Adventures in my 40s

 It was sort of crazy, but after we got back from our three week road trip, we decided we needed to go to the beach. So, we book the most amazing AirBnB and hoped for the best for our stay in Oak Island, North Carolina. Accommodations: Joya's Peaceful Paradise 5/5--She is a Superhost and here is why: 1) She made us breakfast, set the table, and served it to us! The first morning, it was fresh fruit (watermelon, pineapple, and blackberries), waffles, and bacon. The children had grape juice and the adults had coffee. The next two mornings, we had bagels, quiche, and more fresh fruit. Additionally, she made chocolate chip cookies (yum!) and apple pie! Plus there was delicious zucchini bread too! Hospitality overload! 2) The suites were so nice and the game room was so much fun. Typically, I would prefer an AirBnB that did not have shared space, but we had the entire upper floor to ourselves with the aforementioned rooms. The suites gave us plenty of room to move around and the ameniti...

Day One:   9.5 hours Charlotte, NC to Memphis Breakfast: Egg cups and coffee made a home Stops: Tennessee Welcome Center, Buc-ee's Lunch: Ham sandwiches, veggies, fruit (from home) Hotel: Spring Hill Suites Beale Street: pros: free breakfast cons: $39 to valet park Attractions and Dinner: walked from hotel Peabody Hotel and then to Beale Street, ate dinner at Silky O'Sullivan's with the diving goats Day Two: 3 hours Memphis, TN to Hot Springs Off Road Park Breakfast: provided with hotel stay Explored: Mud Island and drove by Sun Record, Stax Record, and Graceland Stops: Arkansas Welcome Center, Little Rock Central National Historic Site (free) Lunch: leftover ham and items brought from home Camping: Hot Springs Off Road Park Dinner: Super Healthy Kids recipe of gnocchi made at camp site Day Three: 5.5 hours Hot Springs National Park to Oklahoma City Breakfast: granola, yogurt, and fruit brought from home Explored: Hot Springs National Park (free) Lunch: Superior Bathhouse B...

It began with a notepad, a road map, and a Google Sheet. The notepad recorded ideas and thoughts while the road map showed us what could actually be done. Next, we placed different versions of the trip into a Google Sheet. We had nine different versions in tabs before creating a calendar view of the final itinerary.  The hard part was beginning now--to reserve campsites, hotels and what attractions were worthwhile. The biggest money saver was the fourth grade pass to the National Parks and Lands. This little card saved us a bundle--I highly recommend getting this when you have a fourth grader. We subscribed to Dyrt, and I was already a card carrying member of Marriott and Hilton brand hotels. We also went through all our credit card rewards to see what could save us a little. Additionally for gas, Chris made sure to do as many gas apps as possible as well as Upside and IExit. Upside was great about getting some cash back. I loved IExit to see what was on exits that were upcoming....