Lake Anna

We have been toying with the idea of a beach trip since back in the spring. After an overnight trip with Reid in tote to VA beach in May for my friend Ashley's wedding, we realized that having an infant this age on such a trip was a big challenge. We took Hadley when she was only two months old, but she wasn't mobile yet which made a big difference. Reid wasn't getting around either much in May, but now he is constantly on the go. He's not a big fan of being in his carseat either, so that long drive to the beach probably would be a bit too much for our little man right now. 

My Uncle Randy mentioned to me a few weeks ago though about a trip they took to Lake Anna and the little beach that was there. He said that he'd suggested that his daughter take her kids there if she wanted a day trip because it was a lot closer than going all the way to the ocean. Dave and I researched a few other options, including the Cove in Gore and Colonial Beach, but thought Lake Anna looked like it had the best facilities. We threw around dates here and there and finally decided at the last minute to go this past Friday since my mom could go with us and we didn't know if we could handle the trip without her. 

Hadley and Reid had mild fevers in the days preceding the trip and Caleb seemed to have a slight one in the middle of the night Thursday, but Friday morning they all seemed okay aside from some mild congestion and a little bit of runny noses. Nonetheless, we decided to keep on with our plan since Dave had already taken off and it was one of the few days we'd been able to agree on. They looked chipper anyway don't you think: 

Hadley was great entertainment for Reid along the way:

About 45 minutes into the trip though, we began to think we'd made a mistake. Caleb, who'd slept in until it was time to go, had just finished his waffle in the car when he began to complain that his belly was full and didn't feel good. He told us repeatedly that he wanted to go home to get in his bed. Hadley, on the other hand, was hollering from the other side of the car, "Want to go to the beach." My heart was so torn. We were about half way there and I didn't want to let either child down. I thought maybe we could distract Caleb by talking about something else and promised to hold him, make him a bed on the beach, and let him play "Mommy hair" when we arrived, but nothing was working. I felt about half sick myself listening to his pleas for home, especially since I knew it was going to be a long day. Finally though, my mom remembered she had her iPad with her, one of Caleb's all time favorite things, one which he rarely gets to use, and it was a Godsend. I prayed as we drove that God would help none of the games to have computer glitches and that He would help Caleb to be satisfied and comforted until we arrived. Though Caleb mentioned wanting to go home a couple more times, for the most part that prayer was answered in the affirmative and the second part of the trip was much better than the first.

Finally, we arrived! 

I think I had a picture Strasburg's old Half Moon beach in my head as my expectation for this place, but it was a little different than I thought it might be. It was much more open and kept up than I expected. Lake Anna greeted us with beautiful views and a very clean beach and playground.

We'd picked a Friday for our visit to beat the crowd and while there were quite a few people there, it wasn't too crowded so it was easy to keep up with the kids which made it nice. 

This girl had been excited about the "beach" all day. Even the night before she'd been begging me to put her bathing suit on her at bed time. Needless to say, Hadley could hardly stand to get in that water when we arrived. 

Reid was ready and raring to go when I plopped him on that oversized beach towel too. He immediately began crawling off the blanket to check out the sand and ate a couple handfuls before I could stop him. It was hard to even get his sunscreen and bathing suit on because he was a baby on a mission.

Finally, we got the kids lathered and changed though and into the water they went.

When we first arrived, Caleb didn't want to change his clothes or get in the water, but by the time I had the other two dressed he'd changed in his mind. I was glad he did because he had a blast! :)

There were quite a few things about Lake Anna that I actually preferred over the normal beach. The first being that you don't have to deal with the salt water that's always stinging eyes and boo boos. The second was that there weren't any "real" waves. The boats or jet skis would come by once in a while and make a few small ones that were just enough for a little fun for the kids, but we didn't have to worry about them being knocked down or sucked out. Third, the area was roped off by depth. Our two older kid could touch in the first section, then there was a second section where we could take them if we held them, and a third that no one was allowed in which provided a barrier between us and the boaters/skiers. Also, I thought the beach was much more family friendly because there weren't as many teens/college students in immodest swimwear or trendy beach shops with distasteful souvenirs everywhere you look. Finally, it was MUCH smaller than a normal beach which made it easier to keep track of everyone and our beach stuff. All around it just felt like a much safer destination for the McKinstry family.

The water wasn't overrun with fish, but we did see quite a few minnows and even a few large catfish.

Reid was much easier to keep up with once he was in the water with NaNa. He kind of mellowed out and quit eating sand, entertained with his bucket and the refreshing, gentle waves lapping the shore.

I almost forgot, there was one other plus to the lake over the beach - the water temperature. It was so perfect that even Mommy (who is always sensitive to cold) felt comfortable getting in and splashing around with the kids. (Daddy didn't get to have all the fun with them this time.) :)

Though Caleb showed some disappointment that we didn't get to stay in a hotel (one of the advantages in my opinion), the kids didn't know that this wasn't a "real" beach. Sand and water is all they needed. 

Dave didn't pack any life jackets, but he did bring these water wings for Hadley. I remember them not working so well for Caleb when he was little, but Wild Woman did great with them.

One of the downsides of our trip was waiting for lunch. Since they had a snack bar, we decided for convenience sake just to eat there. However, they didn't have enough help, so Dave wasted an hour or so just waiting on our food. Live and learn, but next time I guess we'll pack something...

Dave went back later to get the kids an ice cream treat, which was a much quicker trip. Caleb got a snow cone while Hadley chose an ice cream sandwich.

Towards late afternoon, the other tourists began abandoning the beach. Usually, we would be heading in too for our kids' naps, but since it was such a long trip and we'd arrived late, we decided to let them play themselves out, especially because everyone was in such great moods and feeling good at that point in the day.

Reid was too tuckered out to hang in there though and took a little snooze under the beach umbrella.

The big kids (including the adults) wanted to enjoy the lake as long as possible. Hadley kept wanting to go out into the deep part with one of us and fussed to go farther and farther out. She loved when I would go under water and get her tummy or legs and asked me to do it over and over. Caleb sure had perked up too and even swam all the way down the beach with his daddy.

I missed the peaceful sound the the waves crashing and dulling out other noises around us, the feel of the salty air, and the seafood, but there was a lot to love about Lake Anna. From the scenic panorama of sky, trees, and water meeting in the distance to the calm, warm and welcoming water, it is a place that I think will draw us back for summers to come.