We were barely home from our vacation in Greece when we repacked and headed to North Carolina for a long weekend. We started our adventure on Thursday, heading to a hotel near the airport because we had an early-morning flight on Friday.
We met up with Jim and Sharon, and then went to Leonardo's for dinner, where we reviewed information for a Vietnam tour, provided by our Travel Agent, Denise of Travel Tiger Vacations.
Day 1-Up at 3:15 to head to our flight that departs at 6:17. We arrived in North Carolina and headed to the Olympus Dive Center to complete our paperwork, stopping for ice cream along the way. Morehead City is a bustling port town with plenty of boats for fishing charters and dive trips. The streets are lined with hotels and restaurants.
We went into the dive shop just as they were notifying people that the dives scheduled for tomorrow are canceled due to inclement weather moving in. We were disappointed but are hopeful we can dive on Sunday. We left the dive shop and headed to Jack's, a large waterfront restaurant, where we joined the rest of our group and mourned the news over appetizers and drinks.
We checked into our hotel, enjoyed some pool time, then went to Filet and Fin for dinner with the Luths. It was a long but enjoyable day.
Day 2-Enjoyed some extra snooze time this morning since diving was canceled, eliminating the need for a 5 am wakeup call. We spent the morning at the North Carolina Aquarium.
It was a great way to spend a few hours. It is a very nice aquarium with exhibits inside and outside. There was a beautiful nature trail through the property.
We went to the Pier House, right on a beach, for lunch. The catch of the day was Red Drum. We all had it in different applications, sandwiches, platters, and tacos. It was delicious. We returned to our hotel and had a cocktail as we finalized our plans for a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Phillipines for next year. Enjoyed some pool time and then got notified by the dive shop that diving was on for tomorrow. We went and rented our tanks and loaded them aboard so we didn't have to worry about that at 6 am.
Enjoyed dinner at Red Fin and headed back for an early bedtime so we can be bright and chipper for our dives tomorrow.
Day 3-Up at 5 to get to the dive boat by 6 am. Arrived to be told that they would know whether the weather would cooperate at 7. Returned to the hotel, had some yogurt and kept our fingers crossed. It didn't work. Dive canceled again today. Back to the room by 8, showered, had breakfast and headed to Fort Macon for a day of exploration.
Fort Macon was built to protect the harbor during the Revolutionary War. It was surrendered during the Civil War, saw a brief commision during the Spanish/American War, and was reactivated during WWII. It is now a State Park.
After Fort Macon we stopped at the Crab's Claw for lunch overlooking the Beach. It was a wonderful day that we would not have experienced had we been diving. We returned to the hotel for the evening where we rested a bit and then played euchre and enjoyed the sandwiches that we had bought to take on the dive boat for dinner.
Day 4-Our final day. No alarm this morning and a leisurely breakfast before packing up to head for the flight home. We enjoyed coffee by the pool and then headed to the airport stopping at Swansboro, a historic coastal village, for some shopping and lunch.
We are now on the flight home, and I have time to think about the remainder of the week and plan our menu. Tomorrow, I am meeting my sister for lunch and then will stop at the grocery store to pick up anything needed to make this menu happen.
On Wednesday, the Luths and Bonacorsis are coming over to hang out in the pool, and we will have a casual poolside dinner. On Friday, we are celebrating Marissa and Raechel's birthdays. Marissa's birthday was last Saturday, and Raechel's birthday is on Sunday. Happy 22 to them both.
So here is what we are serving up for the remainder of this week. How is your summer going?
Monday
Travel Home from North Carolina
Tuesday
BBQ Pork Chops
Sweet Potato Planks
Wednesday-Friends for Dinner
Antipasto Tray
Caprese Chicken Noodle Salad
Parker House Rolls
Granat Cake
Thursday
Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi
Asian Slaw
Friday-Birthday Celebration
Chips and Dip
Cheese and Crackers
Fruit and Veggie Trays
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Grilled Chicken for Sandwiches
Hamburgers
Condiment Tray
Spaghetti Salad
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
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Birthday Cake and Ice Cream
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