The Laydens enjoyed the 4th of July holiday in Beech Mountain, North Carolina this year. The whole family went - myself, Andy, Reid, and Finn. After a lengthy road trip (Reid and Finn were both road warriors and did remarkably well on the trip), we arrived in North Carolina on Saturday evening (July 1) and jumped right into vacation mode. Although I can't possibly detail every memorable moment of our vacation (beautiful weather, family breakfasts, family dinners, hike to Fred's, walks, beanboozled, etc.), below are some day-by-day highlights.
July 1: After freshening up and unloading the car, we ventured to a barbeque on the slopes, where we ate dinner and hung out with Grandma and Grandpa. After dinner, we walked to the Alpen Haus for a club member icecream social. Reid enjoyed some vanilla icecream with bananas and whipped cream (mama denied him the joy of crushed oreos, m&ms, maraschino cherries, etc.), and he especially enjoyed reuniting with the Clarks and running up and down a wooden ramp with Dylan and company. After icecream and some play time, it was clear that the Laydens were not going to last until fireworks, so we opted out and returned home for a good night's rest. We were fine with missing fireworks - there is nothing like sleeping with the windows open and soaking in cool mountain air.
July 2: The following day, after a morning walk, we drove to Blowing Rock with Grandma and Grandpa and explored the little town. Highlights of our visit include a trip to the children's park where Reid was enthralled with a fake steering wheel and we enjoyed live music, and a trip to the icecream store ("ice ice ice"), which culminated in a very happy, very full, and very tired toddler. The adults also enjoyed our lunch at a German restaurant - yay for fried pickles! Reid seemed to enjoy his meal as well, although he did get restless and start throwing his matchbox cars around the restaurant. No patrons were harmed, though, so our day was an overall success!
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| Playing on the Blowing Rock playground - nice and dirty! |
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| Reid living the life - eating icecream and getting strolled around by two of his favorite men. |
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| The Laydens attempt a family picture... |
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| In the midst of an exciting bean-boozled game! |
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| Reid was always on the look-out for "doe!" (deer) |
July 3: After having a full day to recuperate form our long drive to North Carolina, we packed some snacks and toys and drove to Asheville to meet up with the Seifrieds. On our way there, about two minutes from the house, we spotted a black bear! Anyway, we have been trying to meet up with the Seifrieds in Florida for far too long - we couldn't pass up a chance to finally spend some time with them. On Sean's recommendation, we met them at a barbeque joint for lunch. After filling our bellies, we all went to the brewery for dessert (read: beer flights). The kids played around outside until it got too hot, and then we all moved inside and continued our adult/child play time. It was really nice to see the Seifrieds and I was reminded how important it is to make spending time with friends a priority. Sara and I were BFFs in law school and we met our significant others one week apart. Now, we have toddlers that are 3 months apart. It was really nice to see our toddlers play together and to reconnect with our sweet St. Pete friends.
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| The kids at our lunch spot - Luella's |
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| Excited about being at a brewery, of course... |
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| Titled: Besties and Beer |
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| Cheers! |
July 4: The holiday has arrived! We began our morning with Grandma, Ellison, and Dylan at the Banner Elk July 4th parade. With the exception of somebody dressed in a scary (to Reid) wooly worm costume, Reid has a blast at the parade. Dylan and Ellison collected a lot of candy, while Reid collected a multitude of beaded necklaces. After the parade and a nap, we met up with the Clarks and Grandma and Grandpa at the pool for July 4th activities. Because Reid slept so well in the mountains, we missed most of the activities. However, Andy jumped in the pool with Reid and swam around for a while. Reid loved throwing the ball in the pool and getting thrown in the air by Andy. Once we wrangled Reid out of the pool, and after a slight detour to the game room, we all went to another - you guessed it - barbeque! The food was cooked by the Beech Mountain Club chef, and it was delicious! After eating (riblets, watermelon, baked beans, coleslaw, pork, etc.), Reid played on the nearby playground for a while. It was a beautiful evening - no heat or humidity in sight! After we returned home for the evening, the Clarks let off some fireworks on the street in front of the house. Reid was a bit apprehensive at first, but he quickly began asking for "one more, one more" (complete with one finger held up). The Clarks couldn't resist Reid, and he was able to enjoy a number of fireworks displays. We even let him hold a long sparkler (with close supervision), and he loved it!
