Runaway to the Sea - Leap Day in Hilton Head Island

This past February I kept getting strong intuitive messages that I needed to ride a bike by the sea.
Not exactly sure how, when or where this would happen, but the messages would not subside.

Being a human, I kept playing the brain/heart tug of war.

Heart:
Ohhh cruising on a beach comber in the bright sun while waves crash against your tires would be SO NICE!

Brain:
It's too expensive, you shouldn't waste your PTO, pay off your debt first, DON'T GO.

Well, the last weekend of February rolls around, and guess who won.

And as usual it was pure magic.

We decided to drive down to beautiful Hilton Head Island to bring this daydream to life.
What a quiet, whimsical, hidden gem...

This island is the land of retirees. Loaded with golf courses and stunning retirement homes, it's a great place to go for some peace & quiet.

It also has THE BEST bike trails of any place I've ever been.

We stayed at the Oceanside Marriott Resort - the same place we stayed for our One Year Anniversary. (See the link for the full story) -- If you've been a long time follower of this blog, you might remember our last visit to this hotel was not a very fun one. But we decided to give it another try since it was off season and we loved how easy it was to rent bikes on site. That and the oceanfront views can't be beat!

When we arrived and checked in I briefly mentioned our last stay and the hotel manager immediately said you know what? Since you're giving us a second chance, here's $100 credit towards anything you want.
(!!!!!!)

And in that moment all of my brain stressing out about not being able to afford this little getaway vanished.
That $100 credit paid for our bikes, meals, everything.

Everything always works out.
A mantra I will forever sware by.

So not only is Hilton Head great for bike riding, but the beaches are out of this world. I see at least one dolphin every time I visit the lowcountry. Every time!

We woke up before the sun on Leap Day so we could watch the sunrise while riding our bikes down the beach. And wouldn't you know it, a dolphin decided to swim directly next to me, so close to the shore I could have walked out there and touched him.

Not a bad way to spend a day that only comes around every few years.




_____________________________

If you ever plan a trip to Hilton Head Island and want some ideas for fun things to do and great places to eat, let me know! And of course I'm going to recommend staying at the Oceanfront Marriott. They really are the best. Multiple pools, hammocks, bars, an awesome spa... and right on the ocean. Heaven.

As for eats, we found a really great gluten free cafe called Watusi. You can eat outside in the sun and the food was delicious! It was my first time eating a 'sandwich' in so long since going gluten free. The bread was gluten free but you would never know....that good.

Oh and the coffee was strong ;)

I went to Colorado

The second I returned home from this trip out to Colorado I wanted to share every single moment, every single photo, and grab my loved ones and return to show them.

But in just 5 short days I saw so much beauty I was blown away.

When I got home I kept thinking, how will I ever summarize this trip into words?
Every time I close my eyes now I feel the perfect mountain breeze, I see the most bright white sunlight and hundreds of vibrant gold aspen tree leaves raining down on me.

 

Time, to me, seems to be accelerating with each passing day, week, month....does anyone else feel that?
It's October. I'm exactly 2 short months away from bidding 26 farewell and welcoming my 27th year of life.

Whoa.

Our trip to Colorado, like most, was very spontaneous and not really planned. We started in Denver, drove West to Breckenridge then South to Crestone where we spent majority of our time.

We took these Aspen Tree photos on Boreas Pass in Breckenridge. What an adorable little ski town... I would love to spend a Summer there!

I mean, they paint their trees Blue ...what's cooler than that?
;)


So after doing the cliche Colorado touristy things: visiting a marijuana store and stopping in South Park (yes the cartoon is based off a real town in Colorado) we made our way to Crestone where we would stay the rest of the trip.

in the middle. of. nowhere.

Every time we told friends or strangers that we were staying in Crestone they gave us a confused look and said:
Where?!

 

How we found this place I will never know. Actually, we didn't find it.
It found us.

I was searching Air Bnb a week before we left trying to find a place to stay in Colorado.
I kept circling back to This Rental and kept receiving signs that that's where I needed to go.

So, off we went!

Ahh here it is. The entire space was ours.
This is actually a holistic healing retreat called Haelan Lifestream Center owned and operated by a trauma surgeon turned holistic physician named Dr. John Day.

Extremely smart guy who makes you feel very welcomed as soon as you arrive. He fed me fresh snap peas and cherry tomatoes from his greenhouse and answered some questions I had about my Hashimotos Thyroid disease.
Guess who can no longer eat gluten.

The retreat was out of this world. It was so still and quiet that I could hear a bunny hopping through a big tumbleweed bush. The sound of a blue jay echoed. Getting up with the sun, bundled in cozy sweaters, watching the first peeks of sunlight come up over these mountains is something that will live with me forever.

The property has a few meditation stations where you can sit in peace and stare at the mountains. To add more to the experience, you can bang on some meditation gongs which were the coolest ever.

Crestone is a very spiritual, health and eco conscious tiny community. A place where every single item at the only grocery in town is organic and most bakery items come gluten free. We spoke to a local one morning at the cafe over breakfast and he said while they are trying to grow the community they enjoy how small and tight knit it is, everyone loves and supports each other. Right in their downtown they have a 'Give & Take' box where people exchange clothing or housing items in return for something else they need.

There may not be much in this tiny run down town, but it sure is full of love.

Crestone has a history of being a hot spot for aliens. They even have a UFO Watch Tower...it was so fun to hear stories from the locals. There was even a college class there on a field trip. They were taking a class geared towards thinking outside the box...
(omg- get with the program SNHU)

 

But our favorite part was an hour South of Crestone.....
The Great Sand Dunes National Park.

