My cousin flew in last night and we went to my parents’ for dinner. Had lots of cheeseteak and hoagies and such, and a very good time. We went home and crashed at my place.

This morning we got up around nine-ish, packed, packed the car, and my cousin and I drove the six and a half (I was taking my time and we stopped for lunch) hours from Pennsylvania to Virginia Beach. It was very very foggy through Delaware, and patchy all the way through the first branch of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. We went down the first tunnel, came back up, and aha! there is in fact a sun in the sky.

We pulled into the hotel around 5:30 this evening and found a parking spot across from the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile that’s touring all the local military bases. Yes, we got pictures. No, I can’t post them – they’re on my cousin’s camera and besides, I forgot the card reader.

Anyway, we tried to check in, but the folks in front of us had asked to be reserved in this hotel, and they’d been told they’d been reserved at this address, but they were actually reserved in the Fairfield Inn a few blocks down, and while there were rooms here that they could book, very easily, they had to go through Reservations to use their rewards certificate for a free stay…. yadda yadda yadda…. anyway, I’m pretty sure they worked it out because I’m pretty sure the woman from the party was down in the hot tub later… but that’s getting ahead of myself.

So after about a half hour we checked in, came upstairs, deposited our stuff, and immediately walked out to the beach. It was the first time Plantnerd had seen the Atlantic in about ten years, so touching it – even just with our fingertips – was required.

We then walked up about four blocks to my aunt’s house, met up with my aunt and uncle, and we joined my aunt on a walk along the beach with Moose, their massive Irish setter. Upon returning, we drove out to the Twysted Fish where we were treated to wonderful seafood.

When we got back to the hotel, we hit the hot tub for about a half an hour, and that knocked the knots out of my back. I’ve done more driving than I’ve done in a very long time (if ever) and I’ve done more walking than I’ve done in weeks, and I’m full, happy, and exhausted.

–and I miss my husband something awful, but, you know, I kind of expected that.

Tomorrow: whale watching (hopefully) and more hanging out with relatives. Cool!