North Carolina

”Love is like the wind you can’t see it, but you can feel it” -Nicholas Sparks. As we headed to the outer banks of North Carolina I couldn’t help but quote Nicholas Sparks books. Grant couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The landscape around Bodie Island lighthouse consisted of marshlands, maritime forest, and small saltwater ponds and was exactly how I imagined the locations in his books. We camped along the sand dunes and woke up to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a nice break from the sound of car engines at the Walmart parking lots. We continued to explore the outer banks heading to Cape Hatteras lighthouse. We hoped to climb the 208ft lighthouse but unfortunately was closed for the season. We found a section of the beach where we introduced Lhotse to the ocean. He was hesitant of the waves at first but once he realized it was water, we could hardly keep him out.

The Great Smoky National Park

When we got to the Smokies, we splurged one night on a campground along the river with untimed hot showers. It was so nice to shower without the threat of the water shutting off while I am in still covered in soap. As we began our drive into the park, we realized that this wasn’t a mediocre year for fall colors. Due to extreme weather changes and strong winds, the majority of the leaves were green and brown or knocked to the ground. That being said, we were still able to find nice pockets of color around the park. Because the park has the most variety of plants and animal species, pets are prohibited on most trails limiting our hikes but that didn’t stop us from exploring. We watched the sunset at Clingmans dove, searched for bears in Cades Cove, and admired the colors along the river near Townsend. While we were there, we celebrated our anniversary. My sister sent us a gift card to treat ourselves to dinner. We knew right away what we wanted...Mod Pizza. We drove 1.5 hours to Asheville where enjoyed our date. Thanks Jocelyn and Chase.

Georgia

After we finished spelunking in Alabama (see previous post), we made our way to Atlanta to stay with Grant’s Uncle Doug. Grant needed a few days to catch up on work while I needed a few days to catch up on my TV shows. I know, I know, I live a rough life. Staying with Doug sure was a change of scenery with shops, restaurants and the Atlanta Braves stadium within walking distance. All three of us were spoiled especially Lhotse who received lots of treats. Let’s just say Doug may be Lhotse’s new favorite person from all the food he gave him. From there, we headed over to Savannah where we toured the Wormsloe State Historical Site. The avenue leading to the 1730’s Colonial sites was sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss creating a beautiful scene. Grant had been planning on photographing the George L. Smith State park for months. He had been convincing me that I would be safe from the alligators paddle boarding along the colorful cypress tress. However, to his dismay, the lake was drained for maintenance of the 19th century Mill. I am still consoling him on this missed opportunity.

South Carolina

As we hiked along the boardwalk of Congaree National Park, we were in awe of the old growth floodplain forest. My pictures don’t do justice to the beauty of these large trees nestled in the Cedar creek. After Congaree, we headed east to Edisto Island where we had our best campsite yet along the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was warm enough to fully enjoy our van. We set out our camp rug, lowered the awning, and basked in the sun with a good book. We even made pancakes! We walked along the beach searching for shells and allowed Lhotse to swim in the ocean once again. Grant was drawn to Edisto Island for the Botany Bay Plantation boneyard beach. But again to his dismay, the trees were damaged recently by Hurricane Matthews and the area was closed for dove hunting. Photography is really hard.

Florida

As we headed south to Florida, we discovered that living in a van in hot and humid weather is a tough combination. We went to Crystal River so that we could swim with Manatees. It was so hot that we knew we couldn’t leave the dog in the car so we found a kennel to take him to for the night. I am not sure who took the separation harder, Lhotse or me. When we finally found a mother and calf, we geared up with our wet suits and snorkel and slowly entered the water. Unfortunately, the water was cloudy and the visibility was very low. It is exhilarating when you can’t see anything and then suddenly a 10 foot manatee appears mere feet away from you. Thankfully they were friendly. Our next stop was Gilchrist Blue Springs state park where I paddled boarded on incredibly clear natural spring water. Luckily for me, I didn’t see any alligators but not so lucky for the photographer. We also made it down to Orlando to see Grant’s cousin Karl. This was by far the best part of Florida. Karl had recently suffered a massive stroke and is truly a walking miracle. Seeing what he has overcome and has accomplished in three short months made my physical therapy heart jump for joy. We are so proud of him and his family. And don’t worry Maddox and Marshall, I will continue to practice the floss dance!

Louisiana

Grant and I had a day date in New Orleans walking around the French Quarter and taking in the sites. We even got offered to bring Lhotse into a gentlemen’s club but politely declined.

Mississippi

Can you say Mississippi without spelling and singing the word? I can’t. We woke up for sunrise and walked around the Cypress Swamp. Like most swamps we have seen, it is difficulty to capture the true beauty. Again, I was happy to walk away without an encounter with an alligator.

We have really enjoyed the east, but we are looking forward to heading to the open spaces of the west!