We left Cleveland early on Monday, August 8th and made the 8.5-hour drive to Pinehurst, NC, arriving at our hotel around dinner time. We stayed in the same hotel we've stayed at for past trips, and it served us very well yet again! Of course, it didn't hurt that we arrived right at "free wine and cheese happy hour time."
Passing through three more states on our journey: West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina
All we did Monday night was cook a little dinner and get the kids in bed, after which Eric and I hung out and watched more Olympics. The Olympics are so good, right?
The next morning, we slept in late enough to miss the hotel breakfast (HALLELUIA, thank you vacation gods!), so Eric grabbed some Dunkin Donuts for us and then we all went to the hotel pool for a bit.
Swimming with E.J.
Ellie liked this fountain!
We didn't stay long at the pool because we were checking out that morning, so we got dried off and loaded up the car and then went over to the golf course for a little fun. The kids tried their hands at a little putting, and Eric got a couple of shots in, too (that is, when E.J. wasn't stealing golf balls mid-roll).
Thistle Dhu putting course
Looking so golf-y!
E.J. mid-theft
Such concentration!
Taking in that North Carolina sunshine
Lessons from Daddy
Ellie on the putting course
Eric, the kids and Putter Boy
After our golf outing we had some lunch at the clubhouse. I think I can safely say it's the first time I've ordered a hot dog (for the kids) at a place with linen napkins! After lunch we enjoyed the scenery a bit, then loaded back up into the car and hit the road for Florida.
E.J. using said linen napkin as a bib
Trophies outside the dining room
A beautiful day at Pinehurst!
The kids enjoying the rocking chairs
Us, too!
We arrived back at our blue house late evening, having driven through a good bit of rain in Georgia and Florida. But, we made it safe and sound, after a very long trip! It was a great vacation, but it was also good to be home!
Our final three states: South Carolina, Georgia and Florida!
We drove 2,277 miles on this trip, and spent over 39 full hours in the car! Our kids are rockstars.
We're back from our trip! We were gone for a total of 14 days, drove over 2,500 miles and made (planned) stops in seven cities. We visited two amusement parks, met 12 PBS Kids celebrities, visited with four great friends and 18 family members, and nearly filled two 16-GB memory cards with photos. In short, we had a blast.
This trip was funny (but not unusual) because, as these things tend to do, we started out with a single destination in mind (my family reunion in Cleveland) and in thinking through our drive there, we found a number of stops to add, stretching the trip to its final lengthy duration. It was the sort of thing that, as we talked through it, we got more and more excited about all the fun things we could fit into one trip and marveled at how great this would be. We added stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia (and a visit to Sesame Place), Pittsburgh (and a visit to Idlewild amusement park, plus a pit stop at the Flight 93 Memorial), and Pinehurst, NC. Our itinerary was looking good!
Then, as the trip approached, our nerves picked up a little. All those stops stretched the reunion weekend into a full-on two-week road trip. We were spacing out the driving as much as possible, but still, that was going to be a lot of travel with a three-year-old and a one-year-old. When we shared our plans, people weren't really great at hiding that "OMG YOU ARE CRAZY" look on their faces, and we started to think they were probably right. Our itinerary looked a bit ambitious, and my mind started to fill with visions of sleepless night after sleepless night and car rides filled with the tortured screams of travel-weary children in the backseat. WHAT WERE WE THINKING.
In the end, though, everything was perfect. We only really had one minor child-related hiccup (a 4:00 a.m. wake-up from Ellie the morning we were driving from D.C. to Philadelphia), but for the rest of the trip, they were such troopers. They really slept pretty well, rolled with the punches when days ran long and naps got skipped, kept their happy demeanors and, most importantly, seemed to have lots of fun. Backseat screaming was even kept to a minimum and could usually be quieted with a new toy or container of Cheerios. Everything else went great, too—we only drove through rain a couple of times (at the start and end of our trip), and otherwise the weather was excellent (albeit hot) for every other part of the trip; we got where we were going in a timely manner; we saw what we wanted to see and made a lot of really great memories. Honestly, we could not have asked for better.
I am going to recap everything in depth (as if you would expect any different), but that's going to take some time because, as I mentioned, we took an absolutely ridiculous amount of pictures. So I have lots of editing and sorting and organizing to do. I may get started on recaps next week, or I may share some other things I've had in the works for a while next week and pick up the trip recaps the following week. We'll just wait and see how ambitious I feel over the weekend!
In the meantime, however, I'd like to give a brief synopsis of the great things we did. Consider this the Cliffs Notes version of our trip!
