travel
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Patriots Point and USS Yorktown (Mount Pleasant, SC)
I decided to start my travel posts recapping our trip with our last excursion. This was the only activity I had not planned in our vacation budget (which we totally went over, more on that later) but I thought the boys would really enjoy it which they did. If you visit Charleston and enjoy history, I would definitely take the time to visit Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. It is just accross the Arthur Ravenel Bridge which takes you from Charleston to Mount Pleasant and was only 10 minutes from our hotel. We ended up spending close to 4 and half hours here including a break for lunch on…
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Charleston, SC: Planning Food and Outfits
We are heading to Charleston at the end of the week and as I shared in this first trip planning post, we will have free lodging and breakfast and are planning mostly free or very inexpensive activities. Where we will be spending our money is with eating out! Charleston is well known for its low country dishes: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes, corn bread,etc. To make the most of our trip, I searched family friendly restaurants that were recommended for their tasty meals. Restaurants to Try Leon’s Oyster Shop Hen and the Goat Famalari’s Brewery and Pizza Co Fleet Landing Restaurant and Bar (fresh seafood, on the…
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Allattoona Lake Hike and Motherhood
Last week was a week! I have been struggling on the motherhood train lately for no particular reason. The children aren’t really behaving any differently than usual, squabbles are not more frequent nor am I really been woken up more than usual by the toddler. I just have been feeling blah. I haven’t been very productive around the house, just doing the necessary things such as laundry and vaccuming and of course feeding the troops. Why is it hard for children to realize they should be grateful their parents take them on outings, hikes and vacations? This past Saturday, we all enjoyed a pretty hike and a picnic. However to…
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Charleston, SC: Trip Planning: How To Steps
I have talked more in depth about how to plan a trip on a budget and how to find lodging and food to fit your budget. I thought it would be nice to share the actual process with our upcoming trip to Charleston, SC. Here are my how to steps: Choose destination and length of trip Book lodging Brainstorm activities to do Scope out restaurants and food possibilities Pack! Since this would make for a lengthy post, I divided it in two parts. Today I am sharing the first 3 steps. Choose destination and length of trip The boys have a school break in October (4 days over a weekend)…
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Douceur de France: A Taste of France in Marietta, GA
To celebrate our September birthdays, my friend and I decided to have lunch at Douceur de France in Marietta, GA. There is a sister store in Roswell,GA which I have frequented more but this location is now closer to me. I have been several times for breakfast treats and lunch too and have some favorites. Some of the breakfast pastries compare to ones in France and others I pass on as not to be disappointed. My favorite is the pain aux raisins which is always nice and moist (it is a spiral flaky pastry with raisins) and compare to ones in France. As far as lunch, I chose my favorite,…
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The Fainting Goat Winery: Anniversary Date
So my husband and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary yesterday but knowing that he would be out of town, I decided we should do something fun and different on the weekend. We left the kids at home and my parents helped keep them entertained and happy and went to enjoy an afternoon at a nearby winery. I chose this particular winery from a list of recommendations from our neighbors (thank you neighborhood Facebook group!) and the key factor was distance and location. I did not want anything too far but was hoping for pretty scenery. The Fainting Goat is in Jasper, GA and is just an hour from home.…
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Tuskaleechee Caverns, TN
I am concluding our trip to the Smokies with a detour trip we took to visit the Tuskaleechee Caverns in Townsend, TN. The caverns were an hour and 45 minutes away from our rental and the ride there was beautiful as it took us through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our favorite view was near the top and we stopped to take some pictures. I was ready for walking on slippery ground with my hiking boots which turned out to be a good idea since I ended up carrying my youngest for part of the way. The cavern has beautiful stalagtites and stagalmites formations. This was our second visit…
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Great Smoky Mountains: Water
One of our favorite things in nature is to find a body of water whether it is a creek, a river, a waterfall or a lake. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that our favorite day on our vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains was a day by the Oconaluftee River. But we also hiked up to see a beautiful waterfall, took a train ride by the Nantahal Gorge and river and enjoyed a few creeks too. I was so glad to have packed everyone watershoes even if mine didn’t make it past the second day as they were quite old and literaly fell apart.. Mingo Falls Mingo falls…
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Outfits for a Vacation in the Mountains
I shared my packing list for our week in North Carolina on a blog post a little while ago (read here) so I decided it would be fun to share my actual outfits. The advantage of going on vacation is that it gives some new and interesting backdrops for outfit pictures. I did forget my running shoes and my dress at home but probably wouldn’t have worn either so it worked out well. The weather started at about 70 degrees in the morning and went up to the mid 80s during the day. Most of our activities involved being in the outdoors. This was my outfit for visiting the Museum…
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Vacation: Expectations vs Reality
We recently got back from a week long vacation to the Great Smoky Moutains in North Carolina. This was somewhat of a last minute vacation with a 2 week “notice” to find an affordable and well located rental. While I usually share all the fun pictures and fun activities we participate in, today, I wanted to share some of the real life struggles of a mom going on vacation. We love traveling with the children but sometimes, I sure wished I could take a solo vacay to a deserted island! I have shared in the past about how some vacations traveling with a 2 year old can be more stress…