Tag: Beach

Côte d’Azur (french riviera)

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Nice

As recommended by most, Nice was the base during our vacation. Navigating the city was fairly easy, overall. Bakeries, bus stops, and markets were plenty and easily accessible. More time was spent in Nice than originally planned because we ended up splitting our days into two: the first half was used to explore another village and the second half was taken in Nice. Somehow, the trip felt like it lasted so much longer by doing this! Most of the time, we’d take a nap midday to recharge for a dip in the ocean.

If you’ve learned you’re not entirely big on French food, no problem! I came across a variety of cuisines while exploring. I’m not sure if the south of France is known for a specific style of food (I could’ve done better research) but we definitely tried different things at each restaurant we chose. I would recommend learning basic food names and known allergies before visiting to make life a little easier.

There were no shortages of souvenir, gift, and chocolate shops! On one of our evenings closer to the end of the trip, we did some shopping for our family and then went to the beach (there was NO way we’d hike all the way back to the Airbnb). We had our stuff covered while enjoying the warm water though I never suspected someone would come over to take our goods; I’m just used to hiding my belongings in public.

Nasir with his snorkel
Late nigh dinner
Post swim pic
A market next to our Airbnb

Villefranche-sur-Mer

On the first full day, we went to Villefranche-sur-Mer (VsM). The area we visited was walkable though some of the sidewalks were fairly narrow. The only reason I noticed was because I had a 10-year-old to look after who kept stepping in the street 🙂 Quiet yet active is how I would describe VsM. Some people were enjoying the water not too far from the marina. I saw a variety of water activities like swimming, snorkeling, and paddle boarding. Ohhh, how I wish we bought our bathing suits! While meandering about, we came across the citadel and checked out a display of beautifully blown glass. I recommend going to the top if you haven’t succumbed to fatigue because you’ll get a lovely panoramic view and it’s worth it!

Gelato and time in the shade was how we cooled down after getting cooked in the sun. It was consumed in a matter of seconds. We did return to VsM after a couple days because our speedboat tour had this town as a pitstop and we spent our free time grabbing brekkie by the water.

a flattering face
a hideout from WWII
the look of exhaust

Antibes

From the station, we took a 20-minute walk down to the beach. Front and center on the beach is a historic monument called Le Fort Carré. Public bathrooms can be found built into the walls… and I’ll tell you this… I won’t complain about another public restroom in North Carolina again. And that’s all I shall share. We picked our spot in the sand and got settled. It seemed generally acceptable to be at the beach topless (no matter what beach we went to during our trip). It’s something my little brother had to get used to and I really hoped this experience helped to combat the sexualization of women’s bodies, that is bombarded all over the media.

Another thing I noticed was most beaches we visited were of stone but this one was sand! Well… Kind of half-and-half: where the towels were laid out on the beach, there is sand but as you approach and enter the water, there is stone. I’m so glad we had water shoes! The water felt amazing and it was calm! Nasir turned into a fish and it seemed he didn’t want to leave.

After a while, something unfortunate happened. Someone was walking their dog at the top of the fortress, and the dog stepped up on the edge and fell over. I only saw the aftermath: the dog was whimpering on his side struggling to get up. I was in shock. It was sad to see, but I think the dog survived with a few injuries. Locals took him over to a first aid booth nearby.

When we were ready to leave, we went to Les Filles du Micocoulier for brekkie. Nasir seemed to like his breakfast, but I was not happy with mine. In fact, I wasn’t happy with most of my meals because they lacked flavor.

We took many photos, walked around the area, and came across the Marché Provençal. I highly recommend coming here early to avoid crowds because it was a little overwhelming; there was so much to see and an equal amount of people present.

calm water
the dog fell from that wall
my healthy bland brekkie
so serious
the art behind him was incredible

Èze

We first saw the commune of Èze during our speedboat tour. It’s a small village that sits on top of a hill over 2000 feet above sea level. Fairytales were inspired by places like this one – I’m convinced. The place was mesmerizing! I will say make sure to pack multiple bottles of water and go early in the day because walking around this area is quite the workout and it’s even more intense if you go during the summertime like we did. It’s also highly recommended to go earlier to get photos without the background noise. Our first stop was to get food! Nasir ordered a large burger with fries and ate everything and I had a banana crêpe with Nutella. We also watched some of the Olympics while we were there and we took our time because we knew we’d be working out! This place was mainly a photo opp. I actually recommend coming here for souvenirs over Nice because the crafts were of higher quality and didn’t wreak of mass production.

yum!
he ate it all
the kid is photogenic
these were neat
look at that view!

