Travel
-
Polar Express 2020 and Getaway to the Grove Park Inn
We just got back from a wonderful extra long weekend getaway. We started this holiday season off with a trip to western North Carolina to visit my in-laws, experience holiday magic riding on the Polar Express, see Santa and finished our getaway with a parents’ only trip to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. It was a great time all the way around and now we are slowly easing back into reality! The boys are at such exciting ages and for Reid, who is 4, Christmas magic is in full swing. It brought tears to my eyes seeing him see Santa from a distance while we were at the Polar…
-
Vacation to Jackson Hole, Wyoming: 4 Amazing, Fun Filled Days
Drew and I just got back from an amazing 4 day trip to Jackson, Wyoming. It was a trip that was canceled twice, but we finally decided it was time to go out west to visit my mom and spend time in one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Our original plans were set for the end of March 2020 to go spring skiing (literally the week after Covid swept the nation). Then we planned for all four of us to travel out west in September, but got cold feet about flying with toddlers during Covid. After debating and deliberating SO much (seriously, way too much!), we…
-
Edisto Island, South Carolina Family Vacation 2020
We just got back from our family beach vacation to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. We had a fun filled trip to our happy place and given the pandemic, I am super happy we were able to make our annual trip happen! And please let it be known that I am totally procrastinating unpacking and starting laundry in writing this post 🙂 Drew’s family had a house on the beach for over 50 years, last year their family sold the house and thankfully we wanted to keep the tradition alive despite being in a different house. We rented a house called “Doc House” that is right next to the marina and…
-
Shrimp Pesto Pizza Recipe and Weekend Recap: Pool, Lake and Family Time
Does it feel like Groundhog Day every day?! My little boys are growing up so fast and I know in a few years I will look back on the year 2020 and think wow I am glad I had so much extra time with them (gratitude is getting me through this week friends!). Every Friday night this summer, we make our favorite pizza–Shrimp Pesto Pizza (yes, it deserves all caps!). It was a creation we made about 5 years ago when we had a freezer full of shrimp and a basil plant that was going crazy. Originally, we made a shrimp pesto pasta, but in our family we love pizza…
-
Anniversary Trip to the Inn at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina
We just got back from an amazing night stay at the Inn at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. We were very hesitant of staying in a hotel given the state of things right now, but decided since we haven’t had a night away in 8 months it was worth the risk. I will say that I was beyond comfortable at the Inn, they are taking precautions and everyone is very respectful in keeping distance and wearing masks. I highly recommend traveling to Asheville or anywhere in Buncombe county right now as the people and visitors are being very diligent. We got to the Inn around 6 on Thursday…
-
Father’s Day Weekend Recap: First Visit to See Family in Waynesville, North Carolina
Seeing family is so good for the soul! It has been since February since we have seen Drew’s family and since December since we have seen mine. While we FaceTime often with family, nothing replaces visiting in person. This past weekend, we had our first trip to see my in-laws for Father’s Day weekend. Both of Drew’s step-siblings and sister along with their significant others were there which made the trip that much more special. My in-laws were very kind to keep the boys for an evening on Thursday night while Drew and I ventured to the Inn at Biltmore for a much needed child-free evening (separate post on our…
-
Anniversary Weekend and Weekend on Lake Lanier
We celebrated our 6th anniversary this weekend with plenty of family time and sunshine. While it wasn’t a typical anniversary of going to a tropical island, to the beach or even out to a fancy dinner–it was exactly how I wanted to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary (lets be honest, a tropical island vacation will always trump everything–but you know what I’m saying!). We started the weekend off with a pool night with a few of our neighbors. Our neighborhood is starting to “turn over” with new, younger families moving in which means that our boys are finding new friends to play with. It is amazing to see the boys…
-
First Vacation after Coronavirus: Long Weekend in Destin and Crab Island
We just came back from an incredible long weekend with some of our closest friends. Â We originally planned to visit Drew’s best friend and his family, who welcomed a new baby girl in January, in March. Â However, with the coronavirus in full swing we decided to postpone until May. Â While I was super hesitant given that restrictions had just been loosened, I am very happy that we decided to go. Â I did not realize how much our entire family was craving some normalcy and socialization with close friends.Many of our friends in Atlanta travel to 30A for family vacations. Â We always go to South Carolina beaches, and never experienced the…
-
Camping with a Toddler and Baby: Our Trip to Balsam, North Carolina
We just got back from our first camping trip as a family of 4. Â I was apprehensive about camping with a baby and a toddler, but boy I am so happy we did! Â Drew grew up camping with his family and Boy Scout troop and finds it important that we raise our boys loving the outdoors. Â I am more of a “city girl” when it comes to the outdoors, but figure that since camping is so important to my husband I could either “join em” or be left out.For our inaugural camping trip with Walker (we went camping with Reid when he was 15 months old), we went to a…
-
Long (kid-free) Weekend at St. Regis Bal Harbour
Drew and I just got back from the most refreshing and revitalizing mini-vacation. Â We spent 3 days and 2 nights at the St. Regis Bar Harbour, courtesy of his company! Â It was such a wonderful vacation that really snuck up on us and allowed us to have some time to ourselves.We flew out first thing Friday morning and checked into the hotel around noon. Â We thought that Friday was going to be the only sunny day, as there was a strong chance of a tropical storm (thank goodness the weathermen were wrong!), so we maximized our suntanning time. Â We laid out on the beach, went for a walk on the…