DAY 3 – PART 2 – Visiting our First Home and Church where we were married
After the Air Show (Day 3), Beth and I decided to drive by our old apartments and see the church where we were married 40 years earlier. So much has changed in Hampton Roads since then, but some parts are still the same.
Our first stop was (appropriately) our first apartment. This furnished efficiency apartment had a small kitchen and bathroom, and a living room/bedroom with a fold-out couch bed. There were actually 4 of these apartments in the first building shown. Ours was on the ground floor to the right as you enter the hallway/steps. We lived here for a year.
After living in the efficiency apartment for a year, we “moved up” to a 2-bedroom apartment across the parking lot in the same complex. We now had space to stretch out, and began our collection of “This End Up” cargo furniture – which we still use today! Our apartment was upstairs and to the right. We had a pet: In the tall trees behind the apartment, there was a large pileated woodpecker who started pounding on the trees outside our bedroom window early every morning. Luckily, we were early risers, too.
It was a nice apartment except for one set of neighbors downstairs. He was a fisherman, and would bring home piles of fish and keep them on ice in his bathtub. Considering it is a 1-bathroom apartment, you can see where this is going. In addition, when it was in the 90s during the summer, the smell became unbearable. They finally were moved on and things returned to normal.
This one is tricky. We moved into a 2-bedroom town house in Feb 1989, then found out shortly afterward we would be moving to Alaska in June. We were only in the townhouse about 5 months. Now, we can’t remember the exact apartment number. I think it is the one just behind the two cars, with the wreath on the door.
Our next stop was St Marks Methodist Church, where were married 40 years ago.
After a nice dinner at the Mexican restaurant by the hotel, we opened an “Easter Bucket” full of toys and candy. Here, Grandma Beth pours a few M&Ms for Owen to enjoy.
Ooooo…… a Top Gun Maverick F/A-18 Super Hornet!!!
Grandma Beth is opening up a bag of crayons and markers to draw.
Hot Wheels helicopter!
A 50+ piece Lego airplane. Let’s get to work building it!
Getting started on the Lego airplane!
That’s not where it goes, Grandpa Mike! Just kidding – we made a good team.
A short while later, we were done!
It’s been a long day, with the airshow and sightseeing, so we decided to call it a day.
Tomorrow, we will explore Fort Monroe and the Maritime Museum. See you then!
Proceed to Day 4