Blogging about whatever I want
Sometimes the best adventures are close to home!
Today we woke up to thankfully minimal storm impact. The storm passed in the night and we didn't even get any rain during the day or flooding. We ate breakfast at a local brunch chain, Toast, which I belatedly realized is not just a reference to hot bread, but also mimosa toasting. I thought this… Continue reading Self-guided Walking Tour of Historic Charleston
It's kind of strange to be back blogging. A lot has happened since my last post, but I am finally on my first big trip since Covid! Most vacations I spend chock full of activities from viewing historical sites and museums to getting up at the crack of dawn to go on tours. This is… Continue reading A Quick Trip to Charleston, South Carolina
Tucked away at the end of a gravel road, behind several wineries and a wedding venue lies a nature preserve, Fortune's Cove.
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry....Term begins September 1st.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone In honor of back to Hogwarts on September 1st, I thought I would finally chronicle the trip my friend and I took a few (ok maybe more than a… Continue reading You’re a Wizard, Harry! 4 Tips for Experiencing the Magic of Harry Potter World
"This hike is for experienced hikers only," the trail description reads and they really mean it. It's 4 miles to the top of Grandfather Mountain so not the longest hike, but the terrain makes it challenging. This hike we did was actually two trails, the Profile Trail and Grandfather Trail which leads to Calloway Peak,… Continue reading Profile Trail and Grandfather Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park
Less than an hour outside of Asheville is Looking Glass Rock, a very popular trail that's about six miles long. Strangely we didn't find the hike on our favorite hiking site, but it was recommended by other websites. The trail is in Pisgah National Forest, which has many different trails and plenty of pull offs.… Continue reading Looking Glass Rock Hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Over the weekend we hiked McAfee Knob in Catawba, Virginia near Roanoke and it was amazing! We started the morning a bit later than intended and didn't arrive at the Appalachian Trail parking lot until about noon. By then we were hungry so we ate our sandwiches before starting the hike and it was a… Continue reading Hiking McAfee Knob on the Appalachian Trail
"Just enough time for one more museum before it closes at six!" my dad exclaimed. It was 4:30 PM and my husband and brother-in-law, I could tell were thrilled to be going to yet another museum on this trip. I don't think they realized just how obsessed my parents, sister, and I are with museums.… Continue reading A Real Life Treasure Hunter – The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West
"Does anyone remember where we parked the car?" We had just finished eating delicious Cuban sandwiches and had walked back to our rental car...only to find that the grey mini van in front of us was not our rental car and nobody could remember where we had parked. There were many suggestions for locating the… Continue reading Does Anyone Remember Where We Parked the Car?
"Wait...key lime pie comes from Key West?" We all turned to look at my husband. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and my sister, brother-in-law, mom, dad, my husband and I were speaking about our family vacation to Key West in a few weeks. "Yes," my dad said, "That's why it's called key lime pie."… Continue reading 3 Spots to Get Your Key Lime Pie Fix While in Key West
"And we call this wall Ernest Hemingway's life and wives," the guide said, gesturing to a wall of photos. It was on our tour of the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West last December that I learned in great detail about the author's philandering ways and his four wives. His first wife, Hadley Richardson, had… Continue reading The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida
Spring is coming! The National Park Service (NPS) recently predicted peak season for the cherry blossoms will be April 3-6. If you've never visited the Tidal Basin in Washington DC during peak cherry blossom season, you are missing out! A quick backstory: these trees were gifted by Japan to the US as a symbol of… Continue reading A Guide to Viewing the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC
A Lively Fancy 