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Road Trip 2011 – Day 3

TRAVEL

This view gets me every time. 

Can you imagine walking out of your patio sliding doors to see this every morning?  It would be like Christmas every day.  Then again…some of you probably feel that way already.  You might live on the beach or the mountains or overlooking city skyscrapers.  That’s your Christmas. It rocks your socks…err…stockings, huh? 

Well, needless to say, I enjoyed the view the last day we were in Boone, NC for our Anniversary Road Trip. 

Pretty early in the morning we hit the road to head toward Washington DC.  It was gonna be quite the hike (the longest ride we had so far) so we nixed the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway that we enjoyed on day 1 and went straight for the highways.  Of course on the way to the highway we got to see a little more back country. 

My favorite thing was the Christmas tree farms.  I never thought about where Christmas trees grow before…not something really on my homebody radar…but for some reason, I was fascinated.  Neat little rows of perfectly groomed trees covered mountains.

Since we were in the middle of nowhere and hungry, we stopped at the nearest little diner.  It was a local joint across from a highschool…and Jer & I both voted that Aunt Bea’s had the best biscuits we have ever had.  

Hours of driving.  Hours of listening to Baby Einstein.  Hours of reading books, driving matchbox cars and pretending that his Lovie attacked our necks.  That’s what we did.

Finally enough was enough and we had to make a stop…enter random rest stop…you know the ones…they are usually every twenty miles or so and have bathrooms that smell like those dumpster’s behind Denny’s.   We lucked out with this particular rest stop because there was a wide open area.

Will needed it.

I think we all did.

We got to see acorns for the first time this fall…

It was hilarious when I showed Will how some acorns have hats and some don’t.  Then he would take them off the acorn and tried to put it on our heads 🙂

Or he would just throw em.  of course.

I should have brought some home.  But Jer convinced me not to.  I tend to be a collector.  And not a throw-er-away-er.  When I die people are gonna go through our stuff and find random pine needles in a ziplock from 1987.  It’s a problem.

 Back in the car we went. 

At one point a spider came down and Jeremy freaked out.  It did come down near his face…so I can understand why he screamed.  and swerved.  and claimed that a brown recluse attacked him. 

Please note that we have no idea what a brown recluse looks like.  All brown spiders are brown recluses to us.  Same with black widows. 

FINALLY…we made it into the Washington area.  Here’s our first glimpse of the monuments.  It was just a foreshadowing of all that we would come to see.

By the time we got into the hotel and situated, the sun had gone down and it was time to go to bed…but first we needed some food…so we wandered the streets of Georgetown till we found something.

Unfortunately that wait wasn’t going to work with Will…so we went to the nearest sandwich shop that we could find and grabbed some food…

Back at the hotel, Will decided that throwing an entire bag of Craisins would be fun. 

He was quite tired after cleanup….

We had a BIG BIG BIG day next…all DC all the time.  It was a dream of mine to explore our Capital city with the man of my dreams and my little man – and let me tell ya, DC treated us right 🙂 But just like the past few days of our vacation, I put together a slideshow of day 3 of some additional photos…so hope this occupies you on this very chilly Friday. 

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  2. I love it! I feel like I went on this road trip with you guys! The littlest details of life provide the best memories – like a random rest stop on a road trip. Gotta love it!

  3. I laughed very loud and for a long time at the “very tired Will” picture. Face-down. Nicely done. Especially for being in the car all day…you’re lucky he wasn’t bouncing off the walls for hours.

  4. LOL. omg, those last two pictures of Will (and the Craisins) are the best. Ever.
    He’s adorable.

    I hope you had some Georgetown Cupcakes while you were there!

  6. Your baby is just too cute! I’m having serious baby fever!!! Will looks like he’s planking in that last picture. Too cute!

