Monday, February 23, 2015

Weekend Recap: Outer Banks, NC

 
Last weekend we took a short vacation to Outer Banks, NC.
Although our friends booked the house for a week, sadly we were only able to stay for a few days so we decided to get a head start on Friday night. We booked the Aloft in downtown Charlotte, NC so we could cut our drive down on Saturday morning. We'd never been to Charlotte and although the Aloft was pet-friendly, it required Townes to ride in a lot of elevators and it was definitely a party hotel...so not the best for pets, but you live and learn, right?

We woke up on Saturday morning and got breakfast from Zada Janes (which came highly recommended by J's cousin, Aaron). Since the patio was closed due to the cold weather, we got it to go and ate in a local park. Thankfully the sunshine was wonderful...and the food too (especially the "bunny rancheros")!



 After we ran to the market to pick up some food, we started the long 6+ hour drive to Outer Banks.
 As we finally got on the island and headed towards Cape Hatteras, we got to see some great sunset views!
 We only arrived a few hours before Jen, Nick, and Shawn to the beach house and it was during 40+ mph winds. It didn't help that part of the roof was broken and kept slamming against the house.
Thankfully, by the next morning, the piece of the roof had broken off; however, the pipes had frozen solid so we had no running water.
We braved the cold and wind to get the pups out on the beach. Townes was in heaven!
 The wind was insane and blowing the sand everywhere!
 The broken pier was so lovely and the beach was totally desolate. Pure magic...well, minus it being cold. :)



Townes kept getting Benga's bone and "burying" it. Here is where I found it before we had to move houses. So yeah, there's that. After the technicians tried to heat up the pipes to no avail, we had to move houses. The realty company was absolutely dreadful to work with and not accommodating at all. If you can avoid it, NEVER use Outer Banks Realty. Okay, enough negativity!
 As we took our last walk to the beach before moving to the new house (which sadly wasn't beachfront), we got these amazing views and some wild visitors! They walked up as we were pulling out of the driveway...it was absolutely breathtaking!
 
 Although the new house wasn't beachfront, it was definitely a lot nicer inside. After a hot shower, we were all ready to take on the day. Nick made incredible homemade french toast from fresh challah bread that he made himself! It doesn't get any better...well wait, yes it does. Every meal Nick made was unbelievable!

My favorite lady ever, Jen, and I spent most of the day working on a 2000 piece puzzle that they brought, while the boys played on a Nintendo emulator. 


 Windy walks on the beach to wear out the pups. Townes kept trying to get in the water! The dunes were so pretty and the sand looked like textured rock.




 Even the new house had a pier immediately to the right of the house, although this pier in Avon was still standing.
 Puzzle process! And amazing grilled burritos for dinner!
 Isn't she the cutest? ♥
It was so nice and relaxing to take it easy once we were settled in the new house.






The very last piece!
 Victory!
 On our last night, Nick made homemade pizzas (dough, sauce, and all) followed by homemade creme brulee! Insane, right? 

A better shot of the finished puzzle.
Our last walk on the beach before the 10 hour drive home. It was so bittersweet to leave Jen, Nick, Shawn, and Benga after such a great few days! We definitely need to get another trip on the books (when the weather is nicer, of course)! It was crazy that an ice storm hit the southeast, but missed the island; however, we definitely hit a bit of snow and ice on the way home.
 Townes was such a trooper for the whole ride, but I kept him company for a bit in the backseat.
PS - since I've been on a podcast kick, check out part one and part two of the "Cops See It Differently"
podcast from "This American Life." Really powerful and relevant podcast!
This most recent weekend was basically spent lounging around and taking it easy after so much traveling (personal and work) lately. We watched "Boyhood","The Homesman", and had an awesome time with friends at Sunday brunch. Hope your weekends have been awesome!

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