The boys were on spring break, so we tried to do some fun things during the day. One afternoon we went to Isle of Palms beach. We got there around 10:00 am and we found a great parking spot near a beach entrance and restrooms and outdoor showers. The beach was pretty empty.
As we were setting up our spot, we saw some military helicopters flying overhead. Video link: Helicopters Over Isle of Palms
The boys swam for a little bit, but the water was chilly so they didn’t stay in too long. We looked for shells and they built sand forts. Because we had just been to all of the forts, they named them Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, and Fort Moultrie. Once we were done with swimming, we browsed some shops and the boys got ice cream. As we left, all the parking spots on the street were taken and the beach had started getting a little more crowded.
Parking was available at the county park ($5-$15 depending on time of year) and in lots and at meters ($2.50/hour) on the main street with shops and restaurants.
We drove around the area later in the day with Ben and did see some free parking on the side of the road near the residential areas. If you are just going for the beach and not souvenir stores or food, those spots seemed like a good option. Nick found a couple of Little Libraries along the way as well. It was a cute area and we had a nice time exploring.
We had had a count down for at least two weeks before somebody’s birthday. He loved to inform us every morning how much longer.
This year birthdays were going to be a little bit different. There wasn’t going to be a party with friends and family, we were out of town, and a lot of the cool stuff to do was still closed down for COVID restrictions.
A little before his birthday, I mentioned to family and friends that they could send him a card at our campground if they wanted to. He always loved getting mail at home, so I figured it would be even more special when we were on the road. I set aside any cards that came in to be opened on his actual birthday.
The day before his birthday, I ran to the dollar store and found a birthday banner, napkins, tablecloth, and a helium balloon. I snuck back inside the RV through the back door and hid the balloon in our small closet. Once he fell asleep, I decorated. Granted, it wasn’t a lot of decoration, but it still made it feel birthday-ish.
On the morning of the kids’ birthdays, we had a tradition of driving to school (instead of taking the bus) so that we could pick up donuts on the way. The birthday kid also picked what was for dinner. I think getting to pick out a donut was one of their favorite things, so on the morning of his birthday, we hurried out to find a donut place. We picked a few and he got to eat while doing his online classes.
They had regular sized donuts and mini donuts!
This year with having a much tinier living space, we wanted to do more of an experience than physical gifts. It took awhile for him to decide what he wanted to do. We had a list of things we wanted to see/do in San Diego or he could also find something else he might want to do.
He finally decided on seeing the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, Balboa Park, Chinese for dinner, and a movie night with snacks.
The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge was in the middle of neighborhoods. It had been built in 1912 to help people get between two trolley lines (there is a canyon underneath the bridge). This was a pretty cool pedestrian bridge. It was easy to walk, although it does get a little bouncy in the middle. We even found a Little Library on the other side! (VIDEO: Walking Across Spruce Street Suspension Bridge)
Balboa Park looked like a great area to explore with several museums and the zoo either in the park or really close by. However, parking was packed when we tried to go. We ended up just driving through slowly to see things on the main road. We plan on going back on another date. (NOTE: Do not use the address that pops up in your phone’s Maps when you type in Balboa Park. It drops you next to the Balboa Park golf course. I instead type in Spreckles Organ Pavilion, San Diego Art Institute, or any of the other features in the park.)
After finishing the stops he picked out, we were on the hunt for a candy store for some movie snacks. We stopped in Old Town because we found Cousins Candy on Yelp/Maps. It is a cute, old-time feel candy store. We got a bag of taffy (which was the softest taffy we’ve ever had-so good!), and a few new types of candy to try. The prices were not cheap, but some of the items weren’t too badly priced. Old Town itself was really cute and must be lots of fun when everything is open. We saw several neat things, including luchador mask style face masks.
We had our candy snacks for the movies, but still needed to get the movies themselves. Ben ran into Redbox while we Zoomed with my side of the family. We then picked up some Chinese for dinner and headed back to chow down and watch some movies.
We are not as young as we once were. We were both stiff and sore this morning after the hike yesterday. (Really, it was just Ben and I. The boys were ready to go again.) We kept it pretty simple today to allow our muscles to recover.
We went out to breakfast at Hash House A Go Go in St. George. The chicken and waffles and the bacon mac & cheese were the best of our dishes we tried. Our other dishes were the roasted chicken hash and biscuits and gravy. I got a crazy (and good) caramel mocha coffee.
After breakfast we did some grocery shopping at Target and Costco. Will was also looking to trade in a book at a Little Library. Hurricane, where the campground is, didn’t have any registered on the website. We found two in St. George and decided to check them out as well. The boys didn’t have much luck at those two, but we found another one while driving around. Will did find a book at that one, so he was happy.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing, doing laundry, and the boys got to play pool for a little bit in the campground clubhouse.
Monday was a pretty boring day. The boys had school, with a lot more live sessions with teacher. Nick had guitar lessons after school. Ben had work today as well. I managed to get a lot of pictures downloaded, but still have to work on the videos.
After everyone was done with work, we went into Moab to explore the town some more. We found two Little Libraries and the boys each found a book. Nick’s is more of a workbook (do 1 thing a day). I am loving this Little Library idea. We had a couple near us at the house, but with the city library not far from us, we didn’t use them a lot. These are helping so much on the road. The boys get to find new books and return ones that they brought with them or found on the road. It is really helping with storage space.
We ordered a pizza for dinner and ate back at the RV. The boys finished the evening with some time in the pool in the evening.
We kept it pretty relaxed today. We drove up to Manitou Springs looking for a birthday present. It was packed! We ended up parking up the hill by the school and walking into town. We did find a couple more Little/Free Libraries along the way. Will dropped off a book he had finished, but didn’t have much luck finding a new one this time.
We just kind of browsed and meandered through town. We tried a fresh squeezed blackberry lemonade. It was pretty good, although tart. The boys loved it and it was a nice treat on a warm day.
Remember how I had trouble finding a parking spot? It turns out they were having the Pikes Peak Marathon. What?! I can’t even imagine running from the town to the top of Pikes Peak and back down. We got to cheer on a few people crossing the finish line.
After town, we headed to Walmart to pick up some grocery and clothing items. It was a pretty relaxing day.
