Hi guys and gals!
It is definitely the "dog days of summer" here in the South, and boy are we feeling it down here. If you are not from the deep South, or have never visited, consider yourself lucky when it comes to the humidity that comes with the heat. You will not only be hot, but you will be covered with sweat less than 5 minutes of being outside (and don't bother fixing your hair!)
This past Saturday my boyfriend and I planned to venture up to the mountains in North Carolina, and we had an amazing time! We visited Waynesville and Asheville, and it felt like there was no humidity in the air. We could breathe y'all! ;)
Our first stop was in Waynesville, and the reason being was to visit a place that I went to in the summers with my Grandparents. The first time I visited Lake Junaluska I was probably 9 years old. I went at least 6 more times; the last being when I was 16. Needless to say I had not been back in 11 years, and I was curious to see this place again that held many childhood memories for me, especially of my grandma. My grandma passed away 3 years and 3 days ago on the day of my visit, which I cannot believe that much time has passed. Lake Junaluska holds many, many memories of her and is one of the top 3 most nostalgic places for me on this planet.
I have a round up below of some pictures that I was able to get while stopping in at Lake J:
The weather was pretty patchy. You can tell in the first few pictures it was cloudy and believe it or not.... cold! It was about 70 degrees at the time. On top of that it was windy and raining on and off. The last few pictures that are in front of the dam; about 10 minutes later, the sun was shining and it was hot again. Weird weather!
We then went a few miles outside of Lake Junaluska to get some BBQ. We found this cute place called Haywood Smokehouse, which is an old house converted into a restaurant. Let me tell y'all, this place had some genuine Southern hospitality that probably could not be topped. I am SO appreciative that I am from the South!
After our tummies were [too] full, we took off to Asheville! Side note: I'm happy that my boyfriend enjoys doing things like this - just getting up and taking off, visiting new cities without an exact plan in mind. I love every minute of it. We just planned as we went, which is so fun!
I have a round up below of some pictures that I took while spending the day in Asheville!
Downtown Asheville is always so alive and was full of performers, tourists, a craft show, and yes... solar powered ice cream "sammies." Haha. (Reminds me of Atlanta's version.. King of Pops!) :)
We stopped at another bar/brewery called The Thirsty Monk. We were pleased to see they supported local breweries in Georgia! We were also able to go upstairs to the Top of The Monk, and their rooftop had great views of the city and mountains!
After spending a few hours experiencing downtown, we ate dinner at Tupelo Honey. This was more of a planned restaurant to go to, since last time we were in Asheville the wait was too long. Super glad we were able to go! My only regret from the trip is I wish I could have gotten a few more pictures.
We then sadly headed back home to Atlanta. We got home right at midnight, after leaving at 9 am. 15 hours away was SO worth everything we were able to do and experience! I just love day trips.
Are there any short or impromptu trips that you guys like to go on? While on our trip, we started naming other cities to visit on the weekends. There is nothing like looking at life like it is one big adventure, and there are so many things out in this world to experience.
Safe travels to all this summer.
xoxo,
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