Mini Vacation

We decided to have one last vacation this year, before getting too bogged down in school and work. So all 7 of us, (dh, kids, college kid's girlfriend and myself) all packed up and headed to a nearby theme park. It's a pleasant two hour drive through cotton fields and cow pastures.

First on the agenda was to check into our hotel, then we'd hit the theme park. Dh was sure he knew where the hotel was, but it took us a good 30 minutes to find it. Then we realized we didn't get what we requested. Okay, I admit I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to overnight accommodations. I want certain things like interior entrances, ( I feel safer this way), a continental breakfast, and wifi. A pool/hot pot combo is even better.

We had booked our hotel over the phone, telling the agent exactly what we wanted. Well..this hotel had none of it. It was cheap looking, and didn't appear safe or welcoming at all. Fortunately, we were able to cancel and find the hotel we really wanted.

After checking into the right hotel, and sorting out who was staying in which room, we headed out to the theme park. I started getting more and more excited as we approached the park. When dh was buying tickets, I decided the gig was up, and the truth had to come out.

When ds #2 graduated with his GED back in June, we told him we were going to this theme park, and when. We didn't tell him the whole story. So while dh was buying our tickets at the gate, I turned to ds and told him what was really going on,

Me: ds, when you graduated, we told you we were coming here this weekend, and said we had to save up the money. That wasn't the real reason we chose this weekend. We decided to come now for a very special reason. That reason is; Skillet is going to be performing a concert here in 4 hours.

His reaction was priceless! Skillet is his absolute favorite band ever. He was beyond excited, I was so happy for him, and knew we had scored big on this one. I give God all the glory, for without Him, none of this would have worked out. He definitely blessed us, providing for all our needs on this trip.

We spent the next 4 hours riding rides, and exploring the park. It was so crowded, and I was constantly bumping into people. Lines for rides were extremely long, and I kept hearing, "What time is the concert? See you at the concert, can't wait for Skillet tonight. See you at Skillet!" No, not from ds, from everyone else at the park. Ds kept saying, 'I can't believe Skillet's here. I can't believe I get to see Skillet!"

At one point, we went in the Lorikeet aviary to see those colorful goofballs. This always happens in these aviaries-the birds flock to ds, even though he doesn't have nectar. However, he does wear a big straw hat, and the birds love it. So he ends up with lorikeets on his head, trying to eat his hat. LOL

Mini Vacation part 2

Finally it was time for the concert. We found our spot, and ds was glued to the stage. I didn't see him take his eyes from the band for a second. I hope he blinked. LOL "Getting a seat at the concert" is quite a misnomer, by the way. We didn't sit down for the entire 90 minutes, because no one was sitting, and we wouldn't have been able to see if we did. 90 minutes of standing on concrete, after 4 hours of pounding pavement with our feet. Fun.

It was all worth it though, because ds had a really good time. He was so ecstatic, it was definitely worth it. Thank You Jesus!! I was surprised that Skillet is a Christian band, I really didn't think it was. I'd heard that they were Christian, but their songs didn't sound that way to me. After the concert, though, I took a different view of their music.

The special effects were really neat too. Remember back in high school science class when you used the bunsen burners? They had fire shooting up on the stage that reminded me of those burners back in school. Different parts of the stage could spin or rise up, or both. Lots of strobe lights, and a really spooky monster for the song of that name. Quite the impact when everything else is dark.

When the concert finally ended, we stood in a huge line to buy the boys tee shirts. I was surprised younger ds wanted one, but he did. By now it was late, so we headed out to the car. We had to make a stop at Wal Mart that took forever, so we didn't end up back at the hotel until 11:30pm.

I treated my poor feet to a soak in the hot pot until we were shooed out by staff. ( closing the pool for the night). The park has a neat perk; your tickets are second day free. So you can come back again the next day. We slept in a bit, and enjoyed our delicious continental breakfast. Then we packed up our room and headed out to the park.

What a difference! There was about 1/4 the number of people in the park as the day before. Little to no wait on rides, longer times on the rides, and no bumping into people. LOL This time the kids insisted I get on some rides. Hello, old lady here that hasn't gone on rides in forever, and did I mention OLD?

Turns out I actually found some that were fun, and not just the safari train. The Swamp Thing doesn't have any big drops, and doesn't go upside down. Just my kind of ride. I rode that one several times. Go Bananas was okay, but it's really jerky, and I ended up bruised and sore. The Ant something was fun too. Okay, yes, it's a kiddie ride, just hush. LOL

I did like the safari train, not just because it's totally tame. I like seeing the different animals they have out there. I've also just been hired by my own zoo to be a safari guide, so it was interesting to experience this one. I did have to correct the narrator on one point though. Fallow deer don't shed their horns, they don't have any. They shed their antlers. I know, it's nit picky, but one of my pet peeves. Horns are permanent, think goats, cows, bison, etc. Antlers are grown by deer, and shed each year.

