Happy 10th Anniversary!

10 years!! I can't believe it. Where did the time go? 10 years of life with my best friend, biggest support, and eternal love. I can't believe how far we've come (and sometimes I can't believe I survived! haha!). This family situation was one I never imagined I would marry into. I think both Jeff and I were naive to all the mountains we'd have to climb or valleys we'd have to endure. It was not easy. Looking back, there are things both Jeff and I would change, but our hearts were always sincere in our efforts...and we never gave up. Even knowing all we've endured and enjoyed over the last 10 years, I would still say yes. To help us celebrate, the kids threw us a little party on Sunday, January 15th. They surprised us with a Cafe Rio dinner, our wedding cake (that Aunt Barb graciously remade for us), white roses (which I had in my bouquet), a sweet video of all our past anniversaries, and even had us dance to our wedding song. It was an intimate evening with just us and the kids...and the perfect way to start our anniversary week.

On Tuesday, January 17th, we took an early flight out to Raleigh, North Carolina where we rented a car and headed straight for the coast. We have been planning this trip since last year. Jeff and I love road trips. We especially love to fly into one area we've never seen and drive through to another area. Well neither of us had been to the southern states so we decided to hit them all! It was probably a little ambitious, but we did it! We hit 6 states in 7 days. Usually that only allows us to see one or two things per state, but we didn't mind (and we feel like we saw enough to know which ones we wanted to go back to and which ones we were ok to check off our list). By the time we landed and drove the 3 hours to the Outer Banks, it was pretty dark. We stopped on Roanoke Island to at least visit the area that the Lost Colony of Roanoke inhabited before they disappeared. (This is one state we want to return to explore more!) We then grabbed some yummy dinner. Of course it was seafood. You can't be on the coast without eating seafood. We finally made our way to the hotel, which was right on the beach. As we listened to the waves from our room, we decided to take an evening stroll on the beach before calling it a day.

We started the next morning just as we had ended the previous night...on the beach. We got up before the sunrise and headed out to the sea and the sand. We had the beach to ourselves. I loved hearing the gentle roar of the waves as we walked toward the ever-increasing light of the sun. I loved quietly starting my day with Jeff as we walked hand in hand. I love (and need) these trips with him. I love re-connecting with him in a way that isn't always as easy to do when we have so many other responsibilities vying for our time and attention. As we walked, we reflected on our 10 years and expressed gratitude for each other. I am constantly amazed at how well we fit. I love that we celebrate each others strengths and have compassion for each others weaknesses. I feel giddy when I think of our future together. I am excited for what is in store as we have the opportunity to continue to serve each other and our growing family. I am excited for the adventures that we will choose to take...and maybe even for those adventures that are unexpected. Wherever life takes us, there is one thing I know for sure, just like the sun rises and sets, Jeff will be my constant.

After our walk, we started to move. This was pretty much how each day went. We'd wake up, see something, and move on. There is so much to experience on the Outer Banks, but we only had time to visit Cape Hatteras. This was on my bucket list for sure. The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is my dad's favorite lighthouse. I had to go see it. Unfortunately, the lighthouse itself was closed so we couldn't climb to the top, but we were able to see it and even hiked down to where it was originally located. While we were on the beach, we got to see the funnest pod of dolphins swimming and playing close to the shore! I have seen dolphins before but never so many in one place.

From there, we continued to drive the southern portion of the Outer Banks until we hit Ocracoke where we then took a vehicle ferry to the mainland. Today wasn't the most exciting day because most of it was spent traveling, but we did finally make it to Wilmington where we enjoyed another yummy seafood dinner and strolled along the riverwalk before checking into our hotel for the night.

Ocracoke Island lighthouse

Cool little rainbows we saw in our sunny skies.

Thursday, January 19th, was our actual anniversary. For this year's anniversary, I had to get a little creative with my gift. The traditional gift is "tin" (or aluminum). I searched everywhere for a useful or practical gift and finally found a "tin" of bravery bandages (because who doesn't need a little bravery for surviving 10 years of marriage) and a book entitled the "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers" (a true story about a group of sailors and airmen aboard the Taffy 3 during WWII). Then to top it off, we visited a "tin can"...also known as the USS North Carolina to start our day. Like I said, I had to get a little creative. It was actually pretty interesting to tour this retired battleship. I just kept shaking my head as I wandered in and out of the different rooms and saw the living conditions for the sailors. I kept questioning how my dad (and grandpa) did it! How could they live on a ship in such tight quarters? It's crazy to me, but definitely gave me a deeper appreciation of what those men and women sacrifice for us.

