One of the things I love most about summer is that my husband is usually off on Fridays. Since I'm employed by my church, and my role is to co-lead worship for our contemporary service on Sundays, we don't take many trips that involve being out of town over a full weekend. We've mastered day trips, though, and Fridays are perfect days for us to 'get away' for several hours. 

We live so close to so many wonderful places to visit. It's one of the reasons I love living in North Carolina. We have breathtaking mountain views less than two hours away, and the coast is between three and four hours away. While I have driven to the beach and back in one day, it's a bit more difficult to do with little ones. The mountains are a quick trip up and back for us (particularly Blowing Rock/Boone), so we do make that trip a few times a year.

Today, we're planning to head to Blowing Rock to hit some of our favorite spots:

Julian Price Park

Moses Cone Manor

Downtown Blowing Rock

Stick Boy Bakery in Boone

Blowing Rock is one of the most beautiful spots in our state, and I cannot wait to be back there. It's one of those places I would love to retire to one day. I can't wait to share pictures from our day trip and tell you all about where we went, what we ate, and what we saw.

 Once we have a day trip under our belts, I start planning more... and more. I love trying to come up with fun places to experience together as a family. Summer fun doesn't have to be expensive, especially when you set your heart on exploring what's in your own backyard!

What are some of your favorite summer day trips?