honeymooning

We have settled on our honeymoon!!!!

SAVANNAH!

We will be staying at a beautiful Four star Bed and Breakfast has quite a reputation among the paranormal community and Tom Hanks stayed here while filming Forrest Gump.  I'm super excited...we've booked the best room in the joint and we'll be there for a full week.  We are not leaving right after our wedding to go on our honeymoon but soon enough for the experience to be special. I'm so excited that we are settled on a location AND we met our deadline...I wanted it decided and paid for in October.  We love old cities so it will be a fun and romantic experience for us to enjoy Savannah - neither of us have been there and it was on our list of places to travel.  There are several 4 and 5 star restaurants in the area and we will be doing quite a bit of research so we can plan out what we want to do.  A private carriage ride and shopping top my list while R is more excited about getting a couples massage and fine dining.  

Honeymoon Comparison

The time has come the bride said to talk of many things...of beaches and ships - and romantic nights - of candlelight and slips

phew...I put effort into that

It's time to talk about the H-O-N-E-Y-M-O-O-N baby!

This is not a new topic in our household, in fact our favorite saying when we are stressed..."just hold out for the honeymoon".  We have not booked our trip yet because we hadn't made a decision yet.  We have three ideas and all of them have their perks.

1.  Secrets Punta Cana Dominican Republic.
An adults only resort that offers all inclusive packages and our own attendant.  I know a lot of couples that have been to the secrets, sandals, or beaches resorts and have a lot of good things to say about the service and the amenities.  The idea of laying on a beach for a week is amazing except the reality for me means applying sunscreen every 30 minutes and then overheating though all the sunscreen layers. I'm concerned that some of the reviews say March isn't a great month to go to an all inclusive resort.  College spring break could be a factor in why they are so expensive during late March but some of the reviews state the "opening week" of most of the major resorts is the week before our wedding and that some restaurants are closed because they aren't busy and some pools are closed for maintenance.  We have talked about taking a trip to the Dominican or Jamaica but maybe waiting until later in the season.

2.  Royal Caribbean Cruise.
I love to cruise! There are a ton of perks - the food is taken care of and you can go as casual or as formal as you'd like, pools and hot tubs, a full service spa, a cabin steward  entertainment, room service, and delicious cocktails.  The major problem is a lack of privacy and a small commercial stateroom.  We would definitely book a suite with a patio but there still isn't a feeling of seclusion.  We have took a cruise last fall and loved it, we wanted to try a different cruise line and the reviews on the ship and itinerary that we have selected are fantastic.

3.  Savannah, Georgia.
Okay, this is a wildcard and maybe not as popular of a destination as the Caribbean but for March we think this could be a lot of fun.  Savannah is beautiful - rich in history with several restaurants, bars, and tours.  We have looked at several Bed and Breakfasts in the area and have found one we both loved.  The suite is very romantic - giant Jacuzzi, our own fireplace and large king size bed.  The place serves breakfast and afternoon tea and they have a nice pool in there courtyard (if of course it ever got warm enough to use it). We could still go to the beach for a day if we wanted to, I've always wanted to go to Tybee Island but it's not exactly the "in season".  There are honeymoon packages that we can purchase through our hotel that include a private horse and carriage tour, champagne and strawberry delivery, and a spa package for a couples massage and tapas afterward.

I'm trying to remember that we really can't go wrong with any of these options.  And that even though this is an important time for R and I to spend together, this is not the only vacation we will ever take.

Brief Engagement update

So we've been engaged nearly a week and I'm getting overwhelmed with all the questions.  We have started the wedding planning fun.  We have asked our wedding party and have two appointments set up this weekend to look at venues.  We will be attending a bridal expo in April and will hopefully meet a lot of area vendors.  R had no idea of the costs of the different elements of a wedding so I've been doing some research for us to be able to plan our budget efficiently.  I can't wait to share our progress on our blog.

I wanted to share a couple of photos from a trip we took a couple weekends ago to Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks.  We were there for a friend's weddings and enjoyed 4 days relaxing on the island. 

 Our ferry!

 The banks as the ferry pulled in the the bay.

Ocracoke Lighthouse in the distance.

Bathroom at Howards...I thought the Adirondack chair in the corner was a fun touch...that and they have a great selection of beers and I'd worked my way through the list at the point where bathroom pictures seemed like a good idea. 

I have so many more pictures including a great one of R and I standing at the lighthouse.  Those photos are on his camera but I will post them as soon as I learn how to get my precious pictures off his fancy camera.

Meet Thompson Greybeard...

