Well hey there friends! It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Heck, it’s been a while since I even opened my laptop. 10 days to be exact.
These last 10 days have been all about unplugging and being in the present. After some thought, I ended up leaving my laptop on my desk while we road tripped to South Carolina. Best decision ever. I still instagrammed, but beyond that I was technology-free.
Each summer, we try to make a trip to Hilton Head Island, SC. It’s our happy place. We weren’t able to make it in 2011, so this year was extra special.
The second we hit the road, I was in vacation mode. And I totally embraced the 20% of my 80/20 lifestyle – meaning that my diet consisted more of fries and cheese than veggies and fruits. And I was totally okay with that.
Everything was amazing, but I am definitely ready to get back to clean eating and home cooked meals.
While I didn’t formally work out on vacation, I certainly got in a lot of activity. In fact, we spent the entire trip being super active. Swimming, bike rides, jet skis, and more!
All-in-all, we had a fantastic time. One week just flies by when you’re having a blast.
So how about I throw a bunch of photos at you? It’s the best way to sum up a whirlwind trip. Plus, it will give me (and my family) a fun way to look back and reminisce.
Our happy place – HHI 2012
Road trips call for cheese fries at Fuddruckers, no?
Our first view of the Smoky Mountains!
Day 1: pool time.
After the pool, we all showered up and headed out for dinner at Mellow Mushroom. Of course, we had to have a family photo op first. We have to take advantage of these opportunities.
{The Girls}
{The Guys}
The restaurant!
We went on a lot of bike rides, but I really loved riding to get groceries! Oh, how I wish I could do this at home! Fill up the bike trailer and ride. Peace signs are necessary.
Day 2: BEACH.
This is the day where I learned what it feels like to get stung by a jellyfish. It felt like someone sliced me across the thighs with a machete. Luckily, the stinging was short-lived.
I did, however, make a complete fool of myself by running out of the water screaming and flailing my arms. The fiasco lasted a bit longer since we were swimming out past the sandbar. Fabulous.
How did we get rid of the sting? We vigorously rubbed dry sand across the stings, rinsed, and then repeated. I still had huge swollen marks, but the sting was pretty much obliterated.
We also did some surfcasting and Adam caught a baby shark!
There are more than just jellyfish lurking near the sandbar. We let this little guy go right after this photo. He even got a big piece of squid.
After the beach, we hit up one of our favorite places on the island – Rita’s!
This is a gelati – custard with italian ice. It is a must-try! Our original goal was to have Rita’s every single day (hey, we’re only there for one week a year). We didn’t reach our goal, but 5 times was pretty close!
My parents also took the kids on a dolphin cruise from South Beach.
It’s a yearly tradition that they all look forward to!
And yet another family photo op before A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant. This was our first time eating here and it was absolutely amazing. The food was fresh, delicious, and creative!
And it was right next to Delisheee Yo! SO good!
Adam is nearly as tall as me. When did this happen?
We also took a trolley ride to Harbour Town to see Greg Russell – another yearly tradition!
And last, but certainly not least – we rented wave runners!
{Before}
Excited for his first time on a wave runner. Expect for driving into and out of the sound, he drove the entire time. Scary stuff – especially for a control freak like myself.
We survived!
{After – covered in salt water}
Throughout the week, we also spent a lot of time at Coligny Plaza (food, shopping, and more), the pool, Sweet Frog, and just hanging around the villa. It was a wonderful week of stress-free fun!
We left the island Saturday morning (tear) and ended up renting a cabin in Tennessee for the night. It was a spontaneous decision that left us planning our next long weekend!
The views were amazing!
So that about sums up our trip – from Indiana to South Carolina to Tennessee and back!
I’m already counting down the days until we cross the bridge to our happy place once more.
What’s your happy place?
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