I want a Do Over

We are back from Atlantic Beach. We had a wonderful time even though we were involved in a double decker bus accident and saw an island catch on fire due to the fireworks.


Atlantic Beach is fun, clean and most importantly family friendly. We stayed at a time share called A Place at the Beach. We had a first floor room which was nice. We had the use of a ramp or stairs which again was nice. We took C's crutches and walker so the ramp came in handy. We also saw a wheelchair that was beach ready. I'm not sure if they provided it or not. I think the APATB owned it. We will check next year when we return. The pool included a 150 foot water slide. C stayed on the slide with dad or me holding him. I crashed continuously and he didn't care. I did as I hate to go underwater. However, after finding out that this is one of the best places to go scuba diving, I believe I will look into getting certified so I can go and see the sunken ships from years past.

The weather was awesome and we found oodles of shells. K found a sand dollar on Sand Dollar Island and it survived its way back to Virginia in a cheez it box that was placed in a book bag. Miracles do happen. The water was calm and the girls learned how to boogy board. Everyone got along and it was simply Nirvana. Sunburns occurred on Friday but it we still loved being out there.

We took a double decker bus tour in Beaufort. We got to see the oldest houses and the history of the town. Its also where the notorious Blackbeard lived. We were looking at his house when the bus backed into a parked car. It wasn't good for the car owner as it happened to be a 2007 Honda with all of the bells and whistles. No one was home so they left a note and we got to see more of the house.

On the 4th, we took a boat ride out onto the Atlantic Ocean and was able to see all of the fireworks shows from Ft. Macon to Beaufort. They were beautiful. Unfortunately, Sugar Island caught on fire and no one could get to it. The fire was a bright orange and the flickering flames were pretty. While on the boat, we got to see Shackleford Island which is the home to wild horses which are descendants from the horses left during the Spanish American War. They were beautiful. They have adapted to living in the marsh and have a high salt diet. Next year, I am going on the Shackleford excursion to get a better view of the horses and wildlife on the island.

We went to the NC Aquarium and got to see sharks, jellyfish, stingrays and an assortment of fish. The aquarium gets it water pumped in from the ocean so the habitats are natural. The water goes through a filtration system to get the debris out and then pumped into the various tanks. What a great way to recycle water. B was selected to participate during the live animal show which showcased alligators and crocodiles. B was transformed from an 8 year old girl to a mean alligator in front of about 100 people. She loved it. The kids then got to pet a baby alligator which they thought was "way cool".

No trip would be complete without a little American History so we visited Ft. Macon. This Fort was utilized through World War II. Its a living museum and it has great views of the ocean. The defense structure is amazing considering that it was built during the civil war. It was also where the first African American General took post. Its pretty cool to see how they lived and to hear the letters from the soldiers during the different wars that it participated in.

Overall, the group had a great time. We ended up purchasing a timeshare there which was at a reasonable price for a red week. We were also able to reimburse the owners maintenance fee for this year so we can utilize it this year for Disney.

If you are ever in North Carolina and want to go somewhere fun, clean and happy, visit the Crystal Coast. We did and we want a redo. PLEASE!! CAN WE DO IT AGAIN!!! You betcha.

Hope you had a Happy 4th.

Beamer 319