Leaving Pennsylvania
It was to be a long driving day for us - 7 hours drive time. But, we wanted to get to our first destination as soon as possible so that we could have all weekend with Dan & Debbie. Even with the rain we encountered, it was an uneventful trip and we arrived at the Domer abode about 4:45pm. Not bad - just under 8 hours; and that was with a couple of stops, too.
Entering North Carolina - in the rain
Dan & Debbie greeted us with big hugs. It was so good to be back in their home. They are such generous hosts and it's always a joy to be with them. It has been a full year since we've last visited. Debbie prepared a scrumptious dinner for us - hunter's breakfast. It is full of everything bad for your cholesterol: eggs, SPAM, potatoes, & cheese. But, oh boy, is it deeeelicious!
The rest of Friday evening was spent catching up, chatting about each other's families and making a plan for Saturday. Dan & Debbie wanted to take us to Wilmington, which they love to walk around and enjoy the shops and the history of the area. It sits on the Cape Fear River. Remember that movie?
Cape Fear River
This morning dawned quite overcast, but we figured the weather may be better closer to the coast. After filling up on pancakes and sausage, we headed out. Dan & Debbie's son, Tony & his family, were joining us on this trip. Tony and his wife, Tiffinie, have two little ones. Their daughter, Skylar, is 3 years old and their son, Sylas, is just 9 months.
Wilmington is about 2 hours east of Winterville, where Dan & Debbie live. Of course, that didn't matter to us because we can always find something to talk about. The conversation never lags when the four of us are together.
Unfortunately, the rain began soon after we started out. Dan, our resident optimist, was sure it was just a shower and the skies would clear by the time we got to Wilmington. But, even Dan's optimism couldn't keep the rain away. It continued to rain the entire way.
One way to see Wilmington
USS North Carolina
US Courthouse as it looks out at the river
However, we didn't let a little thing like rain stop us. (It would have stopped me, but I was outnumbered!) Luckily, Dan had several umbrellas in his vehicle, so we grabbed them and kept going. Skylar and Sylas were real troopers, too. We didn't do a lot of walking around because it was just too wet. We went into the Cotton Exchange which was a building filled with little shops and we looked around a bit. But, the rain just kept coming and it just wasn't much fun to try to figure what to do next. Even Dan was ready to call it a day.
Dan with his g'daughter, Skylar and son, Tony
Debbie and Tiffinie with Skylar and Sylas
We decided to get some lunch before heading back to the parking garage to get the cards. We ate in a little diner called The Dixie Grille. Food was pretty good. Randy really enjoyed his Rueben sandwich. After filling our bellies, Dan ran across the street to the parking garage to get the vehicle so all of us wouldn't have to get wet again. Wasn't that nice of him? We said good-bye to Tony & Tiffinie and kids and headed home.
We're sorry we didn't get to see more of Wilmington, but it will be there when we visit Dan & Deb again. We'll just make sure we listen to the forecast next time!!
Tomorrow we'll go to church with Dan & Debbie and then see what else we can get into. Until the next time . . .
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