This year, as part of celebrating my 50th birthday, Joel and I decided to take a much-needed week-long road trip – our first ever just the two of us. It wasn’t just a getaway; it was a chance to enjoy the moment, explore new places, and think about how far we’ve come.

We kicked off our journey early on a Saturday morning, excited to hit the road and see where the adventure would take us. Our first leg of the trip had us driving through Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and finally into Tennessee. After making good progress, we stopped for a bite at El Bracero, a Mexican restaurant (delicious!) and then took a walk around the strip mall there to stretch our legs. It was a long stop, but we decided to take our time and enjoy every moment.

The drive across Tennessee was beautiful, especially as we came closer to the Smokey Mountains. We’ve been to the Smokies before and it never disappoints! God’s beauty is always something wonderful. At one point, we made a fun stop just outside of Knoxville at a newly opened Buc-ee’s. Buc-ee’s is one of those road trip traditions for us – we stop whenever we see one! This time, we even got to meet the Buc-ee mascot, which was a fun and unexpected highlight. After a bit of walking and leg-stretching, we had dinner at an amazing pizza place, Blaze Pizza, where I opted for a build-your-own cauliflower crust pizza – it was so good and perfect for keeping my healthier eating habits in check while still enjoying the food.

That evening, we continued driving until we reached Asheville, North Carolina, where we stayed for the night. Sunday morning, after a nice breakfast and some more walking, we headed out to explore the Biltmore Estate. Even though we didn’t get to tour the inside of the house due to scheduling, we did get tickets to wander the grounds. Wow, the estate is just breathtaking! From the gardens to the serene greenhouses, it felt like stepping into another world. It was so peaceful! We ended our time there with a lovely lunch at the Stable Cafe, which used to be the property’s stables.

From there, we continued our journey into South Carolina, making our way to Myrtle Beach. The drive was shorter than the previous day, but we still took our time, stopping when we wanted and just enjoying being in the moment together. By the time we arrived at our resort, Harbor Lights, we were excited to finally settle in. It was a special stay for us – the resort knew it was my birthday and even left a sweet card. After settling in, we took a walk around the property, and later that evening, we had dinner at their poolside restaurant, Knots. It was such a perfect end to our second day.

As the sun set on the first couple of days of this trip, we already felt like this was shaping up to be an amazing week. We were definitely excited to explore more of this part of the East Coast and this was just the beginning.

With love,

Mindy