Vacation 2010

This year our vacation was a little different, but it turned out to be great!!!! After a cruise to Hawaii two years ago for our honeymoon and a cruise to Alaska last year with my parents, we've become a little spoiled. As much as we loved both of those trips, big trips are exhausting - luggage, flights, running across airports to catch the next flight, packing in as many excursions as you can to see all that you can because you may never get back there, etc... (P.S. That last statement could possibly only apply to Alaska because I WILL go back to Hawaii and probably - and I'm being as serious as it gets - stay there to live) This year, due to some other things we have going on, we had to stay close to home in case we had to drive back home a few times (which we did).

My parents have some friends that have a lake house on Lake Toxaway in North Carolina. It is between Cashiers and Brevard. We decided to stay there this summer for vacation since it isn't that far away and it would be more low key that we've been doing for vacation.

It was PERFECT. The weather was PERFECT. The location was PERFECT. The activities were PERFECT. The water was PERFECT.

The temperature was warm enough that you could get outside and enjoy stuff, but not so hot that you were miserable (like it would have been at the beach). The water was chilly but usually not unbearable as long as the sun was out. It was so relaxing to get out in the water and just float around. It was quiet and serene. There were a few occasional boats, but not many because it is a private lake and the only people that can put a boat in are the landowners. The water was so clean. One of the pictures shows the bottom of the lake. You could go out a long way and still see the bottom. You didn't even feel like you had to take a shower when you got out. LOVED IT.

One night my mom and I actually went back out after supper and took a cup of coffee, got in the floats, and stayed for a long time. Awesome.

Before we left home to go on vacation, I told Brad that I missed going to the beach and I really wanted to go to the beach next year. WRONG. I was taking that back the first day of this vacation. Who needs the crowded, hot, miserable beach that requires an army of planning and lugging stuff to get down to the beach???? Not me. I realized that there is a part of me that has to convince myself that I'm enjoying myself while at the beach. Don't get me wrong. I thought I loved it, but now I realize that there is a place that I can go to have my cake and eat it to. Water, relaxation, and COOL weather. PERFECT.

This spot provided exactly what Brad and I need right now. RELAXATION. I really do need to relieve stress; I know that it would help all that I'm going through. BUT...that is easier said than done. This place was perfect for this. Have I mentioned that it was perfect?

We also found a new, awesome State Park called Gorges State Park. They have some trails in the park and the roads are finished, but that is all they have right now. Brad and I have started walking every morning and needed a place to walk. This was PERFECT (yes, again). There was a 3 mile loop that we could walk on the roads. It was great. We also hiked some of the trails to a few water falls.

It was one of the best vacations!