Wrightsville Beach, about 15 mins from my home! I am blessed to live near this beautiful creation!

It is late spring and soon summer will quickly be upon us! Your family probably already has your vacations lined up as you prepare to return to your favorite places. 

Me- well, I'm still dreaming about where I want to go. Lately, I've been reminiscing over some of my favorite vacation spots in the US. There are still plenty of places I haven't been and that I want to go though! I live coastal and love where I live, but I still like visiting other places, especially when high tourist season hits Wilmington! In just reviewing my pictures, I've been to some beautiful spots both in and out of the country! Some of my vacations have been great while others I've ended up in the ER and sick the entire time I'm in that city! (ie- a trip to New York I'll never forget!) 

Here are my top 5 spots that I've visited and loved:

Dolly's Dairy Bar is in Pisgah Forest. Think the location of Hunger Games filming, y'all!

1) Asheville, NC

I love the culture and vibe within Asheville! Most of my time has been spent in its surrounding area and not downtown. I feel like Asheville has something to grab all ages: fun historical tours, hiking and outdoor adventures, great food, and even Biltmore estate. No matter the time of year I head to Asheville, there is always something great going on!

Nothing like spending 4th of July at Patriots Point! The fireworks are amazing (and yes, I've worked for the plant that sets them up in past temp job years!)

2) Charleston, SC

This city is vibrant and full of history. Seriously, I can take a carriage drawn horse tour (I promise that these horses are treated well: talk with the workers & owners and view the stables) and learn something new every time. Of course, this city has a rich culture and I love learning more about the Gullah- Geechee culture as well. Yes, a lot of southern culture has horrible parts of history, but I think it's important to visit the plantations, view the areas where slavery did occur, and enrich ourselves from learning about the importance of other cultures, like the Gullah-Geechee culture. It helps that Charleston's food is great, and the low country has BEAUTIFUL beaches! (Note- I also love the surrounding areas of Charleston like Edisto, Folly Beach, and Isle of Palms). I also love the fact that Ft Sumter is so close as well as the USS Yorktown. PS- the Hunley Submarine is really cool to visit also!

I can't say we did much hiking but it was a great trip to Harrisonburg, Massanutten, and the Shenandoah area!

3) Harrisonburg, VA

The Shenandoah Valley has been on my list ever since my sister invited me to join her at her Massanutten Resort timeshare. This area has hiking, has history (particularly of the civil war era), has other cultures (Amish & Mennonite) and is a great place to escape the hustle that Wilmington has turned into. It's rural but it's beautiful!I've always found enough to do but also enough ways to relax and unwind that disconnect me from the chaos of regular life. 

Yes, I absolutely did fly back Dungeoness Crab from Pike's Place. I mean, I was there after all!

4) Seattle, Washington

 Heading out to the Western part of the country, I absolutely love Seattle. Its been several years since I've visited friends who moved out there and have a passion to return. Seeing the places of 10 Things I Hate About You movie, seeing the Space Needle, visiting the Seattle Seahawks football stadium, the Seattle Mariners stadium, and of course Pike's Place Market were highlights of that trip. I would definitely want to go back!

Photo by David Banning on Unsplash. Full disclosure-this trip was before the invention of social media so all my photos are print (and horrible quality because disposable and early digital cameras, ya know).

5) Williams, AZ

Okay, this one might be kind of odd because I actually lived out that way for a summer as a camp employee back in college, but this area is absolutely beautiful! It's been many years (eek, we might be pushing 20 yrs soon) since I've been out that way, but the area, the camp I worked at, and the people are definitely embedded in my mind. It's a beautiful part of the country! Williams is a small town, located along Route 66, and has a lot of history related to the railroad and western expansion. While I was out there, I was able to visit the great metropolis of Phoenix, hit up the red rock formations in Sedona (I have a print of this photo above and love it), and of course see the magnificent Grand Canyon in all of its glory. This area isn't without its hardships and be aware of the rattlers! 

Where are your favorite vacation spots? 

Does your family have a place that they return to every year?