Road trip day one

D and I took a bit of a road trip to North Carolina to attend a wedding. We thought about flying and we thought about taking the train. It would have been our first train trip and I was pushing hard for that option till I found out driving would actually take less time. Well theoretically it would, I talked him into splitting the trip into two parts and only driving six to seven hours a day. Yes I know I am a wimp and I am ok with it.

Roughly halfway turned out to be Hagerstown Maryland. I was sold on the idea once I found out Antietam battlefield was a short distance away. But more on that another day, I want to do the place justice and encourage as many people to go as I can.

You know I am a vacation research freak right? I really like to look into things and plan them out. I also like to occasionally try new things. I found a KOA that rented wee cabins! For half the price of a moderate hotel room too. It had electricity, wi-fi and air conditioning. With temperatures in the 90s we had no idea A/C would be so important. We did have to walk to the bathrooms but I choose to think of that as exercise.

We had to supply our own linens but what is a road trip without a couple of sleeping bags, a bar of soap and some towels? Not too much luggage, we did veer off on our own course by bringing our tea basket (kettle, pot, strainer, cups and teaspoon.) Ah tasty tea we cannot go far without you.

Isn't just as cute as the dickens?

Inside were built in twin bunk beds and a large adult bed. Hubby is modeling the big bed in this shot. Well sort of.

They had a pool that D took advantage of right away. I even had to take a tootsies only dip. I'm not much of a pool person but with temps that high even I can be coaxed in.

Then I sat in the shade poolside and pulled out some knitting and made some hard decisions. 

To frog or not to frog, that is the question. Whether the yarn tis nobler than the foot it should encase? That is the question.

Yep that pretty much sums it all up there. Rip it Rip it.

I've finished one of these socks now and can confirm that it fits over my heel. I'll show you that one another day too.

Tea Trip

Hubby and I decided to be spontaneous this weekend and take a road trip to our favorite tea shop, Harney and Sons Tea. It is not a long trip but it is more than a stone's throw away.

I discovered their tea over the internet and asked for some Queen Catherine for Christmas one year. Description from their website follows: We created this blend of three Chinese black teas in honor of Queen Catherine, who introduced her love of tea to the British. We are privledged to have this tea featured in the Museum of Tea in Hangzhou, China. Harney & Sons is the only Western tea company to receive this honor.

I had just seen a movie about Charles II of England, who's wife is the Queen Catherine the tea is named after. I liked the movie and wanted to try the tea. She seemed such a strong woman in the movie. Yes I know that Hollywood does not tell tales correctly but I really liked her character. The odd thing is that Charles II must have liked her character too since he did not divorce her when she could not produce an heir for him. He even defended her when he felt she had not been properly respected by his mistresses. Now if that is not a manly man I don't know what is. (sarcasm intended) I guess even he respected her loyalty. (no sarcasm intended)

So anyways we were off to the tea shop. I love road trips with D. I think that was when I really knew that our marriage would work, on the trip from SD to Florida. At one point when I was singing along with the radio I knew he loved me enough to tolerate my quirks.

So we pull into the tea shop and I pull out my bag of tea tins all 20 of them. We had been commissioned to pick up a pound bag of Lapsang Souchong for a friend too. So we ask if they have the pound bags there, Yes. Two pounds please and could you fill all these tins too? Turns out they were out of Lappy (that is what we call it at my house). Can you believe it? We did manage to get the last 4 ounces. I bet it will taste great too.

We had to stop for gas on our way back and that romantic of mine bought me a vanilla shake too. What a Man!