East Coast 2010: Part 2

Our fun-filled week in Virginia came to an end too quickly. Fiona summed up the difference between Northern Virginia and Northern California as such: "There aren't any pink houses here." Step 2 of our East Coast trip involved renting a minivan and heading North: grandparents, parents, and kiddos all together. This is why we rented the minivan:It was a two-day drive, about 10 hours total. Nana took the prize for greatest endurance; for about 8 of those 10 hours, she repeatedly acted out the role of the wicked stepmother to Fiona's Cinderella in the back row. But finally we arrived in hot and humid (yet still beautiful and coastal) Newcastle, New Hampshire.The girls joined Boom for a lovely morning view of the marina from our accommodations...although Campbell wasn't entirely willing to abandon technology.Due to the oppressive weather (at least for us soft Northern Californians), we spent as much time near water as possible. The beach was lovely and both girls loved mucking around in the sand, although Fiona continues to be the only Gong girl who'll venture into the water.A HUGE highlight for all of us was being taken out for a boat ride by college friends of Nana and Boom. At first, the girls were dubious about whether the water-safety gear would be worth it.
Their bad attitude continued before the boat began moving. Campbell to Fiona: "Dude, get that ugly orange vest outta my face!"But as soon as they felt the wind in their hair (and, even more fun, the bumps from the waves), all was well.