Easter + New Sand at Jekyll Island

Spring break really creeped up fast on us this year.  So much so that we didn't have anything planned for the week.  Should we go somewhere? (my answer is always yes!) I mean, a week off school constitutes a vacation, right? It always has for us.  

We decided to stick around for Easter Sunday, because friends were coming over, but those plans fell through and so would you believe that we actually ate in a restaurant that day??  WHAAAA?  I think that is the only time that has happened in my life. lol.  But you know what?  It was a gorgeous day, so we opted to be outside and active on the Beltline and just stopped to eat at New REALM on the trail.  

We still colored eggs and decorated for Easter.  

I bought two packs of the PAAS original dyes and combined two tablets for each cup.  (Last year they came out more pastel and not vibrant enough)

Boy did that do the trick! BOOM!

Smita and Tashi came over for food and fun!

It was a miracle there was no spilled cups, but we took it outside just in case.

You know I had to make my egg tree too.  It was my biggest, best yet (said Ernesto)

 Easter morning came around and the Bunny 

We hid eggs for the kids and must have re-hid them 3 times.  They loved the hunt!

After several days of hanging out at the house we made a break out of Atlanta.

This scenario right here is why I highly recommend using a hotel credit card to build up free stays.  Bored--> Free nights = GO SOMEWHERE!!!  Having hotel points INSPIRES a trip.

I really wanted NEW SAND.  I feel like I haven't added to my collection for a while, and that is reason enough to plan something.  WESTIN to the rescue.  Their resort at Jekyll Island is a beauty and oh so easy for an active weekend.

 Hotel is RIGHT. ON. THE. BEACH! 

There are nice paved trails all around the island, so after checking in early at the hotel we bee-lined for the bike rentals.

There are trails all over the island which is awesome.  How cool if you were staying here for a week and didn't need to use your car at all?!
Marcelo hooked on the back of Ernesto and Mateo was on his own bike.

Paloma happily sat behind mami and even dozed off for a bit in this seat.

I was so proud of Mateo.  He cycled all around the island-no problem. We did about 7 miles that day-not bad for his first real bike ride. It was so beautiful. I will never get sick of Spanish moss hanging off the HUGE trees. 

One stop was Driftwood Beach, which was like a playground with all the dead trees to climb on. 

There were also a couple historical stops on the bike trail.

A Cemetery??

And a barely standing house.
The Horton House was the center of a plantation that operated on Jekyll Island for
more than 140 years.

The next day we traded in our bikes for this contraption....and it was super fun.

Time to kill an hour for a hot bath.

The night was not great.  Ernesto was in the worst stage of a poison ivy outbreak and MISERABLE.  Paloma woke up and was inconsolable, making the miserable man even more miserable.  I took her to the bathroom for a change of scenery, and this is how she ended up.

The next day everyone felt better, but a nap was needed by all.  (we had sleepers in the car!)

The morning was chilly, but that didn't stop the kids from running down to the water to play.

Paloma was a great helper in collecting my "new sand." 

We may have missed the "no climbing on dunes" sign.  We were promptly told by a passerby and escaped without a $300 fine. whoops! 

A nice couple stopped on their bikes to take our photos for us and this is what we ended up with. LOL Sometimes you don't get 20 takes.

A quick game of put put and we headed back to Atlanta.