Our day was redeemed!

Earlier I posted about how 'boring' our weekend was. So, it was my goal to do something at least slightly exciting today since we all had a day home together. It started out slow, which was kind of nice. But then, we got showered, dressed and headed out. It was like a little adventure, not sure exactly where we would end up.

We drove to Ocean City to have an early dinner at Mack's Pizza on the boardwalk...what a yummy treat! They have been doing contruction on the bridge leading onto the island for the past several months and have recently made great progress. The new bridge is open now and it looks as though they are expanding to possibly 6 lanes - 3 going in, 3 coming out. Which will hopefully be a good way to ease traffic during the summer months. One of the main benefits of going to the boardwalk in wintertime is FREE parking! And lots of it! Anyone who has been to the OC boardwalk can attest to how difficult it can be to find parking during the summer. Then once you do find it, you have to shell out at least $10, sometimes more. So it's a great feeling to pull into our favorite lot and walk just steps into the pizza place. And speaking of the pizza place, we have our choice of seating and super-fast service. As compared to the summer months when it is packed with a line going all the way down the boardwalk. They have the heat on and offer hot chocolate, kind of cozy! There is also a TV in there, which tonight was showing political coverage gearing up for 'Super Tuesday' here in NJ.

After dinner, we walked out along the boardwalk. Another thing I did not realize about the winter months at the shore... they completely replace certain sections of the boardwalk each year. So they have it gated off and have torn off all of the old boards, put down new foundation and footers, and will soon begin laying the new boards. I meant to take pictures tonight, but completely forgot my camera. So that just gives us an excuse to head down there again soon! Then we took the girls to walk on the rock jetty near the Music Pier. It was so peaceful. There was basically no one else around, as compared to the packed beaches in the summer. I believe there is a truth to what they say about the benefits of being near the ocean. Nothing compares to the sound of waves crashing near your feet. And the awesome wonder of looking out across the horizon and seeing endless water for miles. Simply beautiful.

Because it was pretty chilly, we only spent about 15 minutes out there before loading into the car and searching for our next destination. We have lived in this area for almost 6 months now and have not really taken the time to explore our town. So we started that this evening. We drove up and down different streets along the 'Gold Coast' which simply means along the bay. I had no idea the level of luxury homes that exist just blocks from our humble abode. They are breathtaking! After our exploration, we decided to go to the library to check out some books. This was Tim's first time there, aside from the Christmas event where the girls met Santa. Each of the girls were allowed to choose 2 books to check out, so that was an adventure in itself. Finally after about 30 minutes, everyone had their little treasures ready to take home. And we were off! Upon arriving home, we had some quiet reading time, as everyone was excited to dive into their new books. Then it was an early bedtime for my little chickadees, as school resumes tomorrow. :)

So, now I plan to read a bit myself. And enjoy a quiet evening with my hubby. What a nice day it turned out to be!