Mini Vacation part 3

We hit the Lorikeets again, and this time bought two cups of nectar. Those birds were all over us! Nectar and a straw hat, what a treat. At one point, we were standing around talking, and college kid and his girlfriend had to duck to avoid a bird zooming around the enclosure. Thinking he was safe, college kid stood back up only to have the second bird crash into him. They were both fine, I think the two birds were playing chase, or bumper people. LOL

They also had some lions and tigers. It was so neat to see them up close, TV just doesn't do them justice at all. They are huge! They have an old safari jeep backed up to a part of the tiger exhibit, and the tigers are free to jump inside the back of it. You can climb in the seat and get some awesome up close pictures of them.

The giraffes are on the safari ride. They are cuties! You can buy a ticket and feed them, but we never got to it this time. We have done that in FL at the Lowry zoo.

Mini Vacation-the end!

I have to say the trip was a lot of fun. Relaxing like the beach? Not at all! Exciting and fun? Yes, definitely. My feet finally forgave me, and we have a lot of fun memories of our time together, and the craziness of a theme park. I am grateful to Jesus for the wonderful adventure of our vacation, and for blessing us with this trip. Thank You Father!!

Here's a picture someone was kind enough to take of us at the park:

Fun with beavers

These beavers have been such a joy for all of us working in the zoo. We have so enjoyed watching them mature. We bottle fed them as youngsters, then weaned them and watch them grow. They are huge now, probably a good 30 lbs or so. They still come up to the front of their enclosures wanting attention. Or food. LOL

They each have mulch, logs, hay and other treasures to keep them occupied. One of them, June, gave into her beaver nature, and built herself a dam. Now if her pool tips over, it won't flood her out. Smart beaver!

I'm not sure of this one's name, but he decided the best place to hang out would be in the pool. With temperatures in the upper 90's, and high humidity, I agree with him.

Here is a photo of June, the dam builder

I hope you enjoyed the beaver update. Have a blessed day!

Chela

Beach Weekend

The second week of July, we snuck away for a weekend at the beach before school started. (July 30th here). Dh had gone on ahead, as he had Air Force Reserves that week.

College kid insisted on taking his own car with his girlfriend, instead of riding in the van with the rest of us. I can't see why he wouldn't want to ride in a cramped van with 4 other people and no air conditioning. Goodness, a kid gets grown and want to do things his own way.

We finally get everyone packed, the cars loaded up, and set off on our journey. An hour away, there is some confusion about if we are stopping to eat, so I pull over at a restaurant. College kid comes walking up to me, (first clue, he always drives up to tell me something) and says, "I broke my car, Mom. I really broke my car."

Did you know a car's wheel can fall off the car? I had no idea this was possible, but happen it did. Apparently, the CV axle can break, and then...

So we had about a two hour delay in plans while we got ds' car to the shop. The car was blocking traffic on a road where people come speeding up to the stop sign. Luckily, a cop happened to come along and block the car from getting hit. At one point, I received an automated phone call from road service telling me it would be 45 minutes before the wrecker made it to us.

I relayed this to the cop, who replied, "I can't let you sit here for 45 minutes."

Really now. Do you have any other ideas up your sleeve? It's not like we can move the car. Finally the wrecker made it, and towed the car. After getting everything settled with the mechanics, we all piled into that hot, cramped van, and headed to the beach.

The first stop was the base, but dh was still in a meeting, so we headed to the water. At first, we were annoyed that we couldn't go to the lodging first, but this actually worked in our favor. The beach was beautiful, and I headed straight in to do my favorite thing-wade out until I can't touch, then tread water and relax in the swells. I could stay that way for hours.

I know quite a few people who go to the beach, sit on the sand, then go back to the hotel and swim in the pool. Not me, let me get sandy, seaweedy, and feel fish brushing my legs. I love the ocean! Do I worry about sharks? Nope! I firmly believe it's more dangerous driving to the beach than swimming in it. The worst thing that has ever happened has been a few jellyfish stings.

Beach Weekend part 2

Ds #2 and I were out in the deep, relaxing in the surf. College kid was in the breakers with his girlfriend, as she can't swim. DD was playing in the sand, looking for shells mostly. Ds #3 came out in the deep with us a few times. Last time we were there, we swam and swam and swam feeling for the sandbar, but it was gone! I'm so glad it has returned.