Monaco

Such a beautiful place to simply walk around. Everywhere I turned, I found myself in awe of the cityscape. Our first stop was the Prince’s Palace. They gave us headphones and something of a radio where you could select a button and it would give you information on the corresponding room. Though, I found the experience somewhat interesting. I don’t recommend bringing kids unless they are thrilled about history and architecture. Even then, the excitement is likely to dwindle prematurely. After leaving, we went to the restaurant nearby and got lunch for Nasir. This is also where I got bit multiple times by mosquitoes and chased by bees. The food was amazing (the best I had during the trip!) but I suffered. We continued on foot towards the oceanographic museum. This place had so much to offer! You need at least two hours to take everything in. Before leaving Monaco, we had our last dance with gelato.

isn’t this impressive?
us!
us again!
the best meal
prince rainer’s palace
nemo’s homie
iconic view

a video

san Diego, ca

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Mission Bay Park / Mission Beach

First trip to the west coast and all I wanted to see was whales. The tour guide was knowledgeable and shared many fun facts about all the creatures we saw from the moment we left the dock. It’s easy to get seasick out there, but they offered something you can put on your wrist (I forget the name of it) that’s supposed to help. We didn’t get to see the majestic beasts but there were plenty of dolphins riding the waves from the boat. I was so happy to see them and equally glad they stuck around for a while.

I returned to Missions a few days later to play beach volleyball. The group I was invited to play with was welcoming, encouraging, and fun! I was nervous at first because I didn’t want to mess up and I know people can be very competitive, so I just didn’t want to throw the game off. Ultimately, I was worried for nothing because I played better than I expected!

La Jolla

Hiking the natural reserve was such a sweet treat because I didn’t know what to expect from the views. My friend, Curtis, invited me out for a hike so I didn’t look up the Google images; I just went with the flow. I’m big on scenery. It’s one of the things that help me decide where I want to go for vacation. As the hike progressed, it became painfully obvious I was a tourist. So many “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” and plenty of photography. Sometimes I would just stop and stare because it was gorgeous! Taking in where the cliffs meet the ocean was long overdue.

Mount Soledad was the next stop. The atmosphere was peaceful and solemn as it was a memorial for fallen soldiers. At the top, you’re able to get a 360-degree view of the city below. On this day, we were able to see the huge blanket of fog covering the beach. There was also an ice cream truck nearby. It’s definitely a place one would come to clear their mind or to have a heart-to-heart conversation.

Little Italy

Looking back, I wish I spent a little extra time here to bar-hop and see more of the area. One of the places I did check out was Underbelly for their ramen. I am pretty sure I saw it in a TikTok video (that’s how I’ve been doing my research these days on what to eat and where to go). This was my first time having real ramen! And the experience really set the standard. My food was amazing. I was slurping and had no shame. Zero remorse.

I ordered beef bao buns, which were also tasty but definitely unnecessary because the ramen was quite filling.

Balboa Park

My eyes were pleased, and though I only spent a couple hours here looking around and taking in the greenery and architecture, I could easily see myself, grabbing a blanket and laying out in the park with great company and a basket of fruit. The park was beautiful and the weather was perfect. There was a plaza full of people where the energy was high, but there were so many areas in the park that were calm and quiet.

Coronado Beach

I went midday during the week instead of the weekend, hoping to avoid crowds, and I got exactly what I wanted. The sun was out, and there was plenty of space on the beach. The tide was low and the water was definitely cold. Unfortunately, I couldn’t frolic the way I imagined so I spent more time frying. Once I figured I had enough, it was time to take a stroll, check out different shops, and pick up some postcards. If I were to visit San Diego again with the desire to only relax, this area would be my base. Nevertheless, I definitely felt the need to explore because this is my first time here on the West Coast! The trip was a success. I’d love to return.

Pure Serendipity: Quepos, Costa Rica (incomplete)

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Travel Dates: September 6th – September 10th, 2022
Rainy Season: May through November

The last few months, I just knew I would party hard once I got to Costa Rica. But by the time September came around, all I wanted to do was relax. The following is my recollection from beginning to end, as I would hate to forget a single detail from this trip.

