And by Sunday, it was obvious that color was going to be RED.
There was tubing. Everyone went at least once. Okay, maybe not Rachel the first day, but the second day she went crazy. I went tubing twice. First I went with Jennie. And the second time I went with HIM.
Rachel, HIM, and me…we went to look for the hiking outfitter store that used to be on the resort premises. Rachel thinks she wants to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. I think she is crazy and will last all of a week. HE thinks that she may last a tad longer since she doesn’t mind not shaving. I say let the betting begin.
We’ve been on jet skis all over. And I must say that the jet ski on the lake during this trip was the best. There were no restrictions. We could ride all over. We could go as fast or slow or be out for as long as we wanted. Nearly two hours later we’d had enough. That was after we’d been all over, done donuts, and pretty much dominated the lake.
Friday…Fontana…
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
It’s just as I suspected. I have so much to tell you about the trip that I’m not even sure where to begin. So, you know me, I must begin at the beginning.
*ahem ahem*
Friday, we drove to Fontana. It was a long drive, broken up by short stops and laughter and music and pictures. We officially left The Bubble just before 11am. We ran a few quick errands, like gas and ice, and headed out of town.
We were on the road all of two hours before we stopped. I can’t believe out of all the places we could have eaten…we ended up at the awful waffle. They all had their favorite breakfast foods, while I ended up eating a chicken sandwich.
And for some reason, even though I am a seasoned traveler, I suddenly had a bladder the size of a peanut. So, we stopped…a lot. Luckily, I managed to make sure that it looked like it was the kids who needed to stop. When they move out, I’m dead, and my secret will be revealed.
We had one near death experience. Every road trip should have one. This was the result of a really strangely placed rest stop. The only way to enter it was to cross two lanes of speeding traffic. The only way to exit was to join the speeding traffic and do a u-turn. It was scary. There may have been some screaming.
Rachel: Oh my God! I think I need to go to the bathroom again.
me: I’m gonna need to change.
Keenan: I saw my life flash before my eyes. We’re gonna die!
HIM: Shut up! No talking. Do you want to make me lose my nerve?
And I thought about it. Um. Maybe a little. But we were quiet just the same. It lasted five whole minutes. Then he graciously raised the talking ban.
We drove the way I love…stopping to smell the proverbial flowers, which really means allowing me to take pictures at scenic outlooks along the way. And they were really scenic. Everyone should visit the Smoky Mountains if they they have a chance.
Finally, we arrived. And we did some exploring. The place was as pretty as I remember. (I have a great memory.) We checked in to the cabin before Jennie and her family arrived. I loved the place, but you let me know what you think.
Please note, I didn’t take close ups of the outside because HE picked the place apart. The new Hardie siding was not installed properly. The windows weren’t installed properly. There was no caulk used. The vinyl bathroom floor was coming up. The list of his complaints was endless. At the same time, we have no desire to live there for any length of time so he couldn’t do anything about it even if he wanted to.
Friday night was great. We made dinner at the cabin. It wasn’t the same. I never cook as well with strange cookware and strange ovens…as evidenced by the cut on my finger. I watched the knife slice my thumb open. HE watched, too.
HIM: Okay. What if I finish with the slicing?
me: Thanks, babe.
HIM: I just don’t want you bleeding all over dinner.
And though our plan to go to the resort campfire and listen to live music was called on account of rain, we made alternative plans. We played games with the kids. We sent the kids to their respective rooms and utility closets (the boys slept in what would have been the laundry room on a pile of blankets and pillows…it was good enough for Harry Potter…) before the adults played cards.
At midnight, we called it. After all, it had been a long day. There had been a long drive. And there was a lot of time left to do everything we wanted to. And we did.
Come back tomorrow to read about how I managed to get some color…
I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to organize this. I mean, there is so much to talk about. 
I had more amenities than I knew what to do with. It was a case of sensory overload, since I hadn’t stayed in a room alone for 20 years and a hotel room alone EVER. My personal favorite touch…the television in the bathroom that meant I could ‘watch’ while I readied myself. Too cool.
Well, I dressed for the pool party reception in a purple sarong. That’s my style. And I worried that I would be too casual. I shouldn’t have. These women are so diverse, so extraordinary, that anything I chose would have been just fine. I’m glad I went a few minutes early to take pictures. The décor was incredible. The food was divine. The company was exceptional. The open bar and desserts were a special treat. And I met a woman that could easily become a true friend for life. Yes, 
We laughed, we joked, we carried on for two hours. And when the cocktail party was wrapping up, we received the first of many gifts from Yahoo!, as if the flight, reception, and fabulous digs weren’t enough. They gave each of us a pair of Shine slippers and a Four Seasons 
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit thus far in my life. (And I aspire to travel much much more.) Of all the weekend getaways, one of my very favorite is Atlanta, Georgia.
