woods.

Dad decided it was high time for me to learn to fall a tree. Jason did take a video but I am opting not to post it as I am quite the amateur lumberjack....

Mom also got her turn at the chainsaw. Maybe 32 years of marriage to a logger has something to do with it, but she did quite well!

We took a hike up the mountain behind mom and dad's to an old abandoned mine...It was beautiful, but quite comparable to one solid hour on a stair stepper...my quads are still crying.

Toes in the Sand

Went for a walk on the beach this evening. It was a little chilly...but there's something irresistible about crashing waves and the smell of saltwater..

Key Largo, Montego...Baby why don't we go...

We had an amazing trip to Florida!..is it possible to have a non amazing trip there?? Although we were busy for the majority of our time, we did sneak away to Key Largo...palm trees, the ocean, sand and 85 degrees...paradise!

These signs were all along the road, but we did not see any crocodiles. Still deciding if that was unfortunate or fortunate.

our first views of Key Largo!

the perfect place for a nap..

Jason's schedule is relaxing, so we are looking forward to some time to explore Wilmington. I have been able to spend some time at Wrightsville Beach..which I LOVE..but I hear there are a few more good ones around as well!

North Carolina!

We arrived! Just posting a few quick pictures tonight, as we are on our way to the Outer Banks for a little sightseeing with Dave and Kathy!

We enjoyed beautiful colors all the way down!

This is the campground where we originally had reservations. Lets just say it looked a lot better online. We pulled in, turned right around and set up camp at the KOA across town.

USS Carolina sits in the harbor in front of downtown

Today the rains hit from Hurricane Ida so we hurried to set up the trailer, toured the USS Carolina battleship, repacked our suitcases and headed for drier ground. We're headed north to the Outer Banks of NC. Hoping for beautiful weather and scenery!

Catching Up...and Counting Down

Our time left in Chicago is quickly dwindling! We head for NC on friday!

Our last few weeks have been busy but great! We've made so many great friends and memories in the city and are going to miss it all!

I'm a little behind on posting pictures so bear with me because there are quite a few....

Kerry threw a party on halloween and dressing up was optional, so most of us were lazy and came as ourselves...

Mr and Mrs Swenson

A couple weeks ago we all met up for Thai food...

For Kerry's birthday we all got together for a Blackhawks hockey game...I have a new found love for hockey!

just a few days after that game Kerry called to say she had some tickets for the fourth row off the ice Blackhawks vs Montreal...like we could pass that up!

Definitely beats the view from the cheap seats!...thank you Kerry!

We're very excited to explore the east coast...and will keep you posted on our adventures there!

Funniest Home Videos

The boys were getting a little bored at the white sox game a couple weeks ago.

Games get long when no runs are scored....

Since I posted a video featuring Jason, I figured it was only fair to include one of myself.

I think Brian and John miss the point that my rock actually skips fairly well....