adventures Archives - Page 3 of 3

What’s Brewing in Pikeville?

June 17, 2021 by Kathryn Edwards

Hello, Friends! The weekend is almost here! Would you believe that it’s the middle of June and I haven’t been in my pool even once this year? I always seem to be so busy. And I despise having to wear a swimsuit. We’ll just chalk the pool up to the biggest waste of a small fortune I’ve ever spent. I could have taken so many vacations with the money I’ve spent on this crazy pool business.

Speaking of busy, I spent the morning at the vet with Little. There’s nothing that gets you out of bed quicker than when your husband yells that there’s blood on the bed! A few tests and shots later, and he’s back home. Although we haven’t received his test results, it appears that he’s going to have the same kidney issues as Smokey. I do plan on switching his food and I’ve ordered some natural supplements from Amazon. Poor baby! 😿

Although today hasn’t been the best, last night was great….

On a whim, we tried a new place in my hometown of Pikeville NC. While we’ve had a really good pizza place there for a few years, the owners decided to open a brewpub next door to the pizza place. It’s called First Brew. And OMG. It’s the coolest place ever! Let me share a few of the pictures I took last night….

There were lots of comfy seating areas! Everything was unique and artsy.

Wine slushees were on the menu. There was truly something for everyone!

The decor was similar to the Vailhouse, which is also a favorite. The Vails know how to do things right!

I was so happy to see that they offered several different types of wine. I’m usually left out at breweries. Of course, I chose the Chardonnay! That seems to be my go-to signature lately. I’ve made a pact with myself not to drink during the week- unless we go out. And we very rarely ever go out during the week. We were in need of a date night, for sure.

They had a great selection of chilled wine, as well as sparkling wine splits. They had many more unique wines that were available for purchase that weren’t chilled.

The selection of craft beer was fantastic. There were also several different domestic beers available. So much variety!

There was an outside sitting area that was actually behind my Great Grandmother’s old house. And I could have walked from my Grandmother’s house. I’m definitely a native Pikevillian.

Because it was so hot, we went inside to eat. There was a small game room and a large seating area that was perfect for parties.

We ordered from the adjoining pizza place, John’s Pizza. I ordered the small chef salad ( I gave Eric my ham.) Eric ordered the large. Next time, we’ll order salads, plus get a small pizza to split. I regret not ordering one, but my salad was so good and fresh!

Outfit details are linked below//

Black top- (My favorite for only $15.99- there are so many colors, including one for July 4th!)

Old Navy Boyfriend Jeans

Twine & Twig Necklaces

Twine & Twig Bracelets

Jack Rogers Platform Sandals (so comfy!)

If you get a chance, stop into First Brew in Pikeville for a refreshing beverage and grab a pizza while you are there! You won’t regret it!

Two Years Strong- Part One

March 23, 2018 by Kathryn Edwards

Has it really been two years?

Through the ups and downs, Eric and I have made it to this milestone. We are two years stronger.

To commemorate this special occasion, Eric made plans for a very special weekend- just for us. Rarely- very, very rarely- have we been able to spend an entire weekend together because our lives constantly take us in different directions. Although that seems to be the norm for two dating adults with established lives, it makes us really appreciate our time together.

I’m finally getting around to sharing some of the highlights from our anniversary weekend. Literally, we ate and drank our way through two cities. We found some amazing places that, hopefully, you might want to try also.

Because there are so many pictures, I’ll break our adventure into parts.

I’ll keep you hanging…

Our adventure began with an overnight stay at the 21c Museum Hotel in Durham. The 21c Museum Hotel is an art museum/boutique hotel. Eric knew that it would appeal to my artsy side. He earned points for his thoughtfulness. If you are a boyfriend, you know it’s all about the points you accumulate.

Seriously.

A happy girlfriend equals a happy dating life.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a video on the floor of the entry. At that moment, I knew this hotel was going to be the best ever!

I made sure to step around the people. Eric, however, did not mind violating the art.

We checked into this most amazing hotel, only to find that the elevators were not in use. This was not good news, as Eric had booked the 13th floor suite. I actually climbed 13 floors in heels. Really, I didn’t mind. I burned more calories to later be used for wine.

Upon arrival, there was a handwritten note with chocolate, as well as chocolate on our bedroom pillows. The secret to any good hotel is chocolate and hand written notes.

I’m a simple girl. Just give me luxury.

And suddenly, the trek up the 13 floors was forgotten.

Our room was amazing! We had a balcony off the bathroom. This seemed odd. But apparently, you never know when you might be in the bathroom and feel the need to sit outside.