July 5: For years, I have been planning a visit to Apple Hill Farm - folks, it finally happened! Jenn took Ellison and Dylan to Apple Hill Farm on numerous occasions when they were younger, and Olivia still talks about the pig ("Pickles") that she visited there when she was younger. I held off on going until I had a toddler (or older child) of my own, but I could not wait any longer. Although the farm is a small one, it did not disappoint. Reid, dressed in his overalls, was completely intrigued by all of the animals. He especially loved the llamas and alpacas, and it was hard to pry him off the fence when it was time to leave to keep up with our tour group. On the way home, we stopped at Dollar General and picked up bubbles, which Reid enjoyed the moment we returned home. Once done with the bubbles, we walked around outside and Reid sorted and collected rocks.
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| Waving hello to the infamous Pickles |
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| Loving the llamas and alpacas at Apple Hill Farm! |
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| My precious boy picking flowers at the farm |
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| Just a little weighed down by the rocks in his pocket... |
July 6: We couldn't visit North Carolina without making a trip to Boone, one of Andy's favorite little towns. This time, we took Ellison with us, and she was a great help and toddler entertainer. After we walked around for a bit and stopped to get coffee/tea and peruse some other shops, Reid fell asleep in his stroller and we enjoyed a quiet and delicious lunch at The Daily Bread (our favorite). Then, we walked around Boone a bit more, picked up cookies, blueberries, and a smoothie at Stick Boy Bakery, and stopped at Earth Fare for some healthy snacks and other items. After we returned home, we freshened up and joined everybody else at The Club for dinner. Reid looked like a little gentleman for the occasion but, unfortunately, he didn't really behave like one. After Reid ran around inside the restaurant and started throwing bread and crayons, Grandma took Reid outside to run around and Reid learned to tumble down a hill with Dylan and Ellison. Once food arrived, Reid briefly sat still to eat his macaroni and cheese and bites of Jenn's fish and Grandma's chicken. We quickly ate our food and returned to playing outside on the golf course (sorry, golfers). Reid was so joyful and the night was so beautiful so I will call dinner a success. We may wait a few years before going to a nice restaurant again though...
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| Playing in Banner Elk with cousin Ellison ("Ell-son") |
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| We made a quick stop to feed the ducks |
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| Handsome little fella- ready to wreak havoc at the Beech Mountain Club |
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| Happy boy playing on the golf course (sorry, golfers!) |
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| The Laydens <3 |
July 7: Our last full day in North Carolina was a very memorable one. The Clarks and Laydens treated Grandpa to a boat ride on Watauga Lake - something he has always wanted to do. We rented a pontoon and loaded it up with snacks and drinks and headed out for the day. Reid was due for a nap and was not a fan of his lifejacket or taking a nap but, after some crying and flailing, he succumbed to his sleepiness and fell asleep in my arms while we trolled the lake. Talk about heavenly. We all enjoyed learning about the town of Butler, TN (which lies beneath the lake) and looking at beautiful homes (and a smattering of mobile homes) on the shoreline, while Grandpa drove the pontoon around. After Reid woke up, we anchored the pontoon and the boys and kids jumped in the water. Reid could not get in the water fast enough (jump, jump!). We even found a sandbar that the boys and kids swam out to- Reid gathered rocks and looked around in awe. We spent hours on the lake and hope to come back in the fall (if not this year, some year in the future) and do it again! We love our Captain Grandpa!
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| Reid loved driving the pontoon with Grandpa (Gah-pa) |
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| Ahhh, pure relaxation - nap time for Reid... |
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| Fun with Dada in Lake Wautaga - Reid especially loved jumping off the back of the pontoon boat |
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| The Lake Gang |
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| Day on the lake with family + cookies = happy, happy boy |
July 8: Time to go home. After a nice morning walk, we loaded up the car for our return trip to Orlando. This time, our journey didn't feel as sweet and Reid was a bit more fussy and rambunctious in the car. Still, he was an impressive road warrior (as was Finn) and after 12 hours, we were back in Orlando (the heat! the humidity!). Our return home was bitter sweet - the end of vacation is always a bummer, but our next exciting journey was right around the corner - moving in to 1750 Choctaw! Until next time, North Carolina.
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| Until next time, North Carolina! |
