Last Friday, we headed to Carytown, a trendy shopping district in downtown Richmond. We walked up and down Cary Street, visiting stores and taking in the city sights.
Our kids danced to music played by students from a "Rock Camp" performing on the front porch of their studio at Guitar Works.
We vistited World of Mirth, a delightfully quirky toy store.
In a gift shop called Mongrel, they gave OBB and Baby Girl each a red balloon, which they happily hung onto the rest of the day.
And we had a yummy lunch at Baker's Crust, one of my favorite places for a relaxing meal.
That evening, Grandma came to watch the kids while WH and I had a date night out with some friends at Wild Ginger, this great asian bistro that we had yet to try.
We enjoyed Calamari, Sea Bass, an entertaining waiter and wonderful conversation with friends.
For our next Staycation Day, we went to Virginia Beach. I realize this isn't really staying in your own town, but it was just for a day trip, so I think it counts.
We got up early and hit Dunkin Donuts for donuts and coffee at 7 a.m. By 9:30, our feet were in the sand. We went to Little Island Park in the Sandbridge area of VA Beach. It was perfect: a beautiful sunny day in the 80s, just a touch of breeze, warm sun, cool water and happy kids. OBB never left the ocean all morning and Baby Girl loved playing in the sand.
OBB squealed with delight every time I lifted him up to jump the waves. Baby Girl was very industrious with her sand toys, digging into the sand and flinging it over her head behind her. After a couple hours of sun and surf, we packed it in. We enjoyed free parking (because we got there before 9:30), clean bathrooms with showers just steps off the beach and even a playground for the kids to play in with WH while I loaded the car.
Then we headed to lunch at Lucky's. This was a place we happened upon by chance, and it didn't disappoint.
I enjoyed She Crab Soup, WH had Fried Oysters and the kids stayed busy looking at all the decorations and coloring their placemats. This place was fun, efficient and delicious!
Next we headed to the Virginia Aquarium for the afternoon. The kids loved seeing so many animals up close and were entertained for hours. My favorite part was the fish "tunnel".
Our fun-filled beach day was the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors, learn about sea life and spend time together as a family. It was also perfect for tiring out our kids, who napped most of the ride home.
I am loving our staycations. They allow us to introduce the kids to new experiences without having to spend a lot of money and best of all, at night, everyone gets to sleep in their own bed!
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