Daddy-Daughter Vacation - Day 1

I decided to take Mollie on a trip I'd done with Brenna and Erin (see AUG 2007). We left my apartment at 0900 and drove to West Virginia - destination: New River Gorge! We made good time via I-66, US-29 and I-64 (Mollie slept most of the way). We got a gas fillup in Waynesboro (1135).  Our first stop in WV was at the Sandstone visitors center (1345). We ate lunch in Beckley (1435) on the way to Fayetteville. We were able to locate the campground where we'd stayed previously (Chestnut Creek) but couldn't find the owner or manager. After waiting for awhile, Mollie and I decided to set up our tent and wait to see what happened. We were joined by a giant flock of (friendly) chickens! Once we felt organized (1645), we headed out to explore the area. Unfortunately, we learned that the rafting place that was nearby (Wildwater Expeditions) had gone out of business. Undaunted, we went to get supplies at Walmart (1750) and managed to get the name of another outfit (ACE). We stopped at the Canyon Rim visitors center (closed) on the way back and took a walk out to see the famous bridge from an overlook. Later, we actually drove down into the gorge. Back at camp (1900), we got a good fire going and ate dinner. Mollie made s'mores and we enjoyed the pleasant weather for several hours. We had lots of good conversation and read our books before turning in for the night. Mollie's was psyched to be camping!

Chincoteague, VA (USA)

Today started early (0630) and we were initially worried to find it raining. Fortunately, the weather improved as the morning progressed. After checking out of our hotel (Navy Gateway Inn) at Wallops Island SCSC, we drove to Chincoteague and ate breakfast at McDonalds (0730).  We then headed over to the Combined School to park.  Next, we caught a shuttle bus to Memorial Park and then walked a bit farther (to Pony Swim Lane, where we'd been told we would get a better view of the event). When we arrived, we encountered mud that was about 5-7 inches deep. I was going to suggest we try another location, but Mollie forged ahead! We positioned ourselves on a small hill that overlooked the swim zone. We had to stand in blistering sun for close to two hours - fortunately, we brought lots of water, a chair and an umbrella. At around 1015, the harbor patrol popped red smoke, signaling the start of the crossing. But it was worth the wait! It reminded me of the Triple Crown races I've attended: five minutes of excitement (swimming and lots of neighing) as the pony herd made its way to where we were. We had a great view! Afterwards, we returned through the mud to the road and followed Beebe Road and Main Street towards the Carnival Grounds. We got drinks at a small produce stand, talked to locals in front of their homes (so friendly!) and found a good place to watch the pony parade. We were treated with an amazing view as the Saltwater Cowboys drove the horses to the auction area. We wanted to stay longer but needed to get back home - we were on the fifth shuttle bus back to our car. Thanks to the state and local police, we got off the island pretty quickly.  We made our way back to US-13, stopping for gas and snacks at Royal Farms on Wallops Island (1315). We later bought souvenirs before heading home (1330).  The drive to the Potomac (via US-13, US-50 and I-495) went well and we were safely home three hours later. What a great trip, filled with lots of amazing memories! Mollie is already plotting a return for next year's Pony Penning Days...

Chincoteague, VA (USA)

