Last week we went on vacation. I didn’t post much about it because..well..it’s just not good practice to tell the entire internet that you’re leaving town. Every year for the last several summers my family rents a condo in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It’s become a tradition – an early morning four hour drive to the beach, coffee stops at our favorite Starbucks, breakfast at a local place that never fails to give us stories to tell.
We’ve vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, visited the rocky beaches near Boston, and I took more than a few trips to the Jersey shore in college – but Rehoboth Beach has started to feel like home. The beaches are clean, the people are friendly, there is enough to keep all of us – including a toddler with a short attention span – entertained. We actually hope for a rainy day so that we have an excuse to hit up the miles {oh yes. miles.} of outlet shopping, and this year we finally had a kiddo old enough to enjoy taking one of those 4-person covered bikes for a spin around the Boardwalk.
For us, it’s never about spending a lot of money. Our favorite memories this time came from that $25 bike rental, a trip for lunch at an unexpectedly amazing Italian place in Lewes, and a quick date night for lamb meatballs, scallops, and the best blueberry crisp I’ve ever eaten. We pack the car full of our amazing deals from the shops but also leave filled to overflowing with memories of laughter, Madi falling in love with the pool, her total dislike of the ocean, naps on the most comfortable sofa in the world, and a week of snuggles and lazy mornings.
We came back feeling refreshed & a little tan, ready to tackle our new summer routine. And we learned that we have a toddler who travels incredibly well and this trip gave us the confidence to plan other small trips this summer to make more memories. I don’t know if we’ll go back to Rehoboth next summer, but I do know that whatever we do & wherever we go, each of these trips gives us priceless memories that more than make up for the fact that I’m now trying to plan a girl’s weekend away to recover from our vacation.
Kidding….ish.
I’d love to know: what are your favorite summer vacation memories or traditions?
What a fun trip – and only four hours away! Love that. I also love that name “Rehoboth.” It’s from the Old Testament and means “wide open spaces” or “a broad place” like in Psalm 18. It’s a word I have come to love because it was God’s promise to Israel to lead them to Rehoboth. It feels to me like a “big place to breathe deeply.” That sounds exactly like your vacation. Thanks for sharing these memories with us, too!
I remember those milestones of kiddos becoming old enough to participate more fully in the vacation adventures. This is when the memories grow richer and really build! I have never been to Rehoboth, but is sounds like my kind of place. And you painted it beautifully:)
Fun! I’ve only been to Rehoboth once, in the middle of winter just to visit Dogfishhead Brewery. But, even in the rain, I loved it and am trying to convince my in-laws to switch from Ocean City. I grew up in California and am finding myself falling in love with the east coast’s way of doing beaches and boardwalks.
It was pure joy to see your sweet face in the linky grid over at The High Calling. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.
We have good little travelers, too. That makes it so nice, doesn’t it? They should be good at it at now — since they’re 12 and 10. But they’ve always been good travelers, ever since they’ve been small. Which is great, because Scott and I spend a LOT of time away in the summer, for short trips to the lake, camping, and a few longer trips to visit family. One of our favorite places to go every summer (we go twice) is to north-central Minnesota. My parents have a little cabin on a lake up there. It’s so peaceful. I love to go fishing with my dad and husband while we are there, but this year, I stayed on the dock and read books while the girls splashed around in the water. We had a grand time.
One of my favorite places to stop along the East Coast! Love it. A week full of slow mornings sounds great, too 😉
You are invited to beautiful Lake Martin for a girls trip! My favorite vacation is always the one I’m planning for next time. =) This year was great at Orange beach with sugar white sands, palm trees, and my family. I love digging sea shells out of the surf, throwing bread to sea gulls on the beach and chasing sand crabs with the littles.
What a wonderful way to begin the summer! I used to take my kids camping every summer for 10 days…10-12 families from our church went together every year. The dads taught my single-mothered kids how to fish and ski and tube. My girlfriends and I sat around the campground every day and talked until we had just about exhausted every topic known to mankind. Kidding…ish. Keep making those memories, gal! You will cherish them forever.