Iowa Road Trip - catching up 2022

 Wow, I just realized I never posted about my Iowa road trip - the first major road trip D and I took together! I'd started working at my new job and everyone was still remote. Half my coworkers were in Iowa and one in particular had two adorable cats I just fell in love with. I mean, she was also a super cool person that I wanted to meet, and I really wanted to have some touchpoint with these people that were my coworkers but whom I'd probably never meet. 

D is always up for a trip. So we packed up the truck and headed to Iowa in the Summer of 2022. I think it was the summer of 2022. Anyway, it was an awesome trip. This country is so incredibly beautiful. The landscapes change before your eyes as you drive across the states, take a few off the beaten path detours, find hole in the wall places to eat and embrace adventure. 

We started off in SC, NC, Tennessee, found a slightly sketchy place to eat in Knoxville, TN, that D hesitated to stop at... but then fell in love with the food (Jackie's Dream, Food with Soul). Super nice folks and good food. 

Saw the biggest cross in my life at Caryville, TN. 

Amazing double rainbows in Mt. Vernon, KY. and Berea, KY. 

Rainbows and sunsets in Erlanger, KY

Covington, Indiana! You know I HAD to have a photo of that! 

Illinois also has corn and wind turbines! I squealed like a child when I saw the first one up close. They are majestic! We went off roading and parked in the middle of a corn field and it was dang creepy how silent it was. Bizarre feeling! See how close the corn was to the truck? 

Peoria, Illinois - super cute little stop on the river to enjoy water instead of corn for a minute. 

IOWA!! This was a rest stop and the corn was right up against the rest stop buildings. It was crazy! And of course, wind turbines everywhere. I was fascinated! 

So we of course got in touch with my friend/coworker, Rachel, and met her kitties! Here is one - Bae I think? She was so nice to basically clear everything from her life for the weekend and hang out with us wherever we decided to go. We did dinner with the coworkers who were available - soooo cool!!

We did the farmers market, ate downtown, found another super cool place to eat called Drake's, visited West Des Moines and East Village for goodies to take back home, the Art Museum (more shopping!) and let me say this - it was FREAKIN' HOT in Des Moines. Like, over 100 hot. I was dying. I know I'm Southern, but I do air conditioning. It was insanely hot and miserable outside. It was a whirlwind trip - two days - and back on the road. 

Talk about exciting - this is a wind turbine ... arm? Blade! I think that's what they are called - going down the interstate! We saw three in total, so that was AWESOME. 

No clue what this creepy vehicle is that we found in Missouri, but it was weird. 

Adorable houses packed in together in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The arch! We drove to go tour it but it was closed. We did find a guy shooting up at the base of the archway, sitting inside a kiddie sunshade tent thing shaped like a shark. It was bizarre and disturbing. We got the heck out of there. 

I realize I'm a country bumpkin and the city life isn't for me. And while I do find some of the graffiti interesting, it isn't my thing  

We are getting more southern! Barbourville, KY

Cumberland Gap

Tennessee! Rolling hills and beautiful green trees. The steam coming from the downpour D navigated us through because I wouldn't have driven through that nonsense. 

We had concerns about the flooding on our way home - and you could see the water was up and trees were now surrounded that shouldn't have been. But thankfully, we were good the entire trip. 

How did we end our trip home? With a stop at Waffle House. It was shocking how early things closed in Des Moines and we really needed a WH. But the closest one was in Kansas City! So that wasn't happening. Keep in mind, Covid was still a player in August 2022, so that was also impacting things. 

And long at last, a Carolina moon. 

What a great trip, and this is what kicked off our road tripping adventures. We were in each other's space for six days with no issues. We get along so well, it's a little amazing. Love this trip and would totally do it again! 

Adventures in Cary, NC - Chinese Lanterns Nov 2023

If you've followed along, you know I’m crazy behind and trying to catch up on the highlights. In November 2023, Mom, Katie, Macy, Dylan and I went to Cary, NC for the Chinese Lantern Festival. These sculptures are breathtakingly beautiful. We had the best time together as a family and my family considers Dylan one of us. 

This beautiful boat was damaged the next weekend when horrible storms came through the area. We were the last weekend to see the lanterns in Cary, as the damage was so bad they closed the event down early to try and salvage what they could.

Macy and mom both enjoyed swinging on these installations. They were the only two light enough to swing on them! haha

This cannon would fire smoke rings out right into your face. You see the two that just HAD to do it! 

These three - heaven help us if they aren't trouble together. Especially the oldest and youngest together!

I'm in love with the Asian culture and beauty so this was right up my alley! The talent and skill that went into creating these sculptures was amazing. I think I liked the first ones I saw in Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens the best, but these were so very beautiful and more interactive for the kids. We saw a very cool dance performance, enjoyed some tasty treats and had our fortunes told. :) 

We also found a great restaurant that we ended up at twice because we ALL enjoyed it so much! And that's a tall order to find something that suites each of us! I just wish I could remember the name... if I think of it I'll come back and add it. 

I'd like to go back to Cary simply because it POURED and we didn't get to explore much outside of the lantern festival. It seems like such a neat area with much more to offer, if we just get the chance to explore it!