There’s not much I love more than an adventure. Because life has been so busy, Ashton and I really haven’t had a chance to venture out since our cruise in June. We were long overdue for a getaway.
Recently, Ashton and I had the chance to visit friends in Oriental, North Carolina. With just a day’s notice, we excitedly packed our bags. We jumped in the car and headed east. Less than two hours later, sparkling blue water was in our view. There’s always something so thrilling about the first moment I see water. It takes me back to the excitement I felt when we vacationed long ago at Topsail Island.
While on our stroll, we found a cat. Of course. We always find cats everywhere we go. I always want to take every one of them home with me. Eisenhower the Cat received much love from us and, if I were him, I’d have no problem hanging out by the water. Life doesn’t get more relaxing than that!
We visited the Toucan Grill for lunch. Had it not been so hot, we would have braved sitting outside to watch the boats. It just seemed a little early to be that sweaty. Although I might seem high-maintenance at times (at least to Ashton), I’m a simple girl. Give me peel-and-eat-shrimp and a glass of cold wine, and life is perfect.
I had a fantastic bite (or two) of Ashton’s key lime pie. It took a lot of self control to keep myself from devouring the entire slice. If I’d had another glass of wine, I’m sure that would have happened. For real.
After lunch, we caught up with our friends. The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting on the pier. The older I get, the more I appreciate the simple things in life.
For dinner, we ventured back out to the Toucan Grill to hear Barefoot Wade playing live, on the waterfront. (I highly recommend hearing him play if you ever get the chance to catch him around the coastal areas!) There was more peel-and-eat shrimp involved. And more wine. Could there possibly be anything better than live music, cold drinks, sunsets, and friends? I think not.
The temperature was very hot when we visited, but I’m sure the weather in the early fall would be even more perfect. So, put Oriental, N.C. on your list of places to visit this fall. I can’t wait to go back!
