Hey there, friend! Let’s talk about something that’s often overlooked but super important for our overall health: hydration. We’re going to explore the science behind hydration, the myriad benefits of staying hydrated, and some practical tips to help you drink more water. You know, our … Continue reading Staying Hydrated: Why it’s important
Hey there! It’s been a wild ride since I started this little blog back in 2016. What began as a creative outlet for a newly single 30-something mom navigating the dating scene has evolved into something quite unexpected. I’ve always been a bit of a … Continue reading A New Chapter: From Nature Rambles to Life Lessons
The Power of Morning RitualsHave you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly glide through their days while others struggle? The secret lies in their morning routines. A well-crafted morning routine can set the tone for the entire day, influencing your mood, productivity, and … Continue reading Start Your Day with Grace
In this fast-paced, always-connected world, it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. We’re constantly bombarded with information, notifications, and demands on our time, which can leave us feeling drained and disconnected from ourselves. As we move into November and approach the holiday season, … Continue reading Creating Your White Space
Have you ever felt a sudden burst of energy after listening to a catchy tune? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself tapping your feet or humming along without even realizing it? Music has a powerful ability to influence our emotions and moods, and dancing or singing … Continue reading Dance Your Way to Happiness: The Mental Health Benefits of Music
It’s a new season, and with it comes the urge to refresh and renew. While Spring might be the traditional time for decluttering, there’s no reason to wait until then. In fact, decluttering your space can be a great way to boost your mood, reduce … Continue reading Declutter Your Space
In March, the middle school where I work took the 8th graders to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a field trip. Since my son is in 8th grade this year, I volunteered to be a chaperone. This was our first time to the outer banks and it was amazing, maybe I’ll write about it in another post.
On the last day of that field trip, Aiden told me he would love to return to OBX and spend more time exploring the island. I hopped onto AirBnb and searched for a reasonably priced spot for early in the summer. The only location within my price range was completely booked through November except the weekend after the last week of school. I immediately booked three days and two nights for just the two of us.
I was immensely looking forward to this trip. Not only were we kicking off summer but I felt like it might be the last time we can spend a weekend together before he becomes too cool for his mom.
After a 6-hour drive, we started our trip by making a stop at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were visiting during the 42nd Annual Rogallo Kite Festival.
Francis Rogallo, a NASA scientist, invented the flexible wing, which led to the creation of hang gliding. His designs have also influenced the development of stunt kites, power kites, and modern hang gliders. Source
Jockey’s Ridge is home to the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast. Our mission was to have as much fun on the sand dunes and then check into our room for a shower before dinner.
When we arrived at Jockey’s Ridge, we rented a sandboard from Kitty Hawk Kites. The guy working the counter was great and offered to let us keep it as long as we wanted. The sand was HOT! I originally planned on wearing socks but at the last minute decided to stick with my Merrells. That wasn’t the wisest decision.
Aiden was super stoked about the sandboard and took it up to the closest hill. My job was to capture his fun on film but he could not figure it out. I tried to explain it was similar to a skateboard (not that he has any experience with those) and to put his weight on his back foot and use his front foot to maneuver the board. He was not getting it. He tried and tried and continued to get nowhere. After a little coaxing, he talked me into climbing the hill to give it a try. The hill was a beast and not very forgiving to short, stubby legs.
After a few more attempts, he called it a day never getting a swing of it. We walked around a little but the sand was so hot it was difficult to go far. We watched the kites and took some time for a few photo ops.
After checking into our room, we found a little seafood spot close by for dinner. It wasn’t actually anything to brag about. When we got back to our room, I was ready to call it a day. We looked through our host’s recommendations and noticed a page outlining a sunset bike route. Aiden thought it sounded fun and talked me into changing into bike-appropriate clothing. The host had bikes (among other things) for us to borrow and they were the perfect cruisers for our needs. We biked for six miles along the sound as the sun set and it was absolutely beautiful.
The next morning we woke before dawn to check something off my 40 things list. This trip actually allowed me to check a couple things off this list, even if I am super late in doing so. I also have a ton of catching up to do because I have checked off more things than I’ve shared. (More posts coming soon)
I mentioned in the original 40 things post that #30 (watch the sunrise) might happen in conjunction with #28 (yoga on the beach) and that’s exactly what I did. Aiden didn’t join in on my amateur yoga moves but he sat quietly on the beach watching the sunrise and a crab digging a hole in the sand at his feet. It was relaxing and a perfect start to our day.
After returning to our room to freshen up and rest a little, we packed the truck with more borrowed items and took off for a day at the beach. I have absolutely zero pictures because the rip currents were brutal and I was worried about Aiden the entire time. The National Weather Service has since warned swimmers to stay out of the water but this trip was about a week before they got to that level.
We spent about four hours on the beach, both getting a good deal of sun and enjoying the ocean to our hearts’ content. We grabbed dinner from a pizza spot close to the ocean and decided another bike trail was in order. This route was a little different and took us around the back side of The Wright Brothers National Memorial. We got a little lost on this trip and ended up biking close to 10 miles but it was worth it.
