May17

Weekend Roadtrip to Outer Banks

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Weekend Roadtrip to Outer Banks

Marc and I finally made it to the Outerbanks (OBX), which allowed us to cross it off our “30 places before 30 bucket list.” We left Charlotte on a Friday morning and managed to make it to OBX by mid-afternoon. Here’s the mixed review.

The stay. Oasis Suites is a charming little boutique hotel with panoramic waterfront views. I truly enjoyed my stay, but there’s practically a rolling list of reasons why we’d never write an “excellent” review for the hotel. Here it goes:

  • Its proximity to a really busy road makes traffic noise slightly annoying. The website actually says, “Welcome to the Oasis Suites, located on the Nags Head Causeway.” They’re not kidding; it’s truly on the causeway. It’s also right on the water, so it’s an awful/awesome location.
  • We weren’t big fans of the actual town of Nags Head and the touristy feel that penetrated it.
  • We waited in the lobby for 5-10 minutes before we were greeted.
  • We felt a bit jaded that the amenities mentioned on the website weren’t available to us. The hot tub wasn’t operating, which quite disappointing. They also mentioned the availability of grills on the website, which either don’t exist or we overlooked them.
  • We had to call to ask for another toilet paper roll since the “accommodating housekeeping team” didn’t bother to restock it.
  • Water flooded the bathroom floor every time we took a shower.

There were also good things about our stay so, to be fair, here’s the list of things we liked:

  • Gorgeous waterfront view and small private balcony.
  • Gazebo.
  • Spotless room.
  • Full kitchen.
  • Staff mailed me the clothes I left behind and I received them within a few days (I, of course, paid for the postage). It was still good customer service, though.

The meal. After we settled into Oasis Suites, Marc and I headed out to dinner. We didn’t research where to eat, which landed us at Ocean Boulevard Bistro and Martini Bar. We were the first patrons to arrive and since we were the only couple dining, we assumed the service would be stellar. We were let down in a huge way. The waitress had a nasty attitude toward us (we felt like age discrimination was at play) and she simply never made us feel like appreciated patrons. For that reason, I tipped her something like 10-15% which I absolutely never do. She rubbed me the wrong way. Also, for being a white table cloth restaurant, I was disappointed with my meal, as well.

The fun. Marc and I woke up on Saturday and drove South toward Cape Hatteras. We climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in America, which was approximately 12 stories high. The view from the top was stunning, so I’m definitely glad we paid the money and took the time to climb it. We also did some other sightseeing, but nothing too noteworthy.

The big let down. After admiring the lighthouse and surrounding area, we headed further South to check out the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” I hate to be negative, but I truly felt like this attraction wasn’t worth the drive and I doubt I could even get a history buff disagree with me.  Marc and I were deeply disappointed. It was basically a small museum with little to see.

The fitness. The whole reason why we went on a weekend getaway to the OBX was so I could run in my first half marathon, the Flying Pirate Half Marathon. We woke up on Sunday to pouring down rain. I almost backed out of the race due to the rain and a small injury, but Marc provided me with the encouragement I needed to to accomplish the goal I had set out to reach. I completed my first half marathon in 2:12:24 and enjoyed experiencing OBX by foot. The course was a mixture of residential neighborhoods, pathways, roads, and muddy trails. It was great to have the support of the locals during the run. Their cheerleading seriously gave me the energy to keep running.

The lessons learned. We won’t stay in Nags Head if we visit OBX again. Instead, we’ll opt for a hotel or beach house in Duck since that was our favorite area and its more suitable for two yuppies.

The missed experience. Due to less than perfect weather for most of the weekend, we weren’t able to drive to Corolla to see the wild horses. We also missed out on the beautiful Currituck Lighthouse. I also felt like I was missing out on all the wind surfing and kite boarding fun.

~ Lyndsi

May13

Attending the 138th Running of the Kentucky Derby

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Attending the 138th Running of the Kentucky Derby

I’m a native Kentuckian, so the first Saturday in May has always been a special day for me. When the horns play before the big race, I still get chills down my body. When you watch the event on TV, perhaps its perfection is what gives me chills; the perfectly manicured grass and track, picturesque steeples, and gorgeous horses. This year, Lyndsi and I were able to attend; this was her first Derby. What we found was the serenity you see on TV is very different in person.