The day was much more relaxed but we had lots more adventures! We woke up late (0830) and tried to make it to the pony pens in time to watch the vets check the baby horses.  We were a bit late (1055) but settled for watching the two herds again. I got a Interagency Park Pass (so we could have more adventures in the future).  Mollie loved all the pony attention! We decided to take a long walk on the beach (probably around three miles total) - it was great! We found many interesting shells, watched the sea birds (we are calling the black headed gulls "Seymour", cousin to white headed "Sam" and salt/pepper "Sally") and sand crabs and got lots of sun. We also got really wet as the tide was coming in. The beach got really crowded and we headed back to town. I finally (1130) heard back from the hotel in Pokomoke that our reservation had been cancelled (what a relief).  We ate lunch at Ledo Pizza (Mollie had chicken parmagian with salad and I had a Greek stromboli - we both had fancy fruity drinks) and then visited the Coast Guard Base open house (boat tours, knot tying, damage control and boat driving simulators, etc.). We wrapped up the first part of the day with a visit to the NASA facility (Mollie has already started plotting a return visit for the Perseids star party)... Rested for a few hours at our hotel (1530-1830) and then headed back to Chincoteague so we could go to the Pony Penning Days Carnival. We ate some great food, saw tiny foals that were being spared the swim, watched the gulls trying to steal snacks and enjoyed the pleasant evening with all the locals (who seemed genuinely thankful for the boost to their local economy). Afterwards, we drove down to the beach for one more night stroll at the low tide. Got some pretty views of the lighthouse and had the sand almost entirely to ourselves. Unfortunately, we ended up being deterred by huge swarms of no-see-ums - what a difference from last night! Feeling like the bugs have really enjoyed our visit... But Mollie found a Pikachu, so I guess it wasn't a total bust. Drove back to the hotel (Navy Gateway Inn) at Wallops Island SCSC at around 2200, happy after another pleasant day of Island life. The big event is tomorrow!

Chincoteague, VA (USA)

I woke up at 0400 this morning and finished packing - Mollie got out of bed soon after that. We ate breakfast and left for Chincoteague Island. Used I-495 and US-50 (Bay Bridge).  Got gas in Stevensville (MD) at 0550. Mollie slept most of the way but I managed to stay awake during the roughly three hour drive. We used US-13 to VA-175 to get to the island. Our initial activities included a stop at the pony pens on Assateague Island National Seashore (we just missed the end of the pony roundup), hiking on the dunes, a climb up the lighthouse steps (LOTS of mosquitos), a visit to the NWR visitors center (saw some good movies). We then explored the island down to Toms Cove (very hot), located the Pony Swim site and went to Pony Center (where we petted ponies related to Misty). We ate lunch at Jackspot (1230) on the water and then walked down to Robert Reed Memorial Park to see the Misty statue. I read that the Beebe Ranch (where I took Brenna and Erin in 2008) had closed. So we instead went to the Museum of Chincoteague Island (1315) to see the items loaned by the family. Mollie did a pretty challenging scavenger hunt. The cell signal was bad all day (i.e., no chance for web searches), so we collected local Intel to get ready for Wednesday - the local residents gave us lots of good details about Pony Penning Days. At around 1600, we finished our pre-Pony Swim exploring and checked into our hotel (Navy Gateway Inn) at Wallops Island SCSC. Mollie and I cleaned up and took naps until 1900, when we drove back to Chincoteague to get dinner (Asian Express - 1930) and do some shopping (Family Dollar - 2000 - bug spray and sunscreen). We also visited the National Seashore again so we could see the ponies and then went walking on the beach until after dark. Mollie commented that she had really missed the beach. On the way back to our hotel, we started chasing Pokemon (the ranger asked what we were doing)... Amazing day!

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[Mollie slept late again - we ate breakfast and she started watching Netflix at my apartment - Kelly asked us if we wanted to go to the movies in Woodbridge so we got ready - we first picked up Mollie's bathing suit at Lauren's - we then drove to Woodbridge (traffic! - ugghhh) and stopped (1145) at Potomac Mills 18 to watch "The Secret Life of Pets" with Kelly and her kids - the place had a bar and I enjoyed an adult beverage - the movie ended at 1345 and we all went to the pool in Kelly's neighborhood for a few hours - Kelly wanted to have a cookout with her new grill - Emma was going to leave for a sleepover but Mollie still wanted to stay for dinner - so Mollie, Emma and I went to Wegmans to pick up groceries (Kelly's foot was hurt) -  I grilled burgers and hotdogs - we added mac & cheese and potato salad to our meal with Kelly and Aidan - we watched movies at Kelly's for a little while longer - Brenna called to say that she had run out the battery in her car and needed help getting it started - so Mollie and I drove back to Alexandria (arrived at 2100) - we could not get in touch with Brenna, even though we were at her house, but I scheduled roadside assist for her on the following day - Mollie and I went home and got to bed at 2230 PM]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[worked all day and then (1630) headed over to Joe R.'s house so we could all celebrate Stephanie's Birthday - in addition to myself, the guest of honor and the host, Kelly, Sabrina and Joe B. were there too - we had a fun time, good food, beautiful views from the roof of the River House - stayed until 2230 and then walked back to the Metro with Stephanie - home by 2300 and spent time with Mollie before bed]

