December 2023 – runningtotravel

What Travel Taught Me In 2023

Every year in December I like to summarize my year in travel and what I learned from each vacation. This year was different from most years in that I feel like I barely traveled, compared to most years. There were multiple reasons why I didn’t travel as much but it made the vacations I did have even more special.

I started the year off with a bang and went to Hawaii for a week with my daughter. I’ve been to the Hawaiian islands a few times and every other time I went, I spent some time on one island and more time on another island. For this trip, I spent the entire time on the Big Island of Hawaii, but I stayed at a part of the island I had never been to before.

This trip taught me a couple of things: 1) Airfare to Hawaii drops hugely in January compared to what it is in December. I knew my daughter would have a week off from her classes in January and desperately needed to get away but I couldn’t decide where to go. When I saw airfare to Hawaii was literally half what it normally would be that week in January, I bought the tickets immediately. Score!

The second thing I learned on this trip was to venture out of my comfort zone more. Every time I had been to the island of Hawaii I stayed in the Kona region but this time I decided to stay in a new area, Waimea. This turned out to be a perfect location for us, since we could easily take day trips all over the island, we had shopping and restaurants near us, but we weren’t in the hustle and bustle that is the Kona region. You can find my posts from this trip here: Highlights of Kailua-Kona in Hawaii- Hiking, Turtles, Coffee, and Historical Sites, Exploring Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, “The Big Island,” Third Time’s a Charm While Discovering Waimea, plus I have another post on Hawaiian islands in general here: Which Hawaiian Island is Right for You?, and even more if you search Hawaii in my posts.

In April I went with my daughter to see my dear friend who lives in Miami, Florida for a week. Miami is another place I’ve been to multiple times, some to see my friend and others before she moved there. Usually I’m an avid planner and have multiple places lined up to visit, things to do, and restaurants I want to go to. This time, I had literally nothing planned in advance and left all of the planning to my friend.

I also learned two things when I was in Miami: 1) sometimes it’s OK to let someone else do all of the vacation planning for you, with some caveats. I’m fortunate that my friend and I are alike in many ways and enjoy similar things to do and like the same foods so I trusted that she would choose places that my daughter and I would enjoy. If that hadn’t been the case, I would have simply planned things for us to do and suggested specific places to eat.

This was my first time using public transit in Miami and I learned that even though it may seem complicated, I could figure it all out, thanks largely to Google Maps. We ended up taking multiple forms of transportation and had to walk a bit after getting off one form to get on another but between the signs, Maps, and asking someone once, I was able to piece it all together. When I told my friend later that evening what my daughter and I had done that day, she said she was impressed and that she had been too nervous to take public transportation there. I told her it really wasn’t that difficult and not a big deal, but I understand how taking that first step can be challenging. My posts on this trip to Miami are here: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida, Everglades National Park, and. Figuring Out the Public Transportation System in Miami plus another one from a previous trip here “Welcome to Miami”- Long Weekend in Miami, Florida.

May, June, and July were spent getting the house ready to sell, packing, getting my daughter ready to start college in August (including a quick trip to her college for orientation and registration), finding a new house, moving, and unpacking in the new house. There was zero time for travel or much of anything else for that matter.

Finally in October during my daughter’s fall break, we went to Charleston, South Carolina. This is one of my favorite cities in the world, and one of few that I’ve chosen to return to many times over the years. However, on this trip, I learned not everything about Charleston is always rosy. There are many things I adore about Charleston but on this trip I noticed some things that weren’t so great, like the traffic, which was congested no matter the time of day or where we were going.

You can read my post on Charleston here Charleston, South Carolina- The Great, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly plus some others on Charleston: Charleston Tea Garden, America’s Only Large-Scale Commercial Tea Garden, A Bit of History and Nature in Charleston, South Carolina- Charleston Sole Walking Tour and The Center for Birds of Prey, How to Plan a Vacation to Charleston, South Carolina-Part 1, How to Plan a Vacation to Charleston, South Carolina, Part 2, Nature Boat Tour in Charleston, South Carolina.

