Friendly visits and then we are home!!

September 2 we traveled to Stafford, VA to visit friends that we had not seen in along time.  We last spent time together in Germany in 2012 when John and I visited their home for several days in the middle of our Europe adventure.  It is always great to hang out with Nikki and Stephen!  Finally our kids met too!

We also did a short half day trip into DC since we were so close and had not yet been there.  

Last selfie of the trip...why do I look angry?

Graham took this gem with my phone while we were hanging out.

Thank you Nikki for hosting when you were not feeling 100%!  We had a blast!! Not so much time between visits next time, I hope!

Lastly our drive home!!  We had to pick up our dog from my sister's house in Milwaukee, so that was our first destination.  After DC traffic, time zone change, about $115 in tolls, and about 16 hours in the car...we made it to Cudhay and stayed with our friends Dan and Liesl.  

Drove through this peach of a thing through Ohio as well.

Kids are surviving the long day of driving.

Blasted through Chicago around 10 pm.

We visited my sister as well and had some fun with the hose!

And....after 10 weeks and 2 nights away...we are home.

Last few days of biking

August 30 - September 1

Finally I am sitting down to finish this blog!!  About 6 weeks late. :(

We left Raleigh and went to Enfield, NC (KOA).  It was pretty uneventful!   After Enfield we stayed in Suffolk, VA.  At a really nice resort campground.  It would have been great if it didn't rain most of the day!!  John wanted to ride the whole way...100 miles or so, but he found out the stretch of road he was on had something like 5 bicycle deaths in the last few years.  With the insistent rain and his phone battery dying as well he called me (from a restaurant phone) to pick him up near the end.  Here is his bike after the day.

Finally the last day of riding to VA Beach. We camped at the KOA only 3 miles from the beach.  I would revisit this place!!  Really nice beach area and not as insane as Florida.

We met John at a restaurant on the beach.  He made it!!!  

We are lunch and then got to hang out on the beach for a little while.

I am so proud of John's persistence!  There are so many things that he/we could have considered an excuse to pack it up and head home, but we stayed the course!  What an epic adventure!!!