In putting together our 2022 calendar, we ended up scheduling Connecticut and Delaware just 4 short weeks apart, something we would not typically do. We had first registered for the Coastal Delaware Running Festival in April 2020, but COVID, travel woes and surgery had forced us to defer this race 4 times! April 2022 was the ticket. We were pretty happy to finally be able to complete this run, even if it meant back-to-back state runs.

Air travel to the east coast continued to pose some real challenges. Originally, we planned to fly into Baltimore and drive to Rehoboth Beach, but SW cancelled our original flights and substituted 14 hr marathons with multiple stops so we had to come up with Plan B. We ended up booking flights into Washington National in DC and driving some gnarly miles in order to score shorter flight times. Janille and Laurie were joining us for this race so we were coming from four different airports; Phoenix, Oakland, Salt Lake and Seattle.

The flights through DCA may have been more affordable and shorter, but they dictated some EARLY departure times. All of us crawled out of bed around 3:30 am to make our flights, with the exception of Laurie who had scored a nonstop flight on Alaska. Melodie captured the moment as she headed out of Oakland early Friday morning.

Melodie, Janille and I met in Midway, Chicago within an hour of each other. We had a relaxed connection for the next leg to DC so we had time to grab lunch. It was at this point we learned that Laurie had been delayed. Her last text estimated at least an hour delay and she was already scheduled to arrive an hour later than us, so we prepared for some downtime in DC.

Reagan National is a small airport so we had exited security before we realized it. We figured we had at least two hours to kill before picking up Laurie, so we picked up our rental car and headed out in search of a coffee shop.

We ended up in Arlington, VA which boasts a charming downtown area, but very limited parking. Walking was required but it was a good option for bodies that had been crammed in an airplane for 6 hours. We hung out here until we received a text from Laurie that she was on the ground.

By the time we picked up Laurie, it was 5:30 pm which meant we were headed into the thick of Friday night commuter traffic on the DC/Maryland/VA freeways. We had 124 miles to go, but our phones were predicting a 3 hour drive. Fun! We did manage to stay on the right freeway this time thanks to our talented chauffeur (Melodie), but the first hour and a half were torturously slow. When we finally escaped the worst of the traffic, we decided it was time to find a place to eat. We stopped at a restaurant called “Out of the Fire” in a little town in MD called Easton. They advertised farm-to-table fresh, but what that really means is the food is outrageously expensive. All was forgiven, however, as everything was fresh and delicious and provided a welcome break from the horror that was east coast traffic during rush hour.

The next hour and a half were spent wandering through the countryside on two-lane rural roads. According to Apple CarPlay, we were headed to Rehoboth Beach, but it certainly felt like we took a roundabout route. We finally arrived at our destination shortly after 9:00 pm, very ready to call it a day. We were delighted to find our condo as advertised; clean, accommodating, comfortable beds, and well-equipped. The candy, however, was courtesy of my eldest daughter who does not travel without the necessities.

The next morning dawned clear and beautiful. The weather was pretty amazing and made us feel very blessed. The condo was located in the Grand Canal Resort which is a well-maintained, lovely area.

We did not totally understand the rationale behind this speed limit sign, but we rolled with it :).

One thing about having Janille and Laurie on board, we do not skip meals. Melodie and I are notorious for only getting in two meals on pre-race day, but not on this trip! We saddled up and headed to Rehoboth Beach for some breakfast and beach walking around 10:00 on Saturday.

After breakfast, we walked down to the beach for a couple of hours. Located on the Delaware Shores, the Rehoboth Beach & Dewey Beach Resort Area is known for its award-winning boardwalk, awesome hotels, specialty stores, amusements, beautiful homes, tax-free shopping and fine restaurants. We are always drawn to the ocean; there is something so timeless about the sight and sound of the waves as they crash against the shore. Tourist season had not officially begun so the crowds were light.

After a bit, we headed to the grocery store and bought supplies for breakfasts and a salad for lunch. No skipping meals! Afterwards, we headed back to town to do a little more sight-seeing and pick up our race packets. Downtown Rehoboth is definitely a tourist town, but it is clean, upscale, and charming. We particularly loved the homes in the area so did a little googling to find out more. Most homes in town and along the beach carried a price tag between $2.5 – $3.5 million. Wow!

Not to shock anyone, but we actually spent a couple of hours shopping. That has to be a first for a running trip! I think I’m the only one who bought anything, but it was fun to shop the outlets with good company, aka fashion advisors.

And then there is always time to be goofy. It’s our eternal youth showing up.