After our self-guided tour, we moved on. We would have loved to see more of Wilmington. It looked like a fun little city, but (1) we didn't have the time and (2) we woke up to a world of fog. We couldn't even physically see the city as we drove out. Oh well...maybe next time? For now, we moved on to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We stopped at the boardwalk to enjoy another jovial jaunt on the beach before grabbing some yummy lunch on the boardwalk. 

Next, we made our way to Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. What a gorgeous plantation home! But what we found even more breathtaking was the live oak lined driveway. These gnarly trees were covered in Spanish moss, which gave them an ethereal look as we drove down the lane. I loved all the trees and vegetation of the South. I was actually a little surprised at how many pine trees and other vegetation was there. I guess I just assumed the South was just all swamp. Boy was I wrong! At Boone Hall, Jeff and I toured the grounds and the house. We even attended a brief presentation about the Gullah people (the African slaves from Angola). We learned about their way of life and the history of the sweetgrass baskets. On our drive in, we kept seeing these little roadside stands with signs for sweetgrass baskets. We were a little confused until we learned that, after their emancipation, some of the early Gullah people became entrepreneurs and sold these baskets as a way to earn an income. After learning that, of course Jeff and I had to buy a basket to come home with. The entire South is so dichotomous. There is such a harsh history of slavery and discrimination against a backdrop of resilience and bravery from the Civil Rights era. 

After our house tour, we made our way to our hotel in Charleston. Now, if anyone knows Jeff, they know how particular he is about his evening accommodations. I think one benefit of never staying in a hotel for more than one night is that, even if the place doesn't meet his expectations, it's just one night. Well, he has found a hotel chain that he feels pretty confident in their level of cleanliness and comfort, and he hates it when I stray...which I did for the next two nights. I wanted our anniversary night to be something more memorable than a Hampton Inn, especially in such a historic city like Charleston. Thankfully, I chose well. We stayed at the historic John Rutledge Inn. John Rutledge was among those men who helped form our nation. He served on the Continental Congress, was the first governor of South Carolina, and the second Supreme Court Justice of our nation. It was cool to think I was staying at his home. (Plus, I'd never slept in a canopy bed before. It was a first for both Jeff and I.)  After checking in to our hotel (and enjoying a little tea service in the ballroom), we made our way to Circa 1886, an elegant restaurant built out of an old carriage house. The dinner was delicious...and a little unique. We both ordered a different tasting menu and shared each of our 5 courses (they were small courses) to get a more full experience. The only thing we agreed that we didn't like was the foie gras (and who would? It's a diseased duck liver. Yuck!) To finish our evening, we did a ghost tour. Because we were traveling in the off-season, we were often the only ones on the tours we booked. (That's one of the perks!) Such was the case tonight. We had our own private ghost tour. We were able to cover more ground and hear more stories this way. Now if you know me, I hate anything scary (I'm not a huge Halloween fan for that reason.), but this was something we'd never done before so we thought it would be fun...and it was (until that night when I had to use the restroom in the middle of the night and questioned all the shadows I saw dancing on the wall from the fireplace pilot light...haha!). We saw old churches, city squares, and cemeteries. We heard gruesome stories of murder, plunder, and forbidden love. And, we got to walk around a beautiful, old, historic city. It was the perfect way to end our 10th anniversary, but our trip didn't end there...

The next morning, we had breakfast in our room before checking out. It was really a nice place to stay, although I can only get away with that on certain occasions. We made our way to a small barn near the City Market where we enjoyed a carriage tour of the city. Again, we saw more historic buildings and heard more stories about the people who lived here and what life was like in the late 1700/early 1800s. Charleston has a very unique look. Most of the heart of the old district is built of "shotgun" houses - these long, narrow houses with a porch on the side - next to giant plantation style houses of the old days. It was pretty interesting to meander through these neighborhoods. After our carriage ride, we walked through the old City Market. This market has been continuously used since 1807. Crazy! Vendors used to sell produce and food products, but now it's more of an artisan market. We also made a quick stop to see the Slave Market on Chalmers Street (a really beautiful cobblestone street). It was a solemn experience to walk through a place where such disdain, hatred, and abuse was carried forth. I can't imagine the amount of tears that showered those floors or the anguished screams those walls absorbed.

Our last place to visit in Charleston before moving on was Fort Sumter. This is where the first shots of the American Civil War took place. The old fort is just a skeleton of what is was in those days, but it was interesting to walk around and consider what started here. I'm sure on that day not even the men involved could have predicted what would happen in the coming years of war and the aftermath of that war. It was cool to see the original union flag that was flown on that day and the 36 stars it had on it. In fact, we got to watch them raise the flag too. Like I mentioned before, the South is steeped in such a dichotomous history.