Photo taken at the Charleston Tea Garden

In November, I went to the mountains of North Carolina to spend time with my daughter over her Thanksgiving break. I discovered a little mountain town called Waynesville, which I don’t have a post about specifically, but it’s on the map in my post Southwestern North Carolina- Small Towns, Mountains, Nature, and Not Much Else (but that’s a good thing!). Waynesville has a beautiful lake called Lake Junaluska, which I fell in love with. You can walk or run around the lake and there are several little cafes, restaurants, and shops plus a few options for accommodations, ranging from a hotel to cabins. Waynesville is decently-sized (for a mountain town) and has a few department stores, a couple of grocery stores, and several good restaurants. I’m sure by the time my daughter graduates, I will have visited each of the tiny little towns at least once and will be making new discoveries all the time! On this trip I learned how much I enjoy discovering new little mountain towns.

Although this was by far my lightest year for travel than ever before, I still learned so much. Plus, having visited some of my favorite places in the world, Hawaii and Charleston, and getting to see one of my favorite people in the world in Miami, I have no complaints and feel fortunate.

What did you learn from your travels in 2023?

Happy travels!

Donna

Running Highs and Lows of 2023

Every year in December, I like to look back and see how things went for me in the running realm. 2023 was a different year for me than previous years in that I ran the fewest races I ever have, and not just races but I had the lowest running mileage I have in a very long time (decades). Let’s look back and see how my year went.

My first race of 2023 was the Krispy Kreme Challenge in February. I have a post that goes into much more detail, The Krispy Kreme Challenge, but briefly, you run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen glazed Krispy Kreme donuts (or as many as you can), and run back 2.5 miles where you started. Finishers are grouped into “Challengers,” those who eat all 12 donuts, and “Non-Challenger, or Casual” runners, who eat less than all 12 donuts (imagine eating 11 but not being able to finish that last one?!).

I was freezing, nauseous, and just wanted to go home but I had my daughter take this quick photo after the Krispy Kreme race

I had been intrigued about this race and wanted to run it simply for the experience. I also wanted to support the cause that the money went toward, UNC Children’s Hospital. That being said, I am a competitive person with myself and also stubborn so when I put my mind to something, I almost always follow through. If you want to see how that went for me, you can read my post above.

Although I had planned on running a 5k in April, Covid put a stop to that. It was the first time I got the virus and it was literally days before the race. You may think, it’s just a 5k, who cares, but it was a race I had been preparing for and wasn’t your ordinary 5k. I won’t go into further details other than that since I didn’t run it and I may run it next year.

Needless to say, it was a low point for me not being able to run that race in early April. Even more importantly, I had long-lasting lung problems from Covid and it took me some time to be able to run without getting out of breath. Truth be told, I still don’t feel like I’ve 100% recovered, and I may never get back to where I was. I had also planned on running a 10k in late April in South Carolina in a place I’ve never been to, so I was looking forward to having a racecation. Because of Covid, I also wasn’t able to run that race, so another low point.

Finally at some point in late May, I was able to run, although like I mentioned earlier, still not at my pre-Covid state. Unfortunately, that’s also when my personal life began to get extremely hectic. I had to get my house ready to sell and look for a new home beginning in June. Since I was so busy, my running fell to the wayside for the summer months.

A few short weeks after I moved into my new home in July, I dropped my daughter off at college and was able to start running consistently again in August. I had signed up for the Richmond Half Marathon in November so I jumped right into a training plan. However, since I didn’t have the solid base I normally have before starting a half marathon plan, I felt like I struggled week after week. My ongoing lung issues could have also been a factor.

With some running friends before the Richmond Half Marathon

Shortly before race day for the Richmond Half Marathon on November 11, when friends asked me how I thought it would go, I usually answered, “We’ll see,” or I told them I had zero expectations but I wanted to enjoy the race. Even though I struggled to get through most of the speed workouts, I had run all of the long runs. I didn’t have any injuries or even niggling pains anywhere. Despite not having a strong foundation before starting my training plan, I felt like I did what I could to prepare.

You can read my detailed race report here Richmond Half Marathon in Virginia, but I’ll also say here, I thoroughly enjoyed this race. I ran a 10 mile race many years ago in Richmond and absolutely hated that race. It was hilly and not that scenic and it had left a bad taste in my mouth about Richmond races. However, after hearing for years from running friends how much they loved the Richmond Marathon and Half Marathon, I said I’d try it and see if it lived up to the hype as “America’s Friendliest Marathon.” After running the half, I can say, yes it does indeed. It’s one of my favorite half marathons I’ve run anywhere and can now recommend it to all of my running friends who haven’t run it. Richmond was a high in my running for the year, which I desperately needed after all of the previous lows throughout the year.

