This summer, we went away twice, two totally different vacations. One was an old favorite, totally within our comfort zone, and one was a new experience for us (to a degree anyway. We didn’t vacation in Madagascar or something lol).
(One things I just realized was that we had a buffer day before the Tallest Tallman had to go back to work at the conclusion of both vacations. That is such a big help!)
The old favorite qualifies as travel-travel 🙂 Last year and this year, we went to Myrtle Beach, SC with the kids. We think Myrtle Beach is pretty perfect for us: it’s 13 hours from where we live, so you can do it in one shot or split it over two shorter (but still pretty long) days. Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer, and we’ve been coming here for a long time, so we have a pretty good sense of direction and list of places we prefer to visit. We’ve been really lucky and been able to stay in a family condo, so of course that’s going to help things a bit!
What we really like about vacationing there is that the beach is great and the water is warm, there’s lots of family things to do, and it’s a vacation where we can spend time in the condo and cook our own meals and just go out a few times throughout the week.
Here are some highlights:
One of our favorite restaurants in MB!
At Barefoot Landing in North MB
Ugh. The beach is so nice 🙂 🙂 🙂
On our drive home, we visited family in Virginia. This is a view of Pilot Mountain.
We also spent a week in Old Forge, NY. This was a big family trip with DH’s family, which was great. Our family gets along really well, so we’re fortunate that family vacations aren’t dread-inducing ventures! The tallest Tallman and I do not consider ourselves to be real “camp” type people, so a whole week at a camp was outside of our comfort zone. Although we left knowing we are still not camp people (two letters- A.C.!!!!), we did really enjoy Old Forge and just that area of Adirondack park. We were both impressed by the serenity of nature there. Funny how an hour north can feel so different! Old forge and the Fulton chain of lakes is immensely popular with folks near us, and other than Water Safari water park, we never go up there. After spending some time there, I could now see us going up moe frequently. We actually have tentative plans to head up there this fall and hike for a SECOND time this year (this is big for me).
Here are some highlights:
Had coffee here with my sis in law. Tres adorbs in there!!
That would be a mouse in the garbage can. Ugh. Like Jim Gaffigan, I consider myself “indoorsy” lol
Super sweet playground right on the beach in the village.
Rocky Mountain hike! Big accomplishment for me. And my kids, too.
At the Hot Dog restaurant in Old Forge! Pretty much perfect for kids.
Adirondack Park is just gorgeous! This was right in Old Forge. Only an hour from home and we were truly in nature’s paradise!
The water was clear and relatively warm.
Where did you go this summer? Do you have a place you go yearly? What makes you want to come back? What can make or break a vacation for you?