September 6 – Arrival (gso>dfw>sjo)

We woke up not so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, around 5:00am. Personally, I was a bit tense because as a general rule of thumb, you should arrive 3 hours early for international flights (even though we had a domestic connection). The flight was scheduled to leave at 7:30am AND we had one bag to check in. Of course, the people at the check in booth attempted to chastise but I made it very clear what I needed (and did not need) that morning. Shortly after checking in, I dashed over to the TSA line where Kai was already showing his passport to the officer. Good timing, no? I swooped right in and showed mine next. I’m hustling toward the gate and Kai is taking his time, completely un-phased. He reminded me that these things “always work themselves out” and to just go with the flow. We make our way to the gate and I believe they started boarding. Kai was one group ahead of me and I told him to take my carry-on – just in case they ran out of room. Sure enough, after he scanned his boarding pass they informed the remaining passengers there was no more room in the overhead bins. Good luck? About 2 hours later, we landed in Dallas. We didn’t have much downtime as our final flight to San Jose was set to depart within an hour of our landing. I may have grabbed a croissant… we boarded our final flight and arrived in San Jose a little after 2:00pm. Once we got there, we got there, we looked for Avis but soon learned they didn’t have a representative onsite. Another company representative let us know there is a shuttle that will take us to Avis. A little dismayed, we left the building and looked for the shuttle, and viola, it was right there waiting for us! They loaded our luggage and dropped us off at Avis. Once we arrive, there were two people ahead of us in line. It took almost an hour to get some help. Kai checked our car> t h o r o u g h l y < and made notes of every single blemish he could find. For the last time, we loaded up the vehicle and began our 3-hour commute to the coast for our hotel. Please note: this was Kai’s first time driving internationally. Our shuttle drive over to Avis was the only insight we received on what to expect on the roads. The driving style isn’t exactly a “free for all” but there were many opportunities for surprise… in polite terms. Ultimately, it wasn’t as organized as what I’m used to back home but it works! It rained the whole time during our commute and at times it was quite heavy. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly golf cart driver who would soon become out go-to guy. “Good friend” (because I forgot his name!) helped us park, loaded the golf cart, and dropped the bags in the hotel room while we checked in. The check-in process was smooth, overall with a couple hiccups. The incidental hold caught us off guard (for the room and the car actually) and we had to show the receptionist that our breakfast was included in the package. Good friend picked us up from the main lobby and took us to our room. Our room was at the top of a very steep hill. Kai was in the front seat of the golf cart and I was in the back. I was SUPER ANXIOUS The only thing on our mind was food and rest! We ordered dinner at the Arbol Restaurant, which was on the hotel premises, and had it delivered to our room. Mahi and risotto along with pork belly and mashed potatoes… Overall, it was C+. Thankfully, this was the only underwhelming food experience we had

September 7 – Settle In

This day was our first full day here and we took out time to decide what we wanted to do on… Our birthday! Puffy-faced and clothed in PJs, we stepped out onto our private balcony, took in the fresh air, and admired the view. Today we would take it easy. Breakfast was on my mind as dinner wasn’t very filling (nor satisfying). After freshening up, we made our way downstairs for brekkie. Fresh fruit was placed first and the juice of the day was fresh watermelon (sooo fresh). I ordered an egg white and avocado omelet. Though our breakfast was included, I was still hesitant to order all that I wanted until day three. After breakfast, I headed up the street (another massive hill but for cars, not golf carts) to pick up beverages and snacks. The idea was to save funds by having our own spirit supply… the intention was good! Local snacks were also on the list! I tried something called “tostones” which are smashed, seasoned, and cooked plained (I think fried). I regret not buying more and bringing them home. They were so tasty! The private beach demanded our presence. After stockpiling, Good Friend picked us up from the room and drove us all the way down the mountain to the beach. My ear popped a few times on our descent. Once we reached the pathway to the beach, the driver pointed out the monkeys in the trees. He shared there was once a time when a man trained them on how to steal. That one monkey taught all his friends. As you can imagine, it was a chaotic time. Aha, he said the man was arrested but I wonder how he was found…

