Monthly Archives: October 2018

4 posts

Travel The Road to Nowhere, Bryson City N.C.

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Family fun Healthy Living

Travel The Road to Nowhere

Just beyond Swain County high school in Bryson City, North Carolina, you will find “The Road to Nowhere”. To locals, it is a memory of broken promises dating back to World War II. To my family, it has become a must-do on each trip to Western North Carolina.

Shortly after we were married, we took this epic photo (which is printed on a canvas in our bedroom).

On our most recent trip to Bryson City, we recreated the photo and included our girls.

History of The Road to Nowhere

The best information I’ve found about the history of the Road to Nowhere can be found on this website.   In short, back in the 1930’s and 40’s some of Swain County’s private land was given to the Federal Government. During World War II hundreds of people in these communities were forced out of their homes and Old Highway 288 became buried under Fontana Lake.

The government was to replace the road and stretch from Bryson City to Fontana. However, when an environmental issue arose all construction stopped and the citizens named the road “The Road to Nowhere”

In 2010 a legal settlement was reached in regards to The Road to Nowhere.

It’s a really interesting read, so I’d be sure to check out the history on the Bryson City Website. 

Directions

From Bryson City, take Everet street until it turns into Lakeshore Drive and ends. There is a small parking section just outside the tunnel.

Things to Do in the Road to Nowhere

The Road to Nowhere can be an all-day adventure or just an hour or two. It’s really up to you, and what you want to do. Please be aware, if you are traveling with your family there can be some inappropriate graffiti on the walls. If you just shine your light down at your feet and not at the walls, you won’t even notice it.

Walk through the Tunnel

During your visit, you can simply walk from one end of the tunnel to the other. It will take you less than an hour, you can snap a few fun photos and be on your way.

Go Hiking

There are a few trails just beyond the Road to Nowhere. The Gold Mine Loop is only 1.2 miles. However, my Apple Watch claimed we hiked closer to 4 miles. Either way, the hike was awesome. Even with our young girls, we enjoyed this hike.

We had the privilege of having a Bryson City local join us, so we got to learn the history. See some things we might not have. He also escorted us to Fontana Lake. Just off the trail a bit, you can actually walk down to Fontana Lake, which was such a neat experience. We even got to see some bear tracks while we were down there.  If you are going to hike The Road to Nowhere, don’t forget your snacks. #momfail I left all the snacks in the car and only took some water with us.

Tips for Hiking with Toddlers

When hiking with toddlers, safety is the #1 concern. We want our children to explore and enjoy the hike but we also want them to be safe. Here are a couple recommendations for hiking with your children.

  • Use a Baby Carrier

If your toddlers are young enough or small enough to fit in a baby carrier, bring it along. Our girls (4,3 & 2) all took a turn or two in the baby carrier for this hike. This is my favorite one*

  • Buddy System

We made sure at least one adult was with each of the girls during the entirety of the hike. Helping climb up and down the mountain and give the opportunity to take a rest break throughout the hike.

Have a Picnic

The Road to Nowhere is a great spot for a picnic. Either on the other side of the tunnel or somewhere on the trail. The Road to Nowhere is a beautiful destination for a quiet picnic.

Photo Shoot

Have you considered family photos at the Road to Nowhere? Either with the beautiful foliage or the tunnel, this could be the next location for your family photo.

Exploring the Road to Nowhere

There are many things to do on The Road to Nowhere if you’ve been – leave a comment below! Let me know what you think!

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Visiting Savannah on a Budget

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Savannah Georgia

Savannah was established in 1733 and is the oldest city in Georgia. Back in the 1700’s downtown Savannah had 4 squares with communities surrounding them. Today, there are 22-squares. Each square is named in memory of a person or historical event.

Just walk the cobbled streets and you can’t help but want to explore the history of this city.

Getting Around Savannah

Downtown is a very walkable city. With plenty of sidewalks and public transportation, you can get to wherever you want to go fairly easily. My recommendation is to park your car and walk. (Grab a parking pass here!) If you are going to spend more than a day in Savannah, I’d recommend the hop-on-hop-off trolly. We’ve done a similar tour in St. Augustine, and it was completely worth it. Grab a Groupon for the Savannah Tour here*

If you are traveling with young children, I would ditch the stroller and grab a baby-carrier* and a backpack for your day. Here’s my all-time FAVORITE baby carrier! I’ve used this carrier for the last 3 years, and it still looks fairly new – I love it!

Savannah on a Budget

If you are sticking to a budget and don’t mind skipping the guided tour approach to Savannah. I’d recommend the DOT. Since we were only there for a couple of hours, we opted for this approach.  This fare-free transportation will take you all over downtown. You can also board the water ferry and visit “Waving Girl”, City Hall and Hutchinson Island! Check out the DOT website for current hours.

 

Budget-Friendly Savannah Accommodations

For our trip, we booked an Airbnb in Beaufort, SC.* We saved a lot of money by booking outside of Savannah and were able to cook our own meals and relax before exploring the city. If you’ve never booked an Airbnb, you might want to check it out – there are lots of great properties in the area! Use this code for $40.00 off your first booking! *

Saving Money on Attractions

It’s no secret, I love to search through Groupon* when visiting a new city. It’s a great way to save a bit of money, and have an experience I might not have booked. The official Savannah Website also has a section dedicated to coupons, so be sure to check that out before your trip.

