eSCAping Type 1

Having been stuck inside for nearly five months, I’d sure love to go on vacation. Unfortunately, our country’s handling of COVID has put a bit of a hiatus on anyone’s travel plans right now.

But, as Mary Schmich once said, “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” So, enjoy reading all about my final road trip to date! And then go ahead and plan one of your own for whenever this virus disappears…

In 2019 we went on Road Trip #3.5 – affectionately named so because while it was a road trip, complete with license plate games and sleeping in the car, it was only a week long and we only visited one new place. BUT it was still exciting and is fun to reminisce about – especially while in quarantine. Plus it was my first “vacation” experience using a rollator full-time, so you know every place written about is wheelchair accessible. (Sucks that I even have to say that…)

Day 1-3: Asheville, NC

Road Trip #3.5 started with a quest to revisit the most recent addition to our “Return Here” list. So, we drove the entire first day in order to get to one of my favorite places in America by dinner time on Day 2.

Beautiful, artsy, progressive Asheville just so happens to be home to “more breweries per capita than any U.S. city,” so we spent the entire third day on a makeshift beer tour.  There are tons of websites that will guide you through the best of the best, but here are some of my personal favorites:

Wicked Weed: Brewhub – Appropriately gaining recognition as one of the more popular breweries in Asheville, I had my favorite flight here. Plus there are cool seating options around fire pits outside.

Wicked Weed: Funkatorium – This Wicked Weed location only offers sour beer… but over a dozen varieties of it.

Bhramari Brewing Co. – Known for its “experimental” craft beers, with food designed to pair perfectly with their popular selections. Kind of irrelevant, but I loved the interior design.

White Duck Taco Shop – NOT a brewery, but a “restaurant” that you absolutely must try (because…. tacos.)

Now, you don’t have to be an IPA-loving bearded hipster to enjoy your time here – there are plenty of art galleries and antique shops scattered throughout the town – though it might help?

Days 4-6: Charleston, SC

After Asheville, we drove four hours to another “Return Here” favorite: Charleston. I’ve said it before, but if Cody & I (and Leo, and Bogart) ever move, it’ll be to Charleston. We ate and drank and hung out by the pool and ocean and life was perfect.

Here are some random recommendations:

Saltwater Cowboys – located outside of the city, this restaurant offers delicious, fresh, local cuisine. Try going around sunset – the beauty is worth the wait.

VooDoo Tiki Bar and Lounge – I honestly don’t know why I love this bar so much, but something about it has stuck with me for years. Their Duck Sliders and Tiki Drinks have a permanent spot in my heart.

Folly Beach – About 20 minutes from the city lies this little gem of a town, which I’ve definitely recommended before… Be sure to eat at Taco Boy and Bowens Island if you visit here.

Days 7-9: Washington D.C.

Although revisiting our favorite places was awesome, a road trip can’t be perfect until you explore somewhere new. With that in mind, we spent the last two days in a place that did not come close to making our “Return Here” list… Washington DC.

Am I glad we visited? Yes. Do I recommend checking it out? Yes. Would I ever go back there? Nope.

There are just so many people, crowded into a space that was not designed for that many people. And the museums? Besides them not being super accessible (Cody literally had to carry me and my walker up the stairs, in the rain, to get into the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History because their ramp was “Coming soon!”), the ones we visited were filled with a whole lot of… replicas.

I do recommend the USMC museum – that was honestly my favorite part. The building is full of life-sized exhibits that immerse you in whichever historical moment you’re reading about. And they had the real flag from Iwo Jima. Not just a replica with a plaque.

 

So, basically, road trips are entirely doable even if you only have a few days to do it. We easily could have seen more new places, but we chose to stay a few days in our favorites instead.

Now we just have to figure out how to include a baby. And a pandemic… No problem.

 

In case you’re curious, here’s our current “Return Here” list:

• New Orleans
• Yellowstone NP
• Zion NP
• Seattle
• Savannah