Vacation days 9 - 12: Coming to a close.

There is nothing to say about Day 9 because by then we were tired of New York City and really didn’t have any other plans or places we had to be. We decided it might be fun and relaxing to head to the Jersey Shore. There isn’t much to say because we weren’t there very long. We didn’t take our bathing suits because we really didn’t have towels and sand toys and all that beachy stuff with us. The idea was just to walk along the coast and look for shells or dip our feet into the Atlantic. What I didn’t expect was that we had to PAY to get onto the beach in New Jersey. PAY? Seriously.

Coming from California where all you have to do is take a step on the FREE beach, we were totally shocked and horrified that you had to PAY to get on the beach. You can call it a pass or a badge or whatever else you want… but I don’t PAY to walk along a beach. Go ahead, New Jersey… tell me all your excuses… I’m not buying them. It’s a beach. The ocean. A part of the country I live in. I find it deplorable.

So… we went and got ice cream sodas… and went back to the hotel. Kids swam in the pool and had a grand old time.

Days 10 - 12: The best part!

Friday morning we woke up early, packed the car with suitcases and got back on the road to Pennsylvania. Two hours later we ended up at my friend’s house in the Poconos. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… DO NOT let 14 years go by without seeing your best friend. Between jobs and kids and life, we haven’t seen each other in way too long and this reunion was way over due. And it was wonderful.

My kids have fallen in love with Crystal Lake and it isn’t hard to see why.

Walking to the lake.

The kids loved swimming out to the dock. My children have never swam in a lake before and they had a ball.

Amanda went water skiing for the first time ever.

Lauryn went water skiing for the first time ever.

This was their favorite thing to do… go tubing. They held on and the boat took them around the lake.

Helping Nell wash Buffy in the lake. Pretty sure Jazz and Lulu would have loved this.

David looking all cool and hip.

David said he’s never seen me look so relaxed. I was at the lake, a glass of wine in my hands… I could get used to living like this.

This was the perfect way to end our vacation and I wish we could have spent the entire two weeks relaxing at the lake. We SO need a lake house of our own. Gonna get right on that. My one regret? That I didn’t get a picture of Nell and me. I guess that’s a good excuse for them to come out and visit with us here in California.