The Good

  • Mint juleps really are a seasonal drink that live up to the hype. Though at $11 each, they should. Even if you’re not a bourbon lover (like Lyndsi), you’ll become a fan. Crisp, refreshing, and sweet. Bring cash, they don’t take credit cards.
  • The Derby did not disappoint when it came to the people-watching and circus of it all. People really do go all out for this, and it makes for an amusing and entertaining day. Seersucker suits, bow ties, crazy hats, nothing is out of bounds.
  • The race itself is truly exciting and captivating. Even if you don’t have a horse in the race (no pun intended), you can’t help but feel your adrenaline rushing as they come down the stretch.

The Bad

  • Long lines, expensive food/drinks (is that a surprise) make the day less enjoyable.
  • They say the Derby weather is either cold or hot, there is no in-between. That proved itself true this year, as the 85-degree sunny weather became unbearable at times.
  • Churchhill Downs is beautiful, but once you get into it, it shows its age. It could definitely use some renovations and fresh coats of paint.
  • We had grandstands seats, which sounds luxurious, but it was literally uncovered bleachers without seat-backs. You had to stand on them to see the track, and being in direct sunlight made it rather uncomfortable.
  • We were desperately looking for a cool place to sit in the hours leading up the race. Instead, there were crowds, lines, and people everywhere I looked. It would be nice if there were some air-conditioned lounges to more of the general public. We were so uncomfortable that we went back to our car to sit in the AC for a while.

The Bottom Line

  • Everyone should attend the Derby at least once. It’s a fun experience and there’s nothing else like it. I love the traditions behind it, and its importance to my home state is enormous. But unless you have tons of money to spend to be on Millionaire’s Row, I think I’ll be watching from home at a Derby party. The enormous crowds, belligerent drunks, unbearable heat, inflated prices, and traffic nightmares will be hard to forget.

~ Marc

May7

Two Yuppies … Back?

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Two Yuppies … Back?

Perhaps it’s part of my nature, but I’ve felt guilty since last October. We’ve left our little blog neglected over the last 6+ months, after putting a lot of effort into getting it going. Life got the way, we weren’t traveling as much for a while, whatever the excuse may be, part of me really misses blogging about our travel adventures. Fortunately, we’ve visited the Outer Banks, experienced the wild Kentucky Derby, and more since then, so there are some good posts planned.

Cheers!

~ Marc

Oct26

Raffaldini Vineyards: A Colorful NC Fall Getaway

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Raffaldini Vineyards: A Colorful NC Fall Getaway

She was breathtakingly gorgeous. He was in awe over her. Together on their wedding day, they were two of the happiest individuals I’ve watched in a very long time. Their smiles and look in their eyes said more than their vows.

Last Saturday, Marc and I had the pleasure to be guests at an absolutely beautiful wedding at Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery. We knew little about this vineyard until we received our invitation to the wedding. After a quick Google search, we learned that it was located about 30 miles north of Statesville, NC in a small town called Ronda. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Charlotte. Not bad.

Saturday definitely felt like a fall affair. Raffaldini Vineyards is a bit in the foothills and the actual winery is up on the crest of a hill. We had a breathtaking panoramic view of golden and red autumn colors. The ceremony was at 6:30 PM, so we were also able to enjoy an incredible sunset that created a warm glow prior to the wedding.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It was sunny and crisp without a single cloud in the sky. I’m glad they were blessed with such beautiful weather at their wedding because they are  now on their honeymoon in Cancun and it has been raining most of their trip. I’m keeping them in my prayers as Cancun is in Hurricane Rina’s projected path. Luckily, the storm is weakening, but I still pray for their safety.

I loved that the wedding was at a vineyard and I was so happy to be a part of their beautiful day. However, I have to admit, it killed me that I couldn’t do the full-blown wine tasting. I love wine tasting. I had the Merlot at dinner and I thought it was pretty good. By the way, I’m a wine novice, so please take my opinion with a grain of salt. I drink a lot of it and admire all the flavors, but I fully acknowledge my lack of wine expertise. I’m getting better at tasting notes, but that’s not saying much.