  8. Where’d you get your pink shawl collar sweatshirt? LOVE it! 🙂

    And love hearing about your adventures! 🙂

  10. I had to share after seeing all your roadtrip pics, I went to school at Appalachian and yes it was beautiful living there with those mountains in your backyard for almost 4 years! You tend to take it for granted until you’re gone, we try to go back and visit when we can, it will always be a very special place for us! Also fun fact, the Mast General Store that is in downtown Boone was just visited by President Obama recently. He stopped in on his bus tour thing and some people I know there got some pics, pretty interesting! And I have that same pink sweater you have in khaki isn’t it the most comfortable thing ever!? it’s my fav 🙂 thanks for sharing your beautiful pics 🙂

  11. That view is breathtaking! Where were you staying? Please don’t make me search for hours on Boone, NC websites trying to find it. I need to start talking my hubby into making a trip there next year!

  12. Okay, two words: Best.Road.Trip.Ever!
    Those pics are priceless and the boys look like they had a great time together.
    Also, my son has that same shirt Will is wearing (well, not that exact one, clearly) in green and we featured him on a post recently. Can’t wait for day 4!

  13. That picture of Jeremy “grabbing” Will is priceless! There’s so much joy in their faces. I can’t wait to see my husband with our kids someday! We need to get on that… Haha!

  14. And PS–I just Googled brown recluse and almost puked. Don’t do it! (I don’t think the car spider was one, btw.)

  17. Nooo! I’m so sad that you were in my neck of the woods (D.C.) and I wasn’t able to meet you in person. That is kind of my blog reader dream/crush. 🙁

  20. So pretty. I’m from upstate NY and haven’t been back during the fall since I left 14 years ago. Reminds me of home. Washington DC is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. I’ve been twice for work but am dying to take my kiddies for a vacation there. Will you have some pics of the city? I love it there.

  22. That last photo of Will killed me. So so cute!

    It’s my husbands dream to have a Christmas Tree Farm. We found a house near us with 56 acres, 30 something of pasture, that we could have turned into one and still had room for cattle, and had a woodlot. There was also a completely renovated 1786 farmhouse on it with a gorgeous big barn. All for $320,000. *sigh*. It was a dream home for both of us in different ways. We’re not in the market for a house though, but the good Lord let us know it was out there for us someday. I love our little homestead though, so we’ll find a place for the Christmas Tree’s somehow!

  24. Fun fact: North Carolina is the largest grower/supplier of Christmas trees in the United States. I bet you can believe that after your road trip. My fiance grew up near Asheville NC and I’ve been lucky enough to visit during the peak foliage color changing. I highly recommend a trip to the Biltmore Estate during Christmas time. It is decorated beautifully and there is a night time tour of the house that includes carolers this tour costs more but just take your cheaper tour as late as possible and just take your time in the house if you catch my drift. They’re not going to kick you out and you’ll know it’s getting close to show time when you see the candles being lit all through the house. Sneaky. But necessary.

  25. Thanks for bringing us, your readership, along for the ride! Glad my hometown of DC treated you and the family well! p.s. Came across this how-to-video for making “Bacon Potato Hash” on another blog I like to follow: http://vimeo.com/lainbloom/108
    Thought it was only right to share it with a fellow bacon lover…enjoy!

  26. What an amazing time for a roadtrip! All your photos are so so so beautiful. I have to say…the pic, or should I say aftermath of Will throwing the crasins….and then the face down pic of him sleeping….

    priceless…lol…little boys. lol 🙂

  27. Haha, I do the exact same thing with brown spiders! My family always mocks me for it, too, because apparently they’re not native to California. Nevertheless, they could have been introduced, right?

  28. It looks like you guys had a blast! Wish you would have told me you were in DC. I would have hooked you guys us with the best places to see! Did you stick your feet in the fountain in the art garden? (I know its kinda cold out here but still… Its a must!)

  29. Like the other people in DC, I would have stalked you if I had known you were here. (Not really, but I would definitely say hi if I ran into you on the street.) 🙂 Looks like you had a good time. The photos are great! (Especially the Craisins – HA.)

  30. AH, that first picture is lovely…makes me want a vacation!!! I couldn’t help but burst out laughing when I saw the Craisins all over the room!!! 😀

  31. Hilarious!!! I thought I was the only one who yelled “brown recluse!” everytime I encounter a spider 🙂 beautiful pictures (as always!)