Laurie was appointed as the official restaurant finder for the entire trip. For dinner, she took us to a place called Iron Brewery, a sports bar that boasted a fairly comprehensive menu. The food was delicious, and Janille was happy as she got to watch the ending of a very exciting Jazz playoff game.

We are a disciplined crew when it comes to running trips, so it was back to the condo for an early night. Janille and Laurie had a 7:20 start, and Melodie and I had a 7:40 start, so a relaxed morning was not on the agenda.

We rolled out of bed at 6:00 am, forced down an early breakfast, grabbed that essential cup of coffee, and headed off to the races. Again, the weather was picture perfect. 61 degrees, clear skies and not a breath of wind. How did we get so lucky?

Melodie and I took a quick walk back to the car to unload our jackets as we couldn’t find a gear check. For the most part, the race was exceptionally well organized and provided every amenity for the runner, but for some reason, they missed this piece. All was well, it just meant we had a mile warm-up walk and made it back to the starting line with only seconds to spare. And we missed seeing Laurie and Janille off and taking more photos.

The race course was beautiful. It was mostly staged on paved/graveled trails that wandered through Cape Henlopen State Park, traversed a couple miles of boardwalk, and overall, provided some pretty spectacular views.

This race had it all. Euphoric moments when I was so grateful to be alive and running again, mixed with moments of slogging it out and hoping my body would hold up for 13.3 miles. Overall, all four of us felt good about our race. We ran/walked within our limits, and ended standing tall. I’m so proud of this crew.

I’m sorry we didn’t get finish line pictures of the 9K girls, but they aren’t nearly as possessed with picture taking as the oldies are!

After the race, we headed back to the condo for showers and stretching. Again, Laurie was put to the task of finding a place to eat. She took us to a little Mexican restaurant which we pretty much had all to ourselves, but the food was delightful. Rehoboth Beach is advertised as having great restaurants, and we found that to be true.

The rest of the day was pretty typical. We did a little walking, a lot of relaxing, and had one more restaurant experience at a local spot called Jam Bistro.

Monday was travel day. We knew it was going to be a long one, and in this case it was even longer than anticipated. We checked out of our condo by 11:00, and figured since our flights left at 5:00 and we had a 3 hr drive, we had time for a little more sight-seeing. We drove down Highway 1 for a bit and stopped off at Dewey State Park. This beach was much more raw and untamed than Rehoboth Beach and the wind was howling, so it was a very different beach experience.

And then it was time to start the long drive back to the airport. We figured we still had an hour or so to spare for lunch, so we stopped at a restaurant called Copper Canyon Grill in Maryland. The food was great, but the wait staff was not in a hurry and we ended up being there far longer than we anticipated. Added to that, when we hit the freeway again, traffic was backed up for miles and our estimated arrival time kept getting pushed out until we were at risk of missing our flight. All of us felt very silly as we had plenty of time had we managed it better, and we aren’t novices at this travel thing. Fortunately, Laurie’s flight was later (much later in fact, as it was delayed by 4.5 hours), so the rest of us jumped out at the curb and ran like crazy people through the airport to security and then to our gate. Laurie graciously took over the task of fueling the rental car and turning it in, otherwise this story would have been different. We did make it to our gate in time, only to find our flight was delayed so that heart-pumping, anxiety-filled race through the airport was entirely unnecessary. But that is air travel. You never know.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of our travel story. Melodie, Janille and I boarded our flight to Dallas and arrived almost an hour late. I barely made my connection to Phoenix, but both Janille and Melodie had seriously delayed flights from Dallas. Melodie ended up waiting for 3 hours in the Dallas airport only to board the plane for Oakland to wait another hour before takeoff. She did not get home until 1:00 am which made for her longest travel day ever. Janille experienced much the same time-table and did not pull into her friend Ashley’s home in Provo until 2:00 am. Laurie sat out her 5 hour delay in DC and arrived in Seattle well after midnight. I was the most fortunate and arrived in Phoenix shortly after 9:00 pm, not too much later than the original schedule. The travel marathon can be much harder on mind and body than the physical one, but we are always grateful to arrive home safely.

Rough travel days happen, but thankfully, that memory dims and we are eager to take on the next challenge. Only 6 states to go, and then it’s back to the drawing board to plan what comes next. Whatever it is, we are grateful for the opportunity to embrace life, adventure, and each other.

Next up, all 5 sisters plus a couple of nieces in Chadron State Park, Nebraska. State 45!

Until then, run happy!