We’ll definitely visit Raffaldini Vineyards again so I can experience all their wine! It’s a romantic getaway that’s nice and close to Charlotte, so there’s no reason for us not to visit again. Men, if you’re looking for a good date option … take your girlfriends to do some wine tasting. This place is ideal for dates!

I also recommend staying where we stayed. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites since we knew we wouldn’t be up for driving home after the wedding. This hotel sure knows how to decorate for the holidays! There were so many Halloween decorations up in the hotel that it was somewhat tacky; however, if I had kids, I would have absolutely loved the decor. Since I don’t, I can say it was a bit much for my taste. Oh, I almost forgot, there was a Christmas tree outside of our door! That kind of topped the tacky Halloween decorations. A bit much?

Anyway, Marc and I were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the hotel. I was a huge fan of the cleanliness, room decor, and I was even a pretty big fan of the bathroom.  This hotel is a place two yuppies like ourselves can go and be completely satisfied, all for around $100 a night. It was actually really nice not to spend tons of money on a hotel room and still thoroughly enjoy our stay. Too bad you never know what you might get with a hotel like that. Luckily for us, this one was fantastic.

P.S. The complimentary breakfast was delicious! Marc and I were a bit surprised annoyed by the loudness of the dining area, but I guess we’re just not used to staying where families with little kids stay!

~ Lyndsi

Oct18

Twelve Remarkable Childhood Travel Memories

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Twelve Remarkable Childhood Travel Memories

As a result of starting this blog and reading other travel blogs, I have a burning desire within me to travel the world. I’ve been dreaming about traveling the world a lot recently, but I have always felt like it is just that — dreaming.

Recently, we had the pleasure of eating dinner at my parents’ house when gap years became the topic of conversation. It’s really not something I ever considered prior to becoming engaged in the travel blogoshere. In the past few months, I’ve entertained the idea, but I never gave it serious thought since I figured my friends and family would tell me it’s impossible or that it’s a silly idea. To my surprise, my father actually brought up the idea and before I knew it both of my parents were telling us that we should really consider taking a gap year sometime in the middle of our careers. That conversation made me realize that a gap year doesn’t have to be a dream — it can become a reality. I’m not going to take any actions right now, but I’m sure in the not too distant future I’ll begin saving for my gap year.

As I was dreaming of the future, my mind quickly wandered to the travel memories of my past. Before long, I was laying in bed thinking about all the amazing places my parents took me as a young child. No, they didn’t take me around the world, but they did take me all over the United States which, in my childhood, felt like the world. Every trip we took was an amazing experience and, quite frankly, I didn’t care about the rest of the world. Funny how things change.

I will cherish these 12 trips for the rest of my life, not to mention the dozens of other trips I’m not writing about.

  1. Visiting Disneyland, even though I only remember two rides: It’s a Small World and Splash Mountain. Oh yeah, I also remember watching my sister go up to Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) from “Full House” to ask for an autograph. All I know is that her famous phrase on “Full House” was “How rude!” and in real life, she was quite the snob. How rude!
  2. Coooling off at Sliding Rock Park in Sedona, AZ on a road trip from California to Texas.
  3. Taking in the dramatic scenery at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  4. Riding a ferry out to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, California.
  5. Enjoying the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
  6. Enjoying the scenic 17-mile drive in Monterey, California.
  7. Snowboarding and staying in a cozy cabin in Lake Tahoe, California.
  8. Riding the High Roller and Big Shot on the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, Nevada (I’m a thrill-seeker, but those rides were a little too scary for me).
  9. Camping in Yosemite: Unlimited hiking, mountain biking, and bear sighting (no joke; a hungry bear broke into our van once).
  10. Driving a dune buggy for the first (and last time) at age 12 on the sand dunes in Oregon. Memory maker: crashing into a stop sign before I left the parking lot.
  11. Horseback riding in Mammoth, California.
  12. Fishing in Colorado (minus the whole jumping into the freezing cold lake in order to fetch the fishing pole I sent flying into the water — not the brightest idea).