I sware you guys.
Just last month....well, wait. August. So 2 months ago
(See! time...)

I was sitting on Hunting Island with happy tears in my eyes because I got to capture on film my first tornado/water spout. After the storm I sat in a hammock under two palm trees thinking,
There's no way it get's better than this. I will never see anything this cool again, at least not for a long time!!


Then September 24th came around.

 I felt like I was on a different planet while playing on these massive sand dunes.
A planet where nothing mattered anymore. I didn't have to pay bills, I didn't have to worry about what my future looked like or what other humans thought of me.
It was only joy and love.
and SO MUCH FUN!

A group of middle aged tourists arrived shortly after us and they were running and giggling and sliding down the dunes...it was so adorable and, refreshing. To see that no matter what physical age you are, you can always let your guard down and be a 'free spirit' again ;)

Don't let the world make you hard.

 The National Park Service has said that walking on these dunes in the full moon light is similar to walking on the moon. I can totally see that, because as the sun sets and the quiet darkness begins to  creep in... it turns into another world.

You're hundreds of miles from any major metro area. It's so dark, and so quiet.
So still...

We wrapped up this short trip with a visit to Garden of the Gods then made our way back to Denver to fly out.

This trip changed me.
I was just starting to feel like OK, I want to buy a house and settle down into a routine life.
But now I feel like... no way. I want to live in an RV and live in each state for a week!
There's so much out there to see!!!

But then again, owning a house with a yard where I can run around with chickens and cats and dogs while growing my own food & flowers sounds pretty darn enticing.

Back and Forth
Hot and Cold.

Story of every 20-somethings life?
lol

All I know is it's raining, and I've got a cup of tea waiting for me in the kitchen.
Time to kick my feet up and pretend like I'm sitting here:

Ahh travel.
It truly is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.


Sending you lots of love friends.

Hunting Island, SC

I work from home, so I've been extremely lucky these past few years to not have a morning commute.
But Wednesday I had a scheduled leadership training at a hotel...so I had to get up and join the rat race.

Despite being stuck in the inevitable rush hour traffic, I found myself lost in daydreams while staring at the morning sun. It was really cool actually, because with every turn I took, I saw the sun at a different angle which awakened my senses to a new memory each time...

At one glance it brought me back to Key West. Laying in a hammock tied between two palm trees, staring up at the sky while seagulls screamed in the background.

On another turn, the sun was so bright in my eyes that it instantly brought me back to hiking in Sedona. The bright sun lighting the dusty desert trail, and looking up at an even brighter blue sky.


These are all some of my favorite places, where a piece of me still floats around... and just recently I added a new one to the book.

Hunting Island, SC.

20 minutes outside of Beaufort, SC there is a magical island that is undeveloped and nearly untouched by modern civilization. To get to it, you must drive 20 minutes down a road with saltwater marshes on one side and shrimp boats on the other.

Whether you are going to visit for a day at the State Beach, or spend a night or two at the State Campground, you are sure to experience a few jaw dropping moments and explore places not a lot of people can find...

The beaches are very undeveloped.
If you're looking for fried dough and T-shirt shops, you've come to the wrong place.
The shores here are quiet; lined with dead trees from fast erosion and loggerhead sea turtle nests.

Hunting Island was also named one of the best places in the country to explore tide pools. You will find sand dollars, shark teeth, starfish, and the occasional baby sea turtle trying to make his way home.

When you get hungry, all of the locals will advise you to get a shrimp burger at the local shrimp shack! It's about a 10 minute drive outside of the park. Also - cash only.
It's strategically placed right next to a shrimping company, so all of their seafood is fresh off the boat.

Another must-see on Hunting Island is the infamous lighthouse! Of course I got the locals to dish on if it's haunted or not......

Spoiler Alert: IT IS.
And you can climb right up to the top! It's not too bad of a hike. Perfect way to burn off that shrimp burger.

Ahhh that breeze.
Being in a very humid, subtropical climate, it's almost guaranteed that later in the evening thunderstorms will pop up. And you know what that means:
STORM CHASING!

...and they can get intense! 

But, like they say, every storm runs out of rain. So if you are wise and spending the night here, you will enjoy a colorful sunset with all kinds of crazy after-storm clouds.

If you're brave enough to face the eagle size mosquitoes and armies of sand fleas, then go for a walk on the beach at night. If it's a clear sky, you will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful, unobstructed views of the stars and milky way you'll ever see.
(Sorry, no photo. We're still perfecting our star-scape skills)


And if you're an early bird, you are in for a treat. Early in the morning, you'll awaken your senses to the sound of wind and waves and be treated to this view outside of your tent:

The sunrise is also when a lot of baby sea turtles hatch and begin their long trek to the sea. You will see turtle conservation volunteers checking the nests and of course, you can too. Just do not touch! We weren't lucky enough to stumble upon any during this trip, but I did stand next to a nest and take this photo:

I wish every single morning could be spent like this. To me, this is what life is all about. Enjoying quiet sunrises every single day. Starting each day with a beautiful view instead of scrolling through a social media news feed.  It made me sad for a bit that at home, I wake up to the sight of construction every morning. But, like they say, every storm runs out of rain ;) Who knows where my gypsy soul will take me in the future.

I hope I've convinced you to visit this beautiful place. It's truly a hidden gem, not a lot of people think about South Carolina as a vacation spot. National Geographic just named the SC sea islands one of the
'Top 20 Places to See in the World' 

And I couldn't agree more. 

Have a fun last weekend of August!
Sending you lots of love.