Category: Travel

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Show Me…

Show me the slow, dusty, forgotten vintage and antique shops in the tiny towns that dot the United States of America.

Show me long forgotten treasured vases, art, and planters, small brass pieces and barley twist candle sticks.

Show me things that I’ve never seen before so I can drink it all in and remember for those who have been long gone.

Show me the well worn quilts and dish towels that were so carefully crafted by the Grandmothers, Mothers, and Daughters who have passed years before.

Show me the old photos and the travel souvenirs that remind us how vast this amazing country is and how every place has it’s own feel and rhythms.

Show me the knowledge corner in tiny little gas stations as we travel from one small town to the next in search of our next gasp of breath at something so incredibly beautiful that we could never have imagined it.

Show me the well worn wooden chairs, dinner tables, primitive kitchen tools, old dusty working man’s tools, and the woven baskets that hold all their own memories and those beloved people’s thoughts and cares that bore witness to all the joys, trials, sadness, and love of those who kept them.

Show me all of these things and I will take them all in to my heart and mind in order to remember the hard working people who crafted, cried, celebrated, and created our vintage and antique history. I will bear witness and testify for those that are no longer here to share their stories and memories.

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Side Trips off I-40 in North Carolina

We are always so busy and scheduling time to kind of do nothing and just turn off the highway for interesting landmarks is a rare occasion but I think that side trips off Interstate 40 and just exploring small towns is my 2023 goal. Not a resolution, I don’t do those but a couple side trips off I-40 on our way back from Biltmore NC trip really showed that we can find fun and interesting places without spending a DIME!

That’s a great goal as we try to settle in and chill out on the travel for a couple months for a few reasons – money and just enjoying the moment in the moment without trying to schedule and plan every single weekend with something as I tend to schedule/schedule/schedule and then am completely exhausted all the time. 

So we are going to try to just do more of the stopping when we see a sign that interests us instead of saying, “next time”. The way life is these days, it’s never guaranteed to be there “next time”. If you have a few minutes or 30 minutes, it’s probably at least driving by and checking it out. 

 

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Asheville, NC – “Take 2 – and Action!”

Our last experience in Asheville was quite memorable because of the bus. THIS time Jason was like, “NOPE. No Airbnb. We aren’t paying to clean someone’s shit.” So, Hotel Indigo it is. We shall see how that goes….

We’re going for the Candlelight Christmas at The Biltmore Estate. He’s never been and I’ve only been once and we wanted to do something different for NYE. Note: if you want to be an extra in a Hallmark movie, they are filming one at the Biltmore in January!

We have reservations for dinner tomorrow at Jettie Rae’s and on Saturday at The Stable Cafe – Biltmore. I’d also like to check out the S&W Cafeteria – one of the coolest food halls in US apparently.

 

Depending on how much I’m freezing to death, I’d LOVE to get a Banana Split from The Hop Ice Cream place. We are most DEFINITELY getting a drink from The Times Bar.

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NYC 2022

Our trip was mostly a success – we had a few minor issues due to an entire day of rain on our arrival day, the venue for the concert was just too small for what was going on, and the never-ending search to find a DAMN BATHROOM in the city.

 

The Oculus in NYC

Ghostbusters Fire Station 

The Highline

Winter Lights Powered by Genesis

Rockefeller Center & The Christmas Tree

We stopped into FAO Schwartz – not for buying anything but both of us wanted to go check out the toys and stuff. We are both still very much kids at heart I guess. BUT we had a human NYC moment that was super random and very much created a sense of “we are humans together”. 

The song Sweet Carolina by Neil Diamond was playing and all of us in the store were totally into what we were looking at but when the chorus hit, EVERYONE SANG IT. And everyone did it just once, didn’t do it again on the next chorus….and I wish I could find the words to explain perfectly how it felt in that small space of time – but it was really extraordinary. 

