Blinded by the Light

Day 2: Blinded by the Light

Rob and Ellie burying Michael

When going on a vacation to the beach, one must spend ample time at the beach and the plan for our second glorious day of vacation was to do exactly that.  We woke up, ate breakfast and headed for the beach, boogie boards in hand because promises were made to Sean especially who had been chomping at the bit to  boogie board over the waves.  Big lessons learned today:

1. When at the beach, drink lots of water.
2. Then drink more water.
3. After, have a glass of water.

Ocean waves can be very relaxing, but they can also be a scary bunch of work.  All of us swung between ecstasy and fear as the waves knocked into us and we went between jumping in time and missing a beat and having the waves school us.  The kids figured out the boogie boards and we had a ball playing in the sand and surf.  We watched surfers playing in the steadily growing waves.  After being there all morning, Andrew looked exhausted and laid down on the blanket.  Most of the kids were done with the beach and ready for lunch, so we headed back.  Andrew was toast, feverish and looking terrible.  Poor guy was down for the count, exhibiting all of the signs of heat sickness.  When on the beach, hydration is key, especially for kids.


Friends can be a wonderful thing when you aren't well.  Michael and Sean ensured that we didn't do anything new so that Andrew didn't miss out on anything.  The big thing that Sean was looking forward to on the trip was going to the beach boutiques for new beachware, especially a new suit.  After a few errands were run by the Dads, Elizabeth and I took Sean to a beach boutique and the fish market.  Beach boutiques are plentiful in OBX but the one we went to was fabulous, Sean found the perfect suit for the OBX sand and surf and even found a Hawaiian shirt that didn't make it into the bag because of the potential better Hawaiian shirt in other beach boutiques.  Cheesy souvenirs were purchased (including 4 OBX coozies for the adults) along with t-shirts and the new suit and off we went to the fish market.

One of the greatest pleasures for me is finding out the gems and thinking about them before the trip, and Austin's Seafood Company is directly across from Jockey's Ridge.  It was everything we wanted in a seafood market.  Small, lots of people milling around and lots of delicious seafood waiting to get into our bellies.  Although there were many choices, because of the corn that we got from the farm stand the day before, we opted for fish for grilling.  Because there were so many fresh fish choices, we got three different kinds: Grouper, Tuna, and Mahi Mahi (Dolphin-fish).  After the adventure the kids and adults, minus Andrew and I, went to the beach where the large waves from earlier got even larger.  After everyone was thouroughly bushed from battling with the waves they headed back for dinner.  After they returned, Andrew was much better, tired and star struck, but re-hydrated and ready to enjoy the company of friends.

OBX!

Different fish call for different preparations, the flaky Grouper called for blackening along with some green beans and the Mahi and Tuna found their way to the grill along with the sweet summer corn.  The meal was delicious and a perfect way to end the day.