Eating in Savannah

We didn’t actually eat any meals during our visit. We had a big breakfast in a nearby cracker barrel and then some ice cream at River Street Sweets. River Street Sweets is located on East River Street and the perfect destination for something sweet during your visit. They have World Famous Pralines, Home-made candies, treats and ice cream available for purchase. It was absolutely delicious and we even brought home some of the pralines to share with friends and family.

If you are a big Paula Deen fan, you might want to check out Lady and Sons. 

If you want to keep on exploring the city or eat like a local. I’d recommend walking to the nearby Kroger and purchasing some picnic supplies. Here is the address: 311 E Gwinnett St. Savannah, GA 31401

There are plenty of yummy places to eat depending on your budget.

Family Fun

This city was a beautiful location for a family adventure. It is home of SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) so you will see several college students out and about working on projects. You will also see the playgrounds filled with families and children.

You will find gardens to explore, old city streets and history wherever you look. We only had a few hours in this city, but it could definitely be a destination for a longer family vacation.  Check our Savannah Vlog to see all the fun we had! 

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go visit Savannah!

The question of the Day: Have you ever been to Savannah? What’s your top thing to do?

 

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Visiting National Parks – Big Cypress National Preserve

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National Parks

I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children in the years before they begin school is a solid foundation of experiences. It is those experiences that help them to make meaningful connections in the classroom.

National Parks are an amazing place to create those experiences.

Big Cypress National Preserve

We recently took a quick trip through the Big Cypress National Preserve. It was such a fun trip, one we’ve taken many times over the years but this time was different. This time we decided to pack a picnic to explore the Big Cypress.

Watch the vlog here on our Youtube Channel.

About Big Cypress National Preserve

On October 11th, 1974 Big Cypress was established as America’s first national preserve. (Happy Birthday, Big Cypress!).  There are two welcome centers in the preserve, and there are many things to do. You can go camping, hiking, or just take a drive through it and have a picnic.

With its diverse landscape and the largest habitat for the Florida Panther, it is certainly something to go on your Bucket List.  – Find out more about Big Cypress Here.

Visiting the National Parks with Kids

When visiting the National Parks with children, you will want to stop in all the welcome centers. It’s a great opportunity for them to speak with a park ranger and collect a free stamp. My girls love to ask for a map at each park.

Picnics are also a great idea when traveling through a national park with kids. I also recently introduced our girls to leaf rubbings, this can be a great craft for your family. It’s as easy as collecting a few leaves together and using some copy paper and a crayon to make an art piece. There are many things to do with your family inside a national park.

What are your favorites?

 

Love National Parks? Share the love on Pinterest!

 

Fall Activities for your Preschooler

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Preschoolers

Preschool is the most magical age, I’m convinced. I always knew deep down in my heart that I loved this age. It’s primarily the reason I studied Early Childhood Education in college. Now that I am the mom three girls ages 2, 3 and 4 – I am convinced there is something magical about this age. You can find me holding onto every last ounce of the magic.

In an effort to soak in all the memories while my girls are still young, I’ve put together a list of all the fun things we are planning to do this Fall. I hope you will subscribe to our Youtube Channel to catch the Vlogs. 

Fall activities for your Preschoolers

As soon as the kids go back to school, there seems to be a hint of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes filling the air. I’m not a fan of PSL, but I do love Fall. I believe it was L.M. Montgomery who said in her popular book Anne of Green Gables who said

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”

October is a beautiful month, one to fill with many happy memories.

Read Fall Themed Books

Reading is one of the most important things you can do with your young children. It is never too early (or too late) to read to your children. Here are a couple of my favorite authors and their Halloween-inspired books!

I have a whole post with more research on the importance of reading, and some recommendations for Thanksgiving themed books on this post if you want to extend your Fall festivities into November.

Pumpkin Patch Photos

It is our yearly tradition to head to a local pumpkin patch and take photos. I love seeing the big changes in the girls from year-to-year. Check Facebook Events for local pumpkin patches. We’ve found so many great events through Facebook!

 

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Pumpkin Painting

My friend Michelle and Little Man painted the cutest pumpkins for Halloween. I can’t wait to see what designs my girls come up with! P.s. Go give her channel a subscribe – you won’t be sorry! 

 

Apple Picking

This fall our family will be traveling to North Carolina. While we are there, we will be going to an Orchard to pick apples! I am so excited about this. I’ve never picked apples before, and we’ve found the cutest place to go. I can’t wait to share more with you soon!

Bake some Spooky Treats

One of the best parts about the holiday season is all the fun treats you get to create. My friend Keri from Flipflopweekend.com has put together 10 fun Disney inspired treats you can create with your family!

 

Dress-up!

It wouldn’t be a Halloween bucket list if I didn’t add playing dress-up. My daughter is absolutely in love with Halloween. I asked her why she loved it so much, and she told me it was because EVERYONE dresses up. This is the perfect age for group costumes. The kids love it, and I’m sure you’ll love it too!

There are so many churches, malls, libraries and parks that have Thanksgiving festivities. Be sure to find one or two and go as a family for some fun!


 

What are your favorite October traditions?

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