We were up at 3:30am and on the road by 4:15am... and I'll have to say this. Driving in the early hours of the morning is a great thing. With enough coffee, some good XM tunes and the right traveling companion, it's the way to go.
Observation #1: The Virginia Welcome Center is awesome. Nice, clean, and not scary at all. It must've been WAY early because hardly anyone had visited the ladies' room stalls.
Observation #2: Even the wildlife love the Virginia Welcome Center. As we were leaving, a group of about 5 deer were hanging out at the edge of the woods, just watching the trucks pull in and out of the lot. They were beautiful and seemed rather tame, too.
The wedding was held at First Landing State Park, located on the Chesapeake Bay. It was in the Native American tradition, and they did a "blanket ceremony" where after they were married, the mothers wrapped the couple up in a beautiful blanket they had created, symbolizing the "bringing together" of the two. They walked around and enfolded each of the guests in the blanket as a greeting and gesture of appreciation. Despite the freezing bayfront temps and hard winds, it was truly a beautiful moment.
Observation #3: Native American music is some of the most peaceful, yet energy-inspiring I've heard. Everyone could feel the energy there, and you could see heads bobbing all over the place.
Observation #4: You don't have to physically be related to someone to feel like family. That's how I feel with the Kelty family.
So, after the wedding, which was beautiful but also VERY windy and cold, we headed back to the hotel to rest... the 3:30am wake up call had finally taken its toll. We arrived at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center to check into the room I had booked for us. It was a bayview room with a private balcony. Er... actually, it wasn't. Exhausted and dying for a nap on a nice comfortable bed, we opened the door and looked in complete horror at a room with a dark, suspect bedroom, stains on the carpets, a couch that was ripped and looked like, er, well, I won't say what it looked like had happened there... and NO BALCONY WHATSOEVER... there wasn't even a window you could open to hear the bay breezes... just a view of the upper level parking deck through uncleaned window glass. I wanted to cry and throw up at the same time...and I was thinking of what I was going to put on TripAdvisor, too.
Observation #5: I'm a wuss.
John saw that I was greatly troubled by the room, and he went down and complained. Shortly, we were given a key to another room... one of the best rooms they had, and according to the front desk clerk, one that was over twice the cost of our $89 room. I wasn't expecting much improvement, but we walked into a two-room SUITE with an expansive view, living room/kitchenette, and a private balcony. Things were looking up. I still wondered, though, why they'd allow such a horrible room to exist there... and I'm still looking at what I'm going to write on TripAdvisor.
Observation #6: John is my hero.
Observation #7: An afternoon nap is a wonderful thing. Helps to clear all the frustrations.
When faced with the decision of what to do for dinner when on vacation -- go out to some bar and grill or get Chinese takeout and a bottle of wine to consume while watching an incredible view of the Bay -- to me, it's a no-brainer. Heck, the wine was on special, too... just works out really nicely sometimes, doesn't it?
Observation #8: I love to talk with John about anything and everything.
Observation #9: Sometimes you can live vicariously through people you don't even know.
About midnight, my post-bottle-of-wine-induced nap was interrupted by screams and yells and laughing from the beachfront. I wiped the drool from my cheek and walked to the balcony to find about 7 or 8 college-aged kids dressed in bikinis and swim trunks, scurrying to jump in the waves. I watched in both amusement and total horror that they would brave 40-degree weather and blustery conditions to do this. Must've been the alcohol. I chuckled and went back to my couch. About 10 minutes later, it happened again. More screams of delight... so I walked back to the window. It seems they had recruited more friends to join in the fun. By the third run, I found myself wanting to lean over the balcony and cheer them on wildly... but I didn't want to wake the other hotel patrons. Damn. That sure would've been fun.
So, after the long day, the hotel fiasco, the great dinner in, and the front seat to the collegiate "polar plungefest," I found myself falling into the deepest sleep I'd had in a long time.
The extra hour was such a welcome gift, and we woke up to beautiful puffy clouds and blue skies. We packed our bags, headed to Bubba's for one of the best burgers I'd had in a long time, and then headed home.
Well, not without first stopping for a great photo to commemorate the weekend.
Observation #10: It's the simple things that are the best. Well, I suppose I'd have to throw in the occasional Bubba burger, too :)
