Sunset Beach: Vacation

Friday
Vacation starts with a ride up to North Minneapolis and dinner at Victory 44 with friends.  I spent the night at a friend's house so we could wake up early and find our way to the airport through all the closed roads.

Saturday
Run: Woke up at 3:55am for a quick run and quick shower.
Planed Activities: Most of the day was spent flying and in various airports across the Midwest and East Coast. 
Other fun: The day ended with playing on the beach.  I was the only adult with two boys so I was told not to let them get in above their waist. They didn't swim a bunch, but I only let them bury each other in the sand up to their middles. Not sure if I did it right or not.
Special thanks to my good friend who got up before dawn to haul my ass to the airport!

Sunday
Run: First barefoot run on the beach.  Goals of this run were not to go too long or far.  This was really about blister formation which did happen on my R big toe, my L middle toe and a weird other spot on my L foot.  Plan was to let the blisters harden for a few days and then return to the beach at the end of the week.
Planned Activities: None
Other fun: Most of the day was spent on the beach.  Let vacation begin for reals.

Monday
Run: 3 miles on a road that's not yet built up.  Very popular for runners and bikers.  It was low tide.
Planned Activities: Swamp walk.  Walk with Mom and Dad on said road after my run.  It was high tide (or higher tide) for this walk and the area was filled with birds and all kinds of other wild life.  Bonus was walking on the pier at sunset. We aborted the swamp walk because of a mud risk, and given later events in the week probably better that we aborted because of snakes as well.
Other fun: More practice digging holes

Tuesday
Run: 5 miles on the road. Blister hardening nearly complete.
Planned Activities: Swamp boat tour in the afternoon.  This is a 12 person craft with a 10cc motor.  It goes very slowly. After the boat tour we took a walk on the boardwalk.  Between the boat and the walk, we saw all of the snakes ever.
Other fun: Big birthday party.  Cousin B's birthday was June 2, Cousin Ash's birthday was June 11, I was the week before as was Uncle Nick, one of the baby's actual birthday was today, and Cousin Al's birthday is in July.  We did donuts because B's birthday was also national donuts day.

Wednesday
Run: 1.29 miles without my watch which was dead because technology issues
Planned Activities: Bird Island Nature Walk with Mom.  We'd done this before, but I learned new things this time around, about the preserve and also about the dunes.  It's okay to walk on the dunes on Bird Island as long as you don't disturb the vegetation.
Other fun: Young cousin and I practiced handstands and cartwheels.  He did get a pic of me upside-down, but I am a hot mess.

Thursday
Run: Back on the beach
Planned Activities: Shopping! We headed in to Calabash to what I call "the Wall Drug of Calabash".  I don't know it's real name.  Then we went across the street for a milk shake.
Other fun: We took a walk on the beach and generally hung out.

Friday
Run: Last run on the beach.  I found turtle tracks!  The nest was already marked by the turtle volunteers.
Planned Activities: Mom and Dad drove me to the airport through a literal monsoon.  My 4:09 flight boarded around 6:30, then sat on the tarmac 'till 6:50.  Followed by hauling ass from gate E30 to D7 in Charlotte.  Boarded on time, only to sit on the tarmac again through lightning issues.  Finally landed late around 10:30 and my Pooky Bear mercifully took me home.
Other fun: Had a great walk on the beach with my cousin.  Loved talking to her for a while.  We all played on the beach in the morning 'till it was time for me to go.