We finished our trip Monday morning with a trip to Duck Donuts!
This is a trip I will never forget and I hope Aiden feels the same way.
#9 of my 40 things post, I talk about investing in a quality pair of hiking boots. This one is hard because I’ve struggled for a few years with finding comfortable shoes. I plan to write a post soon about recent revelations surrounding my feet, … Continue reading Let’s Talk Hiking Boots
Last month, I talked about our trip to Hot Springs, NC. I wanted to mention the food we ate in a separate post because I felt it needed its own space.
As I mentioned in the above post, our trip to the campground was a little rocky. Once we were settled and before we hit the mineral springs hot tub, we stopped at Vinyl Pies. The brick oven pizzas at Vinyl Pies were absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. At this first stop, we shared a Some Like it Hot Album – Spicy chili peppers, hot sausage,
black olives, ricotta cheese, red sauce.
We decided to stop at Vinyl Pies again on Saturday after our super-long hike to Lover’s Leap and around town. At this stop, I ordered the Pizzalad – the Salad of the day piled on top of a 10″ mozzarella and pesto pizza pie. Matthew ordered a Buffalo Soldier 45 – Mozzarella, chicken, caramelized onion, bacon
swirled with buffalo sauce, and blue cheese.
Salad on a pizza? Yes, please! It was amazing. Matt said his was great, too. He especially liked their in house made pizza dust.
On Friday night we decided to take in the live music at Big Pillow Brewing. Inside (well actually, you order from the outside of the building) Big Pillow is The Grey Eagle Taqueria. They sell everything you would imagine a Taqueria would sell. We had carnitas and smoked brisket tacos. These tacos were loaded down with filling and so very flavorful. If we knew we were getting as much food as we were, we probably wouldn’t have ordered the chips with Verda sauce but when on vacation…
The atmosphere at Big Pillow was relaxing and welcoming. We met a few furry friends and people watched for a couple hours. This is definitely a spot you should add to your list if you are traveling to or through Hot Springs, NC.
I turned 40 last month!!!
In my 40 things post, #16 outlines how I want to go on more camping trips with my husband, sans our three kids. This trip was the first of what I hope is many.
We had a rough start on this trip due to our Suburban not wanting to take the camper up the mountain but once we finally made it and parked, we decided to make the most of this trip and not stress over things we cannot control.
We arrived on a Thursday evening and due to the stress of the travel, I immediately booked an appointment for us to try out the mineral springs hot tubs at the resort. I’ll post more about that experience in a later post.
On Thursday, once we parked the Suburban, we did not drive it again until we left, mid morning on Sunday. Hot Springs, NC is not a very big town and Hot Springs Resort and Spa is close to everything we needed, so we walked. EVERYWHERE!
The Appalachian trail runs through the small town of Hot Springs, NC and it was really inspiring to see all the hikers and the way the town supports the thru hikers by leaving supplies for them to pick through and congregating to talk with many of them. I am nowhere near ready to do anything that extensive but maybe one day.
The campground was nearly deserted when we arrived on Thursday but by Saturday morning it was bustling with people and pets. I can’t say enough about how beautiful the grounds at Hot Springs Resort and Spa is. The campground butts up to the French Broad River and the sounds of the river put us to sleep each night. There are a few small beaches and picnic areas along the River and we enjoyed taking our dogs for a walk on these little sandy pieces of heaven. The grounds were clean and we were happy to see a lot of grass and areas for our dogs to play.
There was a small issue with the septic at the bathhouses on Friday and Saturday but the campground staff were quick to resolve the issue.
We spent our days parusing the town. Even though the town is small, there was plenty for us to do. We enjoyed checking out all the local art at Artisun Gallery and Cafe. I had to try their dirty chai latte and it did not disappoint. I may have went back another day for a salted caramel ice cream but we don’t have to talk about how delicious that way. We also picked up the best hard kombucha at Vaste Riviere Provisions. This Bodega also served food but we did not indulge on this trip. We plan to visit this little town again and lunch at Vaste Riviere is on the list of things for the next trip. I picked up the coolest stickers and patches from Bluff Mountain Outfitters. This outdoor store is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast or hiker.
I’ll talk about the food we ate in another post but I was not disappointed.
On Saturday, my birthday, we decided to try hiking Lover’s Leap Hiking Trail. Our campsite was very close to the parking lot most people drive to for this hike. We crossed the bridge over the French Broad River and continued down under the bridge to the trail entry. As you can see from above, Matt and I took our time and took a lot of silly photos. Even though this hike is a moderate hike and only about 2 miles, in a loop, we spent the day walking around before and after our hike and clocked over 12 miles for the day. We loved every minute of it. We spoke to other hikers, we saw a few very cool VW camper vans, we enjoyed pizza after our long day and we sat and enjoyed many a beautiful views. Overall, this was a great birthday. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my 40s.
Tea with a Taurus 