Had it been warmer, we would have drank wine on the balcony. We did endure the blustery wind to take a couple of sips and to take a picture, just to say we did it. Just imagine it during warm weather…

Everything about this hotel was extraordinary- from the rum bathroom soap to the rubber duck in the shower.

Ummm….the bride duck freaked me out a little. Ask the friends I texted!

After browsing the museum , we braved the frigid walk downtown. Our first stop was Mateo– a tapas bar, where we indulged in fried calamari and scallops. Our cooking at home is NOT like this. I took note that Eric and I have a very good eating rhythm. I taste, he eats the bulk… because he is a giant and I save my calories for the alcohol.

I might (or might not) have eaten the sauce with a spoon. I learned that pistachios and scallops are a winning combination!

Afterwards, we made an impromptu stop at Taberna, another tapas restaurant, where we ordered the salmon. Omg! It was cooked to perfection. It was crusty on the outside and flaky on the inside. I would have taken a picture, but I was distracted by the pink sparkling Rose’ I ordered…..

I’m always a fan of anything sparking and anything pink. Sparkling Rose’ is just my thing. It’s a match made in heaven.

On our walk back to the hotel, the beautiful full moon was a welcome distraction from both the cold and our nearly full bellies.

Our eating adventure ended with a bite from the hotel restaurant, The Counting House, where we enjoyed grilled broccolini and seared tuna. For those of you who know me, I had nothing to do with the tuna. Gag. My food has to be cooked to pieces. I was, however, all over the broccolini dish.

We were treated to an anniversary dessert. I’m still not sure exactly what it was, but I do remember that it was tasty. Could it be that I’d had a thousand glasses of wine by that time? Probably, most likely.

Before heading to our room, we explored the downstairs level, which was an old bank vault.

Clearly, Eric has done this before. He looks very natural opening a vault.

Wow! Look at the tiles in the bank vault room. Have I mentioned that this is the coolest hotel ever?

We also explored the upstairs restrooms. I needed to visit the restroom until I saw that they were clear. Apparently, when you are inside, the windows become opaque. Yeah. I’m didn’t trust that. I’m not that adventurous.

Hands down, our favorite artwork at the hotel was the flag. It was made with thousands of tiny G.I.Joe figurines. Awesome!

Thankfully, by the time we headed up to our room, the elevator had been fixed. It was the most amazing night ever!

We truly needed the time together.

If you ever have a chance to visit the 21c Museum Hotel, definitely do so. It will not disappoint. Downtown Durham will not disappoint. We passed so many restaurants of all types. There is definitely something for everyone.

And all of these unvisited places are future adventures waiting to happen!

Stay tuned for our next day’s adventure….

Life, Spirituality, and a Trip to the Local Winery

February 10, 2018 by Kathryn Edwards

Making sense of life…..

That’s a hard one. I struggle with that idea.

I strongly feel the need to make sense of my life. I need to know why things in my life have happened the way that they did.

Why couldn’t I be married for over 50 years, as my parents have been?

Why did I have an eating disorder that robbed me of my best years?

Why must I be plagued with perfectionism and the need to be in control?

I’ve been through years of therapy. I’ve read a million self-help books. I am a certified holistic health coach. I should, by now, have all the answers. Right?

I’ve realized..maybe just more so today, that it’s my spirituality that answers all of my questions.

Because there are so many different beliefs, I know that religion is a very touchy subject.

I come from a place of understanding all religions. Personally, I chose long ago to be a Christian. Although I am a Christian and I read the bible by way of daily devotionals, I recognize that there are many concepts of spirituality.

By definition, spirituality is “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”. For my personal self, it is being in touch with a greater being who feeds my human spirit and soul. Through years of soul searching, my contentment comes from believing in fate and the belief that there is a reason that all things that happen. Because I am a Christian, I find comfort that God has a plan for me. Everything I’ve been through has been a learning experience. You see, God allowed me to make my own choices. He allowed me to make mistakes. I have a record for not listening. I completely blame myself. Although my choices didn’t always make my own life easy, my faith has made me so much more understanding and appreciative of the things I have now.

Through my holistic health studies, I believe that it’s so important to have a belief in a higher being, regardless of religious beliefs. After all, religion is a very personal thing. And that means different things to many different people.

So what spurred this this very serious, introspective post?

A trip to the local winery inspired me today…. Secret Garden Winery in Pikeville, to be exact. Every time I’ve visited the winery, it’s been on a whim- a complete last minute decision.

And every time I’ve been to that winery, I’ve met people that have blessed my life. (Future blog post with pictures coming…)

After school today, I needed to stop by the grocery store to get supplies for National Pizza Day. You know I have to celebrate every occasion! I randomly decided to stop by the winery to see if there was anything new to taste.