Sandwich, MA (USA)

[left Dad's house at 0545 - MA-25, I-195 - made great time through Providence (foggy all the way) - got on I-95 and traffic began to pick-up - gas fillup at Pilot in Milford (CT) at 0815 - full blown traffic jam from there all the way to the NY border - heard horror stories on the radio about the GWB but I guess they were for the northbound side... - crossed into New Jersey without much difficulty and got on I-80 - used I-287 to reach I-78 and made great time to the Delaware River - traffic wasn't too bad and I easily made it to I-81, I-83, PA-581 and US-15 - started to rain when I entered Maryland - I didn't have to stop for gas and made it to I-270 and I-495 before the rush hour began - home around 1445 - did some telework until Brenna arrived to pick up the car - relaxed and went to bed early]

Sandwich, MA (USA)

[up around 0630 - went to breakfast with Dad and Beth at Friendly's (finished at 0800) - Dad and I then drove to Plymouth to get the car checked (new tires?) - we stopped at Walmart around 0830 and they got working on the car - we walked around the mall complex for about an hour and a half until the mechanics were finished - we then drove to visit Gerard (nearby) - at around 1200, we headed back to Dad's house - traffic on US-6 was horrible - Carolyn texted, asking if we could get together (she was staying in Hanover, housesitting for Katie) - Dad and I went kayaking in the pond near his house for over an hour - when we got back, we rested until Carolyn arrived for a cookout - Dad made burgers and hot dogs and we all enjoyed each other's company - Beth, Carolyn and I drove to the ice cream store but I didn't have nay - Carolyn stayed until around 2030 - watched some TV with Dad and I packed up my stuff - went to bed around 2200]

Sandwich, MA (USA)

[slept until around 0800 - Dad made pancakes - we went to the dump and then rested at his house until lunch time - we went to the Sandwich school fields and ate lunch while watching the kids playing baseball - we headed back to Dad's and some of his friends had just arrived for a visit - I read and took it easy for several more hours - Beth and Dad took me to the Country Club for dinner and we had a nice time together there for over an hour - after dropping Beth off, we went to watch a Cape Cod Baseball League game (Bourne versus Cotuit) - enjoyed ourselves for a few hours - then drove over to Buzzards Bay / Wareham and visited the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and had some ice cream at Dad's favorite place - went back to his house and relaxed - lots of talking today - very restful - bed around 2200]

Sandwich, MA (USA)

[had been considering visiting my father but work, weather and family schedules had intervened - finally thought it might work but wasn't ready to leave when I got home last night - managed to get packed, though - I ended up sleeping late and departed at 0945 - I-495, I-270, US-15 (traffic jam - started to feel a problem with my tire but it looked ok when I inspected it in Thurmont...) - PA-581 - accident and traffic jam at Susquehanna River - surface streets to I-83 - then I-81 - got gas in Harrisburg at Funck's (1230) - was warned about a huge traffic jam on Waze, so used PA-419 to PA-183 to PA-61 to get back on I-81 - - drove all the way to Scranton and for on I-84 - flat tire in NY (got help) - crossed Hudson (limited by spare tire to 55 mph) - making good progress until news report said there was a traffic jam from NY border to Danbury CT - took NY-121 to CT-35, then CT-102, then US-7 to I-95 - lots of traffic through New Haven - got gas in West Greenwich, Rhode Island (no bathroom, then had to go to another crowded gas station) - pretty good time all the way to Providence - 195, MA-25, US-6 onto Cape - arrived at Dad's at 2300 - talked for awhile before bed]