On the beach, we lounged in the chairs for a bit, enjoyed our drinks, and listened to Sam Smith. We ventured out toward the water. The beach was composed of tiny rocks and pebbles (some, not so smooth). I found a light sage stone and asked Kai to slip it into his pocket. It would definitely make its way into my memory box. We walked along the beach until a rock formation prevented us to go further. I tested the water and felt how strong the tide was. I tried to walk a little further and my foot DROPPED. I retreated. The tide was forceful, the water was dark and I was intimidated. No thanks. I made my way back to the lounging chair and got comfy. Shortly after, my tummy began to itch and I felt little bumps. I made a swift exit to the suite for a shower. It also began to rain around this time. The rest of the day was spent lounging and taking in our environment. My favorite part of this day was the real, raw and meaningful conversation we had that evening. They say communication is key, but being able to express yourself clearly and finding the courage to express vulnerability is a feat. This was growth for me because though I can express my ideas clearly, I don’t usually do this in interpersonal relationships.

September 8 – Start High, End Low

So, the activities begin. After a full day of relaxation, it was time to get out there and experience new things! Today started with brekkie, of course, but this time, I tried something new! Pumpkin pancakes with salmon and avocado. I also ordered a ginger mango smoothie. Listen… when I tell you I was so pleased… I mean it from the bottom of my heart. The smoothies were also requested again, later on. After filling our tummies, we gathered the necessities and waited to get picked up for our first event: parasailing. This is something I’ve never done before. It always seemed rather peaceful but still daring. I headed over to the booth set up on the beach to check-in. We’d opted for the 15-minute ride (at the time I thought this was too short), pictures and video. We lounged on the beach until they were ready to get us set up. I stepped into my harness and the lad was letting me know what to expect/ She said everything would be a smooth process from going up into the air, to landing in the water. She said this twice and I trusted her. They hooked us up to the parachute and sure enough, as the boat went further on the water, the parachute began to lift and pull. Everything seemed to happen within 4 seconds. I was walking, then running, and yanked into the air! The beginning was quite abrupt but everything afterward was calm and beautiful. The weather was perfect and the greenish-blue water was sparkling from our view as we gained altitude. I was awestruck! I began to feel more anxious after realizing just how high up we were. I anticipated a sudden drop and this is what made me tense. The woman who strapped me in never mentioned said drop but I convinced myself it was going to happen because of the abrupt start. I said a prayer and tried to remain calm. Kai later revealed to me that my worry began to make his stomach hurt. As the boat turned around to head back, I was eagerly waiting for our landing in the water. The drone came back around and recorded the end of our flight. When we landed in the water, there was a jetski waiting for us. Mounting it may have caused a bruise. We walked around a bit while waiting for the pictures and videos to process. Kai was offered weed a few times… *crickets*. They airdropped us the media and we headed back to Makanda and went straight for the brand new saltwater infinity pool (that opened upon our arrival!). The water was cold. Kai got some photos by the edge and I stayed by the bar to order a pina colada (YUM). I hopped in the jacuzzi for a few and left to sunbathe. When the sun grew too intense, we left for the main pool for a change of scenery. We were in and out of the water until the rain began for the day. Back in the room, I spent an unusual amount of quality time with the garden tub in the middle of the bathroom until it was to leave for Emilios Cafe for dinner.

I am pretty sure we got a taxi to pick us up and take us to the restaurant. It was raining and we were in full rain gear from head to toe, but it wasn’t pouring like it was before. As soon as you walk in, we are welcome with the fun artwork, and there was plenty to find after being seated and taking in the surroundings. This location was artsy, eclectic, and had an open atmosphere. Like most of the restaurants that we went to, you weren’t separated from nature. The tone was relaxed the customer demographics were the most diverse I’d seen during my visit. The menu did not leave me wanting as there were so many options. Of course, I wanted to try something new. There was an octopus and potato starter. Reluctantly, Kai agreed. I was the first to sample it! The flavor was almost a hit but the texture was a huge miss for me. I had charbroiled octopus before and enjoyed it but I don’t believe it was cooked the same. It felt like gum. I held it in my mouth and pushed it to the side as I encouraged Kai to give it a go. He too was dissatisfied. We spit it out. Our main meal touched the table, soon after.

