North Topsail Island 2010

Many of our friends know (at least via facebook) that we took our first family vacation last week. After 6 years of marriage and many road trips and vacations, we did see a lot of differences in traveling with a small child, but overall, Jackson was a trooper and we enjoyed every minute!

Topsail Island is located in the southeast corner of North Carolina, about 45 minutes north of Wilmington. Pirates used to frequent this area of the coast and the island derives its name from the "top of the sails" when Pirates would be located in the inter-coastal waterway. This was Brian and I's 5th time to the island. We started vacationing there when I was 19 and Brian was 21, before even marriage and traveling with my mom and dad.

We decided that the only way to travel with Jackson would be to stop overnight on the way to and from the ocean. We didn't think Jackson would like traveling for 10 hours in his car seat and we're not the type to drive overnight (although many people with children suggested this). I feel like part of the destination is the journey, and stopping along the way has always been an exciting way for Brian and I to see some of our country. After traveling most of my life with a father who didn't stop for much (Hold your pee! Swallow your spit! (Love you, dad)), I enjoy the freedom to now stop as we like.

After getting a late start on Friday morning, our first stop was Marietta, mostly because Jackson was getting antsy- this was not planned! Next, I had wanted to stop in Charleston, WV to check out Holl's chocolate store. Brian and I had fallen upon their store in Vienna, WV last year and their chocolate is just to die for! The owner of the company was an apprentice for a Swiss chocolatier and this is evidenced by the melt-in-your-mouth flavors. Their location on Bridge St in Charleston did not disappoint and after picking out our favorite flavors and having a sample, we found a park nearby and ate a picnic lunch to allow time for Jackson to stretch and eat.

After a quick stop for gas in Bluefield, WV we continued on to the Big Walker Mountain Lookout just north of Wytheville, VA. The scenery is fantastic and the road up to the lookout is great for men who like to hear their wives scream about their speed and turning capabilities (haha). The Country Store had many local goods as well as funny souvenirs (i.e. Everything you could ever want printed with "Virginia is for Lovers"). It's a place such as this that makes me want to live in the mountains- where you can witness the beauty of God's creation so easily.

We hopped back in the car and tried to make it to our hotel as quickly as possible because it was evident that Jackson was losing patience in all the sightseeing and especially the car seat. About 2 hours later we arrived in Greensboro, NC and found our hotel. I love the Springhill Suites by Marriott because they offer a semi-private suite with work desk, sofa bed, and kitchenette. We were traveling with Jesse, our family friend from Australia, so it was very important for him to have a little privacy and nice to have the kitchenette to prepare Jackson's cereal and wash his bottles.

On Saturday morning after Jackson's first nap of the day we climbed back in the car to make the final drive to the beach. Of course, this was not without more fun stops to make. Our first stop was in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina Museum of History. Although we've driven by Raleigh numerous times this was our first time to venture downtown. My first impression of the city was that it was clean and very livable (Much prettier than Columbus!). The museum is in a district with the science museum. Admission was free (donations only) and there was free museum parking on Saturdays! For the cost of a small donation, we saw North Carolina's Sports Hall of Fame (with one of Richard Petty's cars) and also many exhibits on the American wars and artifacts that were brought home from North Carolinians. My favorite exhibit was In Search of a New Deal: Images of North Carolina from 1935-1941. The photos were taken by the Farm Administration to show some of the poverty that existed at the time. They were so enlightening for me, in an age when "going without" isn't really understood.

Another hour or so in the car and we were ready to exit for Rose Hill, NC. Rose Hill's claim to fame is the World's Largest Frying Pan. Yes, it requires over 200 gallons of oil and smells from when it has actually cooked chickens. Somehow we ended up meeting up with my brother, sister-in-law and 3 of their 4 kids (Natty was riding with my mom and dad) and we were all very excited (see photo above). Rose Hill is also home to Duplin Winery. Duplin is the South's largest winery. When we arrived about 3 pm, the crowd was huge, with many groups. They didn't have time for a tasting for all of us (now that our group had grown to 9, but Misti and I were able to try a few and purchase a couple of bottles for the week at the beach house.

After exiting Rose Hill we drove as fast as we could (which for Brian meant passing 4 cars at once on a 2-lane road) to get to the beach house and catch some time near the ocean before dark. We stayed in the same house we did back in 2008. The house fits our family perfectly and has about every amenity one could ever ask for. The adults like sitting in the hot tub by night, the kids (and boys at heart) love the XBox and Wii when it's raining....

More to come on my next post....