Home Sweet Clemson

I was a happy girl when we received my brothers 40th birthday party invitation and discovered the only hotel available with my travel agent discount was in Clemson - no I didn't plan it that way or trick my parents! 

I don't get to venture back to the Upstate of SC very often as it is a 6 hour drive from Wilmington so to say I was excited was a major understatement. Clemson is the only other place in the world where I feel completely at home and that I could be just as happy there as I am in Wilmington. 

We arrived at the beautiful Courtyard by Marriott in Clemson and then wandered downtown to do some orange shopping. We bought our All In Win Orange Bowl tshirts, and I got a new candle from Razzberry Fizz. We didn't have long before we had to drive to Greenville for my brothers birthday party. 

It was great to spend the evening with my sweet nieces, brother, and sister-in-law and celebrate his big 4-0! 

We spent the night in Clemson and went to First Baptist Church in Clemson which will always feel like my "home" church. The people there were like family to me and took care of my at a crucial time in my life. After church we went to my favorite little spot, Potbelly Deli, with my dearest friend from college, Tiffany. It was so great to catch up before heading back to the beach. 

Clemson will forever hold a piece of my heart and always feel like my home away from home. 

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises - Portugal's Douro River Valley

Portugal? Definitely not a high ranked country on my bucket list! When this Uniworld agent education trip came available I jumped at the opportunity to experience the river cruise, but I'll admit I was less than thrilled about the destination. Little did I know that Portugal's wine country would be some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen!

We arrived in Porto and opened our eyes to the gorgeous blue skies and bright colorful stacked buildings of the city. Upon checking in onboard the Queen Isabel, we unpacked our bags in our beautifully decorated cabin. The 116 passenger ship had less than 60 cabins throughout the 3 decks. Our cabin had 2 twin beds, a dresser, closet, and nice size bathroom. We explored the 3 decks and the upper sundeck before departing for a city tour of Porto. 

Porto was simply beautiful as we walked miles up and down its colorful streets. We visited cathedrals - and took pictures inside which wasn't allowed - and visited one of the oldest bookstores in Europe. 

Our ship set sail on the Douro River and the landscape changed from city to peaceful wine country. We stopped in little vineyard towns and toured wine estates and enjoyed an evening harvesting and pitting olives, sampling Port wine, and learning about olive oils. 

One day we boarded motor coaches and drove inland to Salamanca, Spain. Salamanca is a university town with beautiful architecture and squares lined with shops and tapas bars. 

One of my favorite days was when rode up to a small village of only 65 people called Castillo Rodrigo. The village is perched on the top of a hill with ruins remaining and business still surviving. The village is a tourist destination but also a producer of almonds and honey. 

As we sailed back in to Porto, I sat on the sun deck and reflected on the week I learned a lot about Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and I would love to experience another river cruise some day. I finally discovered the first wine I don't like; Port wine is way too sweet for my tastebuds. The landscape of Portugal surprised me with is beauty and I'm grateful for the experience and people I was able to spend the week with. 

London Calling

Ever since Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen went to London in 2001, I have been dreaming of the day I could step a rain boot clad foot in the city. Finally, 12 years later I achieved that dream and made my first, but not last, visit to London! After a rough sleepless flight to Heathrow from Charlotte, Leigh and I checked in to our hotel and crashed. When we finally awoke from the dead we bundled up and wandered out of our hotel, The Thistle Marble Arch, to Oxford Street. As we stood on the corner of one of the best shopping streets in Europe, across the street from Hyde Park, watching red double-decker busses and black taxi cabs whiz past it finally hit me that I was finally in the #1 city on my bucket list! 

We woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to explore! We purchased a 48 hour hop on hop off bus pass so we road the loop toward Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. We arrived about an hour before the ceremony, but there was already a small crowd around the gates. What a site to behold! To stand in front of such a historic palace and think about the history of the city and people that have come and gone from that palace will really make one stop and stare in awe. As we were standing at the base of the Victoria Memorial, all of a sudden a parade of Royal horses appears from the side of the palace. Moments later we watched a black sedan depart the palace with a woman in the backseat who resembled the Queen, but we laughed it off until suddenly the British flag was lowered from the top of the Buckingham Palace and replaced with a Union Jack flag which is the symbol of when the Queen is in residence and when she's not. Leigh and I stopped laughing and stared at each other...we saw the Queen of England! 

We rode the bus to Westminster Square and got off to see the infamous Big Ben and Parlaiment, the River Thymes with the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. As we passed stood on the corner waiting to cross the street, Big Ben struck 12 noon. Listening to that clock tower strike solidified itself as one of my "Ah Ha" moments in London that I will never forget. 

The afternoon was spent at the Tower of London getting sized for our new jewels from the royal collection. Ok ok, they just let us look at the jewelry. I didn't realize how large the Tower of London was or the history behind it until costing since our sole purpose was the see the Crown Jewels. 