September 9 – Nothing but Adrenaline

Waterfall tour

September 10 – Farewell

Departure

Hi. It saddens me that I didn’t get to finish this as intended. This account deserved completion but I let it sit for too long and I no longer feel moved to reflect. I had amazing memories in a new country with a pretty great guy. In December 2022, we decided it was best for us to dissolve our relationship. The memories live on! In the spirit of reflection, be very careful of the company you keep while on vacation. I feel blessed to hold absolutely no resentment towards a former partner. I want to keep these memories… but if I had chosen wrong or gone on this trip with another, perhaps I wouldn’t feel the same. I will always be an advocate for solo trips unless you’re going with a long-time friend or lover ;).

a video

Kenya, It’s Nice to Meet You | 2022

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Finally! I made my way to the motherland. I’ve been meaning to come the last few years, but I was never able to make it work (usually due to work). I’m so glad I was able to come this time around. Let’s dive right into the trip highlights while everything is fresh on my mind!

Mombasa

Boat Ride

10 of us boarded onto the boat with the help of a couple sailors. Once we got on, we equipped ourselves with damp life vests. We rode the bumpy waves for about 15 minutes Until we found our spot in the ocean. You could still see the beach, which was comforting. The two men manning the boat anchored it and attach the ladder to the side. The boat rocked eagerly, and hesitation settled among most of us. But Moko was the first one to jump into the water! Witnessing his survival gave us all the greenlight to proceed (ha). I was still contemplating whether or not I was going to get in the water because the waves seemed much higher further out compared to on the actual beach. I began to feel more at ease when more of us got into the water. My sister was the true catalyst– this woman is brave. She wanted to jump off the side of the boat! She was a little nervous, but she definitely was going to do it and I wanted to do it with her. Cantara’s boldness is contagious. We took a few pictures (of course) then we sat on the ledge and hopped off! It was thrilling. The water was the saltiest water I have ever tasted but, oh! did it felt amazing! I quickly found my way up the latter deep, dark water makes me anxious. Plus, I have to remind you, the waves were high! I had a crazy idea of wanting to jump from the top of the boat and my sister wanted to do the same. However, as soon as I got to the top, I lost all of my courage. It took about 10 minutes of false starting before I could gain my composure to do it. I grabbed my sister‘s hand, we count to three, took a step and jumped from the top of the boat! This had to be the most freeing feeling I felt all year… I was so glad to have shared it with her because I was absolutely scared out of my mind. Honestly, it wasn’t that high up, but it felt insane to me at the time. My heart is full and I’m happy we shared that moment together.

Haller Park

This was an activity I tried to get out of, mainly because I wanted to rest. I wasn’t excited to see zoo animals after so much traveling (multiple planes, cars, vans and trains). I tried to stay home to rest a little bit, but I was encouraged to do otherwise. I’m glad they were successful because when we arrived to the park, I saw a huge tortoise and became so excited to see what else was in store. I saw all kinds of creatures. I never saw a millipede in person and so close (cool, but gross)! I also got to touch and interact with the tortoise. My sister got pretty close to a blue-ball monkey (scientific name?). I saw different species of crocodiles, warthogs, snakes, giraffes and gazelles. My absolute favorite was the palm garden. I was I could have spent more time there, lounging and taking in the sights. This is actually one of the first things you see when you enter, and it’s towards the left. It looked so dreamy, lush, and otherworldly. The simple things always catch my attention the most. Though I love animals, I would’ve really enjoyed sitting in that garden just to read and write. It was quite rainy that day and I enjoyed the down pour. I do love a good shower.

Sunrise

Did we wake up at 4:30am to catch the sunrise? Possibly. I can’t recall exactly how early we woke up but it was not easy! Three of us jumped in the car and headed for the beach to enjoy the sunrise. We were worried that we were missing it in the beginning but when we got there, we saw such beautiful colors. It was as if we witnessed two sunrises at once. When we got to the beach there was a soft orange yellow and grayish blue tints in the sky where the first rays of the sun had touched the earth. It’s the first golden hour of the day. It was quite beautiful; it looked like the sky was on fire as the sunrise progressed. Oddly enough, it didn’t continue to get brighter. Instead, it mellowed out and got darker and then regular daylight began to show… This is when you can actually see the sun through the clouds. It sounds counterintuitive. I’ll show pictures of the sunrise as it happened.

