We set out a bit delayed but finally got on the road June 8th. Rather than trying to reschedule every stop and make way too much work for Gary, we decided to just drive with a few stops for one or two nights until we got to Outer Banks, NC. We covered about 2,500 miles in 10 days. A few of the highlights along the way though were discovering Grapevine, TX which is just outside Ft. Worth. It is a cute little town and has a few wine tasting rooms. We discovered a new yummy wine while visiting AND we got a chance to go to dinner with our good friend, Garrett. It's always fun to see kids that our daughter grew up with and to see them doing so well. The other highlights were seeing the campus of U of Alabama and the football field in Athens, GA. One other thing we discovered was a little town in the Blue Ridge Mountains called Helen. It is a very cute Bavarian town with a river running through it. The big draw is to tube down the river. Since it was an overcast day and we were new to the area, we did not float down the river but just walked around the little town and enjoyed the shops,
We arrived in Outer Banks on June 18th and finally felt like it was time to explore. Our first night there we went to a restaurant called Miller's. I usually don't name restaurants we visit but this place was exceptional. It has 1,800 reviews but still maintains a 4.5 star rating. That's how good it is. If you visit, make sure you have their hush puppies! Anyway, of course we had a beach day but we also explored the entire island. One day we went north to try and find the wild horses that are such a draw there but we didn't see any. One cool thing about that area though is all the houses that are built on the beach. There are no roads there and you have to drive on the beach to get to your house. Definitely need a 4 wheel drive for that area. The next day we drove south, which seemed a little less populated. There is a gorgeous light house there that is worth a stop. And don't forget to stop at the Wright Brothers Memorial. You can see where the first flight was taken and who was there. Very fun!
Our next 4 stops were to see friends and family. We visited the towns of Manassas, VA, York and Malvern, PA and Mystic CT. While at the these places we took day trips into DC, Harper's Ferry, Trump Winery, Antietam Battlefield and Gettysburg. We also visited a house called Gillette Castle and one of the famous "cottages" in Newport, RI. The cottage/mansion was built and owned by the Vanderbilt family. Gillette Castle was designed by a stage actor from the early 1900's named William Gillette. I would love to come back to be able to see the inside because the outside was so eccentric.
The battlefields were humbling. We felt we were on sacred ground and at this time more than ever, we felt the greatness of our country. The sacrifice of brother vs. brother and son vs. father is incomprehensible. We would love for everyone at some point to visit these places to truly understand how great our country is. Harper's Ferry was also an integral part of the civil war as it was right on the river and very valuable.
This year has been fun but also a bit daunting. I find myself grateful to be able to visit so many friends and family. It has been a good respite since it's so frustrating with many things being closed or something that should be easy like grocery shopping has now become a maze to navigate. Just being able to relax and catch up with everyone has been a blessing.
On to the next town!
Love it!
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