  32. Love this vacation! It is so beautiful up there. And I loved the pic after the craisin incident! ahh boys 🙂 Can’t wait to read more about your trip!

  40. It’s called Echota – and we found the rental through VRBO.com….we stayed in a condo (the bottom floor). Hope this helps!
    xo – kb

  42. Crazy random photography/trip related question. Do you shoot in Auto while on trips and for everyday pictures or do you always use the manual settings??

    Thanks!

  43. Beautiful pictures! I live in Annapolis, but went to school at Virginia Tech. The shot you took on the highway driving looks like 81 coming down Christiansburg mountain! Love fall :). Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to read about what you did in DC! I take it for granted that DC is my backyard my entire life :).

  44. My husband’s grandmother is a hoarder, although not so extreme she’d be on the show. But last year we helped clean out her garage, and we found buckets upon buckets of sea shells she’d collected over the years…some probably as old as 1987, although maybe older. So for the sake of your grandkids, stay away from the acorns! 🙂

  45. Hi Katie, I just wanted to say, I have a four month old baby, and your blog post normally arrives in my inbox around his dinner time. I sit in my rocking chair and read about your adventures while I feed him, and you never fail to lighten my mood, even after I’ve been screamed at by an infant for several hours. Thank you.

  48. Smart call by Jeremy on the acorns…you would’ve had a bag of acorn weevils by the time you got home…(you have to bake those suckers in an oven before they’re okay to be used as decor inside…I learned that lesson the hard way 2 falls ago….)

  49. On a serious note Katie….my nephew died from a brown recluse spider bite…no lie!!! Was 28 years old and he did not live through it. So don’t tease Jeremy for being frightened of the spider. I steer clear of all spiders. Be afraid….be very afraid.

    Not trying to be gloom and doom at all…..just saying’

    Hope your day is filled with family fun with your main Men!!!!
    Love your blog!!!!!

    B.

  51. So impressed that you and Jeremy took your little guy on a road trip- not a lot of parents are willing to do that. Even if he won’t remember it, it’s great “building memories” time for all of you. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

  52. Don’t collect acorns. They have worms. I made that very gross discovery in my preschooler’s school bag. That was not fun.

  53. I thought it was! I have one in brown and it IS super comfy! 🙂 I didn’t see the pink when I got my so I went back today and am having a pink one shipped to me! 🙂

  54. I love all your pictures and your blog! What a fun and beautiful trip 🙂

    My favorite of this post is probably the one of Will passed out face first on the bed – hilarious!! He will appreciate that you were such an awesome picture taking mom some day!!!

  57. Oh no, it’s a reference from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Wally World is like Disney world and it’s closed by the time Chevy Chase and family get there after a long road trip. Kind of a dated movie and not as good as Christmas Vaca, but you get the idea.

  58. What a beautiful place! The spider looks like a cat spider. It has the face of a cat on its bum. I would have freaked out if a spider came at me like that. Something about the enclosed space of a car…. no where to run.

  60. Haha John! I love that movie!! 🙂 You’re right, not as good as Christmas Vacay but still great!!

  61. Ok, so using the whole road trip post as a (somewhat) related lead in…my (an officially adult now) sister and I are taking a road trip from Ontario, Canada down to Florida to visit with some relatives. We are making a pit-stop in Atlanta (from about 8pm to 11ish the next morning). We don’t really know what Atlanta has to offer…so…since you’re my main source for all things Georgia related I was hoping maybe you could impart upon us some tidbits of what we can do, see, EAT (note: we are BOTH fans of bacon) in Atlanta in the 15 or so hours we have.

    Thanks!
    Rebecca (and Meredith)

    P.S. we’re not going until March haha…I’m a compulsive plan-aheader.