So a few weeks ago my mom surprised me with an ECU yard gnome.  R and I could not find a place for it in the home and we didn't want to put it on the patio so  we decided we would travel with him!  We gave him a name and let him tag along to the Bahamas.  He is also attending the games with us.  We are planning to bring him on all future trips :-)

South of the Border

It was a soggy drive and we had to pull over for about half an hour.

Embarking the cruise.

Freeport, Bahamas

Towel frog on the fourth night of the cruise.

The gangway at Nassau.

You'll be seeing more of Thompson so I definitely wanted to introduce him.  He'll probably be creeping in a lot of upcoming photos.

Bahamas Cruise on the Carnival Fantasy

I have so much to post!  Russell and I recently went to the Bahamas on a Carnival Cruise and when I returned I had lots of work and maid of honor duties to catch up on.  I wanted to share some photos of our trip with my blog friends and I figure it's better late (by a couple weeks) than never.  We left out of Charleston, SC which is a tiny port.  The Best Western Downtown Charleston has a great park and cruise special where you stay the night before you embark and leave your car parked there while a driver takes you to and from the ship.  We visited Freeport and Nassau Bahamas.  R bought me the most beautiful pair of Tanzinite earrings and a matching necklace while we were in Nassau!  We also picked  up some Tortuga rum and rum cake while we were there.

 I love Carnival's towel animals and I looked forward to them every night.  The first night we had a seal waiting for us.

 We took a photo of our ship when we disembarked in Nassau.

 One night before a show R and I took this photo.  During our 5 night cruise we saw 2 performance shows and 2 comedy shows on opposite nights.  They also had some events like a Michael Jackson night, Mojitos and Cigars on the Deck, and a Mexican Fiesta night. 

 This was a beach in Freeport, Bahamas.  The land is so flat you can see the ocean for miles.  We ate at the Afterdeck Grill and had conch fritters, a lobster gyro, and sands beer (YUM!).

 These are some new friends we met on our cruise.  We all got together one night to hang out at the piano bar.  Most nights we visited a much louder bar that hosted kareoke or the casino so this was a great change of pace.

 In Nassau we did a submarine excursion.  This was a picture of the boat that led us there (please note the ECU gnome in R's backpack, I'll be showing photos of him soon).  I enjoyed it, we were able to see a shark, ballyhoo, yellow tail snapper, sergeant major fish, and other life on the reef.

 I look so pale!  It was cloudy every day we were on vacation and even rained a couple times so I didn't get to lay out as much as I would have liked.  This sign was located in Nassau by the port.

A photo of formal night.  We brought our own special bottle of wine for this.  I really enjoy getting dressed like this to go out but we rarely have the chance.  The only photos I bought on the cruiseship were two from formal night and I can't wait to have them framed.  We really had a great time.  R and I booked the cruise right after his graduation and have had months to wait for it.  I was super worried about hurricane season but we were so lucky with weather, despite the cloudiness it was perfect temperature for island vacation.

Charleston In the Fall: Resturant Review

I'm a dietitian and food is my life. I get more excited about the food when traveling than site -seeing, so I'm doing a seperate review for the resturants and cafes from our visit. We had a quick yogurt and fruit breakfast at the hotel every morning while we were getting ready for the day so all the reviews are either for lunch or dinner.

Poogan's Porch - Dinner Entree - Crab Cakes served with Hoppin' Johns, green beans, Cajun remoulade and Southern Style biscuits with homemade honey butter.

Rating - Good

"We chose Poogan's Porch because it is a renowned hotspot. It has been featured in movies, many celebrities have visited and it has been rated the third most haunted building by the Travel Channel. Poogan was a dog and they actually barried him in front of the resturant."

Sweetwater Cafe - Lunch

Entree - Shrimp Po'Boy served with a side of fruit

Rating - Excellent

"This sandwich had jumbo perfectly seasoned and fried shrimp, so many in fact I had to eat it with a knife and fork. Mom ordered the cheeseburger in paradise (100% Angus beef served on toast) and said it was the best burger she has ever eaten. It was a great local hotspot."

Hyman's Seafood Resturant - Dinner

Entree - Carolina Delight (scallops served in a homemade cream sauce over grit cakes). I chose collards as my side item and the meal came with beer flavored hushpuppies and boiling peanuts to start.

