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ribs

East TN and West NC

September 14, 2017 by 9 Comments

After spending all our weekends at home for a couple months, we recently drove out to North Carolina for a wedding. It was a several hour drive, but the gorgeous scenery was well worth it. On our way home, we stopped for two beautiful hikes. The first was in Western North Carolina, about 45 minutes northeast of Asheville. I spent quite a bit of time researching online to find the hikes with the best views, and you know what I discovered? There are tons in that area!We ended up choosing Mt. Mitchell State Park because reviews said the terrain is more similar to Western Canada. (Most of you know that we took a trip to the Canadian Rockies this summer and loved it.)

Of course there are no snowy peaks in North Carolina at this time of year, but it was still about 20 degrees cooler at the summit than it was along the interstate. The one downside is that the 20-plus-mile road leading to the park is narrow and winding.

We drove as far as the road would take us, parked, and then walked five minutes up to the Mt. Mitchell Summit. The view was glorious!

At 6,684 feet elevation, Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Apparently the guy after whom the mountain is named lost his life proving that statistic.

We wanted some decent exercise, so we hiked two miles down the mountain on the Commissary Trail (very rocky but not too strenuous). On the way back up, we took the 2-mile Old Mitchell Trail (even rockier and much more strenuous).

The sun was setting quickly, so we had to jog part of it, but of course we still had to stop and take a few photos.

We spent the night at a cheap hotel in Asheville, walked around the shops of Historical Biltmore Village and then drove a couple hours to Gatlinburg to hike the 2.6-mile out-and-back Laurel Falls Trail.

It took about 30 minutes to reach the waterfall and 20 minutes to return. The trail is a decently steep incline, but due to erosion, it is paved (although still very bumpy). The waterfall was beautiful, as were the views along the way.

 

In downtown Gatlinburg, we stopped for BBQ at Calhoun’s, a Knoxville-based restaurant with nine locations. The ribs were some of the best we had ever tasted. And let me tell you, when your husband is as much of a ribs connoisseur as mine is, that’s saying a lot.

While driving through the area, we saw some of the damage from the November 2016 Gatlinburg fire, but the town has done a fantastic job of restoring and rebuilding.

Filed Under: South, TN, Travel, U.S. Tagged With: Asheville, BBQ, Calhoun's, Canadian Rockies, Commissary Trail, Gatlinburg, hikes, Laurel Falls Trail, Mt Mitchell State Park, North Carolina, ribs, Western Canada

Santa Rosa Beach, Part 2

June 12, 2017 by 34 Comments

A couple weeks ago, I shared pictures from our trip to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Although we only stayed for three days, it was a wonderful chance to relax and reconnect as a couple (plus soak up the Florida sunshine, which, as you may recall from my previous post, Mr. Handsome enjoyed a little too much). I have just a few more photos to show you all.During the day, the weather was lovely (85F and sunny), but at night, we needed sweatshirts to be comfortable. Even when it’s a little chilly, there’s just something about being on the beach that makes a person smile. Do any of you live near the shore? Are you just always in a good mood, or does the beauty of the beach get old after a while?

On one of the days, we explored the little town of Seaside and ate from the food trucks permanently parked along the main sidewalk. Mr. Handsome ordered from the BBQ truck, while I went to the sandwich truck next door.

My meal was a delicious tomato-mozzarella-basil panini (one of my weaknesses). There’s just something about those three flavors that makes my taste buds sing. Can anyone else relate?

As per usual, Mr. Handsome ordered BBQ ribs. I really wonder how many times that guy would have to eat ribs before growing tired of them. He’s an adventurous eater and enjoys fruit and veggies, but when ribs are an option, it’s as if they’re the only thing on the menu. I sampled his meal, and it was very tasty, but I’m still glad I went with the panini.

Filed Under: South, Travel, U.S. Tagged With: BBQ, Florida, food trucks, panini, ribs, Santa Rosa Beach, Seaside, tomato-mozzarella-basil

How to Plan a Clean Bachelor Party

September 13, 2016 by 42 Comments

As many of you know, my brother-in-law is getting married on the East Coast in a couple months. Mr. Handsome is the best man, so it was his responsibility to plan the bachelor party.Mr. Handsome had a great time at his boating bachelor party, which took place the day before our wedding, but he wanted to come up with something unique for his brother. After much thought, he decided to throw the ultimate, 24-hour man gathering.The party started at 11am last Saturday and finished at 11 the following morning. Twelve guys–which included Mr. Handsome’s two brothers, father, and brother-in-law (Anne’s husband)–attended. They started off at the lake on our grandparents’ property, where they enjoyed fishing and target shooting.

After roasting hotdogs and s’mores over a fire, they headed to a park district gym to play basketball for three hours. (Thankfully, only a couple minor injuries were sustained.) For dinner, they picked up ribs. Then they went back to our grandparents’ home to spend the evening playing games and watching sports. (Our grandparents graciously spent the night at another family member’s house so the guys could have full run of the house.)

They planned to have cereal for breakfast, but our grandmother surprised them with eggs, bacon, and pumpkin-flavored pancakes. Everyone had a blast and agreed that it was the best bachelor party they had ever been to.

Filed Under: General Wedding Planning Tagged With: how to plan a clean bachelor party, ribs

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Mr. Handsome and I married six years ago and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Between recipes, photos from our travels, money saving tips, DIY suggestions, post about our daily life with our son, and more, our lifestyle blog features a little bit of everything. Read More…

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