The Outer Bank of North Carolina-Field Trip

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse...see the rainbows?....two of them people! Yeah.  I'm just loving this pic right now.

With my parents and kids in toe, I  headed down to the Outer Banks last week!


My parents -in all their retirement glory- have purchased an RV.... RVing fools, they are...and I couldn't be happier for them.


Well!  It was decided -hmm..who would have suggested this? (Answer:  me.) -that the kids and I just stay in their RV instead of my awesome tent.


It is awesome...just not running water, toilet, A/C awesome.  I have a story for you about the tent.  I'll have to tell you one day.


So, anywhooo, our little extended  FIELD TRIP -hey, were we learning?  Ohhhh, yeah, and, they didn't even know they were learning! (bonus points)- was some kind of wonderful.


The irony?  I was 11, just like my DD, and MY mom was 35, just as I am, the last time I went to the Outer Banks.  Isn't it so interesting the perspective you have as a mom?  I remember being Spencer's age!


Okay.  I divulged my daughter's name. Ugh, I had thought I didn't want to do that.  You bloggers out there tell me if I'm an idiot to say my kids' names, but they are real and amazing people-and my everything,  The whole DD and DS thing is KILLING me and seems sooooo impersonal. We're real people folks!


What I was saying was that I remember what I thought of all the things we did, and the fun we had.  In all truth -and, yes, I digress-  do you remember what it was like to be your child's age?


To them, life is sooo tough, sooo stressful, and they are often sooo misunderstood.  And, if that is how they feel, it is a valid emotion we as moms need to honor.


I have too much to say on that thought.  I'll have to write on that later because, well, I have a passion for reminding moms and dads (i.e ME) to SLOW DOWN and just LOVE- and BE with- their kids.


All righty then.  Back to the Outer Banks and my recap and suggestion that you consider it as a wonderful family homeschool vacation/field trip.


Here are the sites we checked out, and, while we probably went to more, I have the memory of a goldfish, so these are the ones I remember:

• Well, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse..you already knew that.
• The Wright Brothers' Museum
• The Lost Colony of Roanoke-a live reenactment.
• Bodie Lighthouse (which is under renovation right now)
• The North Carolina Aquarium
• Kill Devil Hills
• The Elizabethan Gardens
• The Festival Park   They have a replica -you can play on!-of the Elizabeth I, the ship the Roanoke Colony used
• The Beach...I know.  Duh.  But, we fished, played in the surf, went to the sound side (Pamlico), watched the Kite Surfers (any of you want to go Kite Surfing??  Me do!), built sandcastles....and searched for and caught a plethora of sand fiddlers (i.e. "sand fleas" to some person--- who shall remain nameless!--...but, sand fleas??  Really?? You know better, Uncle Greggy...oooopsy!  did I say your name?  my bad. hehehehe.  Set your poor sons straight on this critical base knowledge, brother!  It's your daddy duty! ;))

We ran out of time -there is so much more to see and do .

i can't even prove i was there!  ahh, the life of a photographer (i use that word EXTREMELY liberally)

Here is a great homeschool history site on the Lost Colony,  and another on The Wright Brothers from Enchanted Learning.