back to life
back to reality

Soul to Soul
Back to Life
bet you have not heard that song in a lifetime

Labor Day Weekend at the Beach!
a great idea... but not an entirely original thought
(more on this randomness below)


this weekend past the family took a trip to the Rehoboth Beach
my wife Lisa planned a weekend adventure along with a cast of characters from NW Washington DC
an assortment of families with various links and connections
some kids at the same schools
some families from the same neighborhoods
so people I knew better than others
all good people
all good families

it was a formula for a good time
a good time that altered our understanding of Rehoboth Beach
an experience that has evolved what our future Rehoboth Beach experiences may be
all for the best

for the last handful of years we have had an awesome time at each and every visit to Rehoboth
my wife Lisa had picked a rabbit out of a hat and selected Brighton Suites on Wilmington just a few blocks from the boardwalk, just a block from the main drag, and within ear shot of Funland
DEFINITELY A GREAT LOCATION 

we would drive... park at the hotel
then not drive again until we were to vacate the beach

FANTASTIC!

well... this year to try to keep momentum with the team we did things a little differently
we mixed our adventure with the group adventure

the majority of our group was at the "state beach"
although it did not make sense to pay top dollar so that we can be close to the beach
it made sense to move with the herd
there was a short list to the advantages to the state beach
but the greatest draw was to be close to the families so that the kids would have other kids to hang with 

so...
a few of us walked the short distance from the end of the boardwalk while my wife Lisa drove with the kids and our beach gear

well... I was not let down
the selling points were on the mark!

LESS CROWDED!
less crowded on the beach
less crowded in the water
less crowded in the waves
LESS CROWDED WOULD BE REASON ENOUGH!

LESS CROWDED LESS CROWDED LESS CROWDED
did I say... Less Crowded?

did I mention that it was less crowded?

then...
it was cool to hang out with these DC families
fun to see these people someplace other than at drop off and pick up of the kids at school or a the neighborhood cocktail parties
nice to throw a frisbee and play in the surf with these familiar faces from the neighborhood and such

it was fun... it was more fun than our standard routine

okay... so we had this great group of people to bond with
then also... the waves unfolded on the beach better
sure their was still "shore break"
but it was not this slamming into the wall experience that we had just a half mile up the beach

then the less crowded thing
did I mention the less crowded thing
oh... I did 
well... there is more to it than it being less crowded on the beach

when it is less crowded in the surf it is more fun
less families standing on the shore with their little gift to the world 
less people giving me and my boys hard stares when we catch the waves and ride them in 
steering with the best control we can to avoid flattening their little bundles of joy

then of course... 
in the water... less crowded means that people are not shoulder to shoulder in the waves
there is not the frequent need to bail off a wave because someone did not anticipate you coming
and also... and this is a big one
instead of riding the wave straight into shore... you can try to traverse across the wave

RIGHTEOUS!

so... on this trip we brought our freshly purchased BEATER BOARD
no pictures to tell the tale
but believe you me!
that board was worth every penny of that One Forty Nine Ninety Nine

DEAN WAS KILLING IT!
12 year old Dean made major advances in his wave riding this weekend
the Beater is that much more of a wave riding tool than the boogie boards that we bought on the boardwalk
he managed to develop a small series of moves that had not been available to him with the standard low end boogie board!

oh man...
oh oh man...

ontop of our long days of fun in the sun
we gathered with this large group of NW DC families for a catered BBQ on the beach with a bonfire
FANTASTIC!
to our pleasure... we ordered so much food
that the next night we ate left overs at a member of the group's beach condo shared pool
MORE FUN!

it was as exhausting as it was relaxing

we brought 6 boogie boards
others brought paddle boards
there were frisbees and volleyballs
hacky sacks and paddle ball

all in all
a happy and health good time
!

3 Year Old Surfer