We’re back.

It’s 6:15 p.m. I’m in my pajamas and I have a tankard of wine. There’s a chicken pot pie (Willow Tree Farm – the best!) in the oven which I’m going to gorge myself on in 31 minutes. This is highly unusual behavior for me, especially since I’m also writing on my poor, neglected blog. It feels pretty good, so maybe I should make a habit of it. God knows, my “normal” habits aren’t working. No matter how hard I try I’ll never get it all done, so why bother?!

I couldn’t post about our vacation as it was happening because the internet connection was really slow and it made uploading photos tough. So I’ve saved it all up and I will now attempt to recreate our trip for your reading pleasure and so that my kids won’t be able to say I never took them anywhere.

Last Saturday, Aliya and Adlani both had soccer games so we waited until after the second game to leave on our road trip. We took off at 3 p.m. and headed south. Normally I have the entire round-trip route mapped out before we leave, with printed maps and directions filed in a corrugated folder with daily dividers, along with our hotel confirmations and lists of local restaurants. I would also plan a place to visit each day (zoo, museum, etc.) so the kids can get some of the crazies out, and of course, that information would be in the corrugated folder too.

This trip was different. We had no hotel reservations, no directions. We knew the final destination (Myrtle Beach), and the approximate ETA, but that’s it. So when I say we headed south, that’s what we did.

The drive was uneventful until NJ, but then the kids started getting antsy so we decided to stop at the Rainforest Cafe. While we waited for our table we roamed the mall and just generally enjoyed being out of the car. After dinner we got back on the road and hit REALLY bad rain storms. The rain came in bands, so it was zero-visibility for 10-15 minutes at a time, and then as soon as we decided to find a hotel it would clear up. We finally stopped in Maryland at 1 a.m. We standardized on Hampton Inns so it was just a matter of looking for the next one on my iPhone and calling to see if they had rooms.

The next morning when we woke up, we realized that the rain was part of the storm system that caused all of the tornadoes across the south. It was a gorgeous day so we headed for DC and walked from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and back. It was pretty crowded but the kids had fun and we enjoyed being outside in the sun. I made Ben stop at a building that I worked on – the United States Institute of Peace. It’s gorgeous and it felt good to know that I was a part of it…even if I only had a small part (the door hardware). I took tons of pictures for my work blog and finally got kicked out by Security – the first time ever.

From DC we drove all the way to Myrtle Beach and arrived at midnight. There was one spot on 95 that had a 12-15 mile backup in both directions, so I figured it was an area that had visible tornado damage. We got off the highway and took the back roads to avoid the traffic. We didn’t see a lot of damage because the police had certain roads closed. We ate at a BBQ place and the waitress said that 50 trailers had been demolished beside the highway, which accounted for the backup. By the time we finished dinner it was dark and the traffic was gone so it was smooth sailing from there.

We spent Monday-Thursday in Myrtle Beach and left on Friday morning. Monday we were mostly recuperating from the long trip, and the kids spent the day taunting the alligators in the retention pond and learning that fire ants will try to eat you if you stand on their home. They spent some time at the playground but it was a very low-key day. Tuesday I had lunch with a coworker and a customer, so everyone else spent the time at the beach. They got really sunburned even though they had sunscreen on. We stopped at Broadway at the Beach to have ice cream and go on some rides.

Wednesday was another low-key day and then we went out to dinner. We had 2 coupons and it was against the rules to sit separately and use separate coupons, so Ben, Adlani and I had to pretend not to know the rest of the group. I could hear Norah saying to the waitress, “WE DON’T KNOW THOSE PEOPLE!” but she didn’t catch on (at least not before she processed both coupons).

Thursday was supposed to rain but the rain held off all day, so we went to the local zoo (I don’t recommend it), then back to Broadway at the Beach for a late lunch. The kids wanted to try the trampoline so we ended up with passes that allowed them to do the trampoline, paddleboats, coconut trees, and climbing wall. They had a blast. Norah got stuck about 25 feet up on the climbing wall because she didn’t weigh enough for the hydraulic cable to carry her down to the bottom, but she was rescued by a nice Asian girl who left the rope tied to her after that so she could yank her down if necessary.

Friday morning we left Myrtle Beach around 9 and headed north, again with no plans. It was a little easier because we had 3 days to get home so we didn’t have 8-hour days of driving. Friday we drove to Virginia, by way of the Rocky Mount (NC) Children’s Museum and Science Center. The town seemed very depressed but the museum is beautiful. It’s in an old mill complex so the building itself is gorgeous. The museum is small but the kids enjoyed it. We got to the hotel early enough for them to go in the pool so it was a great day as far as they were concerned.

Saturday we drove to DC again, and since it was another beautiful day we went to the National Zoo. The highlight (other than the price – FREE!) was the lion habitat. There were 2 females, 1 male, and 7 cubs. I could have stood there all day watching them. The cubs were so playful, jumping on each other and on the lionesses. We spent a few hours there and then drove to our home away from home – yet another Hampton Inn, in Maryland. The kids got in a half an hour of swimming followed by pizza, then early to bed in case the Easter Bunny was headed our way (he was). Around midnight I was drawn to the window and I saw 2 red fox running along the fence line. Very cool.

Sunday we drove straight home with just a stop for lunch at Bertucci’s. The old me would have put the kids to bed and then spent 3 or 4 hours working but the new me read a book on my iPad until I passed out at 11. I LOVE reading on my iPad! And I forgot to mention…navigating on the iPad is AWESOME! I had signed up for 3G while we were in Myrtle Beach, so on the way back I was able to use the iPad instead of my phone. I could search for upcoming Hampton Inns, see if they had an indoor pool, and then make a reservation online. I could find gas, or ice cream, or whatever else we were desperate for. I could look for things to do when the kids couldn’t sit in the car any more, and I could check the local restaurant reviews to decide where to eat. I could also read, answer my email, and watch Real Housewives. I won’t leave home without it ever again. Seriously, everyone needs one!

I have tons more photos and I’ll upload them to Flickr when I get a chance. The old me would have spent the next 3 hours working on them, but the new me says, “Nightie-night!”