Times Square

The Great Heathen Army hat and Times Square

 

Central Park

  • Bethesda Terrace
  • Bow Bridge – one of the first structures built in Central Park, this is an iconic bridge that’s appeared in several TV shows and Movies:  Manhattan, The Way We Were, Spiderman 3, Highlander, Keeping the Faith, When in Rome, Made of Honor, Night at the Museum, Autumn in New York, Great Expectations, Uptown Girls, Glee 5. We had the fun experience that this video ALMOST captured, I was so focused on the bridge that I missed what was happening to the right of the bridge, the laugh from Jason on the video is what clued me in that something else was also happening – sometimes I’m just in my own world. 
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Strawberry Fields

 

Hoboken, New Jersey

Wicked Wolf Tavern

Hoboken Waterfront Trail

 

Things to Know for Next Trip

Tips from video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MSL-VdS8e8

FREE NYC tours from locals – Big Apple Greeter

Free Tours By Foot 

This is interesting: McGraw Hill Waterfall Enter Middle of 49th Street bet. 6th and 7th Ave but reading here see that KISS did a photoshoot here. That’s neat info. 

American Folk Art Museum – free with two floors. Near Columbus Circle/Central Park. 

This one is neat if you’re a fashionista – The Museum at FIT – also FREE! 

Holiday Stuff – located with 10 blocks of each other – lower Manhattan 

The Peninsula Hotel on 5th Ave – display in lobby free to take pics. 

Hudson Yards – BONUS SCARY escalator ride – prettiest mall decorations 

Brookfield Place – also has a lesser known ice skating rink

Zuccotti Park – 1 Liberty Plaza –

The park is home to three sculptures: Joie de Vivre by Mark di Suvero; Double Check, a bronze businessman sitting on a bench, by John Seward Johnson II; and Rose III by Iza Genzken.[11][7][12][13][14] Joie de Vivre, a 70-foot-tall sculpture consisting of bright-red beams, was installed in Zuccotti Park 

NYSE Christmas Tree 

South Street Seaport – Check out Pier 17 

Side note of interest – POPS is Privately Owned Public Spaces in NYC. This may be helpful in finding a DAMN BATHROOM in this city. 

 

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Roadtrippin’ USA

I have always wished to be financially able to just drive around the USA – taking my time, seeing things, experiencing that lifestyle. I’m always looking for interesting facts about any place I happen to go through or spend even a small amount of time at – I LOVE free stuff and unexpected little twists and finds. 

I’m saving this great resource for future trips. 

 

 

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Historic Sites in North Carolina

How many of these listed historic sites in North Carolina have you been to? 

https://historicsites.nc.gov/

Honestly, before I looked at the list I thought there’d be more. I used to live down near Harnett County and never did make it to the Bentonville Battlefield – in my defense, I’m not really big on history. The beauty is that most of these sites are free and quite accessible and even when there is an admission fee it’s usually $2-$5. 

I’ve been to:

  • Fort Fisher near Wilmington – the NC Aquarium is near there as well
    • Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept North Carolina’s port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. When Ft. Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy.
  • NC State Capitol building several times, it’s actually super cool and in downtown Raleigh. Free entry and has public bathrooms. 
  • Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson I went with my Mom and my  youngest daughter several years ago. Orton Plantation is nearby and so is Beaufort and those are definitely worth a visit.  
    • A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina’s Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site, and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort.

 

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The Highline in NYC

 

I’ve wanted to check this out for years but never seemed to make it to that side of town but this time it was happening for sure! Kind of cool that there was a cool art/light display – Genesis lights on the Highline.

We won’t mention the completely naked dude just strolling around his apartment, like dude, my EYES. lol  NYC was most definitely all the way in to NYC-mode on our last day. We won’t even talk about the scenario of a busy subway station with some dude playing Sweet Child of Mine on electric guitar and amp whilst some other most naked dude with a clown mask and yellow chain for “thong” was gyrating by himself on the steps a few feet away. W. The. Fuck. NYC? Anyway. Back to the prettier side of NYC: 

 

You can see the growth of the plants – the highline is very well curated and tended. 

