OBX

I lied.  Well I didn't lie...I just didn't follow through on my plan to blog at least once while on vacation!  I had every intention to, but amidst the 15 people, the fun, and the lack of quick internet, it just didn't happen!  In fact...I didn't even tweet, instagram, update my facebook, or pin any interests.  It was kind of a technology break if you will.

But guess what!?  Break is OVER!  I'm back =)  And with a VERY long post...you've been warned!  I completely understand if you skip til the end, ha.

So a week ago Friday afternoon, Brandon and I began our trek to Corolla, NC in the OBX with an overnight stop in Durham, NC for a Durham Bulls game!

Notice our over packed car!  Ha, we thought we needed sheets & bath towels in addition to our beach towels.  The former not so much needed.  Oh well!

The Durham Bulls Stadium is right next to a cool area called the American Tobacco Historic District.  It has many cool restaurants to choose from, so we chose Tyler's Restaurant & Taproom.  We grabbed a seat at the bar and got some good eats before the game!

As you can see, the weather was looking a little less than perfect for baseball.  We tried to remain optimistic, though  After all....its VACATION!  So I threw my hair up and we waited out the rain :)

The rain let up for a bit and we got to see about 3.5 innings of baseball before they called another rain delay :( We waited it out long enough to split a drink and then called it a night.  

The next morning, we set off bright and early (for real) for Corolla!  Early as it was, it did not prevent us from running into Outer Banks traffic!  Our GPS said we should be at the house by 11:02.  We we watched our GPS creep up minute by minute and we finally arrived at 12!  A whole hour added cause of fun, fun traffic.  The week was definitely worth it though. 

Here is a picture dump from my camera.  I'll add a few captions to narrate :)

Ashley & Richard

Ryan & Roen in deep conversation

Wells wasn't so sure about the sun screen application

Brandon: "Roen, I'm digging this hole to burry you in."  Roen: "Good!  I wanted to be buried!"

Roen & Jude cheesin'

Ha, Ro loved being buried!!  She stayed there for a good 10 mins.

Wells liked eating sand :)

Brandon's attempts at surfing!  He finally got up for a decent amount of time and I chopped his head off...whoops!  I have never, nor will I ever, claim to be a good photographer :)

Ashley schooled was a lot better than the boys!  Haha...as were my photography skills this time.

B & me catching some waves!  So much fun, you feel like you're 10 again!

Uncle Scott tryin' to catch a crab!  I do not have a single beach trip memory without Uncle Scott trying to catch a crab, sand critter, etc :)

The next pictures come with some background.....just north of Corolla, there is a wild horse preserve.  A fence along the beach as well as a few cattle guards keep the horses to a confined area in Currituck county.  Not until 1984 was there even a paved road all the way to Corolla, hwy 12 just stopped in the town of Duck, and the horses roamed freely in Corolla.  Well not too long after the road was built, several horses were struck and killed by cars.  So it was controversially decided to build the fence.

They allow you to drive onto the beach up there, though, and there tons of houses up there that you can rent as long as you have 4-wheel drive to get to them.  So one day, we packed the whole house and parked right on the beach. Its a little nerve racking with little ones, though.  Its like a road right on the beach and the ocean seems to drown out the sound of approaching cars.

We were enjoying the beach (the water was FREEEEZING that day!) and low and behold horses are just coming down the beach!!

It was SO crazy to see them up close, just walking around!  They would stop every now and then, its almost like they were posing.  And then one proceeded to poop and another peed, right on the beach!  Haha, mother nature at its finest I guess!  But still, very cool!

Each night at the beach, one family cooked!  We had some awesome meals (that fat girl in me lived it up :)  

-Josh & Callie made delicious Mexican beans & rice with all the fixins and chips and salsa, etc!

-B & I made turkey burgers with corn on the cob, sweet potato/tater tot/zesty fries, and ramen noodle salad! (It was a success despite the corn never actually boiling & a tater tot falling to the bottom of the oven and burning.  It all turned out somehow!  I'm still a relatively new cook ok!? Hah)

-Tuesday night we ate out and got sea food.  Ashley, Richard, and I participated in our own all you can eat crab leg challenge!  Pretty sure I ate about 2 and a half pounds of crab...and it was goood!!

-My Mom and Aunt Stacy cooked some deliciouso Italian food complete with meat ball marinara sauce, chicken alfredo, and shrimp alfredo!  Talk about stuffed!

-Rob and Gale made their awesome chicken enchiladas!  That's right, Mexican two nights in one week...one very happy fat kid :)  ha

-Friday, every one left!  Aunt Stacy & Uncle Scott and Brandon & I were the only ones staying the final night.  We ate at a restaurant called Sundogs and Brandon attempted The Pound and a Half Burger Challenge!  Compete with a mound of chili cheese fries and pickle spear and 1 hour to down it all for a tshirt & his picture on the wall of fame!  I only got these pictures on my iPhone so the lighting is a little funny.

He started strong!  Lickin' his fingers and everything!!

Even smiling...mmmm, tastes so good!!

35 minutes later....he's feeling it!

And after 45 minutes, he threw in the towel!  It was those dern chili cheese fries that got 'em!  He just couldn't put 'em back...but it was a strong, good effort!

The things I failed to capture this past week: nights on the porch, the big family dinners, crowded in the living room watching True Grit, the all you can eat crab leg challenge, naps on the beach, Wells being the ham of the family, the list goes on and on :)  It was such a great trip and a part of me always wants to cry leaving the beach and my family.  

Just as I posted to twitter and facebook as we left...So long OBX :( the pleasure was all mine!  Until we meet again....

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