We left on Thursday, July 23rd and drove from Jacksonville to Raleigh, NC, where we stayed in a house (via AirBNB) for the night.
Here we go!
On Friday, July 24th, we drove the rest of the way to our first stop: Washington, D.C., where we stayed for 2.5 days with friends Jeff and Sarah. We were so excited about this stop, as it has been almost exactly 10 years since we moved to D.C. and seven since we left. I hadn't been back since we moved away, and I was excited to see it again and take the kids. The visit did not disappoint! We did lots of typical D.C. sightseeing and enjoyed time with our friends.
At Arlington National Cemetery
In front of the Lincoln Memorial, where Eric and I got engaged!
Eric and Ellie at the White House
On Monday, July 27th, we left D.C. and drove to Philadelphia, where we did some historical sightseeing and ran up the Art Museum steps Rocky-style (or, if you are a three-year-old girl, Elsa-style).
"Let it go! Let it go! Let it go! Let it go! Let it go!"
On Tuesday, July 28th we went to Sesame Place, where the kids especially enjoyed our breakfast with Elmo and friends. They had a blast and that meal experience in particular was probably my favorite part of the entire trip!
Ellie and Elmo
E.J. EXPLODED WITH JOY for Cookie Monster!
On the famous Sesame Street stoop!
On Wednesday, July 29th we left Philly and drove to Pittsburgh, making a stop at the Flight 93 Memorial along the way.
Looking out through the gate to the impact site
In Pittsburgh we stayed with my Aunt Rachel and Uncle Mark, and the kids loved playing both with them and with all the toys they put out for them. (E.J. was also particularly fond of the stairs and went up and down ad nauseam.)
E.J. playing with Uncle Mark! (And Ellie playing with all the zoo animal figurines, which were a big hit.)
On Thursday, July 30th we went to Idlewild amusement park specifically for the new Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood addition to the park. We rode the trolley, watched the Daniel Tiger show, and met Daniel and Katerina Kittycat. We also learned that Ellie LOVES to ride rides.
On Friday, July 31st we made the short drive to my Gramps's house in Cleveland, where Eric golfed, I visited with my friend Megan, and E.J. LEARNED TO WALK.
Getting into mischief at Great-Gramps's house! Stay tuned for a walking video!
The weekend was filled with reunion fun, and marked both my grandfather's 93rd birthday and the first reunion appearance for his three newest great-grandbabies. We had a great time together!
The Hesterman clan!
(We're missing the six members of the Idaho contingent and my sister Heather, who is still in Japan.)
The big girls helping their Great-Gramps blow out his birthday candles
"The Greats!"
Hesterman great-grandbabies, in age order: Zazi (3.5 years old), Ellie (3 years), Santiago (3 years), E.J. (1 year), Kinga (4 months) and Milena (also 4 months)!
The three big kids walking hand-in-hand through Memphis Kiddie Park
On Monday, August 3rd we left Cleveland and made the drive to Pinehurst, NC, where we spent the day on Tuesday with golf for Eric, a spa day for me, and some fun on the putting greens with the kids in the evening.
Eric and his kids on the 18th green of Pinehurst No. 2
Putting, with help from E.J.!
Ellie made her shot!
And then on Wednesday, August 5th, we packed up the car for the last time (thank goodness, because that was a chore) and made our way back to Jacksonville!
I think that's everything!
What a great trip with my wonderful little family!
I mentioned yesterday that Eric spent the morning of New Year's Day golfing the Pinehurst No. 2 course, which was the whole reason for our stop in North Carolina. It was a course Eric wanted to golf, and they happened to have a charming resort with a lovely spa (sold!), and it was a good overnight stopping point for our return trip from Cleveland. So, we stopped.
Because my golf knowledge is still seriously lacking (much to Eric's chagrin), I asked him to do a little recap of his golf outing to share. And thus, Eric's golf day:
* * * * *
View of 18 from the green
Among many nicknames, Pinehurst has been called the "St. Andrews of United States Golf," the "Cradle of American Golf" and the "Golf Capital of the World" (though there are many other places that lay claim to this last one). The resort itself has eight golf courses, six of which leave from the clubhouse on the property. The most famous is the No. 2 course, which has appeared on all 49 Golf Digest rankings of the top golf courses in America, rising as high as 9th in 2002. In addition, it has hosted more rounds of championship golf than any other course in the United States, including the PGA Championship (1936), Ryder Cup (1951) and the U.S. Open (1999, 2005, and this year!).