Rating - Excellent

"I eat here every time I visit Charleston and it does not disappoint. The travel channel lists this as a top 5 seafood resturant in the US. All the seafood is fresh not frozen and the hushpuppies are a truely unique treat. I loved the boiled peanuts too - the caviar of the South. Many celebrities have visited the resturant, our table had plaques that reported Rick Flair, Samuel L Jackson, and Billy Joel have all eaten at the same table."

Cupcake - Snack

Order - Chocolate frosted vanilla cupcake with sprinkles

Rating - Good

"I'm pretty hard to please with baked goods, I was a baker all through college. I worked at a posh bakery that make wedding cakes, cupcakes, candy, and all other confectionary goodies. There isn't much that can top MY baked goods. These were ok, I loved that they piled the frosting high, actually forcing me to eat it with a fork or get it all over my nose."

Joseph's Resturant - Lunch

Entree - Cup of Tomato Crab Bisque with a half chicken salad sandwich

Dessert - Bananas Foster

Rating - Excellent Food, I wish the service had been better

"This is a great local lunch spot. Everything is made fresh from scratch, the chicken salad was probably the best I've ever had but the soup was probably the single best thing I ate on the trip. The bananas foster was really good, but you really can't mess it up - I wish more resturants would put it on the menu."

Magnolias - Dinner

Entree - Bowl of Crab Bisque and the Pear and Arugula Salad

Rating - Excellent "Beautiful fine dining atmosphere and great service. The bring out bread with a unique cream cheese / butter spread to start. My salad had incredible flavor, pear, arugula, balsamic / lingonberry vinegarette, toasted pecans and blue cheese crumbles. The bisque was really good too, but I was so full when it came out I had the waitress package the rest up for me."

The Mustard Seed - Lunch

Entree - Roasted Corn Chowder served with a crab cake garnish

Dessert - Pecan Mocha Torte

Rating - Excellent

"A nightmare to find, I had heard great things about the food but we got lost trying to find it. Well worth the journey! They bring out herbed wheat breadsticks to start, I'm not a bread person and I could have eaten a pan of these. The soup and crab cake was made the perfect lunch. My pecan torte was really rich, the nuts, coffee, and chocolate really hit you all at once. Mom's pecan pie was heavenly though."

Charleston in the Fall

(Warning - Picture Heavy Post) Back in July my mom and I planned a fall getaway to Charleston (pronounced Chawl'son by locals), South Carolina. Mom hasn't had a vacation in probably 10 years and of all the cities I've traveled to Charleston was by far my favorite. I can't tell you how much I'd love to live there someday. If you love history, old charming towns, or if you're interested in visiting the epitome of the South - please consider Charleston, you may fall in love just like I did. This blog I really just wanted to share a few pictures from our trip. Pink Tavern one of the oldest buildings in the country, preserved since the late 1600s. This was the preferred watering hole of some of the most fierce pirates in the Atlantic. Orginally this building was a fire station, Charleston has been destroyed by fire multiple times in its history. Then it was turned into a Slave Mart prior to the Civil War, now it is a museum that depicts the history of slavery in the South. Iron barriers like this are all over Charleston near fences, window, and doors used to protect the city under attack when it was under attack. "Charleston-style" house, the colors are heavily influenced by the Carribean as many early settlers were from the area. The color on the porch ceiling is called Haint Blue which protects the house from evil spirits. Provost Dungeon used to imprison pirates and those imprisoned during the Revolutionary War. Many lost their lives here or were sentenced to death while being held captive here. This building is shown on both the pirate tour and the ghost walk. This building is actually below sea level and was built on man-made land-fill. Bloody Alley shown on the ghost walk. This was a popular alley used for gentlemens duels, many lost their lives here. The building on the left that looks like a brown castle is the Old City Jail, one of the most haunted buildings in the country per the Travel channel. It is open for night tours. Rainbow Row, the coloring is heavily influenced by the Carribean as a way to reflect heat and keep the houses cool in the summer. Rivera Theater on King Street, one of the three sites for the original premiere of Gone with the Wind in 1939. In the movie Rhett Butler was a Charleston man. St Phillips Church, one of the oldest churches in the country. There are over 150 churches on the penisula in Charleston dubbing it the "Holy City". This church survived one of the most devastating earthquakes in the US with vibrations felt from Chicago down to Florida so the steeple is actually tilted. Two of the signers of the constitution are buried in its graveyard. Our Carriage Ride along Battery Street, two rivers connect here and feed into the Atlantic Ocean. South Carolina has several islands that can be seen in the horizon of this photo.

Mom and I at Magnolias Resturant on East Bay Street. Forgive our appearance, we'd been walking around downtown Charleston the whole day on walking tours and it was super windy.