2012 Best of the Road Rally

goin’ to carolina in my mind

…and body!

If you want a last minute flight deal to get outta cold dodge (like I did this past weekend) check out Spirit Airlines. This is my second time on Spirit air in the past 6 months and I am loving them. They were cheaper than any other airline by hundreds of dollars once again, and I got my tickets 2 days before leaving. Some might say this is a big hitch: You have to pay to bring any luggage and you don’t get free soda. I think- what does that matter if my end cost is still less that $200 total with all taxes, fees, luggage, etc. to fly half way across the country? I’ll bring my own soda thanks.

So to the sunny warm south I went, and oh was it a much needed and awesome weekend! (Chicago is a truly amazing city but 38 degrees and rain on April 28th was my Windy City limit.)

I love me some NC. Not just for the sweet tea, hush puppies, heat and tanning time, but that southern charm and hospitality, the good friends I made when I lived here, and everything from the mountains and green of Boone and Blowing Rock, to the sandy beaches and sunsets of the Outer Banks. NC and all in between. This was taken at Border Station on my way to the Outer Banks a few months back:

Welcome to North Carolina sign

(I always stop there for Dairy Queen Blizzards. Mmmm…chocolate ice cream, M&M’s and Oreos…)

OBX is by far my favorite beach area in the country. So much wide open:

OBX life guard chair, NV

and uninterrupted space to relax:

Beach feet OBX, NC

I’ve spent time there every summer for 14 years with a group of friends I love like family:

Bill and Will OBX, NC

(I have a lot of cute pix I have taken of their kids they don’t know about. Plans for gifts later in life…:)

I lived in the Outer Banks during the summer of 2001 too. I always love to play on the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge:

Jockey's Ridge OBX, NC

… to lunch at Tortugas Lie:

Tortugas Lie menu

….for yummy fresh sandwiches, fries and cold beer:

Veggie burger at Tortugas Lie, NC

…and spend time alone on the beach at sunset:

Feet at beach OBX, NC

Naturally I’ve explored spots like the Wright Brother’s National Memorial:

Wright Brothers Memorial, NC

…where even the Park rangers like blue lollipops!

Wright Brothers Memorial Park Ranger

(I love a guy that’s a good sport:)

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is quite a sight to see:

Cape Hatteras Light House, OBX, NC

Piping hot of the press, fresh Duck Donuts are always a good treat too:

Duck Donuts, NC

Fresh made Duck Donuts, NC

Fresh Made Duck Donuts, NC

…after you go for a run on the beach of course.

I love the back roads of the green and lush Boone and Blowing Rock:

Boone, NC

Boone, NC

Boone, NC

…and other back country road all over the state:

Back country, NC

Back country, NC

Cotton field, NC

Another coastal area I love and have lived in is Wilmington. Beautiful sun rise mornings:

Wrightsville Beach NC morning

…and sunset nights:

Wrightsville Beach NC sunset

There’s something to be said about that warm humid air, the active lifestyle all over the state and that southern twang that leaves me always wanting more. If you’ve never explored around North Carolina, grab a bathing suit and a pair of hiking boots, throw the kayak on top of the car and don’t forget your sunscreen for all that sun. Road trip!  If you need a guide, give me a call.

The Best of the Road Small Town America for 2012? I’m thinking some spots in NC could give others a good run for their money and I want to go find them! Vote for Team Blue Lollipop Road and we will come pay you a visit!

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can i buy you a beer?…

…do your laundry? Walk your dog? babysit your kids? Polish your shoes?

Done!

If you vote for Team Blue Lollipop Road HERE for the Best of the Road Rally 2012– I will do it all!

Turns out you can vote once a day until May 15th, so PLEASE vote fast and often. We need your help to go on the trek of a lifetime across the USA!

My Mom is going to my partner in crime this time around. What’s better than one Peacock lady on the road? TWO!

Vote for us!

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VOTE FOR TEAM BLUE LOLLIPOP ROAD!

Team Blue Lollipop Road is leading votes so far, but we still have 20 days to go, so we still need your support!

CLICK HERE to vote for my Mom and I to be a part of the 2012 Rand McNally and USA TODAY’s 2nd annual search for the Best Small Towns in America!

Here’s the dish on this Road Rally:

Rand McNally and USA TODAY send amateur travelers (that’s us!) across the country From Washington DC to Seattle exploring the Best Small Towns in America naming the Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun, and Best Small Town for Food with blogs, photos, reviews and videos to take you on the journey from wherever you are. (As if you are riding in the car with us!)

Talk about the perfect trip and exactly what Blue Lollipop Road exists for! I have always been an advocate of not just “vacation” travel (like only seeing sights at sites) but the immersion experience, actively engaged vs. passively observing. The nooks and crannies where you nosh and spend time with local characters is where you find the good stuff.  Mom and I have always been fascinated with small town America (probably because we both grew up in a tiny town and appreciate where we came from so much) so we would LOVE to be one of the teams selected for this trip.

Here’s my mumsie and I:

Mom and I at Sea Dog Brewing Company in Maine

Pick us! The Peacock’s (that’s our actual real last name) are ready for adventure!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Mom and I and cracks me up. The guy behind us is really enjoying his food while were relaxing on the patio at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Maine with my brother and sister. It’s pretty awesome to be best buds with your Mom and siblings as an adult. (I couldn’t resist adding this photo of my adorable smilin’ brother with his yummy Sea Dog samples):

My brother Brad at Sea Dog Brewery

During this trip we stayed in Bath, (The City of ships!) and wandered different spots in Brunswick and around the Portland area. New England in the summer is just absolutely gorgeous, and Maine is one of our favorites.

Bath Maine cottage summer

…even on a cloudy day it’s beautiful:

Portland Maine Coast

If you’ve been following here of any amount of time, you know I have photos  and stories galore of people, places and food from my 50 state adventures. But? I know I have only touched the surface of what the USA has to offer for small towns, so help Team Blue Lollipop Road get on the road this summer to go search for more!

 

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