Summer Wrap Up 2023

CHICAGO AND IOWA

Man plans and God laughs- I’m sure it’s a saying you’ve heard before, and it couldn’t be truer for my family and me this summer. We planned to drive to Wyoming in our RV, almost a full cross-country road trip, a 5 week vacation in Israel, and a quick trip to Vegas. This might sound ambitious for some, but planning trips like this-- adventures that my kids will remember forever-- is my passion.

Instead, we ended up with my brother’s wedding (side note: it was planned in 6 days), a quick weekend business trip with my husband to Chicago and Des Moines, and a weekend away outside of Charlotte, to a resort called Primland, in the Meadows of Dan, Virginia. In other words, I wasn’t going to let these precious summer days go by without creating memories with my family just because the original plans had to change.

Let’s go in order.

Chicago is always a stunning city, but this is especially true in the summer. A walk down Michigan Avenue is always charming, and the river this time of year is just spectacular- bars and restaurants located down by the river are filled with people enjoying the outdoors.

The Art Institute of Chicago is among the top art museums in the world. The museum is huge, but not overwhelming, the architecture is spectacular, and their permanent collection is like no other. The Georges Seurat works must be seen in person. The miniature rooms down in the basement are so detailed and amazing, and the Marc Chagall glass-stained windows are striking. No need to travel overseas to enjoy stunning architecture and art.

A stop in Pritzker Park, to get a picture with the bean is always fun, so we did that too.

Then it was off to Des Moines, Iowa. The aerial views from the plane above Iowa are stunning.

Iowa is farmland- so much of our produce comes from here, and we don’t even realize it. It has, in my opinion, the nicest state Capitol in the country, and the National Library is just WOW. On Saturdays, in the summer, they have a farmers market, with (actual) farmers coming in from all over the state to display their food. You’ll find everything from corn to fruit, wines to cheeses, maple syrup, spring rolls- you name it- it’s there and it’s all delicious.

There is also a sculpture garden on the other side of the city called Papajohn Sculpture Park- which features works from Yaoi Kusama (my favorite), Robert Indiana, and more. This is on par with the National Sculpture Garden in DC and it’s public- so everyone can enjoy.

I love cities where the weather is fair enough even during the summer to walk around, and people are just enjoying the slower summer vibe. The U.S. is filled with cities like these- I encourage you to delve in and explore, and get off the beaten path.

NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA

I was only able to get 4 full days when my family could travel all together- between camps, work schedules, family events, and more- this was all we could put together, so I decided to take full advantage of it while keeping actual travel time to a minimum.

We spent our first night in Charlotte before driving to Lake Norman State Park on our way to Virginia. There is something about being out in nature that just recharges all of our batteries. No matter the age, all of my girls connect with nature and the whole family comes away happy. I was only able to get 4 full days where my family could travel all together- between camps, work schedules, family events, and more- this was all we could put together, so I decided to take full advantage of it while keeping actual travel time to a minimum.

We spent our first night in Charlotte before driving to Lake Norman State Park on our way to Virginia. There is something about being out in nature that just recharges all of our batteries. No matter the age, all of my girls connect with nature and the whole family comes away happy.

The Auberge Resorts have a complete collection of absolutely stunning and unique properties. If you’ve been following me, you know I love off-the-beaten-path travel, mixed in with all the more well-known stops along the way. The Primland Resort is in a city called the Meadows of Dan. It sits on 20,000 acres of privately owned property, 12,000 of which is explorable and used for tourism. To put that size into proper terms- it is the same size as the island of Bermuda, sprawled out across the Blue Ridge mountains.

The hotel is small in terms of how many rooms they have, but the property is huge. The main lodge has only 26 rooms- but this was perfect for my young kids. They knew exactly where to go, and quickly felt right at home. The rooms were very spacious and the balconies overlooking the incredible panorama are something we took advantage of. It takes about 25- 30 minutes just to get to the main lodge once you arrive on property, and the drive in is just breathtaking.

We did 2 hikes, which were super close to the main resort- easily accessible and family-friendly. We went horseback riding, shooting, practiced archery, and then kayaking at the lake.

Brushing the horse's body and tail was the highlight, as well as riding them. My husband and I did a beautiful trail together.

Archery was so fun! It was not the first time we did it on a trip, but it has become increasingly enjoyable. It’s something the kids look forward to as a unique experience on trips like this.

The lake, Talbott Reservoir in Dan Gorge, is not the easiest to get to (it’s like an adventure jeep tour in and of itself), but once you get there it is quiet, serene, and just so peaceful. We swam, kayaked, and took it all in. No motorized vehicles are allowed so the tranquility is just great.

The resort is within a 4 hour radius of 6 states (North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, and South Carolina) - but its closest main city is Charlotte, North Carolina. It takes us South Floridians over 5 hours just to get out of Florida! (Though I love a good day trip) Having so many states within 4 hours is a fantastic concept.

The views from every corner are spectacular–we were able to see sunrise from our balcony, and then sunset from dinner.

The food and the spa are just superb- think lavender whipped cream with the pancakes.

The one-of-a-kind stargazing experience, located in the hotel’s very own observatory Dome, on the top floor of the Silo, is awesome. The guide really helped put everything into perspective. So many stars and a super powerful telescope.

We went to Mount Airy, North Carolina, where the Andy Griffith Show is based on. This was his childhood home and the inspiration for Mayberry. We walked on Main Street (like Main Street USA in Disney) and explored the historic downtown. We stopped at an old-style diner, an amazing pie shop, and walked around a classic car show.

The Mayberry Cool Cars & Rods Cruise-In features a bunch of different old cars lining the main street, and you could just stop and take a picture with all of them. There’s an old movie theater and great little shops. This day trip added that little something extra that will stand out in our memories about this summer.

And of course, every night ended with s’mores.

The U.S. is the absolutely most beautiful country in the world. As we traveled into my girls’ last day of summer, when I asked my youngest what her best day of summer was, she said this day was the best day by far! To me that was everything. It wasn’t at all what we had initially envisioned for summer, but somehow, life threw a curve and we swerved.

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like to explore even further.