The Story Of Us

It already seems forever ago but late March we found ourselves in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We choose this coastal destination mainly because it was off season there.. so less crowds. It was approximately a 7 hour drive.. we set of Saturday morning and we reached Kill Devil Hills late afternoon. We rented this AirBnb . It was a condo, a walk away from the beach and tons of restaurants. And so beautifully decorated. We walked over to place a take out order at Bonzer Shack and walked on the beach till our food was ready.  Day1. We had breakfast at Stack em High and then off to Jockey Ridge State Park. It is a free state park and home to the tallest active sand dunes in the eastern United States. When we walked up the first little dune and entered the main park area it was a wow moment.   They ran around and flew kites. On the other side of the dunes was the Roanoke Sound. They had a small visitor center which was worthy of perusal. Our next stop was the beach near Jennettes Pier..

The first stop on our trip was Charlotte but we did not have the time to actually explore the city. The time it took to get that far south from New Jersey and the time it would take to get back cost us two of our 9 vacation days. Our second day was spent at the Chimney Rock State Park just outside of Asheville, near Lake Lure. The same lake where the water scene from Dirty Dancing was shot. Chimney Rock has over 6 different trails for all different skill levels and most very family friendly. We explored three different trails while we were there. The first was the Great Woodland Adventure designed specifically for kids. The second trail was Chimney Rock There were a lot of steps.. over 400 but the boys were real good.. and the view was totally worth it.  You can see Lake Lure from the top.  We asked the boys if they were up for another hike and surprisingly they both said yes! The third hike was the Hickory Nut Falls Trail After

I hate packing. I am a good packer, organized - list maker - think of every possible scenario - pack everything we would ever need without over packing.. and when I am in the midst of it it is a nerve wracking process.. hence the declaration.. I HATE PACKING! Our initial drive down was over 10 hours long.. I packed the car with a variety of snacks, a bag of activities for each child and off we went early Saturday morning. I found a great deal on Groupon for these activity tables and they were a life saver.. though don't let that picture of H fool you he looked nothing like that through most of the trip.. argh. I had a license plate game printable for D which was a big hit.. the whole family got involved in finding plates even when we weren't in the car. For H the winner was silly putty and when all hell broke loose play doh saved the day.  We made pretty good time keeping our stops to a minimum at arrived in Charlotte at 8pm. As luck had it our room at a Marri

We are taking a road trip for Spring Break this year.. we used to take them when D was little but since having H we have cut back on the long drives.. the most we have done is go to Niagara Falls and back or Boston and back.. this will be our first mutli state trip. My in laws will also be joining us. I am very excited.. a little apprehensive.. as it always is before going on a trip. I thought I'd dedicate a few posts to the states we'll be visiting on this trip. Follow me on Instagram to get glimpses of the trip Today I'm sharing some wonderful shops selling from the great state of North Carolina. The New York City Skyline by  Shekhtwoman Crystal Lighted Mobile by  Blue Lotus Designs Shop Save the Date Cards by Lovely Rustic Weddings Engraved Wooden Watch by  Lux Woods Spa Gift Set by  Homemade Simply Mom Giant Paper Flowers by  A Paper Event  Unicorn Horn Headband by HB Southern Inspired Tree of Life Necklace by Susan Anna