Next up, Savannah, Georgia! It was only 2 hours from Charleston but felt so different. Savannah has such a cool vibe! I loved the history of Charleston (and Savannah has plenty of history too), but there was a feel in Savannah that was definitely unique. We headed for their City Market first. This was much larger than the one in Charleston and more shop-like rather than just vendors and booths. We wandered in and out of a few stores and around the adjacent streets before heading to check into our hotel. After we checked in, we decided to walk along the river and grab something to eat. Our hotel was so cool too. Again, I made Jeff branch out, but he was pleased with both locations. Savannah was one place that I wished we had more time to explore. We didn't really get into any of the historic sites there, but we did enjoy the riverwalk and even an early morning walk through the historic district. The city just seemed more open and a little cleaner than Charleston. The homes were beautiful and there were "squares" (or small green spaces) everywhere! There were so many gorgeous churches too. Jeff and I agreed that we'll definitely have to come back to Charleston and Savannah some day.

Before leaving Georgia, we stopped at a couple other places. We first stopped at Wormsloe Historic Site just outside of Savannah. This place was once owned by Noble Jones, who was among the first British settlers to come to the area with James Ogelthorpe (the statue in the previous set of pictures) in the early 1700s. The tabby ruins on this land are the oldest surviving structures in the state. The walls were made from a mixture of oyster shells, sand, water, and other minerals. However, even more impressive than the remaining structure, was the mile long live oak covered drive. It was even more breathtaking than the one at Boone Hall. It just went on forever! I love those moss-covered trees! After viewing the ruins, Jeff and I walked around the land. We saw a recreation of what early colonial life might have been like as well as the rawness of the land. This was definitely more Jeff's speed. He doesn't mind all the city stuff, especially if it is historic, but he's most comfortable being out in nature.

Our next stop was more of what Jeff enjoys...although he was hoping to see an alligator (and I was hoping we wouldn't!). We made our way to George L. Smith State Park where we experienced more of what I had imagined the south would look like...swamps and bayous. We walked through an old mill and around a swamp (which is basically just a flooded forest) with the coolest trees thriving in the water. I was a little worried about seeing a gator, but there were none to be seen. Thank goodness it's January!

 

Finally, we started making our way towards Alabama...but not before one last, spontaneous stop. We kept seeing signs for a peach and pecan farm. I just couldn't leave Georgia without partaking in a Georgia peach delicacy. This cute little farm reminded me of the Red Barn in Santaquin. They sold several preserves and bottled items as well as had a small bakery with yummy peach cobbler and pecan pie. We got a slice of each to share. I have discovered that food is a very important part of my travel experience. I love discovering new, local places and indulging in the traditional foods of the country or region I'm visiting.

We reached Montgomery, Alabama after dark. It was raining by the time we got there. We were really lucky with the rain on the trip. The days it rained the most were the days we were mostly driving. We made our way to our hotel, which was right downtown...and it was a ghost town. For being a Saturday evening, I was surprised by how few people were milling around. I know it was raining, but we still decided to venture out. We walked down to the river then found a place to have dinner. I can't say that I loved the vibe in Montgomery, but there were a few historic sites to visit the next day. Unfortunately, they were all closed because we were there on a Sunday (22nd). That always happens. Inevitably there will be one place where sites are closed during our road trip. I don't know if I was too disappointed that this was the place. Sure, I would have loved to have toured some of the places I went to take pictures at, but I was also ok to leave Montgomery. If Jeff and I came back to Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana, I think it would be to visit other locations perhaps in the northern part of the state. We were pleased we got to see what we did in the south, but we're ok to move on. Anyway, Sunday morning we were again the only people out and about. The rain had mostly stopped (although it continued off and on all day during our drive). We went to see the site where Rosa Parks had sparked a revolution by refusing to give up her bus seat. We saw the church where Dr. Martin Luther King preached at and the house he lived in during those tumultuous times surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott. We also saw the state capitol building and the first White House of the Confederacy. (President Jefferson Davis lived in this home with his family for a few months before they moved the capitol of the Confederacy to Virginia.) Again, such a juxtaposition of ideals in such a small space. 

After stopping at each of those places, we moved on to Mississippi. This was the only state we didn't stay in. In fact, we just hit the little part that borders the Gulf coast. We did, however, visit at least one place...and picked up some road trip food along the way. Did you know boiled peanuts are a snack of choice in these states? Yup! Who would've thought? We made a pit stop at a gas station and saw some so we grabbed a cup full to experience. They weren't bad, just really salty! The peanut tasted (or at least had the texture of) like a bean. Now we can check that experience off our list...not sure we'll do it again. Anyway, we headed to Biloxi, Mississippi where we stopped at Beauvoir. This was the last residence of Jefferson Davis. We got to tour the house, which was right on the coast. In fact, it had been flooded when Hurricane Katrina ravaged this part of the south in 2006. We learned about his final years in that home and got to tour a Confederate cemetery on the grounds. There they had a tomb of the unknown Confederate soldier. I'm really glad we went and had that experience because I wonder if not too many years in the future if any Confederate monument or location will be in existence. I can see how these places could be hurtful to many people, even if they are a part of our history. I'm not sure they should be torn down or forgotten, but it seems there has been a push to do just that in the last decade. But, if you erase history, who's to stop us from repeating it?

