Hello again…I’m back with another post beach trip blog post. If you were wondering, yes I do have a life outside of photography. I have a wonderful wife, Lyndsay, and an eight year old son, Chase, who I was able to enjoy vacation with. I may have been getting up for the sunrise most mornings but that did not stop me from enjoying family time during the day. My parents rent a beach house that their friends own which turns out to be a great deal for them and even a better deal for us because they foot the bill. The house is located in Frankford, DE but when people ask where we went it is just easier to say Bethany Beach. It’s only a fifteen minute drive to the beach but there are plenty of restaurants and other shops closer than that.
The first day we arrived the weather wasn’t the best so we kicked back and relaxed from our drive before heading out for the night. We first filled up our bellies with a wonderful dinner at The Fat Tuna Grill. Afterwards we all headed down to Fenwick Island and played some mini-golf at Fat Albert’s Pizzeria & Mini Golf. Chase really loves mini golf and impressed all of us with his putting skills. In the past he would sometimes rush his shots but he seemed to take his time and aim each one precisely. He really did a great job and the score card went to show it. It’s OK Dad don’t be ashamed that an eight year old showed you up! Next we headed to Fisher’s Popcorn for a tub of their famous caramel corn and then made a visit to one of the many Candy Kitchens around the beach towns.
The next day we had beautiful weather and Lyndsay’s dad, Todd, came down to spend some time with us. We spent the day on the beach and Chase was brave enough to get in deeper water than in years past. It seems every year he takes it to another level. This year he was willing to go to where he could touch but when the waves came in he would float up and back down to where he could touch again. He was having so much fun but still wanted to make sure an adult was nearby just in case a big one came in without him expecting it. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of going through the waves, but I was hoping by the end of the trip he would be willing to give it a try. While I was on the blanket relaxing (actually getting sun burnt) Todd came sprinting down the beach into the water to surprise Chase. After playing some more in the water we all went back and cleaned up before having dinner at Harpoon Hannas. I think we all ordered seafood and Chase decided to go with fish sticks. We don’t normally eat fish sticks at home but he absolutely loved them and made sure to let our server know each time he checked in our table. I have never seen him so ecstatic over a meal like he was that night. Afterwards Todd and the three of us decided to try a different mini golf course while my parents made a trip to the grocery store. This time we went to Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure Golf in Ocean City, MD. We knew the course would be a quality one because they also have a course in our hometown, Lancaster, PA, that we have been to a handful of times. Even though they had two separate courses to choose from both of them were backed up with plenty of golfers. The course we first choose was moving way too slow due to a group of eight or nine that were taking their good ole’ time at each hole. So after the first hole we played we switched over to the second course and saved ourselves from a super long wait between holes and finished sooner than we would have in the initial course selection. Afterwards we headed to Kohr Brothers for some ice cream (actually it’s custard) before calling it a night.
The following day we again headed to the beach. Chase was taking to the water like a fish, however he still wasn’t sure about going through a wave. At one point though he had no choice and came through the other side with a big smile on his face and gave me a “high ten”. I think he was a little shocked at the experience to say the least. After soaking in the sun and heading back to home base we decided is stay in and order a bushel of crabs and some shrimp from Steamers Crab and Seafood Company. Luckily Chase had left over chicken strips from the first night because the sight of the crabs weren’t appetizing to him. We all had a great time together dismantling the crabs and having some beer but more importantly having good conversation and just enjoying time together with our family. We all had a great night and really enjoyed the food sans Lyndsay getting a few cuts from the crab shells. Old bay and cuts on your hands just don’t mix.
Our last full day of vacation didn’t start out with good weather. Todd was going to meet up with us again but decided to head home because of the rain. After spending most of the day at the house we decided to visit Jungle Jim’s River Safari Water Park in the afternoon. We really enjoyed the lazy river and the many other rides they had. Chase and the rest of us loved every minute of it. I think he would have spent the entire night there if they didn’t announce on the loud speaker they were closing. I thought that we had a challenge of getting him out of the park but as we left I realized how good we really have it. We witnessed a young girl, probably four of five, sprinting back into the park from the parking lot with her mother trying to chase her down. I guess we weren’t the only ones who had a blast that day. That night my parents watched Chase while Lyndsay and I enjoyed some time to ourselves. We made the drive into Ocean City and had dinner at Shark on the Harbor. It’s hard to go wrong with seafood while visiting the beach so she went with the swordfish and I decided on the scallops. We finished off with some sort of brownie with ice cream dessert that was to die for. Both of our meals were stupendous and I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a nice place to eat. More importantly it was great to spend some quality time together just the two of us. Love you babe!
Our last day we spent a couple hours on the beach then headed back to the beach house to clean up before our trip home. We wanted to get home in time to get the dogs from the kennel. Even though it was nice to have a break from the two of them it wouldn’t have seemed right to be at home without the pups.
All in all we had a great vacation. Good times, good food and good family time.
Some of the above photos are available to view or purchase on the photos page in the family gallery. Anybody from our family who wants access to the gallery can contact me for the password.