Thanks to the fantastic Evergreen Package and an even more fantastic wife, I was able to book a tee time to play the No. 2 course on New Year's Day. I realized there were decent odds that the weather would not cooperate, but I figured it was worth the risk. Because it was winter, the first tee time wasn't until 9:00, which gave me time to sleep in and ensured I would be able to finish at a reasonable time (which I did, in under 3.5 hours!). More practically, it also gives any frost plenty of time to melt. You can imagine my delight when the weather ended up being perfect that Wednesday morning, sandwiched between a torrential downpour the weekend before and freezing temperatures at the end of the week.
On New Year's Day, I hopped on the three-minute shuttle from the Carolina Hotel before 8:00 and arrived before the pro shop even opened. I was so early, the flags hadn't even been placed on the greens. I took some pictures of the grounds and of the Hall of Fame statues just off the 18th green.
Payne Stewart forever immortalized in a pose he struck on the very green he overlooks. See? No flag on the green.
After checking in, I met my caddie for the day and we headed over to "Maniac Hill," the driving range. I then took some more pictures and putted for a bit before teeing off and finding the first fairway, which has become pretty standard for me on these kinds of courses.
Donald Ross sign overlooking the first hole: "I sincerely believe this course to be the fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed."
To make a long story short, I really enjoyed the course. There is no rough (by design) and the pine straw and waste areas surrounding the fairways make it very difficult to lose a golf ball (which I didn't!). This is not to say the course isn't challenging, which it can be if you are not completely in control of your game; it's just that there aren't a lot of big numbers to be had. Jack Nicklaus described No. 2 as a "totally tree-lined course without a single tree coming into play." While he clearly wasn't talking about me, the recovery shots were pretty interesting/possible and only added to the fun of the round.
Left: This was the spot for my second shot on #11, which went straight through the trees and onto the green.
Right, top: Approach shot on 18; Right, bottom: Tee shot on 10
Besides having to control your golf ball and think strategically about placement, the greens are what really make Pinehurst so difficult. According to the resort, they are "some of the most complex and widely hailed in the world." Designed by Donald J. Ross, and steadily tweaked over the years after he relocated to a home near the third and fifth greens, they are the best example of his signature "crown" style. Though unkind to my score, it was pretty neat to watch approach shots that would be on the green anywhere else roll back 20+ yards off the putting surface, even with the over-seeded winter conditions. That said, I managed to roll in a 15-footer for birdie to shoot a backside 42, which may or may not have contributed to my fond memories of the round. Needless to say, I would play again in a heartbeat and can't wait to watch the U.S. Open this summer.
The second is a good example of the "crowned" greens at Pinehurst No. 2.
Teeing off on #5
Hole 4 (which will be a long 4 for pros, while 5 will be a 5)
On the 18th tee
* * * * *
Thanks, Eric! I'm glad you got to golf another course on your golf bucket list! And any time golf comes with a side of spa day for me, I'm especially game!
We departed Cleveland early in the morning on New Year's Eve, after some slight last minute car-loading snafus. Namely, we had a bunch of junk left to put in the trunk of the car at the last minute (Pack 'N Play, box fan, etc.), but the snow had continued to fall overnight and our trunk was frozen shut. Luckily we didn't have so much leftover that we couldn't cram it all into the front passenger seat while I rode in the back with Ellie, so after trying in vain to de-ice the trunk for a while we finally just went on our way.
The weather and traffic gods were not nearly as kind to us on our return trip as they had been on our trip to Cleveland. Upon departure, we drove through snow for the majority of Ohio, with a windshield so iced over it was difficult to see. It became even more difficult when we finally reached some sunshine, yet our windshield washer fluid hadn't thawed out just yet. Needless to say, we pulled over for lunch STAT and hit up a car wash.
Our poor Floridian car!
We made it the rest of the way to Pinehurst without issue, in about eight hours. When we arrived we checked in to our suite at the Carolina Hotel, freshened up a bit and made our way downstairs to the Ryder Cup Lounge for our New Year's Eve dinner. The food was excellent and the server was very good, especially at taking care of Ellie. Ellie didn't love her grilled cheese much, but apparently she made a New Year's Resolution to try new things because at dinner she happily dined on some honeydew, a previously foreign fruit to her. (Anyone who knows Ellie knows that the mere IDEA of a new food showing up on her plate is enough to throw her into a fit of hysterics, so this was big). Naturally, she also enjoyed the french fries.
The exterior of the hotel and the rooms of our suite
New Year's Eve dinner!