Finally, we made our way to our final destination, New Orleans, Louisiana. We were kind of on a clock today because two of the museums of New Orleans history (adjacent to St. Louis Cathedral) were closing at 4:00 p.m. and they wouldn't be open the following day. So we headed straight for the French Quarter...and what a different world! I am glad that I can say I had that experience, but I definitely don't need to go back. We actually really enjoyed St. Louis Cathedral, the museums (The Cabilldo and the Presbytere), and the square, but the streets, especially Bourbon Street, were not really our speed. In the museums, we learned about the history of this iconic city of the South, as well as what happened during Katrina and the history of Mardi Gras. After the museum, we wandered through the square towards Cafe du Monde (the original coffee house) to enjoy some beignets before walking through the French Quarter. I loved all the cool iron balconies and the fun jazz music, but I wasn't a huge fan of all the marijuana smoke or questionable items being sold in the store. Needless to say, we didn't stay long in that area. We actually moved on to the river walk, where we enjoyed a nice stroll and a little quieter environment before calling it a day.

This is a monument to the immigrants. 

Jeff's great-great grandfather immigrated to this port from England.

Our final day (Monday, January 23rd) we got out of the city. Like I mentioned before, Jeff enjoys the non-urban experiences a little better than the urban ones...and today was pretty much all about that. We started the morning at the Barataria Preserve, which is acres of swamp and bayous that you can stroll through on different trails and boardwalks. Of course, Jeff was on the hunt to see a gator the whole time...while I quietly tiptoed through the trails hoping not to encounter one (or at least not one up close but far enough away that I would feel safe and that Jeff could actually see one). It was pretty chilly that morning and we didn't see anything other than trees, water, and birds. Still, we enjoyed our walk. 

Once we finished there, we had a little time to kill before our next swamp adventure so we made our way to New Orleans City Park. This was a pretty impressive park. It reminded me of Central Park in some ways. There are plenty of walking trails, but they also had a little amusement park, sculpture garden, and another Cafe du Monde. Of course, I had to grab a few more beignets. After leaving the park, we passed these incredible cemeteries and had to stop to take a couple of pictures. You know me and cemeteries. These were so unique because all the plots were above ground for obvious water-table reasons. 

Finally, we made our way out of New Orleans to Slidell where we had reserved a Honey Island Swamp tour. Now I was ready to see a gator...from the safety of a fast moving vessel. I loved being able to finally explore this swamp and its bayous and sloughs. This is such a different part of the country; something we have never seen before. We saw plenty of birds and even raccoons. Who knew? And yes, we finally saw a couple of small gators. One was even resting with some turtles on a log. As we floated along, our guide even told us that the Disney animators came to this area for inspiration for the animated movie, Princess and the Frog. I thought that was kind of cool. Jeff loved seeing the gators, but he was a little cynical about it. He suspected they were domesticated and strategically placed in those locations. Oh ye of little faith! Still, we finally saw some in the swamps of Louisiana.

The evening quickly closed in on us. We couldn't believe our trip had finally come to an end. I love these trips. I need these trips. I love reconnecting with Jeff in a way that is harder to do when we are home. Yes, we have our weekly dates and sometimes even little getaways, but it's different when we can escape for a week from all the responsibilities (well...almost all) associated with home. As much as I love exploring new places, but I also really love the time we spend in the car when we're able to simply talk about whatever is on our minds. I love Jeff. I love the way he listens. It is a skill he's honed over the years, but I'm grateful that he truly cares to know how I'm thinking and feeling. We just fit. We balance each other out in so many ways that we simply have to shake our head in disbelief and acknowledge that we were divinely made for each other. That last night, we enjoyed a steamboat dinner and jazz cruise. What a perfect way to culminate our southern experience. We indulged in gumbo and jambalaya and listened to a live jazz band. Towards the end of the cruise, we went out on deck to watch the paddle wheel rotate and see the city lights. I can officially check the South off my list! Now, between Jeff and I, we only need to visit Michigan (for both of us), Hawaii (for Jeff), North Dakota (for me), and Washington DC (for Jeff). This has been an incredible decade. Our journey has traversed ever imaginable terrain...but I would still say yes.