Metadata is my co-pilot

Where am I? Where are we? What town was that?

I'd be lost without geotagging.

They don't take pets.

So this is where we are.

Just north of Onancock, Delaware.

Back in 2015, Griffin urged me to start an Instagram. I was headed out on a solo journey cross-country; and he wanted to be able to track me to make sure I hadn't been eaten by bears. (I survived, thanks to the bear bells Guy suggested I attach to my backpack.)

In addition to letting family and friends know my most recent whereabouts, geotagging let me know as well. While driving through Colorado, I sort of lost track of my location, so absorbed was I in meandering among the Aspens and the mountains. When you aren't in urban areas it can be miles between signage.

I pulled over to the side of the road to photograph this eye-catching vehicle, and when I posted, Instagram informed me that I was in the middle of the Rio Grande National Forest. 

So apparently last weekend, I was in Lewes, Delaware. Not exactly the middle of the wilderness, but I'd hopped in the car with a friend and went along for the ride, not paying a whole lot of attention to direction.

Thank you Google Photos, iPhoto, and Instagram for tracking me as only the menacing vigilance of Kafkaesque Big Brother can. 

Enjoy the photos Joelle and I took in … ta da! …Lewes, Delaware.

John's family felt it important to let visitors know which way he was going.

Zwaandendael Museum. Metadata even told me the name of the museum.

This should have given me a clue as to my whereabouts.

Not a sign anywhere.

Finding my place in the world

Sometimes it really is about the destination

Girls' Weekend

Lisa, Amy, Mags (w/Scooter), Joelle, and Cindy

Just as important as connecting with Mother Nature, is connecting with the incredible women in my life. The endpoint of our journey was the Delaware shore for the yearly Girls' Weekend. Every year, we meet in a different place. This year, we all descended on Lisa's new beach house. A little estrogen Christening as it were.

As usual, there was laughter, there were tears, there were movies, food, beverages, more food, and … thrifting! Followed by some more food & bev.

Poppin tags

God also led me to an amazing gold lame dress for $2.

Watch for this chandelier in an upcoming blog. For $10, I grabbed it and ran.

It might be Girls' Weekend, but I still gotta do my yoga.

Yay Cindy! Awesome job.

Practicing my levitation.

My yoga teacher

My favorite picture of the weekend. Look at those chips; we're so Maryland – where Old Bay goes with everything Hon. 

This is Utz.

Thank you Lisa for being an extraordinary hostess. Thank you Amy for being our nucleus. Thank you Cindy for my steady, calm, loving inspiration. Thank you Joelle for being my Gypsy Sister. These women hold me together, and give me strength. When life throws me for a loop, I think of them and am secure in the knowledge this group has my back. They love me just the way I am. And I love them heart and soul.

Sharing a sunset with friends – priceless.

Just on the other side of the guard rail

Joelle and I absolutely love being outside every moment we can. Whether we are hiking, eating our meals, or doing a little impromptu yoga, being in Mother Earth's sweet embrace is the goal. Spending time in nature reminds us of what is real, what is important, and recharges our batteries to better deal with life's daily challenges. 

Joelle took pictures while I chatted with a fella about his outboard motor.

As we made our way along the coast of North Carolina, we decided to check out this cool place that Joelle, the ultimate navigator found. Having spent last night on an island, she thought it would be fun to stay in a treehouse on the return trip next week. After our "Camp Meth Lab" experience, we thought it would be wise to get a preview.

Perched along the Cashie River, are these charming little dwellings, built among the treetops. You can either pack in along the walkway suspended above the river, or dock your canoe beneath.

After a brief stop, it was back in the van to continue the trip north. How many of you have traveled along the 95 corridor and seen the signs for the Dismal Swamp? How many of you have thought, "Gee, that sounds like a beautiful place to visit."?

I will admit, we stopped at the Dismal Swamp quite by accident. We were looking for a place to pull over and have lunch. When we got out of the van, look what we found! A beautiful canal, and a serene place to picnic. Completed in 1805, the canal runs 22 miles from Deep Creek, VA to South Mills, NC, connecting the Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound. It was dug completely by hand and took 12 years to complete.

After a peaceful lunch, we took a little walk. I've never seen a blossom on a pine tree before. There are a million hidden gems just on the other side of the guard rail. 

Picnic under the bridge

Van life presents limitless spontaneous moments. The Mothership we rented for this trip came with an aftermarket refrigerator. It looks mostly like a big cooler, but runs off the battery. This means it stays on all the time – no ice to worry about. 

Harkers Island, NC

Taking our own food on the trip is a game-changer. We have less downtime, save money, and eat healthier. Plus, we have our meals in beautiful spots.

Joelle is a top notch navigator. She finds the coolest places for us to explore and camp. When we set the course for the day, we ask ourselves, "Where do we want to wake up tomorrow?" What view do we want from the van windows?

