Surviving Devon

[Dawn]

The caravans are a pain Dawn. The weather has been horrible, which way did you come down M3, A303 and A30.

None of those.

M27, A31, A35, A30, M5, not necessarily in that order.

Tink our roads are much smaller than yours remember? Get stuck behind a caravan on a single lane road and you're stuffed.

[Tink]

Not all our roads are superhighways! LOL! There are far more two lane roads than not. Do they drive particularly slowly in relationship to other vehicles on the road?

RVs or trailers being towed?

[ukwdwnut]

great start dawn, love the photos

tink this is a caravan, not sure if there is a speed limit to tow these ie 50mph

[Dawn]

Ok we're woken a the crack of 7am by Willow. Me and Steven sleep in one room and Adrian and Willow in another. Mother in law tried to force the 4 course breakfast on us but we settled for some toast. Mutterings of breakfast being the most important meal of the day were ignored - doesn't make it the biggest meal.

Eventually everyone was ready to take the dogs for their morning walk. Steven led the way. He insisted on wearing his hi-vis vest so the cars could see him. What cars?



This is part of the path we walk along each morning with the doggles. Can you see the sun trying to break through?



After the walk Willow was so tired that she needed a rest - don't tell mother in law though.



Now we needed to pick up some picnic supplies and stuff so Steven and Willow stayed with the outlaws and me and Adrian drove off to Okehampton where they have civilised things like cash machines. It's Sunday so most places are closed but we had a nice wander about in peace and found a nice place called Simmons Park. I dragged Adrian in for a look. He wasn't impressed.



I found a phallic shaped piece of stone with a very scary piercing.



The park had a little river running through it.



And look - it's me.



Started to spit with rain so we headed back into town. Spotted this on the way.



We found a little cafe and went in intending to get a sandwich or something and ended up both ordering the roast chicken. OMG it was huge. And look top left - all those vegetables.



I could hardly move after eating that lot but had to keep moving in case I fell asleep. Walked around the town a bit more and then went and got the food bits we needed. Stopped in the pet shop to get a few toys for the doggles and then drove back to the outlaws taking a scenic route. Adrian was taking random turns! He doesn't do that. I'm the random turner. Adrian has to know exactly where he is. Obviously in a rush to get back then. :rofl:

Steven was playing in the garden when we got back. The rain had stopped. Watched a bit of the olympics but then everyone came into the room and we had to put banal tv on again. Just had a snack to eat and put Steven to bed. Spent the evening texting various people pleading to be rescued but no one came to my aid. You all know who you are.

[Ursula]

he he... this is going to be good..... love the doggle car seatbelt thing, and the castle is gorgeous.

[Dizneyblonde]

Texts?

What texts?

[mainecoon lover]

Great trip reports. Willow is so cute and Steven is growing away.

[Dawn]

Texts?

What texts?

Hmph!

Monday and we're off out today. Outlaws started off by feeding Steven sugar laden cereal for breakfast and then wondering why he ran round the walls like a maniac. Normal sized breakfast consumed by us and the dog given a short walk. A caffeine top up and then we are off and getting into the car. While we are waiting for Steven I spot these monstrosities in the inlaws garage.



We load the car and strap the boy and the dog in and we are off to Bude for the day. Who cares what the weather is like. We are escaping. *cue Dina Carroll song but you all have no idea what I'm talking about now so I'll shut up. *

Anyway we park up at the beach where dogs are allowed all year round. They have to be on a lead but at least they are allowed. And we have an extending lead. They let children on the beach too.



Much running about and Steven soons decides it's warm enough to take his jacket off.



Dog is having fun too.



And then Mummy kicks her shoes off and joins the boy and the dog in the surf.



Steven is now pretty much soaked and decides it's now time to get his beach wear on. If anyone is interested we buy his UV clothing from Lion In The Sun.



Mummy and Willow have a run around on the beach.



We play on the beach for over an hour and had a great time. Who needs sun to have fun on the beach anyway. It's lunchtime and we're all hungry so we walk back to the car and get Steven changed into dry clothes and then I take him into the Lifeboat shop nearby for a small lifeboat toy and the ladies in the shop feed Willow rich tea biscuits.

We have a car picnic for lunch. That means we bought a picnic with us (including salad veggies) but sat in the car to eat it because by now it's raining quite hard. But car picnics are cool because you can sit and make pointed remarks about the people wandering around the car park. It was mostly surfer types today because the waves were quite big. Thing about those wetsuits is that they make you look nice and slim. We had a good laugh watching some of the bodies that came out of those wetsuits while they were changing. :rofl:

Anyway car picnic over and the raining has almost stopped so we walked up to the town for the ice cream we had promised Steven.



Had a look around the shops and Adrian found a second-hand bookshop so me, Steven and Willow had to loiter outside while he browsed. Eventually I sent Steven in and told him to find Daddy and tell him that Mummy had said he has 2 minutes to get out or Steven would start pushing over the book stacks.

We walked round the to far side of the beach and walked along toward the breakwater at the end.



I caught one of the few surfers to actually get upright for more than a nanosecond.



We walked all the way to the end of the breakwater. Very blustery out there but some great views.







Steven examines the slate cliffs above the beach.



After being blustered about a bit here we walked back along the canal that flows into the sea just here. Went into the tourist information office and got tons of leaflets for places to visit and then went back to the car. Bude is cool. We spent 5 hours there and had a lovely time. Didn't matter about the lack of sun, we had a great day. Even better because we could take Willow with us.

Stopped for petrol on the way home and I discovered that this is what a day in Bude does to you.





I directed Adrian down a couple of wrong turnings on the way home, much to my amusement. He then ordered me to not say anything else which was really funny when he asked me what turning we needed and I just said, "mmmmmmm mmmmm mm mmmmmm" :rofl:

Back at camp inlaw we had a bit of a rest and then I made a pasta bake for dinner. Pasta, cooked chicken, brocolli, red pepper, mushrooms, jar of passata, cheese, slam it in the oven for 30 minutes. That fed everyone and then I put Steven in the bath to get the rest of Bude beach off of him. With the boy safely in bed it was time to endure Emmerdale, Corrie, Eastenders, and then because it's Monday back over to the second episode of Corrie. I went to read in bed so have no idea what they watched after that but Adrian said some of his brain cells made a run for it to get away from the tv. :rofl:

[Hex]

Had a look around the shops and Adrian found a second-hand bookshop so me, Steven and Willow had to loiter outside while he browsed. Eventually I sent Steven in and told him to find Daddy and tell him that Mummy had said he has 2 minutes to get out or Steven would start pushing over the book stacks.

Steven was the one who walked out of that bookshop with 3 books!

[Britchick]

i shall ignore the caravan comments