North and South Carolina….it’s been forever since I traveled!

Travel, like most things in life is a skill that with practice we get better at doing. With a few exceptions I haven’t really been anywhere in the past 18 months - so really felt like I was starting over as I prepared to head to North and South Carolina for almost two weeks. And definitely rusty with blogging so bare with me as I prepare to make some sense with this post.

The view everyday from the deck of our AirBNB. It’s peak week for the leaves in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

The purpose of the trip was my son Tom’s wedding to the lovely Anna. They selected the perfect time to get married in the Blue Ridge Mountains where they currently live as it was the peak of the fall colors - and it did not disappoint. The beautiful scenery, the happiness of finally getting to gather with our family and close friends, and the joy of witnessing two people that were destined to be together made for the perfect occasion.

The lovely couple. Anna’s dress was spectacular and perfect on her and for the setting. Tom looked very sharp in his custom tux.

All wedding photos credited to my good friend Cindy who brought her camera and did such a great job of taking pictures. Top right me with my good friends Liz and Cindy. Bottom left me with Keeley and Tom. I couldn’t be prouder of those two💕

The wedding ceremony and reception were just perfect. It rained earlier in the day but cleared in time for the event. The tent was so beautiful with the natural greenery, beautiful flowers and centerpieces. The meal was delicious and there was a huge spread of fantastic desserts. Lots of dancing by everyone - even those we rarely see dance! If everyone had half as much fun as I then they had a great time.

Mother and son dance - a special moment for us💕

I was in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a week so what else did I do? Hike! There are so many great hikes off the parkway it just depends on how much time you have and what your skill level is. We picked hikes that were listed as moderate and that worked well for everyone in our group.

This one was called Rough Ridge. The higher you climb the better the views!

Nuwati Hike - a good group that was undeterred by the pretty challenging scramble up large rocks to get to the top. Worth it!

When Tom and Keeley climbed up on this rock I had to do it too!

Linville Falls. An easy hike to see beautiful waterfalls.

Things I didn’t take pictures of that I regret - remember I’m rusty on blogging! No food pictures. Most of our meals the week at the house in the mountains we either cooked or ate at wedding related events. And big thanks to my family that cooked most (all 😋) the meals at the house. We went to an awesome brewery called the Blowing Rock Brewery one afternoon and sat outside with beer, wine and snacks. The town of Blowing Rock looked really great so highly recommend checking that out if you are in the area. We also spent an afternoon in the town of Boone which is the largest town in the area. We had a delicious lunch at a cute cafe called Our Daily Bread and browsed some of the shops. There was also a Meet and Greet pre wedding at a nice brewery in Boone called Booneshine that was very fun.

The mountains were beautiful but I also love the beach, and hadn’t been to one in quite sometime, so our next stop was Hilton Head South Carolina. My excellent traveling companion Julie and I drove about 6 hours from basically the northwest part of North Carolina to the southeast corner of South Carolina. Neither of us had been to Hilton Head and we both really enjoyed it. The beach is very wide and long - perfect for relaxing and taking long walks. It is a barrier island and from what I read the second largest in the country - the largest being Long Island in NY. Lots of resorts, golf courses, restaurants, a large marina, tennis, pickle ball, bike paths everywhere, etc.

We saw quite a few people on paddle boards and kayaking in various bodies of water. I adhered to the signage and stuck to the walking paths, pool and beach🤗

The marina by our resort morning and night. We did enjoy drinks and watching the fishing boats come back to the marina.

Is it really a vacation for Patti if I don’t eat at least one croissant? Nope! I found a great bakery right by the marina called the Social Bakery.

Sunset. Always the perfect way to end a trip.

That was our trip. Then we spent the next two days in the car driving back. Not nearly as much fun. But it has helped get me over the hump of taking the first step to start traveling again - at least domestically for now. I just booked my first plane flight since the start of Covid so in about a month going to take that step. I am ready. And hopefully will be better at taking food pictures! 🤞🏻Patti Part Two returns!