Vacation on a Budget — Part II

Mark took Emily to the lake to feed the fish. I think she was throwing in entire hot dog rolls — they were quite stale. Mark tried to show her to break them up into small pieces, but those fish got mostly huge chunks.

On one of the last days of our vacation, Clara turned one before our very eyes! Incredible! Here she is listening to suffering through the three of us while we attempt to sing Happy Birthday to her.

We splurged on a pony ride for Emily on the last day — $20. I’m certain she will remember Clover (the pony’s name) for a long time.

All four of us went in the paddle boat, but it was too difficult to get a photo while the baby was sitting on my lap. Here’s Emily steering the paddle boat while Mark does all the work. The boats were just $4 for an hour.

Another free activity we enjoyed was driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway, and watching the sunset from an overlook. Who knew a kid would have so much fun waiting for the sun to go down?

This was well-worth the wait.

Another place Mark could not resist checking out — Gertie’s Country Store. Borrow a pen, and if you can find a space, sign your name on the walls or ceiling (they are covered with signatures of people who passed through). Try their potato salad, barbeque and slaw, and be sure to meet the owners, who are well-known for their hospitality.

Coming up…. more frugal crafty goodness, another fun giveaway, and recipes for tasty (and cheap) summer eats! Mmmmm!