North Carolina: March 2015

It was about a 4 hour drive from Charlotte to the area of the Smoky Mountains we were staying in. After a few stops and short hikes we decided to make our way to the VRBO, which we should have done before it was pitch-black out...

Turns out in the Smokies, having your brights on only finds you big-eyed raccoons and not your home for the weekend. After driving around in circles down narrow gravel roads, turning around in No Trespassing driveways, and venturing along sideways to a few 'well this could be it' front doors, we finally found our VRBO.

It only took a few falls down the dark stairs to unload our vehicle. Lucky for us, this hot tub and well-lit bed was waiting for us to fall asleep in. Very classy. Very 80's.

We woke up eager to finally see the outside of our rental. Again, we were not disappointed with VRBO. Notice the staircase that we conquered the night before.

I took one look at the hot tub, told Mason to brew some coffee, and that was my morning ritual for the rest of the stay. There is nothing like a cup of Joe in a hot tub surrounded by the Smoky Mountains - and yes, that is a waterfall in the background.

We enjoyed the rest of the weekend hiking, drinking Moonshine, and exploring the town of Gatlinburg, TN

We almost lost the camera and one of us on this last photo... I just read a statistic that more people have died this year from taking selfies than from shark attacks. We were almost an embarrassing contributor to that statistic.

After a few great days of hiking, we made our way back to Charlotte to see a few friends. Mason and I made it to the Aviation Museum which had the airplane from Flight 1549 that landed on the Hudson River in 2009. It was compelling to realize how much damage there was to the plane, but that incredibly everyone on board survived. 

Mason and I had a great time exploring the city with our tour guide Annie! We will likely be back soon.

Road Trip to Swim with the Manatees: January 2015

Let the Road Trip Begin...

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in 1 week. After work, Mason and I started the long drive through 5 states. State number one, Louisiana, which started off with a bizarre bridge that went on for miles with no escape except to jump into the alligator invested swamp below. It seemed like the entire Louisiana highway system was bridge. We narrowly made it over the bridge into Baton Rouge, which was high above the Mighty Mississippi River.

Part of the purpose of this trip was to tryout Airbnb and build our traveler profile on the site. Overall our Baton Rouge stay was a good experience. Our host was pleasant and gave us some good foodie tips for our very short stay.  

Baton Rouge was a lot bigger than I expected.The capital's grounds were beautiful with gardens that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. The city definitely had a college vibe. A lot of bars and restaurants to choose from, but Schlittz and Giggles got my attention. If you enjoy thin crust, greasy pizza that will leave you smelling of garlic for days...this is your place. Delicious! I'm drooling just thinking of it again. Plus, Schlittz on tap? Why not.

Day two had a few roadside attractions...

Abita Mystery House, Abita Springs, LA
*Also home to Abita Brewery*
The Mystery House was a very interesting establishment that I would describe as American Pickers meets Fun House. We spent a good amount of time in the maze of "stuff"often wondering, what the fuck? The older gentleman who owned the operation was pleasant, but I knew it was time to leave when he started to dis Springsteen. 

The Garden of Hope Cemetery, Gautier, MS
We drove around for a long time trying to find this cemetery, only to find a locked gate with a sign providing a number to call for tours. After 15 minutes of deliberation, we jumped the fence and starting running down a long grassy road surrounded by trees and a dilapidated house. After what seemed like an eternity, we came to the cemetery at the end of the path. 

The cemetery claims to be the home of children murdered by their father with an ax as well as a ghost named Bloody Sarah, a Mississippi werewolf, and a friendly grave digger. After no ghosts came to greet us, we started the jog back to the car but felt as though there was an audience in the trees.  

Pensacola, FL
We finally made it to the beach scene. Having never been to Florida, I was always skeptical with how desirable their beaches really were. Way to prove me wrong Florida. Although it was a unseasonable chilly, that didn't stop us from walking on the white sand beaches for awhile. 

We tried a second go-around with Airbnb in Pensacola. Our hosts were a little awkward, in fact the host from the website never even made an appearance.We just met the gadget building husband and their cat. We were provided a cheap and clean stay for the 12 hours we were there. The part of Pensacola we were in seemed pretty dead for the winter season. 

Day #3 on the road...

Over the past 2 days, we saw this guy multiple times. We finally got a picture and learned Jesus drives a Ford.

Bellamy Bridge, Marianna, FL
The south is full of haunted roadside attractions. The ghost of this bridge was a young bride who died after her wedding dress lit on fire; she waits for her fiance on the bridge. The bridge itself was pretty spooktacular but looked like the days of the structure itself were numbered. Again, no ghost. However, I did think that two more ghosts would be added to the mix if we didn't get out of there ASAP. We were in the company of some irresponsible hunters who were shooting way to close for comfort.

Gulf Shores, AL
Again, beautiful beaches but this is not a winter destination as everything was closed! That evening the fog was so heavy on the beach we almost didn't find our car or even the parking lot!

Crystal River, FL
Mason and I started our private tour early in the morning. We had a captain who made very insensitive comments and vulgar jokes but I didn't care once I saw the first manatee in the water. For quite awhile we were the only two snorkeling that morning. Our instructions were to float in the freezing water and wait.

Next thing I know, there is a manatee staring right at me! These things are HUGE! No wonder they are the cows of the sea. But these 2-ton animals are the most laid back beasts. The manatees would randomly swim up towards you, stare for awhile and once they were done investigating you, would swim off. Soon the manatees were stopping by every few minutes to investigate us on the way to the hot springs nearby.

At one point, a manatee swims up from below me and before I have time to get out of the way it is pushing me up out of the water and that's when I realized... I am riding a manatee!!!!

This was such an amazing experience. We spent the rest of the day standing over a bridge just watching the manatees swim in and out of the hot springs. 

As the trip came to an end there was a realization that we had a 13 hour drive home...luckily Serial Podcast saved the day! Is Adnan Syed innocent?!