Traveling Thursdays~ Outer Banks, North Carolina

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Good Morning, dear friends. I stopped blogging for a bit, but I'm trying to get back into it on a pretty regular basis. I still need to share our trip we took last fall to Utah, so I'll be getting those posts typed up over the next few weeks. 

But first, I'll share about our trip to Waves, North Carolina, in the Outer Banks. The beach we stayed at is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 

Our house was right on the beach. We walked out the back patio door and up and over the sand dunes, and we were on the beach. It was a nice, quick walk, except in the middle of the day. The sand got so hot it burned your feet. A few of the kids (grown adults) used socks and sandals to get around, while a few ended up with blisters. 

We took both dogs with us. It was their first time at the beach. Maddie, our 11-year-old black lab, loved it. Ruby, our 2-year-old red fox lab, wasn't so sure at first. She quickly changed her mind, though. 

Since the sand got so hot during the middle of the day, I spent a lot of time with the dogs at the house. We stayed by the pool. I had a migraine for most of the trip, so it was easier to stay near the house too. We bought the girls a kiddie pool to cool off, since dogs were not allowed in the big pool. Maddie loved it. 

I did none of the touristy stuff. I hung out by the pool with Therese and the girls. We relaxed in the sun, read a book, One Golden Summer, swam, and played fetch with the girls. 

The boys went fishing and even went out on a fishing charter. They caught some Spanish Mackerel. 

Overall, it was a relaxing trip. It was a little different with the dogs, but we realized it wasn't that bad, and we would definitely take them on a trip again. They did exceptionally well and enjoyed themselves. 

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursday~ Hello Arizona

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Well, hello there! It's been a while since I've shared a Traveling Thursday post. We've traveled a bit since my last post. I figured I'd start sharing some of our recent trips. A few things have changed from when I posted last. We have officially completed our homeschooling journey. Both Michael and Therese have graduated high school and both have earned an associate's degree from the local community college. They are both currently working on the next step in their journey. Therese is continuing her education, while Michael is currently in the hiring process as a firefighter/paramedic. Life goes by so quickly!

So what does that mean as far as our traveling journeys? 

It means the last few trips have been just my hubby and I. It's been a little weird to travel without kids again. It's nice but completely different. There have been many times during our trips that I stop and think how much they would love to see what we are exploring. I miss experiencing new adventures with them, but I am loving the time with my hubby.

So first up... Arizona! This past September, we traveled to Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. We spent 2.5 weeks exploring this beautiful area. We had never been to Arizona or Utah before so it was amazing to see these stunning states. We both had been to Colorado as children, so it was a different feel for both of us.

The last time I flew anywhere was when we went to Disney World when the kids were 3 and 4. So it had been a while. Security is crazy now. The airport in Virginia was better and quicker with its security line. Phoenix was not good!

My gf free meal on the plane. 

I got sick so I didn't eat my meal on the return flight.

We flew into Phoenix, Arizona. It was hot, hot, hot! It was a city. Not a city like New York City, but still a city. Nothing too spectacular to me. 

I tried to get the Welcome to Arizona sign but as you can tell I missed it. I missed quite a few along the trip. Oh well! We did see Sequia cactuses alongside the ride though.

We picked up our rental car...a Jeep!

It was a fun ride. It was great to take the top off when we were sightseeing. 

The pictures don't do the sky justice. Coming from the east coast it always amazing me how blue the sky is out here. The difference is drastic. 

From Phoneix, we drove straight to the Grand Canyon! 

Stay tuned for our adventure there!

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ Mount Vernon

This year the kids are taking a history/government class with a few other homeschool kids in our area. Over the course of the year, the kids will learn about our government's history and then learn more about how the government is run today. I was thrilled when a fellow mom offered to teach this since she has experience working in the Capital. 

So one of her goals is to take the kids on two field trips for the class. Their first field trip was to Mount Vernon. We had never been to George Washington's home so we were eager to make the journey to see the home of our first President!

Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington, is situated along the Potomac River. The view is absolutely breathtaking. I can only imagine what it would have been like to sit on the back porch during the warm summer days with the cool breeze drifting up from the river. 

Our visit to Mount Vernon was a cold, winter day. Thankfully, the rain held off so we could enjoy the grounds.

Our exploration of Mount Vernon began with a 25 minute movie about the role of George Washington in the Revolutionary War.

After watching the brief movie, we headed outside to head over the the home. We had a scheduled time to tour the house and outbuildings.

After our tour, our group ate a quick picnic lunch on the grounds and then we headed to a special ceremony of  laying a wreath at the foot of George Washington's grave.

This was a special ceremony our group was able to do. We had a few other visitors watch the wreath laying ceremony since they had never seen it done in the multiple times they had visited Washington's home. After our wreath laying ceremony, we headed over the the greenhouse for a talk about Christmas at Mount Vernon. Our guide gave a very entertaining talk to the children about what they would receive as gifts and how the Christmas season would have been spent. We loved how he stressed that Christmas didn't end on Christmas Day, but went on for days after....the 12 Days of Christmas!

It was right before Christmas when we visited so the grounds were decorated to reflect this festive season.

So if you ever find yourself in the area, I would definitely recommend a visit our first president's home.

Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ Fort Frederick, Maryland

This past summer, we participated in a field trip with our local homeschool group. We visited Fort Frederick in Maryland. The fort lies just south of a town named Big Pool. It's actually is located near the Potomac River. 

The star-shaped, stone fort was used during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. During the American Revolution, it was a prisoner of war camp.

During the Civil War, the fort was used as a gun emplacement to help protect the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. After the wars, the fort was no longer used.

In the 1920's, the fort was bought by the state of Maryland. It became Maryland's first state park. The walls of the fort had deteriorated, but through archives and archaeological digs the fort was completely restored to its former glory. 

While there, we were able to tour various buildings and see how the men and their families lived there. 

The kids participated in drills, were bale to dress up in period time clothing, and performed various chores they were requested to do. It's a lot harder to carry two pails of water than you think.

Fort Frederick currently offers tours, displays, and exhibits to explore. You can even camp there! The fort sites next to Big Pool Lake. You can picnic, fish, and hike a few nature trails.

Till Next Time,

Monique