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Dreams + Coffee

North Carolina Healthy Living + Style Blogger

Summer Vacation 2020 | Traveling During a Pandemic

July 15, 2020 Comments : 7

I️ feel very fortunate compared to the stories I️’ve heard from some families who planned trips and weren’t able to go this summer – and they didn’t get refunds. Yikes. My family lives on the Outer Banks, so we have a permanent summer vacation spot that doesn’t require us to book a beach house and make plans a year in advance.

Summer Vacation During a Pandemic

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At the beginning of the year (before the pandemic struck), I️ signed us up for a beach photo session with our favorite photographer, Amanda Hedgepeth and we planned our vacation around that. To be honest, as the date got closer, we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to go or not – but since the state opened back up and travel restrictions were lifted, we decided to head to the beach after all. I️ felt comfortable because we were staying at my parents’ house (vs. a rental where anyone could have been sick during their stay) and ultimately, we didn’t need to do all the extras we usually do, like putt-putt and shopping. This time around, we had a very simple vacation of going to the beach and coming back and making dinner at home – and maybe saved a couple of dollars because of it!

At the beginning of our summer vacation, the ocean was a little chilly, but it quickly warmed up and turned the prettiest blue-green color for the majority of our stay. With three young kids, going to the beach requires a lot more STUFF and it was super hot, so we opted to go to the beach in the afternoons when the sun was a little less intense. A few times, Michael and I️ snuck away for a mid-day beach date and it made me glad we didn’t bring the girls at that time of day – I️ could feel myself getting sunburnt as soon as we got out there!

We had a hard time deciding whether or not to attempt a real date night, given that we’ve been strictly staying in for the past few months. We decided to give it a try and went out to a real restaurant (one of our faves, The Black Pelican) one night. I️ was impressed overall by how they were managing the 50% capacity, enforcing masks, etc. We ended up sitting on the outdoor deck and had a nice view of the ocean during dinner. Even thought it was a little strange compared to a normal date night, it was nice to finally have some time alone after being home with the kids 24/7 for the past 4+ months straight!

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We vacationed over the 4th of July holiday, so it was a bit more crowded than I️ anticipated on the Outer Banks. Most of the towns had canceled fireworks, but we lucked out and people all around us were lighting off their own fireworks on the 4th. We sat on the porch and watched for over an hour – it was pretty neat!

We originally planned to stay just a week, but as the end of summer vacation neared, we decided to stay another week. Even though Michael is working from home (and my freelance work can be done anywhere), his work computer has so many connection issues and he likes to be close to the office in case he needs to switch it out for a new laptop. He was able to login and work from the beach house, so we decided to take the risk and hope it worked for the additional week we stayed. Luckily, it did!

Summer Vacation Travel During a Pandemic

One of the biggest unknowns I️ had before we left for the beach was the travel situation. I️ know that some stores and restaurants haven’t fully opened and was a little nervous about the bathroom break situation, especially with two young kids who would need to go from time to time. We lucked out and actually made it 3.5 hours without having to stop at all, which is basically unheard of. We finally stopped at a Starbucks and I️ was worried they wouldn’t have the bathrooms opened up (some Starbucks around our house only had curbside pickup available), but this one was completely open, thankfully. On the way back, we had to stop at a Sheetz for gas and the restrooms there were open as well. I️’m never a fan of public restrooms, but especially not during a pandemic when everything around you seems to have germs. Ha! We masked up, tried not to touch anything and then washed our hands followed by hand sanitizer in the car afterward. Overall, it wasn’t so bad and I️ wouldn’t let it keep me from traveling.

We did grab Chick-Fil-A on our way out of town, but other than that, we brought our snacks and water, which meant minimal stopping during our trip. You can read about my favorite road trip snacks here.

Patriotic Charcuterie Board Ideas the Whole Family Will Enjoy
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I️ know there are so many pros and cons of traveling right now with everything going on in the world, but for us, it was worth it and a nice break from the quarantine life we’ve been living for over 4 months. My oldest daughter will be starting Kindergarten in a month (with a combination of in-class and virtual learning….), so it was nice to sneak away for some R&R before life gets crazy!

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7 Comments Categories: Family

Comments

  1. Tiffany says

    July 15, 2020 at 9:59 am

    I’m so happy you all still got to do your vacation. I’m equally happy you decided to stay an extra week! Working from home definitely comes with a few benefits and that is one of them for sure. Love all the pictures too. The photographer you had is amazing.

