For our May trip to Shenandoah from Raleigh, we stayed in Massanutten, drove Skyline Drive, hiked Blackrock Summit, Old Rag, and Bearfence Mountain, and found a pace that made sense.

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Featured image from our Channel Islands excursion.

DomesticDecember 31, 2025

From Freeways to Foxes: A Channel Islands Excursion

After a work conference in Anaheim, the Channel Islands felt wonderfully far from Southern California traffic. Ferry logistics gave way to fox sightings, Santa Cruz Island trails, and a night under the stars.

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Featured image from our Blue Ridge wedding and wine country weekends.

North CarolinaNovember 10, 2025

Wine Country to Wedding Bells: A Blue Ridge Celebration

This Blue Ridge weekend had celebration built in. Hendersonville vineyards, Triple Falls, Asheville meals, and a mountaintop wedding all gave us reasons to linger.

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Featured image from our summer stay in North Carolina's High Country.

North CarolinaAugust 24, 2025

A Few Weeks in North Carolina’s High Country – Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock and West Jefferson

A longer High Country stay gave us time to settle into the mountains instead of rushing through them. Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, and West Jefferson all led up to a Rough Ridge proposal we will never quite top.

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Sunrise over Carolina Beach with the shoreline and pier in view.

North CarolinaJuly 6, 2025

A Quick Summer Escape: 2 Days in Carolina Beach, NC

Two days in Carolina Beach was enough for the trip to feel like a real reset. We kept it simple: boardwalk time, state park trails, fireworks, and a few food stops worth squeezing in.

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Featured image from our trip through West Virginia.

DomesticSeptember 9, 2024

Discovering Hidden Gems in West Virginia: A Journey Home

West Virginia always feels different when it is personal. This trip was about sharing old favorite places, from mountain drives and coffee in Thomas to Blackwater Falls and Seneca Rocks.

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Featured image from our time exploring Lexington, Kentucky.

DomesticJuly 2, 2024

Exploring Lexington, Kentucky: A Perfect Blend of Work and Fun

Lexington had enough room around the workday to become its own little getaway. The UK Arboretum, downtown murals, good meals, and the Distillery District made the extra time count.

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Featured image from our visit to Congaree National Park.

DomesticMarch 15, 2024

Embracing the Underrated Swamp: Congaree National Park

Congaree is worth visiting if you know what kind of national park it is: quiet boardwalks, swamp trails, huge trees, muddy paths, and a slower South Carolina weekend around Sumter.

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Featured image from our Great Smoky Mountains backpacking trip.

DomesticNovember 5, 2023

A Hike to Remember: Our Adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains

Several days on the Appalachian Trail through the Smokies asked a lot of our legs and our packs. The fall weather kept changing, but the views are what stayed with us after the harder miles.

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Featured image from our Shenandoah National Park trip.

DomesticJuly 8, 2023

Exploring Nature’s Treasures: A Memorable Journey through Shenandoah National Park

Luray made Shenandoah easy to settle into for five days. Skyline Drive, short hikes, and Blue Ridge views did most of the talking.

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Featured image from our Patagonia W Trek.

GlobalMay 15, 2023

Journeying through Patagonia’s W-Trek: A Trekker’s Dream Come True

Patagonia's W Trek was not an effortless bucket-list hike. The travel days were long and the climbs were real, but Torres del Paine kept answering with glaciers, big weather, and views worth every mile.

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Sunset aerial view of a vineyard and winery in North Carolina's Yadkin Valley.

North CarolinaDecember 3, 2022

Taking a Ride on the Elkin Vine Line

The Elkin Vine Line solved the part of a wine day that no one wants to manage. Once the driving was handled, the Yadkin Valley day could stay focused on friends, tastings, vineyard views, and lunch stops.

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Aerial view of downtown Wake Forest and the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary campus.

North CarolinaNovember 8, 2022

Spending A Day In Wake Forest, NC

Wake Forest made an easy nearby day when we did not need anything too complicated. Coffee and local shops paired nicely with a reservoir loop, breweries, and dinner near the historic center.

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Aerial view of fall color across the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina's High Country.

North CarolinaOctober 20, 2022

A High Country Long Weekend

Peak color pulled us toward the High Country, but the weekend ended up being more than leaf-peeping. West Jefferson wandering, a few easy hikes, and relaxed food-and-drink stops filled in the mountain time.

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Colorful oversized chair sculpture in downtown Raleigh with a seated visitor.

North CarolinaOctober 11, 2022

An October Week in Raleigh, NC

October in Raleigh showed up in the small ways we like most. A normal week can feel full here when it moves from Oakwood walks and Capitol views to music downtown, museum grounds, and weekend trails close to home.

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DomesticSeptember 26, 2022

New River Gorge National Park

Fayetteville put New River Gorge within easy reach of Cathedral Cafe mornings, bridge views, local food, and hikes that paid off fast.

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