South Beach or Bust! {The Recap}

We started our trip the first Saturday in March after dropping Nash off at the boarder (Home Away From Home in Easton, MA - if you need a boarder or a groomer in the greater Boston area - they are the best!) and headed down to Fredericksburg, VA. We've both made this drive many times, so we didn't do much sight seeing along the way. We did stop in DC just as the sun was setting though - and we parked and took a walk around the Mall. 

Then, we headed down to our hotel in Fredericksburg and got a recommendation for dinner from the concierge for Vinny's Italian Grill and Pizza. If you're in the area and want a bite to eat, then Vinny's is refreshingly good. Delicious Italian food that is sure to warm your belly and your heart, Vinny's does not disappoint. (Note: Pictures of food are unavailable because we ate everything too quickly.)

The next morning we woke up (late) and headed South-West to Monticello. 

After touring the grounds, and getting even more behind in our schedule, we headed off for Wilmington, NC! Wilmington, NC is also known as Hollywood East and, you may or may not know, is host to not one, but TWO, of the all time greatest WB (CW) shows: Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill. As One Tree Hill is (very sadly) coming to an end, Josh agreed to a stop there to see some of my favorite places from the show!

The Site of Karen's Cafe and Clothes Over Bros

Brooke's House! (Sorry for the dark picture, it's actually a private residence.)

And of course, we couldn't leave Tree Hill Wilmington without a delicious meal! We found one at the Front Street Brewery where we had delicious pretzels to start and to-die-for entrees. They also brew some delicious beer that is wayyy over your typical alcohol content level. After 1 sip, I decided to give mine to Josh so that I could drive us the rest of the way to Myrtle Beach that evening. The next morning, we woke up and headed straight to Charleston, SC (and by straight, I mean drove 2 hours further South) to have the most delicious breakfast at the Hominy Grill. If you're ever in or near (within 3 hours) of Charleston, the Hominy Grill is a must visit.

After stopping for breakfast, we drove the remaining 9 hours South to visit my Great Aunt and Uncle who very graciously took us in for the 2 nights we were in their area. While we were in the Boca area, we stopped by the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and saw some amazing animals.








It was absolutely incredible how close you could actually get to these animals. We also spent time with Josh's Aunt and Uncle - enjoying an absolutely phenomenal dinner with them on Tuesday evening. From here, our pictures are limited, but, we headed from the Boca area (after 2 nights with family) into Miami. First, we enjoyed an amazing lunch at Joe's Stone Crab and then, we stayed at the Perry Hotel, which was okay - but there might be better choices out there, and ate dinner at the amazing STK. While lunch was pretty fantastic, STK absolutely blew every single other meal on this trip out of the water - and that 's saying something. From our delicious carpaccio appetizer, to lamb chops and wagyu beef cooked to perfection for our main courses, and the ice cream cone trio and dulce de leche donuts for dessert - not to mention the delicious martinis filled with pear vodka, strawberries, mint, lime and champagne -- this meal is absolutely within the top 5 I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

The next morning, we headed back North early in the morning to get to Savannah in time for dinner. While STK was one of the best meals of my life, Savannah is without question, my new favorite city. The cobblestone streets are wonderful, the weather was nice, and of course, I got to spend some time with the food of my favorite lady ...

Why am I awkwardly petting this dachshund?

More photo awkwardness. Story of my life.

If you've never been, it's incredible cheesy and I'm not really so sure I'd eat the food there, but it's definitely a fun place to stop. From there, we headed into DC, actually just North to College Park, MD, where we spent the night at the Marriott Inn & Conference Center at the UMD (very nice stay) and enjoyed time with Josh's sister, and his parents and grandmother. We had dinner at a small Italian place on Friday evening and then on Saturday morning, Josh and I woke up very early to head to Arlington National Cemetery and the Newseum - both of which were amazing to see! From DC, we drove North back to Boston and got home around 10:15 pm - both of us absolutely ready to crash into sleep.

This trip was, as I said earlier, absolutely amazing and I loved having the chance to spend so much uninterrupted time with Josh. We both love spending time together on road trips and we're looking forward to our next trip together!