I can only hope one day I am able to spoil my children with memorable trips/vacations.

P.S. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos. They are scanned images!

~ Lyndsi

Oct4

The W in Austin, TX: A Yuppie Haven

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The W in Austin, TX: A Yuppie Haven

Lyndsi and I just returned from a long weekend in Austin, TX, where we attended a wedding. I’ll be sharing our adventures in several posts, but first up is a review of our hotel the first night.

As Lyndsi and I strolled through the lobby of the W in downtown Austin, TX last weekend, I said, “This place feels like yuppie central.” Modern, sleek, hip, over-the-top, pretentious … yet perfect for these two yuppies looking for a fun hotel in the city. I immediately noticed the “whatever/whenever” concierge desk when entering. Our friend Brian later found out that’s no joke after picking up the phone by the elevator and immediately connecting to the desk.

The halls were dark, hip, modern, moody with dark colors contrasted by red. A perfect combination. The elevators are full of mood lighting and mirrors. Perfect for narcissistic yuppies who enjoy nothing more than checking their hair in the mirror (definitely not us…). The walls by the elevator are made of gorgeous wood.

Hotels like the Austin W (opened in 2010) are all about style over function. Yet for leisure travelers, it’s perfect. When you enter the room, the first thing you notice is a built-in shelf in the room with nice cups illuminated with mood lighting (which also lit above the bed with blue hues). There’s the typical flat-screen, floor-to-ceiling windows with impressive city views, and a bed that was simply heavenly.

The bathroom was … interesting. The room with the toilet was only partially private, with two french-style doors sliding together, leaving gaps on the sides (and the doors in ours didn’t lock). The shower water would spill into the center of the bathroom by design. Oh, and two strategically-placed mirrors in the shower were a nice touch. Because if your narcissistic self enjoys looking at yourself in the elevator, the shower has to be 10x more appealing.

Just don’t valet park unless you enjoy spending $31 for one night of parking. Oops.

So what is it about expensive hotels like the W (dropped close to four benjamins all included) that makes them worth it? The little things. The lighting, the feel of the floors and bed sheets. It all comes together to make you feel safe, clean, comfortable … content. Whereas in typical hotels you sometimes feel  grossed out by the bathroom or bed comforter, in exquisite hotels like the W, everything feels clean and welcoming and quality. It’s things like the recessed lighting in the bathroom, the blue mood lighting above the bed, the unique mirrors, the complimentary newspaper every morning, the HDTV with real HD channels … I could go on. Call me crazy, but I appreciate the little touches. I’ve been cursed with expensive taste.

And compared to the quality of hotel we experienced later in Austin, it made us appreciate the W even more. Stay tuned.

If you plan on traveling, here are some options for cheap cruises, Hawaii flights, Los Angeles flights, Bali flights, and Fiji flights.

~ Marc

Oct4

Traveling Couples’ Digital Dinner Party — October 2011

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Traveling Couples’ Digital Dinner Party — October 2011

Thanks to @twoOregonians for the invitation to the 1st Traveling Couples’ {Digital} Round the World Dinner Party. B & T are the brilliant minds behind #RTWDinnerParty and we are delighted to be their guests! If you like what you see here, be sure to check out the rest of the dinner table’s posts over at http://twooregonians.com/rtwdinnerparty.

Meet & Mingle

I love to treat the hostess with the mostess, so here you go, B! It’s a chocolate, tobacco leaf, and ebony wood warmed with roasted espresso scented candle!

Lyndsi: I’m well traveled within the United States and hope to travel the world someday. I’ve lived in four states: California, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In all, I have visited 29 states, but who’s counting? As we mingle around the dinner table, I’m likely to get loud. Marc will usually nudge me in a caring way to let me know I need to tone it down a bit but, if he doesn’t, feel free to let me know I’m shouting! I just get a bit excited when I start mingling!