    Reply
    • Brittany says

      July 15, 2020 at 11:36 am

      Aww thank you! Yes, working from home can be crazy at times, but so worth it! I️ love our photographer so much – she also took our wedding photos! <3

      Reply
  2. Jaclyn Musselman says

    July 15, 2020 at 11:40 am

    So glad you got to go on your trip. We have a trip to a lake in michigan in august and we plan to do the same things as you with sticking at home mostly. I hope it happens!

    Reply
  3. Keri says

    July 15, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    I am so glad you went! Love that pic of you and your husband!

    Reply
    • Brittany says

      July 16, 2020 at 8:47 am

      Aww thanks, Keri! <3

      Reply
  4. Joanne says

    July 22, 2020 at 5:47 am

    I’ve always wanted to go to the Outer Banks; what a beautiful area! My husband and I just got away for an overnight trip to Maine last Monday and it was fabulous.

    Reply
    • Brittany says

      July 22, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Oh, I️ bet that was wonderful, too! I️’ve always wanted to travel up north – I️ know it’s beautiful!

      Reply

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About Me

Hi y'all! I'm Brittany, a wife, mama to three little ladies and the creator behind Dreams + Coffee, a North Carolina lifestyle blog. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on my latest family, food, health and lifestyle posts.

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Wife | Girl mama 👧🏼👧🏼👶🏼 | Healthy lifestyle inspiration | Dairy + gluten free foodie | Home decor | Freelance writer | Owner @somethingbleuclt | CLT

Brittany | Mom Life + Style
We escaped to the beach last weekend to visit my p We escaped to the beach last weekend to visit my parents for some R&R and now I need to go back ASAP 🤪 It has been such a weird year, but tiny weekend trips make life seem a little bit more normal ❤️ Have you done anything fun this January to take your mind off reality? 
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A little glimpse of what’s most important in lif A little glimpse of what’s most important in life - family, togetherness, snuggles ❤️ I’ll be honest and say that running a business takes a lot out of you, and some days I question whether it’s worth it. There is another business that has been out to get me since I started, and yesterday they tried to win. I all but gave up yesterday. It just didn’t feel worth it to put up a fight when I could go back to my ‘old’ life of being a mom, blogger, and freelance writer (all 3 of which I’ve sucked at since starting my charcuterie biz). I felt guilty for spending 6 months of my life growing a business and then letting it fall apart. I felt guilty for all the time spent away from my family because I was so busy and could barely keep up. And then I remembered why I was so busy, it’s because people appreciate my work and love what I do. I built a brand that people respect and all of that hard work is most definitely worth it when I see how far I’ve come in the past 6 months. This is a reminder for all of us to never give up and never let the enemy win. ❤️ 
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Never too soon, right?! ❤️ If 2020 taught us a Never too soon, right?! ❤️ If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to celebrate the small things — there’s nothing wrong with getting those Valentine’s Day plans started, you know, to celebrate at home...in your PJs 🤪🤣 This sweets board is so easy to make and it’s a hit with the little ones! 🥰 What are your Valentine’s Day plans??
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Slowly but surely pulling the dining room together Slowly but surely pulling the dining room together, with the help of @thehavenly! I shared about my experience with Havenly on the blog last year (just search “Havenly”!), but I love that I can just log in and see my designer’s recommendations anytime and make decor purchases....even a year later 🤪 Next up, artwork — where have you found pretty art for your home? I need some recs! ❤️ http://liketk.it/35I8T @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home #liketkit #StayHomeWithLTK #LTKhome #LTKstyletip
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Happy NYE, friends! It certainly has been an inter Happy NYE, friends! It certainly has been an interesting year, but I can’t say that 2020 was all that bad for us. I joke about it being a ‘dumpster fire,’ but I have appreciated all of the extra time at home with my family, not feeling the pressure to always be on the go and of course, launching my business @somethingbleuclt! ✨ I hope you have time for a moment to reflect on your year and find the good moments and hold onto those memories ❤️ 
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As much as I love the holidays, I also love starti As much as I love the holidays, I also love starting the year off fresh, with a blank slate ✨My kitchen *does not* currently look like this, but I’m working on decluttering and taking down holiday decor this week. When do you take down your decor?!
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Need a last-minute Christmas breakfast idea? Try a Need a last-minute Christmas breakfast idea? Try a brunch board filled with everyone’s favorites ❤️ I picked up everything from my local @traderjoes — maple chicken sausage, peppered bacon, bagels (#glutenfree, too!), Belgian waffles, vegan cream cheese, eggs and fresh fruit ✨ Do you have a Christmas morning breakfast tradition? 
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