Trip to the Joe’s Place Book Store and Falls Park
My parents on the bridge over Reedy River at Falls Park
While my parents were in town we made a trip to downtown Greenville. We stopped first at Joe’s Place Book Store where my sister-in-law works. The book store is only a couple of blocks away from Falls Park so we decided to go through it on our way back to our cars.
I was so busy looking at books in the book store I didn’t even take a picture! Oops! We did have fun and got some good books. Guess we’ll have to go back again to snap a few shots at our next visit. I didn’t realize it was the first time my parents had seen the big suspension walking bridge over Reedy River. We went through the park and on a few scenic hiking trails before heading back to the vehicles.
It was a good walk, a beautiful day, and the kids were able to vent a little extra energy. Thankful for time with family.
Brina speed hiking through the side trail.
The kids loved these little side trails!
Nicko and Karlie heading up the trail.
Vacation & Travel – Pausing in Reston, VA
Relaxing at the hotel and watching the traffic for a few minutes while we figure out our evening plans!
We arrived at our next stop Reston, Virginia! Thankfully, it wasn’t too far to drive from Colonial Williamsburg and the traffic was really good. We had reserved our hotel room in advance at Weston, however, by the time we arrived they didn’t have any more of our size rooms so we got free upgrade to a suite with two rooms and a refrigerator which was really nice.
So happy to be hanging out with these 3 people, my sweet family!
Brina socializing while Karlie finds a place to lounge and catch up with her current book!
Cool open area in downtown Reston area. A bunch of kids were riding bikes, skating, and playing in this covered area. They also use it to host community concerts.
Hanging out by the water fountain after walking through the downtown area.
We finally decided on Clydes restaurant after walking through the downtown area. It was a nice family restaurant and we were seated in the western style area with lots of horse memorabilia and pictures so they girls thought it was great!
A Wild Ride
We took several "taxi" rides during our vacation but the one from the airport to the port was the craziest! The neat part about some of the services at the airport is that their fees are regulated, however, that does not always mean it will be a smooth ride! Since we had a larger group we took two van taxi’s to the boat. Jake, Josh, Dad and I went in the first one and the remaining five took the second one. Our taxi was a dented mini van with smoke bellowing out the back. Unfortunately, there were no working seat belts in the van and at times we felt like we were in a roll cage at an amusement park as we whipped through the streets of downtown San Juan to avoid the traffic on the main highways. We were tracking our movements on google maps, which was pretty funny to watch as we took a zigzag path through the city before arriving at the port. Even though it was a rough ride we arrived at the port in record time. We saw all kinds of interesting sights as we zoomed through the town.
We arrived at the port more than fifteen minutes before the our the party. We were beginning to grow concerned about them since they only left moments behind us. It was only then that we realized that our group was the ones that had all the walkie talkies and cell phones that were still on. The rest of the group had already turned theirs off. Within a few more minutes and what seemed like many mini vans later everyone arrived safely at the port. We were able to check onto the Serenade of the Seas and start exploring!
A hint for those who have never traveled outside of the United States. Bring plenty of $1 dollar bills. You tip for almost everything you do. Even with a wild taxi ride you are expected to tip (some people would pay big bucks to go on a ride like that at an amusement park)! Tipping $1 to $4 each time adds up quickly when you are doing it every day and sometimes multiple times a day. Also, you have to pay for things you get for free in the US, for example, on a tour we stopped at a restaurant and in order to use their restroom you had to buy a drink (a can of Coke was $4.50), purchase a souvenir, or pay $1 per person.
A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