We had only been dating a short time when S and I decided to get away. It may sound strange, but I’d only had maybe one other couple trip my entire life…and I ended up engaged. So, I was really excited to go away with him.
The trick was that he was determined we stay somewhere really nice but affordable. Problem solved: we decided to stay at Sandy Beach Resort. It’s made up of one, two, and three condos. The location was perfect, virtually across the street from the Family Amusement Park, and a short drive from the boardwalk and everything else we hoped to do.
This is where we were supposed to sleep. It was a gorgeous room with clean contemporary furnishings. The decor gave it a very high end feel. The beds were ridiculously comfortable. I could have stayed forever. (Actually, we stayed an extra day. And I have discovered that every time we go away, S tries to stay an extra day.)
The bathroom was great, spacious, nice decor. There was plenty of light for me to put on my face before we’d go out in the evening. And plenty of counter so that we could share the space comfortably. (We don’t even always do that at home. Still working on our timing.)
Anyway…check out this kitchen. Granite, stainless, fully stocked with cooking utensils. (Okay, the skillet wasn’t ideal, but it was included.) We ate in for breakfast and lunch. And I baked cookies a couple of times. (Nestles break and bake are the jam!) Evenings we would eat out. It’s not for everyone, but it works for us.
This is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There’s amusement parks and water parks. There’s water sports, like para-sailing and jet skis. There’s mini golf courses on virtually every block of the strip. There’s a boardwalk that comes alive at night with its arcades and bars. There’s shopping in malls, Broadway at the Beach, outlets and even Wal-mart. There’s restaurant row which has virtually everything you could want, as long as you want it at a reasonable hour. There’s the Beaches, Waves, and other souvenir stores every hundred feet or so. There’s commercialism at its finest. It is a tourist mecca where people can find something to do rain or shine.
And this is Myrtle Beach, too. This is where I walk for hours picking up my cherished sea debris, my black smooth stones, my unusual seashells, my coral, that I then decorate our house with. This is where S and I walk while the sun sets. This beach is how we get back to the hotel on hot summer nights after hanging out on the boardwalk and visiting The Bowery, a bar famous for its live music. (Alabama started there.) I love Myrtle Beach. It’s not my favorite beach, but I have some amazing memories there.
Let’s start with the obvious. They have a Margaritaville! would Jimmy Buffet just stick a Margaritaville anywhere? (And yes, I’ve been. Had a REALLY strong margarita at lunch, since it was five o’clock somewhere, and needed a nap to recover. Ahhh.) Sorry, Giyen, it was before I knew you, so I mostly just thought ‘what a yummy margarita.’
This was the reason for our entire visit to Great Wolf Lodge in Concord: the Howlin’ Tornado. It was a six story tall water slide. After walking up flights (plural) of stairs, and waiting in line, we would get on a four person tube and ride to the bottom of the funnel. Ahhh.
That’s where River Canyon Run came in. Again, this was a four person ride. We had to take the same stairs that we did for the other, so you can understand Keenan’s concern that we were pulling the old switcheroo on him. He began breathing more easily when we took the left fork, but again…issues on the ride.
The bucket area was a family favorite. There were numerous levels of water play culminating in slides at the top. S soaked an older man playing with his grandson below. I added the soundtrack, channeling a Scooby Do reel when the man stood and began shaking his fist at us.
But it wasn’t. I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler…but I managed to keep my bathing suit intact. Don’t get me wrong, there was the unavoidable wedgie here and there, but a little butt cheek peek-a-boo is a far cry from the full frontal that would have resulted in this post being rated MA instead of the usual PG.
Our room was perfect. We didn’t go with anything high end. It wasn’t a whirl pool suite, or any of the other fancier digs. We had your basic family suite and it was HUGE. We walked in and the bathroom was to the right, the closet to the left. The sink area was granite and part of the bedroom. There was a microwave and large dorm fridge that we packed with Coke and Red Bull. (We’re not coffee drinkers, but there was a complimentary coffee machine, etc. also.) There were two queen sized beds and on the other side of a 3/4 wall, a pull out couch. Yay! It was almost as good as having our own room. And since the sliding glass door to the patio was closest to our ‘bed’ we didn’t even have to disturb the kids.
In addition to the indoor water park, which needs a post all to itself, there’s also mini golf, the arcade, a ‘teen’ hang out that had Play Station, etc. and internet; and MagiQuest. (We didn’t do MagiQuest this trip. The kids and I have wands from the one in Myrtle Beach, but I lost them in the divorce.) And if you haven’t experienced MagiQuest, it is worth it for quality family time.
Sunday, the day we returned, was rough in so many ways. I was a little sad at the end of the trip. With S, I never knew if it would be the last. We were having consistency issues. And I just feared that the bonds we’d built over the last few days wouldn’t survive the reality of our return home.
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