Our first venture to the beach this trip was after dark. I couldn't get much of anything in the way of photos, so I have no actual photographic evidence of this excursion. And, trust me, that kills the photojournalist in me. But I don't ever want to forget this vacation's first night at the beach. In fact, I'd trade a hundred pictures for a 30-second video.
We started the day off with the trek across the mountains. We figured out how to change the GPS screen to one that gave us our altitude, and that was quite entertaining. Actually, it was my husband that was so entertaining, belting out our above-sea-level location every 6.2 seconds. For some reason, it became completely hilarious.
One of the highest points...
an unimpressive 2400 feet...
Most every road trip in the last couple of years has been accompanied by torrential downpours, so we were pretty darned pleased as punch to wake up to another day of sunshine. It made the mountain views so much more enjoyable. I also found my son quite entertaining because every 12.4 seconds, he squealed, "Mom, take a picture!!" This was not the boy's first trip across the Appalachians. This was at least his fourth in the last three years. Has he never before looked out the windows? It was, actually, kind of refreshing to see him pull his nose out of his DS and take note of the world around him. Even though he nearly drove me batty.
Mindy was itching to take the wheel. We'd decided ahead of time to let her get some good interstate driving experience on this trip, but we made her wait till we cleared the mountains. I was fairly impressed. She safely drove us the last half of the trip from Knoxville to HHI. The only downfall was that I crammed in the middle seat and couldn't easily snap photos as we drove across the bridge.
Wouldn't you love to have
'Coosawhatchie' in your address?
The traffic wasn't too bad this time around. Usually, there's a fairly large influx of mini vans on US 278, leading to the island. We made great time and had the vans unloaded in no time flat. It could be that it took a lot less time because we had five hungry teenagers who were keenly aware that any food consumption would not occur until we had completed the task at hand.
We headed off to Fuddrucker's for dinner...always a treat because we don't have one at home. And then we hit the beach...some of us a little harder than the others. It was dark. So dark that I was a little hesitant for the boy child to get too far away. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see him, and he wouldn't be able to hear me yelling over the waves. And that he might become shark bait. The tide was out, and at Hilton Head, that means a very wide beach. It also means there are lots of tide pools between you and the surf. The kids picked their way across and waded in the ankle-deep waves. I jokingly commented that they should watch out for crabs, at which point Caroline climbed me like a tree and refused to walk at all.
Technically, it was his shake...
but he obviously didn't mind sharing...
We were just about to call it a night when we heard a shriek. Apparently, a fish or something had brushed my friend's daughter's foot, and she hightailed it out of the ocean, only to trip and fall right into a tide pool, landing on her face. She wasted no time lamenting her injury, though. They next thing we heard...and saw, as she came into sight...was another shriek and the most hilarious Fred Flintstone-bowling-inspired dance across the beach. Poor Ashley...I must admit we had some great laughs at her expense. And I didn't have a single photo to show for it. At least until the next day's skim boarding attempts.
original blog date...July 17, 2010
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