  62. OHHH…I gotcha now. It’s been a while since I saw that so I only remember the one quote about french kissing 🙂 I guess that means its time to rent it!
    xo – kb

  63. I use the AV setting a lot for trips. If I am trying to get a specific portrait (like the one of the whole family in the leaves) I will use manual but just to be honest, the AUTO setting sometimes works better than I would on manual 🙂
    xo – kb

  64. I have loved reading your trip recap so far. It sounds (and looks) like you guys had a great time. I can’t wait to read about your trip to DC (where I live!). I always love seeing what everyone chooses to visit when they come to town.

  66. Christmas Tree farms are the best part of winter. I love to go every year and pick out my own tree. The year my parents decided to go with an artificial tree I think I cried!

  67. Katie, Your blog is so wonderful to read. You really are a breath of fresh air. Thank you for making me laugh on this early Monday morning.

  68. can’t wait to see what you guys did in DC! I always tell people they need to visit Einstein while they are here. He is one of those things you may just walk by if you didn’t know he was there. I visit him nearly every time I am on the Mall in DC.

  69. What a beautiful trip! I love the mountains in the fall! It’s one of the things I miss about college (my school was near the mountains here in VA). My favorite picture by far is the one of Will face down on the bed. I just imagine the little guy running around and then crashing face first on the bed. lol

  70. The next time you find yourself in D.C., check out the Mansion on O Street. It’s part hotel, part flea market (you can buy anything you see) and there are tons of secret passage ways. You can do a guided or self tour of any of the hotel rooms that aren’t occupied. It’s totally bizarre.

  71. Thanks! And I just wanted to say how much I love your blog!!! I love how honest you are about everything. You probably get this a lot, but if you’re ever in Iowa, I would love to meet you! I can just imagine us shopping together and spending the whole day laughing and having fun with our kids! 🙂

  72. Maybe. It reminds me of Italy (even though I’ve never been to Italy). Just a lot of people go there to cool off in the summer and spring and stick there feet in the fountain. A lot of the time its filled with people all the way around it. Something about that just seems so foreign and magical. I’m not sure if its a DC thing or not but if it is , Im sure us locals wouldn’t mind if you joined the fun 🙂 it its a little cold for that now though. Did you have fun on the trip? Did you guys get to see any of the museums? If so, what was your favorite?

  73. We did have fun! And maybe next time I can get my feet in that DC water 🙂
    Oh and our favorite was The Smithsonian Natural History…it was gorgeous!
    xo – kb

  74. I love roadtrips! Except that now it’s much harder with a baby. 🙂 I have a random question…what font did you use on the Washington Monument pic? I love it!

  77. Awwww… Elena’s comment makes me so proud of my “hometown” (although I actually grew up in MD just north of DC… but DC was kinda like the fun extension of our “backyard” that we could take the metrorail to in no time flat). 🙂 Now I live near Richmond, in your girl Sherry’s neck of the woods, which is fun too. Can’t wait for pics of day #4!

  79. Great photos! I live about an hour east of Boone, and we like to go on the day after Thanksgiving. We will be staying at a lodge, then taking the kids to one of the Christmas tree farms to select and cut our tree, then go on a hayride and drink hot cocoa. It’s magical!

  81. I think it’s funny that you said all brown spiders are brown recluses. We had a bat with one today. I swore it was one. I sprayed it and then my 4yr old and i freaked out sucking it up with the vaccuum. So he and I were looking at your pics and he said, “whos that boy?” I said it’s “Will” he said “I wanna go to his house” I said, “well buddy we don’t actually know them” Yeah, that makes no sense to him, “why are you looking at his pictures if you don’t know him?” Such a guy thing to say. I read your post about being the not so popular blog. I agree that it’s a lot like highschool. (And lol, i didn’t go to hs either, I was homeschooled). I never liked the idea of being a blog reader. Much like my son I didn’t understand why someone would spend time reading about someone elses life. But for what it’s worth you should know that your’s is the first blog I started reading 2 1/2 years ago. I moved down to GA from Long Island. I had no friends here, just my brother and his fam. I enjoyed reading your blog every day. I always find you relatable and the things you do and talk about very real. Some of the other popular blogs can be very stuffy and intimidating. I don’t feel that way about your blog. So keep it up, we enjoy it. I still hope one of these days we could meet. take care, Laura

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