Our second day in London was my personal favorite - although I think I could have been happy to stay in London forever! We strolled through Hyde Park to  catch the bus to Kensington Palace. I'll just admit it thrilled me to no end to wander through Kensington Palace knowing that Prince William, Kate, and baby George were somewhere on the same property as I was! We took our time visiting all of the King and Queens apartments. We got to see the Royal Dress Gallery and iconic fashions from Queen Elizabeth, Princess Dianna, and Princess Anne. My favorite, though,was Queen Victorias' apartment. I was captivated by her story of growing up in the palace and her love story with Prince Albert. 

We treated ourselves to high tea at The Orangery near Kensington Palace and that was truly a highlight of our time! Princess Dianna used to entertain guests at The Orangery so we felt quite special to be able to have high tea there. After tea, we rode the bus through the South Kensington neighborhood to the granddaddy of all department stores, Harrods! Leigh promised herself 30 years ago that she would never step foot in that congested 5 story madhouse again but...she loves me! We pushed through the masses and made it to the specialty tea selections where we stocked up and bought a cheesy token Harrods coffee mug. We survived shopping for an hour before we escaped back outside to see Harrods all lit up with Christmas lights! 

While I only had 2 full days in London, it was just as magical as I anticipated it would be! I was able to see the highlights of London, but quickly discovered that I barely scratched the surface of the historic city. My tea canister is almost empty so it's about time to begin planning my return trip to London! 

Walt Disney World 2014

One day while I was waiting for my taco salad at Pine Valley Market I got a phone call from my branch manager saying that my regional manager wanted to know if I would like to go on a FAM trip - travel agent education trip - in October. Well, sure! My bags are always packed and ready to go! I called my Momma to make sure she didn't mind if I was out of town for her birthday and I booked my flights for Disney!
Now, I have been to Walt Disney World several times but let me tell you going for a true Disney's College of Knowledge trip was a whole new experience! I arrived in Orlando and was whisked away to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge where I checked in to my Savannah View room, activated my new Magic Band, and set off for my favorite park, Epcot! I had some free time before the seminar began so I took in Epcot for lunch at the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom pavilion.

Once I arrived back at my room, my roommate Terri from the AAA Carolinas location in Winston Salem had arrived. She was such a sweetheart and a true Disney fanatic as she was returning with her family for Thanksgiving. We met up with the other participants and found out every one was from AAA but some were from the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic, Kansas, and Michigan.
The 6 AAA Carolinas girls stuck together and we had an incredible week touring the resorts, participating in training seminars on the new My Magic+ experience, experiencing the theme parks and restaurants, taking in the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, and trick or treating through Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

 

One of our last days, our group went to Port Canaveral and was able to tour the Disney Dream cruise ship! I had never seen any of the Disney Cruise Line ships and let's just say I would travel on this ship with or without children! The ship was so interactive from the way the crew welcomed you aboard to the digital artwork to the 3 different themed dining rooms to the cabins! The ship screamed Disney magic without being overly kiddy. There is even an entire area devoted to the adults complete with several bars, a swimming pool and sun deck, and 2 adults only restaurants. The kids are treated like royalty aboard the ship and their kids only areas are incredible and made me wish I was 6 years old again!

The training week taught me so much about Walt Disney World that I did not know just from experiencing the parks as a guest! I was and still am so excited to share my Disney knowledge with clients and my co-workers! It truly was a magical experience!

Summer in the South Roadtrip

When life gets tough, I like to pack my bags and hit the road. I needed a few days of "Me and God" time to escape some drama, clear my head, and regroup so I picked up a rental car and headed South. Anyone that knows me, knows I am Southern to the core and I am slightly obsessed with college football so I planned myself a little road trip to some notorious college towns.

First stop, was a must and my little piece of heaven, Clemson, South Carolina! I visited with my best friend from college, Tiffany, and we had a girls night out at the Esso Club and Tigertown Tavern, toured the campus and saw all the new buildings that have been built since I graduated and had much needed girl talk.
 

Athens, Georgia  is supposed to be an awesome town with a fun music vibe, but I was on a mission to see the field between the hedges, home of the GA Bulldogs! I spent all of 1 hour in Athens and I accomplished my goal of gawking at the infamous Southern football field and making people mad by stopping at my own created parking spots so I could run take pictures of the stadium.


