Biltmore Estate & Asheville, NC

This past weekend we traveled to Asheville, NC with our friends Kellie and Paul. We stayed in a cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains and played tourists for the weekend.

We were lucky enough to visit the gorgeous Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Estate is the largest private residence in the U.S. (over 178,000 square feet!) and was home to the Vanderbilts. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

They didn't allow cameras inside of the house (bummer), but I did snap some of the grounds. After a tour of the home, we had lunch at Stable Cafe, visited the winery and shops and had ice cream at Biltmore Creamery.

My favorite part of Biltmore Estate are the gardens. Even though most of the outdoor flowers aren't yet in bloom, the conservatory and green houses are packed with lots of beauty. My favorite, an entire green house dedicated to succulents and cacti!

We stopped in Biltmore Village and had a drink in The Bohemian, a really awesome "Antler Chic" hotel. The lobby feels like a swanky mountain lounge.

Eventually we made it into Asheville, a lively and artsy town nestled in the mountains. There are tons of great restaurants and lots of neat shops. We ate at Tupelo Honey Cafe and it was simply divine. The biscuits, oh lord, the biscuits.

Our beaches are great, but if you ever plan a trip to the Carolinas, don't neglect a visit to the mountains!

Koneman Family Vacay 2013

After dealing with an awful stomach bug, a trip away with family was a welcomed reprieve. We set sail out of Miami with the Koneman (my husband's) side of our family to the Bahamas. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but the weather was gorgeous, food was delish (bread pudding for life) and I've never laughed so hard for 4 straight days. Ever.

Jake and I started off our trip just the two of us in Miami. I was still pretty sick our first day, but we made the most of it. We walked down Miami Beach and played tourists in South Beach.

Jake and I  lunched at Joe's Stone Crab (highly recommend) and stopped for Cuban food at a little hole in the wall, Puerto Sagua.

Our first stop on the cruise was Freeport. It wasn't my favorite destination but I definitely enjoyed the company of my brother-in-law, Zach and his wife, Jenna. We visited a few shops, had lunch together and I had a pina colada right out of a coconut.

Our next stop on the trip was Nassau. We took a bus tour with Jake's parents and Jenna that toured the town and took us to see Atlantis.

After the tour, Jake and I walked down the shore and visited Nassasu's fish fry, a series of seafood restaurants along the beach. Our favorite spot was Twin Brothers. We had conch chowder, conch salad, conch fritters (to die for) and cracked conch. If you find yourself in Nassau, Twin Brothers is a must try. 

Our final day was spent on a private island. We had BBQ and soaked up the sun. My brother-in-law, Adam, and I had a pretty epic photo shoot a la Zoolander on the beach. Check out the outtakes below for some of the hilarity.

Our last night was spent taking photos on the deck (the Titanic pose was a favorite) and one last big dinner with totally inappropriate conversation. We capped off the night with some Karaoke brought to you by Zach, J.J. and Mama Joyce.

Below is a blooper reel of sorts. We were "yolo-ing" all over the place (don't judge us for being a little late to the yolo party). My brother-in-law, Zach, sported a pretty rad fanny-pack and pirate hat for most of the trip. Both suited him well during his karaoke rendition of Jimmy Buffet's A Pirate Looks at Forty.

A big thank you goes out to Mom and Dad Koneman for  taking us all on such a wonderful trip that won't soon be forgotten!

Orlando in Photos

As promised, a photo/instagram overload from our family trip to Orlando:

A very big thank you to my parents for taking us on this fun-filled excursion :)

Pelican Point

I'm slowly settling back into reality after a quick get-a-way with family to Florida. We had a wonderful vacation full of great food, sunshine and all things Disney (more photos to follow).

During our trek home up I-95, we made a pit stop in a sleepy fishing village on the Georgia coast. Pelican Point Restaurant welcomed us with its slightly eccentric nautical decor. We had plenty of limey beer, fresh off the boat shrimp and lots of other great sea fare. 

One of my favorite moments came when our server asked, "Y'all ain't from around these parts are you?" We admittedly are still Yankees (as they refer to us down south),  but it's places like Pelican Point that help me to embrace living in the South in all of its unapologetic glory.