Marc: Originally from Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, I have lived all over the Eastern U.S., including New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and now North Carolina. I’ve been an Internet geek since the ’90s when I started Sports Central, a sports fan magazine, due to my love of sports and passion for the Internet. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it would grow into a profitable business and remain with me into adulthood.

Aside from travel and my desire to see the world, I am a certified car enthusiast and some people fail to understand why I’ll drive hundreds of miles just to … drive more (twisties). I’ll also admit I’m an Apple fanboy and think Steve Jobs is a genius.

If you want, you can learn more about us here.

Dinner Specialty

We struggled with what to bring to this dinner party. I thought about bringing a dessert: Dad’s delicious spiked baked apples or his killer raspberry chocoloate rum cake. I also thought about bringing my mom’s amazing apple pie, but since this is a digital dinner party, I know that my words could not do it justice. Both my parents are amazing cooks/bakers and I know I couldn’t go wrong bringing their food to a dinner table. As for my cooking, well, it’s a work in progress and my Dad would tell you guys I follow recipes too much when it comes to cooking (which, he would argue, makes for super boring food).

So, since this is our first dinner together, I decided to play it safe and bring “burgushi” (sushi made with beef) as an appetizer from one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina. The restaurant is called the Cowfish and it serves up burgers, sushi, and burgushi.

The burgushi I’m bringing to the table is the Taste Explosion roll (or maybe five Taste Explosion rolls). Seasoned natural Angus ground beef, applewood bacon, fresh jalapeños,and spicy cream sauce inside of a sushi roll coated with tempura flakes. Each piece is topped with marinated Roma tomato and pepper jack cheese, and then baked to perfection. Drizzled with cashew cilantro pesto to finish. I like my food spicy spicy. I sincerely hope no one at dinner suffers from heartburn!

We’re also bringing a special drink to the table tonight —  a bottle of Napa Valley Vodka. It’s made with sauvignon blanc grapes and is made for sipping. In my opinion, this is a wonderful way to get social and have a little fun! After all, this is our first dinner party!

Table Talk

Most likely, we’ll be more interested in listening to everyone else’s fabulous stories about round the world trips since we’ve just traveled within the United States. However, I’m sure we’ll pitch in with some talk about South Beach, Florida; Austin, Texas; North Carolina mountains, and random weekend getaways. We’re huge fans of American weekend getaways right now, so we have plenty to talk about in that category!

Cheers!

~ Lyndsi

P.S. I promise to bring some of my cooking next time!

Sep27

Greenville, SC: Worthy of a Weekend Getaway

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Greenville, SC: Worthy of a Weekend Getaway

Last week, I was blessed with an all-expenses-paid trip to Greenville, SC! It was my first trip to Greenville and I absolutely hated that it was for work. I can’t complain about the free trip, but I certainly didn’t have time to explore the city like I wanted to once I arrived and realized it was an awesome town.

I instantly loved it and my initial thoughts were “this is a mix of Asheville and Charlotte.” Granted, Greenville definitely isn’t nearly as pretty as Asheville since it lacks the mountainous backdrop and Charlotte is quite a bit larger.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville and I spent the majority of my time there. My huge complaint with Hyatt Regency is that it didn’t have free WiFi in the rooms. That’s a major downer. It put me in a poor mood because all I wanted to do after a long day was play on my iPad. I know I’m being somewhat of a snob given there are plenty of people in this world that never have access to the Internet. But guess what? I can’t help it. It’s a luxury I am used to having and when I don’t have access to it I tend to get a bit moody.

During a break, I ventured a few blocks down to Falls Park. It’s is a very pretty area given its vicinity to a large city. Greenville has done a wonderful job of making the area extremely attractive for tourists. I particularly liked the Liberty Bridge. It’s a suspension bridge with a pretty hefty curve in it and downstream a little bit is a cute little waterfall.

There were also a few local shops and restaurants near the water at Falls Park. I spotted one restaurant, High Cotton, which I was just dying to try for dinner. The décor and name of the restaurant were begging for my attention. Unfortunately, I had to have dinner with the rest of the group at Wild Wing Café. Let’s just say I barely ate since I ordered the “China Syndrome” wings — those little guys were hot, hot, hot!

