Chocolate Stashes: April 2014

There are lots of wonderful things about having a house full of kids, but there are some drawbacks, too. One thing is that trips are stressful, and they are expensive. Until last February when we took our kids to the indoor water park in Tennessee, we had never taken a vacation without my parents.

We had scheduled a snowboarding trip in February this year, but after the second big snow we had here, the kids didn’t really seem to want to go. When I offered to cancel that trip and plan one to the Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island during Spring Break, they were more than willing. We took a short little trip from March 31 - April 2. We left home mid-morning on Monday, and headed for St. Mary’s, Georgia. We stopped for lunch at Wendy’s just before Macon and stopped once for coffee for me. Thanks to all their little electronic devices, the kids are great travelers. We hardly hear a peep out of them. I would have liked to have stopped in Savannah for a while, but after that long in the car, everyone was anxious to get to our apartment and settle in. We arrived in Saint Mary's around 5:00 pm. We stayed in a renovated loft above a yoga studio and counseling office. I found it on HomeAway for only $100 a night. It was HUGE. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, nice kitchen, and large covered deck across the back. The only downside was that it had a beautiful garden tub in the master bath, but there was no door to the bathroom, so we couldn’t use it. The toilet closet had a door, but not the whole bathroom.

We unpacked and headed down to the waterfront for dinner. The apartment was six blocks from the water, and the walk was lovely. The weather was perfect, and the street was lined with adorable little houses and Live Oaks with Spanish Moss, which is my most favorite tree in the whole, wide world. We agreed on a place called Shark Bites. They served “mac your way” as an adult entrée. Seriously, a big plate of macaroni and cheese with whatever topping you want. All the younger three kids wanted was mac & cheese. We compromised by letting them all order a kids meal and ordering a big plate of mac & cheese to share. It worked. They were happy.

We walked back to the apartment, and Matt ran to Wal-Mart for some things we needed for the next day. We woke up bright and early the next morning and got ready to catch the ferry to Cumberland Island. There is nothing to eat or drink on the island. They keep it as natural as possible. You have to bring all your food and supplies and then bring all trash back on the ferry with you. We had a cooler with water, Gatorade, sandwiches, fruit roll-ups, and carrots packed. I carried a big back-pack with water shoes, towels, sunscreen, bug spray, camera, map, etc. In true Mandi fashion, we were literally running down the street to make the ferry in time. That makes Matt so mad, but it keeps life interesting. We departed at 9:00 and got to the island at 9:45.
From the minute we stepped off the boat, it was magical. We started down a little dirt road canopied with trees and went to explore the ruins of Dungeness, a mansion owned by a member of the Carnegie family that burned in 1956 after being abandoned for several years. While walking down the road, we saw our first wild horse. It just walked right by, not minding us at all. It was the first of more than a dozen that we would see that day. They really didn’t seem “wild”. The literature asked that you not pet them or feed them, but they were obviously accustomed to being around people. We explored the marsh area and finally made our way to the beach around noon. I spread my blanket out, laid down, and went into beachy bliss mode while Matt and the kids explored. The kids got into the water deep enough to wet their clothes up to their waists - except for our little lady, Bonnie. No wading for her. After a few hours, it was time to head back toward the ferry dock to go back to Saint Mary’s. Rosemary started crying because the wet, salty waistband of her pants was burning as she walked. We stopped and let her take off her pants and wrap a towel around her for the trip home. While on the island, the younger three kids had been completing Junior Ranger books. When we got back to the mainland, we took the books to the National Park Service office, and the kids were sworn in as Junior Rangers. It was a big deal ceremony with badges and an oath. Afterward, everyone there applauded them. What no one knew was that Rosemary had no pants on. We called her "the pantsless ranger" for the rest of the trip.

We went back to the apartment for showers and naps, and then we walked back down to the waterfront to eat. We chose the Riverside Café this time. Remember me mentioning the expense of vacationing with children? $130 for dinner, including the tip. That is why the trips have to be short. We were gone for three days and spent over a thousand dollars. That is rough on a one-income family. But honestly, I would rather have short trips than to tell the kids they can only drink water at restaurants and such as that. They won’t remember the length of the trips – just that they were fun.

Most of these photos have already been posted on Facebook, but I wanted then here, too, so here they are: