Myrtle Beach

Post conference, we jumped in our rental and drove south to Myrtle Beach. It was unseasonably wet and cold most of the time we were there, but it's a good thing the Gaertners don't need sunshine to have fun.

First item on the agenda was to stop at a battleship. Because it was on the way and Jon loves this kind of stuff.

Check.

Next, go to Walmart for a kite.

Check.

Then turn into pirates and hunt for treasure (seashells) on the beach, make a fort out of your treasure, bury the fort so no one else will find it, laugh until it hurts, and get insanely sandy.

Then take a nap on the beach.

Then, when the rain really comes down find random indoor activities in Myrtle Beach. Such as:

An interactive aquarium where you can pet a stingray;

A pirate dinner theater owned by Dolly Parton;

And a place that let's you hold baby animals like chimpanzees, wolf pups, and tiger cubs, for a nominal fee.

Jon: "I held a baby monkey wearing UNDIES!"

Like I said, who needs sunshine to have fun on the beach?

But possibly the best part for me was at the end of the day, when we'd put these two tuckered-out puppies in the bed and watch them sleep.