Dear Us,
We would like to remember some important things for next year's annual beach trip and we know that in the daily grind, growing kids, busy days that next year around this time we will think, darn, I wish we had written down the things we wanted to remember from last year.
1. Don't overpack - it is so easy to do one load of laundry a day on vacation when you don't have to cook, clean, pack backpacks, clean bathrooms, wash floors, etc. We only need 3-4 outfits for each kid and it should all easily fit in one suitcase.
2. Meals - we only need 4-5 meals for the week, one night can easily be leftovers from the week's meals and another night we can splurge and go out for dinner. If we go back to Outer Banks Brewing Station just go for dessert and drinks and let the kids play during the live music - the food isn't worth it.
3. Toys - the kids are at a point that they are so entertained by the beach and pool and hammock and bunk beds that they don't play with the toys so don't pack them anymore. They have aged out of needing that kind of provided entertainment.
4. Things to do:
Must go back to Roanoke Island so that Peanut can torment the sailor/pirate again.
Climb the lighthouse (for the boys, Sweet Pea probably isn't tall enough)
Go-carts and fun rides - this is a must and we promised we could go back again next year
Order crabs and shrimp early in the week; pick it up around 4 and let the kids watch a movie while we eat on the porch in peace.
Go to minigolf early in the day or on our way out of town - the kids love this and one day we will get to enjoy it too
Go to the children's museum on a rainy day (we didn't have a single drop of rain this year)
5. Order pizza from the car on the way home to feed the monsters while we unpack; it will make things so much calmer and easier (in theory)
6. If the beach house doesn't have linen service, pay extra for it. It is worth it not to have to wash sheets when we get back
7. If the beach house doesn't have wifi and we plan on Mama Bear getting some work done while we are there, investigate some hot spot options
8. Borrow movies/DVD's for something new to watch on the car ride - keeps the sanity
9. Check out the redneck monster truck park "Grave Digger" because Papa Bear really wishes he were redneck enough to pull this off
10. Stop at the Virginia Living Museum on the way down, it is a great way to break up the trip and a great time with the cousins.
11. Purchase a family pack to-go order of the Currituck BBQ on our way into town where we always stop for lunch and go to High Cotton for a perfect and cheap BBQ lunch on our way out of town
We get smarter each year and this year we will actually have a way to remember all of our super smart epiphanies.
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