 

My brilliant timing had me driving through Atlanta traffic at noon, but I made it to the beautiful state of Alabama and Auburn University. Now, people had told me that Auburn resembled Clemson, but I was not prepared to scream "Tillman!" when I saw Samford Hall! It was unbelievable how much the 2 campuses looked alike. I called my Momma and told her she can be glad I saw Clemson University before I ever saw Auburn because the campus was simply beautiful and their downtown had the cutest boutiques! I bought the perfect souvenir bracelet that says "Travels and Explores" from an adorable shop called Wrapsody. Thanks to Auburns $0.25 per hour parking fees downtown, I was able to take my time exploring the campus and the downtown area. As is Clemson, Auburn is very much a walkable campus and town. I walked through campus, past Samford Hall, past the President's House, past the Greek housing, and all the way to the football stadium before getting just a little lost and finding my way back to downtown. The June heat was scorching so I found historic Toomer's Drugs downtown to escape the sun for some lunch and their famous lemonade.   

 

 

After staying in Birmingham for 1 night, I drove two more hours down the road to the infamous University of ALABAMA! Roll Tide! I work with a girl who is a diehard Alabama fan and she would have loved my time in Tuscaloosa! I headed to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum first to reminisce about the incredible football history of the university, then I wandered around the campus and saw the gorgeous sorority homes , excuse me, mansions, and then all of a sudden...there it was...Bryant-Denny Stadium! An incredible sight to behold! The stadium was enormous! I wandered through Bryant-Denny Plaza and read all of the sidewalk memoirs. I ventured to Tuscaloosaa Tavern for brunch and then checked into the hotel because it was a another blistering Summer day. After cooling off, I drove to the campus and saw more of the buildings and the President's mansion and then I made a return visit to the delectable Dreamland BBQ! I went to Dreamland BBQ 2 years prior with a class trip from Clemson so I was thrilled to be able to sit inside the smoky walled building and taste the amazing ribs again - don't worry, a plastic bib is included with your meal!

 

 

Sundays in the South bring peaceful quiet mornings that are perfect for driving the rolling hills and back roads toward Mississippi. I made it to the quaint town of Oxford with just a stop at the state line visitor center and instantly fell in love with Ole Miss. All I really knew of Ole Miss came from a little research after watching my favorite movie, The Blindside. 

Ole Miss is home to conservative Southern values and grace. Tailgating is an art to behold in The Grove, Southern Living Magazine names the women of Ole Miss the belles of the South, and sororities and fraternities are a way of life. The town of Oxford is a quintessential small town revolving around the courthouse square which is home to award winning restaurants like The Grocery, bookstores, and boutiques.
 

                           

 

I continued my Sunday drive just across the Mississippi border to Tennessee and the river city of Memphis. I checked into my downtown hotel and made it to the Peabody Hotel with 30 minutes to spare before the infamous Parade of Ducks! Yes, there are actual ducks that walk in a line on a red carpet to and from the lobby fountain every day at 10am and 5pm. I arrived at the Peabody Hotel at 4:30pm and apparently I was late to the party! I was hard pressed to find a spot where I could see the parade of ducks! At 5pm the Duck Master, not to be confused with the Duck Commander, blew his whistle for the ducks to line up and they proceeded to march out of the fountain, down the stairs, and across the red carpet to the elevator where they went up to the 10th floor and their penthouse. Such a simple event creates a spectacle in Memphis!

I wandered around the hotel some before heading out to Beale Street, the famous stretch of restaurants and jazz venues. The Rendezvous is the restaurant to rave about unfortunately for me it is closed on Sundays. I chose to visit the 2nd most popular restaurant, Blues City Café. Memphis ribs are always at the top of any barbeque list but I have to admit that my ribs at Dreamland BBQ in Tuscaloosa were much better than Blues City Café in Memphis. I can honestly say now that I have had Memphis barbeque and do not personally like it at all. Memphis also did not feel safe to me so after a short walk along the great Mississippi River, I tucked in for a Duck Dynasty marathon pretty early.

 

 Last city on my Summer in the South roadtrip, Nashville! I visited Nashville years ago for the Music City Bowl between Clemson and Kentucky so I knew what a fun city Nashville can be and it proved itself again! I drove out to Belle Meade Plantation, the Parthenon, the Belmont Mansion, and the Grand Ole Opry before checking in to the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. The Renaissance was gorgeous and in a perfect location only a block off of Broadway. I wandered down Broadway a little before settling on Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge to take in some local Nashville bands. Concierge at the Renaissance recommended Tootsie's because it is located next to the famous Ryman Auditorium and it is not uncommon to spot country music celebrities. I figured if Tootsie's was good enough for the country music celebs then it was good enough for me! Boy, was I NOT disappointed! I arrived between bands so I got a good spot at the bar and met a couple of women who were in town for a teachers convention. Obviously the city is crawling with talented musicians and I had the pleasure of listening to an incredible band for hours with those women; we even got to meet the cutie cowboy lead singer! For only one night, Nashville was very good to me!

 

 

 The stretch of drive from Nashville to Wilmington was long and boring after 5 days across the deep South, but the trip served its purpose of clearing my head and refocusing on what's really important in life. I was able to see college towns that I have always wanted to visit and spend some much needed alone time thinking about life.