The Little Nies have been anticipating the beach
since we made this epic RV trip.
They knew it would be cold, and we wouldn't be
making sand castles and eating a picnic on blankets with
swimming suits--but they didn't care. Neither did I!
Mr. Nielson drove the RV, following behind J & C and their kids to Wilmington,
North Carolina. They told me it's been unusually cold here, but we didn't
mind; it was lovely, just the same.
One thing I love about the Atlantic Ocean is that it's
not freezing cold water- I mean, it's cold but not unbearable.
Our family loved it when we'd go 'down to shore.'
when we lived in New Jersey, the beach water was always pleasant.
And in the end, the boys still went swimming in their undies with Angus.
They couldn't help themselves.
The North Carolina beaches have loads of shells that just wash up
everywhere you look. It's magical!
We collected a few to take
home to friends and to put in jars for our bedrooms.
I love the RV with Cruise America, and so I've
gathered a few tips for next time
to make the trip a little more comfortable.
1. Don't pack strawberry's to put in the fridge.
It may be very tempting, but every time someone opens up the refrigerator,
it smells like farts, and that gets really, really old.
2. If you bring your dog, only visit the beach if you
get a small dust buster. There is sand everywhere on the floor, in our shoes,
beds, and blankets, in the shower, in our underwear, in our bags,
and in our toothbrushes.
3. Triple the amount of towels you think you will need. Trust me.
4. Bring a small basket to place in the corner of the RV
to put shoes in. We have a no-shoe policy in the RV
and make the kids take their shoes off when they enter.
And wish we had a central area where they all reside so that when we stop
for food or site seeing, the kids all know where to find their shoes.
5. Pack wet wipes, Clorox wipes, and extra grocery sacks for garbage and
treasures (like shells).
Somehow mysteriously, Lottie's Birkenstock's are missing.
Sadly we think they fell out of the RV somewhere between Missouri
and Illinois when we stopped for dinner.
We have been searching for them for THREE DAYS,
we did, however, find three pairs of men's underwear,
two mismatched socks, and a moldy bar of soap
(from the previous RV renters) exciting!
We stopped at the USS North Carolina to tour the battleship.
It was fascinating and super cool, and I went away with an extra
amount of patriotism.
Sometimes in large crowds of people, Mr. Nielson pretends
to propose to me, and it is super funny.
Sometimes we do that, and it totally embarrasses the Little Nies,
even though they take our photos doing it.
We went downtown Wilmington where we had lunch and ice cream.
I also bought a book about the ghosts that haunt the historical
areas of Wilmington. Did you know about the ghost sightings there?
It will be a page-turner for the 1000-mile trip back home in a few days.
Here is Dr. Craig Mangum, one of the most incredible men I know,
wearing Claire's sunglasses.
We said good by to J & C and drove further south to the Outer banks
where we spent the night.
In a few days, we'll be back in Durham to spend more time with J & C
We head back to the West before they go to China for spring break.
* * * * * * * *
Teachings from RMN:
How Firm Our Foundation, April 2002
"Though we don't know all things, we know that God lives
and that He loves us. Standing on that firm foundation,
we can reach up and find the strength to endure the heavy burdens of life."
