Ocean City: Assateague Island

Assateague Island (North end, in MD)
Dan's family vacationed in this area when he was younger, and I 've heard so many stories of the "poopin ponies" that I was so excited to see them for myself.  It really is amazing, how they roam free all over the island.  

When we paid to enter the wildlife refuge, we were handed brochures warning to stay a bus length away from the ponies and that they can be aggressive and even bite.  We had actually just gotten in the car after about a 1/4 mile trail walk, when we jumped back out to see these ponies approaching.  As soon as I took this picture, the dark brown one starting coming right at the boys!  So I shooed them into the car.  The ponies are fascinating and slightly frightening at the same time.  

On the beach

I'm going to squeeze you!

I'm going to squeeze you harder!

Ponies on the beach
It's one thing to see them wandering near the road, but to see them on the beach, right near the water, was so amazing.  

The brown and white one near the water was a foal.  

We found a heart on the beach and had to get our picture by it :)

We stopped for lunch on the hour-long drive from the north end of the island to the south end.  We realized while waiting for our food that this little diner in Berlin, MD was apparently used in the movie Runaway Bride.  Now I'm going to have to watch the movie again!  

View of the Assateague Lighthouse (south end of the island in VA)  from the bottom

Boys by the Lighthouse

Lots of wetlands everywhere you look

Ocean City: Day at the Beach

Walking over to the beach.  It was actually hot today!  In the 80s!  

They played in the sand for hours...

Little boy footprint

The boys went in and out of the water all afternoon

Ocean City 2012!!

Shoes

Forget sandcastles... They made a sand city :)

Sam digging the moat

Ocean City: Playground and Getting Wet

Playing at the park across the street from our condo

Hanging from the trees at the park 

We were "just going to stick our feet in for a minute."  

Swimming with Dad :)

We've arrived!

at Ocean City, MD!  Not our typical get-away-in-the-mountains kind of vacation.  :)  But we're looking forward to great weather, lots of geocaching, and possibly days at Rehoboth Beach and Assateague Island.  We had a great trip here with no car trouble!! Check back for photos and other updates throughout the week. 

Never thought I would do this...

I dreaded each and every time I had to do the mile run test in school.  Every year I barely passed.  Maybe some years I didn't pass.  I didn't really care.  I just tried to survive the dumb thing!  My lungs would never keep up, and I just dreaded any time I had to run. 

One year in middle school, my dear friend Rachel, who was a pretty good runner, blew her chance at getting a good time and ran with me so I would pass the test.  We ran the 1/4 mile track at the school, and she encouraged me all the way, setting marks to run to, and then we would take a walking break.  I felt like death at the end of that!  I don't even remember if I passed the required time or not, but what she did has always stuck with me. 

Today I did something I never thought I would do.  I ran a mile without stopping!  Granted, I was practically doing the old man shuffle on a "dreadmill," completing the mile in 11:54.  But I did it, and didn't feel like death at the end.  :)