We had a BLAST! It was honestly one of the best day trips our family has enjoyed. We drove to Virginia Beach in the morning:
And Luke was content as long as he couldn't see the ocean! 
After a couple hours at the beach, we headed to a nearby mall for some lunch. We strategically chose this mall because it had a two-story carousel. Even mom and dad were in awe at its size!
Then we headed a few miles up the coast to Fort Story. The first lighthouse in our nation to be funded by the federal government under our newly established Constitution was built in 1791. Although no longer functioning, it still stands. The kids were too short to make the climb to the top.
On our way back home, we stopped at the Naval Museum in 
Newport News, VA. I thought it would be a quick 30 minute stop. By the time we got back to the van, almost 2 hours had gone by. The kids were fascinated. The retired battleship USS Wisconsin...it was awesome! And now I'm in the mood to play battleship again. 
Newport News, VA. I thought it would be a quick 30 minute stop. By the time we got back to the van, almost 2 hours had gone by. The kids were fascinated. The retired battleship USS Wisconsin...it was awesome! And now I'm in the mood to play battleship again. 
Look at the size of these guns! They could fire a 2,700 pound projectile (equivalent to a Volkswagon Beetle) up to 23 nautical miles away. (Do you see those little specks between two of the gun barrels? -That's my family!) 
We explored all over the upper deck...climbing up and down wherever we could.
It was a great day! And we were all exhausted by the time we got home. We planned just enough to know what we could do based on the kids' moods yet remained flexible during the day so it wasn't stressful.
Not only was it fun...it was very educational...rich in geography, aquatics, marine biology, history, oceanic navigation, and patriotism. What more could you ask for? 
3 comments:
How come I wasn't invited?:-) What a great excusion! Those kids just keep getting cuter every day. Can't wait to see them!
I love it! I wish we lived nearer to some of the good sites! How fun to take the kids somewhere that is fun and educational. The kids are sooo cute.
Can't wait to come back and see all of this for myself. And Kyle can't believe that you live so close to a battleship. He LOVES to watch the Military Channel and all the war movies so this is exciting to him. I'm hoping sometime, maybe a year from now, we can have a family vacation to see some of these things!!
Enjoy this time a lot and don't forget to teach too, I'm sure you will!
Post a Comment