It starts getting dark, but I'm reluctant to head back. I just love floating in the ocean. Then it's seriously getting dark, so we had to concede defeat and head for shore. I had never been in the ocean at night, it was definitely a different experience.

To our lodging, showers for everyone, then out to dinner. It's strange that college kid is now old enough to order his own alcohol. How did that happen? He already has his favorites as well. I guess I have to accept he is grown now.

Many years back, I had found this boardwalk through a woodsy area with a creek beside it. You could swim/float/canoe, or walk on the boardwalk. The kids and I had been once, then I could never find it again. I had looked every time, for all these years, and had never found it.

On the way to dinner, dh points to something, and says, "there's that walking trail you've been looking for!" He found it!! Turkey Creek Trail. I couldn't wait for the next day to check it out.

The next morning, we finally get up and get going. We head straight to Turkey Creek. It was even better than I remembered! The trail is 3/4 of a mile one way. It dead-ends, and you can hop in and swim or float down the creek. The water is a constant 69 degrees. Brrrr...

One time down the boardwalk and in the water go the kids. They absolutely loved it. There are checkpoints every so often, to check in on the kids. You can also hop in at any of these, or just swim there. Most of the creek is pretty shallow, but there are a couple of places where it's over the guys' heads, and they are 6' tall.

There didn't appear to be any alligators, (we were in FL) but there were plenty of turtles. At one spot, we counted 15. Of course that happens if someone feeds them, but {cough cough} we would never break the rules and do this.

Beach Trip part 3

We finish up at the creek, and start piling back into the car to get cleaned up and go to dinner. I notice ds #3 is bleeding on his shin. I ask him what happened, and how did he get hurt. He reaches down to feel of his leg, and calmly tells me he isn't hurt, it's a leech. Ds has this uncanny ability to remain perfectly happy on the outside, even if he is panicking on the inside. This was one of those times. It didn't appear to be bothering him, but on the inside, he was pretty upset.

We leave there and head to the beach. What a different day than Friday. The beach was wild. The flags weren't out, but I'm sure they would have been red (rip tides, no swimming) if they were. The beach was covered in seaweed. Red tide, the ocean was doing some cleaning up shop. DD pulls out the sifter we'd gotten in a pack of beach toys, and went to sifting the sand. We found shells, crabs, shrimp, and a baby horseshoe crab.

We also found a dead Ramora, which is a sucker fish that attaches itself to sharks. I caught one when we went deep sea fishing last year. I was picking up sand dollar pieces as I strolled the beach. DD found me an entire sand dollar, but it broke when she grabbed it. I treasure it so much.

When it started getting dark, we packed up and headed for dinner at our favorite restaurant-The Crab Trap. We always eat outside on the deck, right on the beach. Last year, there was a bird in the restaurant, and he was swooping down trying to eat people's food. They give kids buckets with little shovels on them, and they have a playground right off the deck. We love this place. I think it was the most expensive meal we've ever eaten, but it was worth it. There were 7 of us, and we only go here once a year.

Sunday morning, back to Turtle Creek. This time the kids swam and floated down the creek twice. I was the holder of stuff. Quite a bit of stuff, by the way. Towels, shoes, phones, drinks, and whatever else the kids had with them. I logged 3 miles that day in the heat on the boardwalk. The kids had a ball though, and no leeches this time.

There is a side path to the boardwalk that someone donated to Turkey Creek. It curves around, and empties to a quiet sitting area maintained with beautiful hanging baskets. It overlooks the creek, and is a very calming place. It is a place for parents who have lost children. The archway coming in says:

I found out you can buy a plaque to have placed there in memory of your child, of any age. Sometimes places offer these for $300. Turkey Creek only charges $5.00 The first time there, we didn't see any plaques. Of course, we were looking at the snake College kid found. Sunday I sat down and rested, and noticed the plaques are on the ceiling.

Beach weekend part 4

It was very touching and thoughtful. We finally headed home after the kids wore themselves out swimming at the creek. They all fell asleep on the way home. I'm so glad they had as much fun as they did. Especially after only going in the ocean once. I'm sure this will become a staple of future beach visits. Did I mention that it's free? Pretty neat, huh? They have a big covered area to bbq, and security. Be careful feeding the turtles. hehe

Here is a the view off the back deck of the Crab Trap:

My daughter saw me taking pictures, and posed so I could take hers:

We had a wonderful time at the beach. This time we stayed on the AF base, which put us so much closer to everything. Usually we are 45 minutes from the beach. I told dh I want to stay there in the future. I hope you have enjoyed this long manuscript of our beach trip. I had no idea it would be this long.

God Bless,

Chela