My favorite time of the year is my family’s annual trip to the beach. We go for two weeks in September, and while the initial grocery shop/drive down/unpack is a big lift, but it’s all worth it for 14 relaxing days by the ocean.
The Outer Banks feel so special to me. Growing up, the beach was a big part of our lives; we always lived within a few hours or as little as 30 minutes of a beach and we went all the time. Living in WNY and far away from the ocean always makes me a little sad. I know we have Lake Erie, and I should go more often, but it’s not the same. This view brings me so much joy!
Maelle is ready to hit the beach! As she’s gotten older, she’s been able to carry some of her own gear, like sand toys and a bag for collecting shells. The boardwalk to the ocean is just as the end of the street!
This year, my nephews Aiden (20 months), Layne (14 months) were certainly more mobile than last year. We all love sitting under the Shibumi by the water, letting the kids play in the sand.
I loved this sweet, sandy photo of my nephews Aiden and Jack (3 yrs)!
We had an interesting encounter this summer; a pelican got *really* close to us, perhaps looking for food, and didn’t seem to want to go away. At first, we thought it was cute, but as it got closer we mamas noticed the very sharp ‘talon’ on the end of its beak! In fact, as one point it grabbed my mom’s towel and put a hole in it, and seemed like it might get a little too aggressive for our comfort level. It wasn’t responding to our efforts to get it to move along, so we flagged down one of the beach patrols, and they shooed it off for us. Crisis averted.
The water in the Outer Banks can be pretty rough, especially down in Hatteras and during September, so the littles certainly need help in the waves!
Thankfully, our rental house has a pool (!!!) which is perfect for windy days, or days when everyone is just too tired to lug all the beach gear. I love how Maelle’s suit matches this pool float so well.
This year, we took the kids to the Rodanthe Pier to do some fishing, which was very nostalgic for all of us. My mom grew up coming here and fishing with her parents, and I remember doing a little myself when I was a kid. Unfortunately, it started raining shortly after began, so hopefully next summer we’ll have a better fishing day.
We all went to the Bodie Island Lighthouse this year, which was a fun trip away from the house for us.
The sound, which is across HWY 12 from where the rental house is (just a couple minutes down the road), provides a calm, shallow area for the kids to play in the sand and water. It’s also a popular place to kayak, paddleboard and fish. Mom, Hannah and I like to go out a couple times during our stay, and we’re trying to get the kids involved too!
Every year, we plan an evening to do family photos on the beach. We always hope we’ll find someone walking by at just the right time to take a picture of our entire family, but unfortunately, we didn’t succeed this year. We did get tons of great family photos and photos of the kids with my parents. I LOVE how the setting sun results in such a beautiful backdrop for these photos.
This is such a great, goofy photo!
Can’t wait for next year!
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