There was this one time when we still had the van and could not find a hotel anywhere near St. Mary's Home. So,...KOA...right?
It was very hot (95F) and humid when we arrived at the KOA campground near Virginia Beach. We found a spot near the restrooms (bad idea), parked the van and setup the tent. Two of us (Eileen and Andrew) would sleep in the van (it had a foldout queen-size bed) and the other two in the dome tent (we brought a queen-size inflatable mattress). Eileen ended up keeping the van running all night with the A/C going, while David and I sweltered outside trying to sleep with the constant activity (noise) around the restrooms. We never did camping as a family again. Ever. Anywhere.
I don't remember how Rachel ended up joining us. But she had been living at St. Mary's Home since April 2003. These pictures were taken in July. So we must have gone into Norfolk (still the old convent site), picked her up, and brought her to the campsite. I don't remember if the van could fit her wheelchair with the bed unfolded, so maybe we just took her to get the campsite setup and took her back later the same day. She did not tolerate heat and sun well, but she looks okay in these shots.