I also ate at The Green Room located on Main Street downtown the next day for lunch. It is a lovely restaurant, but I’m not certain I would have loved it had I went there for dinner. The lunch, however, was super delicious. I ordered the Tuscan Chicken Melt and it had endless flavor. I intentionally didn’t take a picture of it since I didn’t want my colleagues questioning why I was taking pictures of my food!

Needless to say, I cannot wait to return to Greenville, SC for a weekend of fun with Marc. I hope to be able to dine at High Cotton and take a long run with him around the downtown area. I can’t wait to explore more of the town!

~ Lyndsi

Sep24

European Car Fun For Charity in Winston-Salem, NC

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European Car Fun For Charity in Winston-Salem, NC

Two weekends ago, Marc and I ventured to Winston-Salem, NC to enjoy a nice car show, a gala/casino night, and a relaxing Blue Ridge Parkway “Cruz” — all for a good cause. Proceeds went to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Neither Marc nor I have a reason to support Parkinson’s Research since we don’t personally know of anyone with Parkinson’s disease, but we chose to participate in the event since it would benefit a good cause while allowing us to have some fun. We can’t exactly be the epitome of philanthropists since we are young professionals, but these types of events provide us with an opportunity to do good and make a difference without breaking the bank and sacrificing a large amount of time.

On Saturday morning, we walked the streets of Old Winston-Salem to check out the car show. The cars were awesome and so was the town. Marc was particularly fond of the architecture and character of the buildings. I spotted a bakery, and upon entering, I was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of freshly baked bread. We were greeted by an older man who was kneading and pounding dough on a small wooden table in a tiny room to the right of the entrance. He treated us like we were everyday customers and in reality, he had never met us before. I love that kind of small town charm.

We spent a few hours at the car show, but once it wrapped up, we headed over to the Brookstown Inn to check in and to freshen up. The inn was fairly quaint and isn’t a place we have raved about to all of our friends. That being said, there wasn’t anything about it that we disliked, we just weren’t crazy about it. We enjoyed our stay, but we weren’t overly impressed with our room or the staff. At best, it is an average place to stay with above-average character.

We had a few hours to burn before the casino night at Flow BMW, so we made our way to Foothills Brewing, only a few miles away. Marc and I managed to snatch the last two spots available at the bar. We ordered a couple of appetizers (yes, we ordered pretzels) and we shared a beer sampler. We were just a few minutes from closing our tab when suddenly I was jumping out of my barstool trying to keep the beer shower from turning into a beer bath. Marc was borderline drenched and I was sprayed with enough beer to make my hair nappy and my shirt  fairly wet and sticky.

All of this happened because the tap decided to spray beer directly at us which, according to our bartender, “happens everyday.” Huh? Your tap sprays beer every day and you still allow your patrons to sit in front of it? Come again? I was pretty outraged, but surprisingly, I bit my tongue to the best of my ability. Needless to say, the manager took care of our tab and even offered to take care of my dry cleaning bill since I was visibly upset about a brand new shirt getting soaked in beer. No, I’m not sending my dry cleaning bill to her, even though I probably should. We learned a valuable lesson and that is to never sit near a tap again.

We abruptly left  Foothills Brewing and returned to Brookstown Inn to get ready for casino night. It was a pretty good time; though Marc and I were the youngest couple there. We have this ongoing joke that we always tend to be the youngest in the crowd at all the events we go to. I am not certain how this happens, but I really wish younger people enjoyed the same stuff we do! Neither one of us are gamblers, so we were amongst the first to leave that evening. In hindsight, it’s pretty hysterical that we were the first to leave since we were the youngest. I’m sure some of the older people stayed until the very end!

The next day was pretty fun. We went on the Blue Ridge Parkway “Cruz,” which really ended up being a drive on a whole bunch of backroads and a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our final destination was Chateau Morrisette in Virginia. I thoroughly enjoyed the wine tasting and winery tour. The winery is absolutely beautiful and has a great history, but I don’t feel like rambling about a winery.

The drive home was a long one, but at the end of the day, we supported a good cause while having fun, so making the trip was well worth our time!

