Massanutten - Our trip home

We quickly packed up and were out of the house by 10am.  We started our trip home via Skyline Drive so Bethany could come along (since she’d missed our trip earlier in the week). 

Shortly after we started up Skyline Drive, I saw a car pulled over looking out into the trees.  Just as we passed them, I saw what they were looking at – two black bears.  I circled around at the next opportunity and Bethany was able to get some pictures out the passenger side window.  Before long, the bears started up the tree making it hard to get any good pictures so we opted to go back to our drive.

When I turned around again (driving south wouldn’t help us get home after all!) and we passed by, there were now several cars stopped on both sides of the road (blocking Skyline Drive).  I hopped out, joining one other photographer, to take some pictures without the confines of the car.  After getting enough pictures to hopefully find some good ones, I went back to the car (with all limbs) and we continued on our drive.

We stopped at several overlooks (these pictures are from a few different stops) but the wind was so strong and so cold that we didn’t stay out for too long.  After a picnic lunch in the car, we made one final stop and then faced the long drive home.

I love the wind and her determination to take her picture…

I love Josiah’s hair here – it was that windy!

It seems like every overlook is beautiful…

I don’t know who Cliff is but we made sure the kids didn’t get out of the car.

I think it was Lilly who took my picture.  Silly kids!

We optimistically thought about trying to get a picture of the 3 kids for our Christmas cards but the wind and cold was just too much.  Before sitting down, they were freezing and wouldn’t let go of the blanket to try to get a group picture!

She’s still cold!

Josiah concentrating on the picture he’s taking…

A quick self-timer picture of the two of us!

As we were coming into Front Royal, VA, Josiah told us he needed to go to the bathroom.  About 3 minutes outside of town, he told us he had to go really bad, then immediately threw up!  We stopped quickly (Bethany says he looked so confused and worried as it was happening) and were able to get him all cleaned up.  We were fortunate to have bags for the dirty clothes, a clean change of clothes for him, cleaning wipes to get his car seat all cleaned off, etc.  We drove the last few minutes and stopped at a gas station so everyone could go to the bathroom and we could get him washed up just a little bit more.

Our drive from Front Royal back home was the long stretch you’d expect.  The kids were great but then got antsy as the time passed.  We played all sorts of games (including several that had them hunting for trucks or construction vehicles out the windows) to keep everyone distracted.

We got home around 7:30 and everyone (including Milo) was glad we were back!

Massanutten - Day 6

Saturday was our last full day in Virginia and our last day at the waterpark.  We got over there around 11am (it opened at 10 on Saturday) and had a lot of fun.  It’s hard to believe the kids (and us too) can stay entertained there for 3 days!

We ate lunch at the “snack bar” which was disappointing (we’d intentionally avoided eating there on the previous days) since we got to the park just before lunch.  It was nice to be able to stop swimming/playing, eat a quick bite, then get back in the water but it came at a price!

We left around 4 and the kids were passed out for their naps.  When they got up, we had some leftovers and started packing things up.  Bethany and I gave up and went to bed with far too many things still to be packed but we were just too tired!

Begrudgingly waiting for us to let them go play.

The best of our attempts to get them to simultaneously smile and look at the camera!

Josiah was sharing a ketchup-dipped french fry with me…

Noah was worried about some crumbs that fell on his feet…

And Lilly was laughing at me!

After lunch, I stayed out of the water and took some pictures with our regular camera.  It was a little risky but I escaped with the camera dry!

Noah was standing watching the entrance to the lazy river…

This is Lilly coming down the green water slide that the kids went down repeatedly…

Even a cheer for herself! (She was actually waving at me)

Bethany came down too…

Lilly was holding Noah’s hand to help him find his way back up to the line for the slide again.

This was the top/entrance for the slide.

Josiah takes his sliding seriously…

Even Noah loved going down the slide.  After the first few times, he had just as much fun as the other two!

He was always so excited and happy!

One last picture before we left the waterpark…

Lilly swimming under water

Noah going down the small orange slides by himself…

After the waterpark, we drove up the mountain to the scenic overlook near the peak.  Noah had fallen asleep in the car but the rest of us got out for a little bit.

Josiah had asked about different things in the valley so we were talking about what all he could see…

He wanted me to pretend to toss him down the mountain…  crazy kid!

Lilly had bought an apple with her own money at the store.  She dropped it up on the mountain and it started rolling quickly down the parking lot towards the edge and she was sobbing.  Though the apple went over the edge and down into some grass/bushes a few feet down, she was somehow consoled that it hadn’t fallen all the way down the mountain!

 

Tomorrow we’ll have our picture from the trip home (and our stop in Shenandoah National Park)!