I arrived at the same time as a couple from Chicago, as well as a most fantastic local woman. The four of us had seemingly nothing in common, but as we talked and tasted wine, we began to connect. We discovered that we each had overlapping life stories. For hours, we shared our stories and beliefs. We shared encouragement. Shouldn’t that be our ultimate purpose if life? To make connections and encourage others?

I left with many references for new books as well as a renewed sense of purpose. Because as much as I’d like to think I have it all together, sometimes I’m very lost. I’m not lost in my walk with God. I pray. I pray so many times a day. As far as my walk with God, I’m there. I’m very spiritual.

But sometimes, I struggle with knowing my purpose in life. Am I destined to be single forever? Will I have a “forever” person? How will I know when something is truly right? Will I be able to help others through my struggles?

These are all chapters of my life that are waiting to be written. Maybe I overthink things. Scratch that- I KNOW I overthink things. That’s my daily struggle.

But for now, I’m doing my best to leave things in the hands of God. I am a spiritual person, and I do believe that my life has a plan. I’ll have to be patient so that I can see where life leads me. I’ll constantly remind myself to be understanding and accepting.

And in the end, my life will be a beautiful story.

I realize that all the chapters in my life will create the whole story. If even one chapter were missing, the story wouldn’t have the same ending.

So tonight, thanks to the visit to the winery, I’ve realized that I look forward to writing the next chapter in the book of my life. For sure, my life has a purpose.

A Duplin Winery Art Class

February 6, 2018 by Kathryn Edwards

One of the reasons I blog is to document my adventures. In my old age, I want to remember the details of all the things I’ve enjoyed. I want to see how my life has changed and how those changes have inspired me to become the person I am.

When I was married, my life was full of adventure. Rarely did a weekend pass when there wasn’t some type of fun activity. My ex and I were in involved in many different clubs. After we separated, because of finances and other responsibilities, I had to let go of nearly all our memberships.

Once I was able to get my finances under control, I rejoined the Heritage Club at Duplin Winery. The club truly feels like family. I always feel welcome, even when I attend things by myself. A girl needs fun things in her life!

So, allow me to share my my Duplin Art Class adventure from this past weekend…and if you browse the link, make sure you check out all of Duplin’s events.

When I saw that Duplin Winery was offering a painting class, I jumped at the opportunity to attend with my mom and sister. A day spent sipping wine and painting is a day well spent. Otherwise, I’d just be at home, cleaning the house.

Yuck.

The painting class was held at the Chapel in Duplin’s Vineyard. I loved the rustic-elegant atmosphere. Nestled among the trees and vineyards, it would be the perfect venue for a wedding!

The chapel was situated by a pond. I can only imaging how pretty it must be during the springtime when all is fresh and green!

Ann, the art instructor, was amazing! She has the most infectious personality. She was so encouraging and positive. I loved that she stressed that art should be very individualistic. She reminded us that we all have our own style. That’s something I try to teach the elementary-aged kids in my art classes at school. Individuality is the most important thing when creating!

We had so much fun exploring our creativity and laughing with our table-mates as our paintings emerged. Nothing creates a bond like sipping wine and crafting. We all agreed that the wine definitely improved our painting skills!

Halfway through the class, lunch was served. Before the class began, we were allowed to chose from several lunch options. My sister chose the fried green tomato and pimento cheese sandwich. I opted for the chicken salad. I’m very picky about chicken salad. I won’t eat just anyone’s chicken salad. I like it to be “clean”. In other words, I’d die if I were to get a piece of fat or gristle in my mouth.

Every time I’ve visited the Bistro at Duplin, located at the winery, the food has been spectacular! Definitely put that on your list of places to visit. You won’t be disappointed!

Because the day spent with my mom and sister was so fantastic, I had to have a souvenir to commemorate the occasion. So, I added another wine glass to the family. Does it really matter that I already have 10,058 others at home? Absolutely not. I had to have it. I couldn’t have resisted the gold leopard print even if I hadn’t had an excuse.

Not only did we leave with our chicken paintings, we left with great memories of a day well spent. And we won’t tell anyone that we took the exit in the wrong direction and wound up in Wilmington! Oops!

On the way home, I was was thinking that the three of us should do more things together. Although we are all neighbors, we often pop in and out for a quick visit. However, we rarely spend more than those few minutes together. As I get older, I’m grateful to have my family live so close. I’m grateful for the rare days that we can coordinate our schedules to spend a block of time with one another. And one day, I’ll be grateful I took the time to write it all down. So, in my old age, I can remember all of the good times.