This piece of art was quite interesting and unexpected – placed perfectly – if you look past this mini statue you can see the full Statue of Liberty in the distance. The mask on this statue is reminding people of ongoing issues of personal freedoms around the world. Currently, the face of Mahnaz Akbari is shown here. 

 

Christmas/Winter note: apparently, the hotel The Standard located right on the Highline has a cool vibe for the holidays including an ice rink with bumper cars? Who knew? They’ll be there until March. 

 

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Bonny Scotland – Travel Wish List

Let’s start this list with a place that isn’t that obvious to some travelers – Oban. 

This town is the “gateway to the isles” but it’s pretty amazing in it’s own right. I’ll get back to that but first, The Isle of Skye. I can’t tell you how often I DREAMT of going to this magical and far off place as a kid. I was absolutely obsessed with the Hebrides Isles and with Scotland and Ireland. Later in life, I find out that I’m 73% Irish/Scottish. Funny how that makes so much sense now. I never understood why I YEARNED for this place that I’d only ever read about.

So, yes. I’m still completely obsessed about wanting to go to this place. 

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/scotland-hebrides-isle-of-skye

https://www.obanview.com/

Oban Inn

No17 The Promenade

Waterfront Fishhouse Restaurant 

Oban Fish & Chip Shop – bring your own alcohol as there are no corkage fees! Good to know. 

 

Will add more later – bookmark it! 

 

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NYC in the winter is lovely – let’s go!

 I really, really hate the cold and I REALLY hate cold and windy – both of which NYC is in the wintertime.

However, the holiday season in NYC is just so BIG and fun that I generally plan trips during the week after Thanksgiving. This way the decorations are still new and fresh and fun. Sometimes it’s snowy and other times it’s just cold but Rockefeller Center, all the department store window displays, the ice skating, all of it – I just LOVE IT! 

I think I’ve been to Manhattan/NYC 7 times…maybe 8? I took each of my kids on separate trips there (3), twice with some friends, and I know I went by myself at least twice.

I remember the first time I went and saw Central Park, the FAO Schwartz toy store was still there on the corner, and it was snowing. It was the biggest, fattest, fluffiest snow ever and it was new so it was still white and clean and I was by myself and I remember thinking how romantic it would be to share that with someone I loved. On that trip, I’d gone to visit my friend Amanda and that was the first time I’d been to NYC and the entire experience was just amazing. 

With that, I’m so stoked that we are going to NYC tomorrow. I surprised him with Meet/Great Concert tickets for Amon Amarth at the Hammerstein Ballroom for his birthday. Trust me, it’s true love over here because VIKING DEATH METAL? Umm. I might die but it’s cool – it’ll be in NYC. 

SO! We’ll be staying at an airbnb in Hoboken, lord I hope this one is better than the last one! But prices were just absolutely stupid high in NYC so, Hoboken it is! 

Details and tons of pics to follow – if I survive that concert! 

 

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Keep Up – It’s Holiday Season!

We have a ton of things already booked to do on the weekends for November and December.

The first weekend in November we went to a Craft Cocktail class and this past weekend was Moonlight in the Garden at the JC Ralston Arboretum.



This coming weekend is one of my faves: Raleigh Christmas Parade and the Homewood Gardens Christmas Open House for the poinsettias!

Then, Thanksgiving is the following week and we are going to Wilmington to stay with my Mom and Ray. 

After that comes the first weekend in December we are in NYC for the Amon Amarth concert for Jason’s birthday.

Wikipedia describes this band as: Genre: Heavy metal, Death metal, Viking metal, Metal, Melodic death metal, Folk metal, Technical death metal Types: Melodic death metal

Swedish Melodic Death Metal at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC? Why not? (insert OMG emoji because dude.)

Second weekend in December is the Historic Oakwood Candlelight tour and we are porch hosts. More on that later. 

The third weekend in December is our “downtime”, then Christmas, which I’m sure we’ll be at my Mom’s, and then New Years Eve and we will be in Asheville for that at the Biltmore Candlelight Christmas Evening.