Harper's Ferry, WV (USA)

[Mollie slept late again - Brenna asked me to come get her at a sleepover so I could borrow the minivan - I dropped her off at her house and she brought her car to me before I took her home again (logistics...) - Mollie and I had breakfast - we then got ready and departed for Harper's Ferry at 1115 - used I-495, I-270, US-340 - we arrived at River and Trail Outfitters (Knoxville, MD) at 1230 but Kelly and Pooja didn't get there until around 1330 - Mollie and I ate lunch while we waited - we finally got in the water by 1430 - we had a great afternoon on the river and didn't finish until almost 1700 - Kelly suggested that we go to a nearby winery (Maggie Malick's Wine Caves) - we ate dinner (pizza) there and the kids had fun on the hillside - we left for Alexandria at 1830 - used used WV-9 to get to VA-7, then US-15 to I-66, then I-495 - I dropped off Mollie at 1950 - after I gave the car back to Brenna, she drove me home]

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[Mollie slept late - Brenna came to my apartment at 1000 to do some important errands with me - we opened new accounts for her at the bank, stopped by the grocery store so she could check on her job application and then she took the minivan home, to use for herself, for the rest of the week - I actually had to wake Mollie up for lunch - we cleaned up the apartment and then went to the movie theater to watch "Finding Dory" (1240) - afterwards, we went shopping at Fort Belvoir (got khakis and a polo shirt for her upcoming Shadow Day at the Equine Medical Center in August) - at 1555, we still had time left, so we window shopped in Petsmart and BestBuy; I got a call from Emma that a baby bird had fallen from a nest under their deck ("can you help?") - we were just walking into Mass (1700), so we told her we'd come down later - we went back to my apartment to change, ate a small snack and then drove down to Woodbridge - after determining there was not much we could do for the bird, we were going to leave - but Kelly suggested that we have dinner together - she ordered sushi and Chinese food - Mollie and I also stayed to watch "Eddie the Eagle" until around 2230 - we then headed home, arriving at 2300 - went right to bed]

Leesburg, VA (USA)

[I teleworked again and went to an early dentist appointment - when I got home, Mollie and I packed lunch before leaving for Leesburg - used I-495 to VA-7 all the way - we arrived for our tour of the Equine Medical Center at 1130 - we had been planning to visit for nearly two years and it was worth the effort - we left for home at 1330 and ate lunch on the way - drove home via VA-7 and US-15 to Haymarket - gas in Haymarket (1400) - I-66, then Fairfax County Parkway - we stopped to update our pool access card before I teleworked in the afternoon - around 1700, started cooking dinner - we had planned a cookout, with hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, salad - Emma and Aidan were going to stay with us while Kelly was at an event in Old Town, but that got cancelled - as a result, she and her kids arrived at 1845 (while I was still grilling) and we all ate together - we cleaned up dishes and then played "Who, What, Where JR" for a few hours - they left around 2200 PM - Mollie and I watched movies again and got to bed very late]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[I teleworked for the day - visited Fort Belvoir and Fort Myer for some personal business before Mollie was supposed to show up for the weekend - after the typical SNAFU, Erin actually brought Mollie over to my place - Brenna had finished her driver training that day (I helped her with the paperwork), so she ended up at my house at around dinner time - all three of us ate dinner together - afterwards, Brenna drove us to Huntley Meadows so we could take a nice nature walk - I wanted to give Brenna the car but there was still an unresolved insurance issue - so we dropped her off at 1900 and I took Mollie to Barnes & Noble so we could buy her a book for her summer reading list - we also went grocery shopping so we could host Emma and Aidan for dinner on the following night - we watched movies until late]