Not every place we find online or in the AAA Guidebook is a winner. Before we got to Harkers Island, we traveled down some gravel roads to a destination that had stunning sunset pictures in their review. Our first clue should have been the chain link fence that greeted us at the entrance. Although the small wooden sign on the road read "Campground," we feel like it would have been more appropriate to read, "Enter at your own risk." 

There were no people, no office, no hookups, no restrooms. We're rather fond of rustic spots in beautiful locations, but this was not one of them. It looked more like Meth Lab Camp. We kept driving.

Sunrise on the island

Which is how we found Harkers Island. Home of tiny houses and the best fried chicken I've had in years. (We splurged on dinner at Captain's Choice.) We ate dinner in the van that night, because Baby it was cold outside. 

Scooter loves to snuggle in the sleeping bags.

Thank you Darryl for leaving me your winter weight sleeping bags, because we were toasty as could be when the winds kicked up enough to start rocking the van. 

Harkers Island

Tiny houses on Harkers Island

The next day and next picnic found us on the Intracoastal Highway, Sunset Beach, NC.

Whole new meaning to camping under a bridge.

Where are we going to wake up tomorrow?

Huntington Beach State Park

We love State Parks.

Spotted an alligator as we drove in. Definitely keeping Scooter on a leash.

Our first night out, we stopped at Huntington Beach State Park in south Carolina. When only staying for one night, camping spots are usually first come, first served. There seemed to be some debate among the park employees as to whether the old section or the new section is the coolest location to stay. 

We were given a spot in the new location, and have never seen such glamorous accommodations at a campground.

All in all State and National Parks are our preference for travel. They offer beautiful locations, safe environments, reasonable prices, and accept pets. Is there a way that I can designate all my tax dollars to these beautiful gifts to our citizens?

Our camping spot is on the other side of this dune.

Beautiful location inspires early-morning contemplation. Basically waiting for the coffee to brew.
No makeup. Bad hair. Camping–Don't Care.

We are quite serious about reconnecting with Mother Nature during our trips. We spend as much time as possible in the outdoors, walking, hiking, exploring, or just sitting in stillness.

Getting our exercise in. Morning walk in this glorious location.

Scooter loves running along the surf.

Can you believe this is in a campground? 

One improvises while road tripping. This Blu Storm hand dryer was manufactured by the same people who make G force simulators. (Well, that's my theory.) It's blowing the skin back from my face, but makes quick work of drying my hair.

East Coast Odyssey

And we're off!

We've been cross-country, California Pacific Coast Highway, local, and now we're headed up the East Coast to embrace Mother Nature and connect with awesome women. 

Obligatory start-of-trip selfie

Joelle has flown into Charleston, SC from Dallas. Our plan is to meander up the East Coast, with a final destination in Delaware to inaugurate our friend's new beach house.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. A ladder for loading the thingie on top.

We've gone quite modern with this 2002 Volkswagen Eurovan Wesfalia Campervan. Joelle found her on AirBnB. Our Mothership has air conditioning, and electric windows, and she can accelerate from 0–60 in less than 15 minutes. Oh, the luxury.

Here is the Mothership, in all her doors-open glory.

Scooter is all ready and buckled in.

This dog seriously loves his road trips.

Traveling with your best canine companion is enjoyable. They snuggle up to keep you warm in your sleeping bag, and you don't miss them or worry if they are being cared for properly back home. Pet travel does come with some restrictions, though. Since leaving them in the vehicle is rarely an option, we look for restaurants with outdoor seating. 

Bovines outside seating at dusk. Not a bad compromise for dog traveling.

Wanting to get a couple of hours of drive time under our belt, we head north up 17 to Murrells Inlet, SC for our first night's stay.

Thanks to Joelle for being photographer and navigator. Look! She let me drive on this trip.

In-town touring

Because Life Is One Beautiful Trip

I started One Beautiful Trip to document my travels. Some of my favorite trips are right here in my own backyard. When friends come to visit Charleston, I get a chance to play tour guide. This week, my Gypsy Sister and her husband, Oh Patient Man, flew in from Dallas to spend some time chilling out at my place. 

Sure, I took them to some typical tourist spots: The Market, The Battery; but we also hit up a few offbeat venues.

Cemetery behind the Circular Church in Charleston.

Nothing says Good Times, like a stone angel.

Gypsy Sister (GS) shares my rather macabre love of cemeteries. 

Yoga! Who doesn't want to get sweaty on vacation?

Just like millenials, we gotta take the post-yoga-selfie. Did I mention it was HOT yoga?

Then, it's off to a car show. Cause that's what Chicks do.

GS patiently acts as my personal photographer for my vintage fashion blog. The ReStylist. Did I mention she is a Saint?

I would only pose next to cars that matched my outfit. Seriously. I am that nutty.

My dream ride

Aren't they the cutest couple?
Gypsy Sister and, her hubby, Oh Patient Man.

 Miss them already.