~ Lyndsi

Sep18

Our Five Favorite Fall Drives in North Carolina

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Our Five Favorite Fall Drives in North Carolina

Fall is wonderful for five things: football, running, pumpkin spice lattes, killer boots, and beautiful North Carolina mountain drives. Some of our favorite drives are below … hopefully our readers love drives, if not, I’m so sorry this post is going to bore you. I hate that we don’t know much about our readers, but I can only hope you guys like our content! 

  1. Blue Ridge Parkway – This drive is by no means off the beaten path, unless of course you’re comparing it with the streets of Downtown Manhattan. Blue Ridge Parkway draws 15+ million visitors each year, making it the National Park Service’s most admired attraction. Even though millions of visitors take a journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway each year, when we drive it, we feel we’re among the few that are actually enjoying it. There’s no congested traffic, but we do occasionally get stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle. That’s not terrible, since we drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to enjoy the views of the beautiful vistas. Marc has never driven the M3 like it is meant to be driven while on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At least not with me as his passenger. It’s an absolutely beautiful drive and I highly recommend all leaf-lookers take a journey on this road. After all, traveling should be about the journey, not the destination. Note: take time to stop at the overlooks. Each one offers a very unique stunning view.

  2. Tail of the Dragon (TOD) – I don’t even know where to begin. This road is absolutely ridiculous as a passenger in a vehicle. At least as the passenger in a M3 with Marc behind the wheel. Located on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, TOD is America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road with 318 curves in just 11 miles. If you go mid-day, you’ll barely move faster than an old lady in a walker due to traffic, but if you arrive early in the morning, you can get a clean run (ladies: a “run” means a clean drive without having to tap your breaks because some leaf-looker is in front of you, just in case you don’t already know; it took me a few times to catch onto the lingo). Despite my instincts routinely telling me I am a complete moron for riding in the passenger’s seat, I thoroughly love drives on the TOD. It’s an adrenaline rush and I am an adrenaline junky. Although, it’s not about how fast you go (and I recommend not going fast), it is simply how well you handle the curves. Notes: TOD is a dangerous road. Do not cross over the double yellow lines and be extremely cautious. There are tons of bikers on road, so keep your eyes peeled for them, as well.  An air lift out of the place cost one driver $19,000, so that’s just another reason to play it safe.

  3. Cherohalah Skyway – Located near the TOD (making a glorious loop), I love Cherohalah Skyway for its 60 miles of remote, scenic mountain views. It’s an amazing road with swift, wide turns. In some aspects, I enjoy it more than the Blue Ridge Parkway since you can drive faster while still looking at the gorgeous scenery. Being the passenger on this road makes me want to kick Marc out of the driver’s seat, so I can know what it feels like to drive a sports car on this skyway! Maybe this fall, Marc? Note: this road can also be dangerous. There was a tragic fatality on it this month, September 2011. While you can drive faster on it than the first two drives I mentioned, take it easy, as the road can be tricky.  The turns can sneak up on you. There are more car fatalities on the Cherohala than TOD. 
  4. Whitewater Way – I’d be lying if I said I’ve actually driven this, but it’s one I will experience this fall. If I’m not mistaken, Marc has driven at least some of this road with his car friends. I can’t wait to experience the vivid fall color amidst a stunning backdrop of numerous waterfalls. I’ve heard it’s the most striking and lively scenery in North Carolina. Notes: bring your camera! I’ve seen incredible pictures from friends who have been on this drive.
  5. Nantahala Byway – Forty-three miles of road make up the Nantahala Scenic Byway within the Nantahala National Forest. Areas of interest include the Nantahala Gorge, Cherokee Indian Reservation, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, and Fontana Lake. If whitewater rafting, kayaking, or canoeing is your niche, then the Nantahala River will sure please you. Notes: wear active clothing and make this trip memorable by doing outdoor activities! As with my other notes, please drive safely!

What are you favorite fall drives in the United States? Or in the world? Marc and I would die to drive on the Autobahn (and will someday, Marc claims, when he does a European delivery of a new BMW).

~ Lyndsi