After dinner we checked out the gingerbread house village in the lobby (Ellie loved the train running through it), and snapped some pictures of Ellie generally frolicking around the resort.
All of those houses are made of gingerbread/candy!
In the lobby
"Let's get this party started, guys!"
Back in our room, we posed for our picture we used to announce the coming of Plus One, and had some fun playing with our 2014 glasses. Then it was off to bed for the little one.
Ready to be a family of four in 2014!
Party girl!
Eric and I spent the rest of the evening lounging around, sipping champagne (for him) and sparkling grape juice (me) while watching the coverage from Times Square (and missing it) and eating take-out dessert from the Ryder Cup Lounge. Somehow, my pregnant-and-battling-a-cold self managed to make it till midnight, and we toasted our respective beverages while watching a split screen of the Times Square Ball Drop and the Acorn Drop in Raleigh. Oh, local television!
Brownie sundae for Eric and red velvet cake for me!
I don't think we're in Manhattan anymore, Dorothy.
I barely made it a minute past midnight before passing out, and it was just as well. Eric had a busy day of golf ahead, and Ellie and I had some fun in store, too!
On New Year's Day, Eric was up and at 'em at a reasonably early hour to go golfing, but I will share all the details of that tomorrow (or rather, he will). Meanwhile, Ellie and I had a very casual morning spent lounging in bed, watching the tail end of Wall-E and first few minutes of Up before heading down to the breakfast buffet.
She looks like she snuck out of her crib and hit up all the wild New Year's Eve parties without us knowing a thing about it....
The buffet was excellent and had everything you could possibly want for breakfast. In keeping up with her New Year's resolution, Ellie helped herself to some honeydew, blueberries, and my potatoes and bacon.
The only thing she really loved was the blueberries, and we made trip after trip to the buffet for "more berries, Mama?"
After breakfast we spent a little time roaming the property before heading back to the room to catch some of the Rose Parade before lunch and naptime.
Ellie relaxing on the veranda
Scoping out the spa
Cutie!
Eric returned from golf while Ellie napped, and we had lunch together before I ran off to the spa for a prenatal massage. I had plenty of time to relax by the pool before my massage, happily sipping my lemon-infused water and enjoying some peace and quiet. The massage itself was divine, and even included a small stuffed lamb for the new baby (Plus One's first gift!). After my massage I took my time in the locker room, showering, relaxing, just being. I didn't want it to end.
But, end it must, as I had to get back to the room to so we could load up the car and check out. Alas.
Before leaving the resort we snapped a few more pictures around the property.
Eric and Ellie in front of the hotel
Somebody get these two some sweet tea already, am I right?
After leaving the resort we went back to the golf course so Eric could take a few (non-iPhone) pictures, and we planned to play the putting course just like we did in St. Andrews, Scotland. However, Ellie was having none of that. I made the mistake of preventing her from being run over by a golf cart and that was about all the drama she could take and she fell apart. She wanted to golf, sure, but if you dared try to take a turn (or direct her in any way contrary to what she wanted to do) she lost it. So, we packed that up pretty quickly.
Ellie and the famous "Putter Boy" statue
My two golf enthusiasts
"Ellie golf?"
Oh yeah. She went there. And she went ALL IN.
Our plan after the golf course was to go to the "downtown" (an adorable little area with shops and restaurants) for dinner, and we did attempt that but our efforts were short-lived thanks to what I can only assume is early onset of the Terrible Twos. We ended up leaving a restaurant, having only gotten water, in favor of ordering pizza back at our hotel. Thanks a lot, ELLIE.
Actually, the rest of the evening was quite nice. We stayed in another hotel in Pinehurst for that night, and our suite was small but perfect for our needs and the Italian dinner we ordered in was tasty. We got Ellie to bed successfully and spent the rest of the night watching bad T.V. and reflecting on our great trip.
The next morning we went back to downtown Pinehurst to do a little shopping, then hit the road for our return to Jacksonville. The final leg of our trip didn't go as smoothly as we would've liked, as we ended up stuck in some bad traffic for quite a while that threw us completely off schedule. The traffic delay forced us to stop for dinner, which made us get to Jacksonville much later than we had hoped and thus, Ellie got to bed pretty late, too. But, we survived.
It really was a fabulous trip - both our time in Cleveland and our little extra stop on the way home. Pinehurst No. 2 was one of Eric's top golf courses he wanted to play (but again, he'll tell you more about that tomorrow), I loved the spa, and the resort/town were so charming. It was a delightful way to bid farewell to 2013 and kick off our new year in 2014!
