A Trip in the Making

Why yes, these are my new favorite beaches. I love them. 

All year Ben and I have known we wanted to go on a special trip for our two year anniversary. Ben and I love to travel but have never planned a trip together, just the two of us. We had both really wanted to go to Boston some day, but after looking at the cost, we thought maybe someday down the road...We considered many other places, and then one day out of the blue, Ben suggested a trip to the South. My first thought--why the South? What's even there? So we looked it up and found beautiful pictures of plantations, scenery, beaches, and other historical sites. It just fit (plus, the price was right!) Ben delegated the planning to me, and so I embarked on planning our first family vacation.

I didn't realize how much fun planning a trip could be, although picking what to see out of so much was a little overwhelming. It was so satisfying to know that we could go anywhere and plan the itinerary however we'd like! So I went a little overboard. I researched blogs, TripAdvisor, asked for suggestions from anyone and everyone who had been to the south, and little by little our road-trip from Savannah, GA to Charleston, SC and ending in Myrtle Beach, SC unfolded all the way down to each and every place to eat. My cousin Sarah, who lives in GA, helped so much and was one of the main reasons our trip was so successful--so thank you, Sarah! I also learned throughout our trip that TripAdvisor is not always right. Some of its food recommendations and one of the hotels we stayed in that were very high on TripAdvisor were not very high on our list, BUT we are learning as we go :)

Here is my little Southern shpeal--in the South, you will find an amazing blend of history from the colonists, to the revolutionary war, to the Civil War--it is fascinating. I loved it because you could find a mix of European influences with pure American ideals. It honestly feels a teeny bit like another country. Also, the scenery is so beautiful there. Gardens flourish, trees are everywhere, and it just feels GREEN! The beaches there are my new favorite. My ignorant self has lived twenty-six years thinking that Southern CA beaches are the warmest--I was wrong. The water there felt so warm. Ben and I looked it up and, turns out, they are usually ten degrees warmer than Southern CA beaches. Plus, the sand feels like memory foam. Food. Oh my. The food there was delicious. I had some of my favorite meals ever on the trip. It gave me so much satisfaction to know that I had looked up restaurants beforehand, and they were worth planning (at least 90% of them). Now that I have gushed about my new found love, I think I can begin our trip story!

New York Times Award Winning Breakfast at Toast. Ben got an apple caramel french toast. 

Totally Southern! The most delicious fried chicken (and I am not even a fried chicken type of person), and that cheesy thing to the right has to be one of the best things I have had in my life. It was a "Cheese bake," essentially a twice baked potato smothered in cheese, paprika and other glorious goodness. Can you tell I am still dreaming about the food?

Since the three different places we went to on the trip felt like different planets, I am dividing our trip into three posts because let's be honest...once these posts are finished, I will have to accept our trip really is over.