The first picture upon arrival
The second photo
Third photo, look how bright the sky is!
Fourth picture – a calm lavender
Fifth – standard daylight
From left to right: Me, Cantara, Michael

Nairobi

Braiding

My sister had an appointment to get her hair braided and I decided to join her. How can you not get your hair braided in the motherland? My sister opted for goddess knotless braids, and I got regular extra-long knotless braids in the color #30. We both tried something different. They began with removing my large box braids and followed up with a shampoo, conditioner and blow dried my hair right after. Shortly after, the braiding began. I have to say I kind of messed up a little bit because the lady was starting my hair and I noticed the braids would stop right at my chest. I did ask for extra-long braids. I wanted them to be double that length, but I wasn’t sure if there was another process to it of which I wasn’t aware. She was about seven braids in before I realized was going on. Another lady asked if I wanted them longer and I said yes. I felt really bad for letting her do all that work without saying anything… This is a personal reminder to myself to always speak up! I’m still working on this at my big age. At least a whole section wasn’t completed before we pivoted. She reworked those braids and added extra length. Overall, it took about 4 1/2 hours all the way through from the beginning to the end. I was under the impression that knotless braids aren’t tight, but boy was I wrong! The braids looked and felt amazing they last six weeks before I took them out

Art Gallery

The art gallery I visited is called “One Off Contemporary Art Gallery”. The main building was a two-story earthy hut from a fairytale. There were also peacocks walking around. I saw beautiful sculptures, both of wood and stone. I saw small figurines, large beautiful, feminine paintings as well as smaller prints. There were so many works of art that there was not enough space to display them correctly. The top floor had an overwhelming selection, it was impossible to go through half of them in the amount of time we had. I was only able to see all the items on display downstairs. Now… if I had known how captivated I’d become with one particular painting, I would have squirreled some funs aside to purchase the original. I suppose all things happen for a reason. The original piece was already marked as sold… and my heart was a little heavy.

Getting Sick

The last monumental experience of my stay in Kenya… was me getting sick. To this day I’m not sure what I had. Maybe it was some kind of respiratory infection… I have no clue. I just know everyone in my traveling group was getting sick with something and it finally made its way to me. I felt myself coming down with it about two or three days before I was supposed to get on a flight to go to Cindy‘s village. The day before my flight I had so much pressure in my head and face that I knew flying would be unbearable. Unfortunately, I had to stay behind. I stayed with Moko‘s cousin, Kanyi, and I was so thankful that her family was open to take me in, an unexpected stranger. They did so with such grace and amazing hospitality for which I am forever grateful. I had a lot of tea (referred to as “bawa” meaning medicine) by a company called Just Breathe. The main ingredients were garlic, ginger and cardamom along with other herbs and spice. The same company has steaming leaves that you add to hot water. The steaming was a little difficult for me because it was almost like suffocating but most of that was in my head. I really had to focus. I came up for fresh air every once in a while. The fresh menthol feeling seemed to burn the germs in my nasal passage. Between drinking the tea and steaming, I began feeling better within two days. I was almost 100% after day three. In all honesty, if I had to get sick again… I’d choose to relive this experience. Sounds strange, right? Never thought I’d type those words out, aha.

I want to give a special thanks to my family for extending the invitation (consistently, too) and making me feel so welcomed. I can’t begin to explain how much this trip has meant to me. It’s my wish and intention to create more of these memories together whether abroad or right here at home, in NC.

Thank you, so much ❤

a video

New Year’s Day on Bald Head Island

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What’s there to do and where is there to go for New Years? 2020 made the world take a seat and reflect. What better way to end the year exploring a new place that inspires thought? I said I wanted to go to the beach but I was looking for a place that had a remote kind of vibe… a place that wasn’t super touristy and my objective was to check out Kure Beach. Instead, I spent the evening on Wrightsville Beach listening to music, contemplating and reflecting. There was nothing and no one out there but the beach, my friend and a blanket to snuggle in. Going to the beach at the end of the year is a win since it’s off-season and “crowdless”. I wanted to stay out on the beach up until New Year’s but there was a curfew that required everyone to be home 10 PM. That night, I had a small drink, watched a movie and went to sleep because first thing in the morning, we’d be headed to the island.

