We weren’t really sure where to go for our summer vacation this year, so when Jon and David both asked us to come visit them, we decided to head for NC. Besides, with gas and flight prices so high, we weren’t looking to go too far from home. We took off last Friday for Greenville, SC. I was looking forward to seeing one of my best friends, Rebekah! She took us on a tour of HomeSat and of all the updates at BJU. The new Welcome Center and Cuppa Jones are really cool! Why didn’t they have a coffee shop when I was a student? It was great to see where Rebekah works and to catch up with her. She teaches Jr. High Literature for HomeSat. It’s quite a challenging job! Here is her set where she records her lessons.

The next morning we drove to the Wilds. The mountains were gorgeous! They really looked a lot like WV. David is working with the audio ministry at the Wilds, so he showed us all of the technology the camp uses for services, performances, recording, and duplicating. We got the full tour of the camp. I had been there on my senior trip, but Stephen had never seen the camp. How fun to meet up with some friends I hadn’t seen since college!

David and his girlfriend, Tammy, took us on a hike to the “Forbidden 3rd Falls.” It’s not really forbidden, but the trail to it is small and overgrown. Not many people hike to the 3rd Falls. Stephen and I realized just how out of shape we both are! I liked the delicacy of the falls. There were many small cascades flowing over the mossy rocks. After supper we climbed up to Turtle Rock which overlooks the camp and then played miniature golf. I actually got a hole in one! 🙂 Sunday morning we attended church with David and then left for Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, NC.

Jon took us on base to a small 50’s style cafe for supper. He showed us around the base a little, but it was dark, so we didn’t really see much. Jon had asked for leave, but the Marines decided he needed to go to the shooting range at 4am both days we were there, so we didn’t see much of him. Stephen and I entertained ourselves by exploring along the coast. We visited a small aquarium. I was reminded again at how amazing and marvelous our Creator is to create such beautiful, intriguing creatures.

Next, we toured Fort Macon which was beautiful. There were some displays and exhibits, but mostly it was a fort for visitors to discover on their own. That was fun! It was relaxing to walk along the beach, sit with sand between our toes, shop in waterfront stores, and eat crabcakes (not as good as Mom-mom’s though) by the shore. We wished we had more time to experience everything!

p.s. We did stop by Mayberry on the way home. (Mount Airy, NC)