Baldhead Island, North Carolina

So, before hitting the road, we decided to go to our favorite beach drive-thru called Port City Java. I’ve mentioned this place a few times before. I always have to pull up whenever I’m in town! After grabbing some sustenance we checked out the distance from where we were. It was about an hour and 30 minute drive from Wilmington to Southport. From Southport we went to the marina, purchased our tickets and got on the ferry to Baldhead Island. The ferry almost reminded me of one of those fishing boats that you see in movies. Nevertheless, I recommend it for those who have never used water transportation before. Once we got to the island we took a 4 minute tram ride to the lighthouse called “Old Baldy“. . We later learned that most people navigate the island using a bike or golf cart because it’s so small. We spent some time around the lighthouse reading the different history plaques. The trees in the area had so much character.  There’s something about the trees on the coast in the south that have this integrity and otherworldly feel to them. We began walking along the road and we kept getting passed by people on golf carts. We were aiming to go to the beach but figured it would be better to rent a bike so we turned back around and headed towards the marina where the bike rental shops were.

We got there in the nick of time, as they were about to close. So… we got a discount on ours ;). The attendant at the shop gave us a map and shared which routes we should take and some decent spots to check out. There weren’t many, as we went during off-season and most popular shops were closed. We made our way down to East Beach and South Beach followed. The view spelled out serenity. I mean,  this was the exact vibe and aesthetic I was looking for to spend my last day of the year. But I suppose the first day of the year will do just fine. I wish I had brought blankets, tea and a book out there because I would’ve stayed so much longer. The tide was quite low and there was plenty of damp sand around. Half the sky was covered in  dark clouds and the other was only hazy. The sky almost represented the darkness of 2020 and the newness that 2021 would bring us. After taking in the view and peacefulness around us we considered going to south beach but our thoughts were interrupted by a few heavy drops of rain that sent us running for our bikes. Thank goodness those drops of rain we’re only a scare and nothing came of it! We did make a mad dash back to the marina so that we can catch the boat on time but I looked at the wrong side of the schedule. We sat there for 30 minutes in the cold until the ferry came. Once in the car, we blasted the heat and headed back to Wilmington. But. I had to make a stop at the one and only Checkers. The reason I romanticize this place is because my Mom has told me about it and she’s from New Jersey. There have been a few times when she shared her childhood stories and would mention Checkers so, whenever I get the opportunity, I seize it. This time around I got a small regular fry, a small funnel fry, and a chicken sandwich. I also got a slushy and ice cream kind of drink but I forget the name of it. I am usually well behaved when I eat out but I had to make this one exception. In the morning, we checked out around noon and then we hit Port City Java one last time before heading back to the Piedmont.

a video

Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beach

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Friday, August 14th:

This was the rainiest, shortest getaway I’ve ever experienced but we were able to get out and enjoy the sun! The drive down was about four hours. The rain poured during the first half of the trip. As we got closer to the coast, the sun began to break through. We unloaded at the hotel and and spent the last hours of sunlight on Wrightsville Beach.

There were plenty of people in the water and also groups of college students enjoying the view (we came during move in week). The water was comfortable and there were restaurants nearby. We did not explore so much in Wrightsville but overall the vibe was calm with a few things to do here and there.

Saturday:

So… the forecast was sunny with a chance of rain. It was HOT. We stopped at Port City Java for sustenance and I was pleasantly surprised by their menu and also the quality of food (it was our first time there). We hit the road and went straight to Carolina beach (by far, my favorite). We sat on the beach and took in the view. The thick clouds brought in obnoxious heavy rain drops here and there. Thankfully, it wasn’t a steady down pour – but it was enough to send us on our way. Did I mention how hot it was? I didn’t bring a bathing suit because yesterday was rainy but goodness. I wish I had. We walked around and came across a gift shop that sold magnets, jewelry, custom henna tattoos and clothing. When we entered, there was no one there to greet us. It took a few moments for someone to arrive. That gives me the impression that people are generally trusting in that area. As we continue checking out the shops nearby we stumbled across this place that served gelato and oh my goodness I will be back! I had pineapple rosemary gelato (a large serving) it was also vegan! I bought a lollipop as well, but I definitely want to come back and buy more and sample more of their flavors.

We went to the boardwalk and sat on the swing to enjoy our cold treat.

The next stop was Kure Beach. We decided to check this place out based off of some of the “remote” vibe pictures we saw on Google. Kure was less busy but definitely a place I would find myself coming to just to step away from what I’m dealing with in life and to disconnect. I’d like to give Kure another try. We walked down from Carolina beach I noticed it was mostly residential. We ate late lunch at Jack Mackerel’s. The drinks were fairly strong, though they tasted like juice.

Sunday:

We checked out 11:00 AM and stopped by Port City Java one last time before returning to the Triad. I’ll miss riding in that 2019 BMW 330i.