My final race for the year was the Mill Chill, a 4-mile race in Rocky Mount, NC on December 10. All proceeds of this race go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, the course is said to be scenic with views of the Tar River, there are over 30 breweries at the race (more on that in a second), there’s music and food trucks, and the race has a start time of 1:30 pm, meaning I don’t have to get out of bed super early or stay overnight before the race and it’s not freezing cold during the race. What’s not to like about all that?

When one of my friends from a run club associated with a brewery I’ve been a part of for a while suggested some of us run the Mill Chill, I looked it up and as you can read above, it all sounded pretty good. When you sign up online you have the option to choose a local brewery to “represent” in the Brewery Throwdown. The top runners from each brewery win bragging rights as the fastest brewery.

However, a couple of days before race day, a severe storm front was predicted to roll in on the day of the race. The race director made the tough decision to cancel the race, with hopes to reschedule it in January. I was disappointed but understood since they were concerned about flash flooding, thunderstorms, and strong winds. So now I’m still waiting to see if they’re able to get all of the necessary components to put on the race next month.

All in all, I had what I’d call an “OK” year of running. It was a busy year for me outside of running so unfortunately there wasn’t as much time for running as there typically is. I loved the Richmond Half Marathon, which was definitely a high point but other than that, there wasn’t much else to love.

How was your year of running in 2023? Any running highs or lows you care to share?

Happy running!

Donna

Charleston, South Carolina- The Great, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Charleston, South Carolina is one of my favorite cities in the world and one of few places I’ve been back multiple times. There’s plenty to love about the city- the food, the culture, the historical sites, the beaches, the colorful homes and stately mansions to ogle, the ocean views. However, there’s also plenty to not like about the city- the traffic, the high prices of pretty much everything, the tourists that don’t respect property and do stupid things, the heat and humidity in the summer that stretches well into the fall, and the lack of parking.

Let’s start with the great. Even though I don’t consider myself a foodie, I appreciate a good meal. I’m not a picky eater and love everything from ramen to po’ boys; there isn’t much I don’t like. On my first trip to Charleston, I had shrimp and grits and was like, “Oh, that’s what grits are supposed to taste like? I had no idea!” Only once have I had a bad meal in Charleston. Think about that for a second. Out of probably around 55-60 meals eaten in the city, only one wasn’t good, and most were outstanding. That’s saying something.

While I don’t consider myself a foodie, I am a beach-lover. Even though I could get to beaches in North Carolina quicker, I prefer to drive longer to get to the beaches near Charleston. Why? Well, I find the beaches like Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island Beach, which are all near Charleston to be cleaner, generally wider, with powder white sand, and clearer water than North Carolina beaches. All of that great food in the surrounding area is an added bonus!

Charleston is a known hot-spot for historical sites, with museums, walking tours including ghost tours where your guide can fill your ears with stories that may or may not be true, historical mansions and former plantations. Since the city was founded in 1670, originally called Charles Towne, there are an abundance of historical sites. There’s also Fort Sumter, the site of the first battle of the American Civil War, which you can tour.

Many people have seen photos of the famous Rainbow Row, the stretch of townhomes that are pastel pink, mint green, light blue, yellow, and purple. It’s become an iconic part of Charleston, just like City Market, Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, Huguenot Church, the Battery, Angel Oak Tree, Pineapple Fountain, and the many mansions like Boone Hall Plantation, Magnolia Plantation, and more. Even if you don’t go inside any of these places that are open to the public, they’re still unique enough to admire the view. This brings me to the not-so-good, however, as admission to the plantations in particular is expensive and quickly adds up.

Not only are admissions to things to do expensive, so is lodging and restaurants. While it’s possible to find less expensive things to do in Charleston, like just walking around the historic district or window shopping, you often have to pay for parking so even those things aren’t completely without a price. You can stay in West Ashley or Mount Pleasant for considerably less than in the historic district but it’s still not that budget-friendly compared to other parts of the country. To save money at restaurants you can eat your largest meal of the day at lunch and have a smaller dinner, otherwise meals for dinner often run $30 per person and up, just for the entree, not including a drink, appetizer, dessert, or taxes and tip.

As I mentioned earlier, Charleston can be hot and humid from around April through the end of September, sometimes stretching into early October. When the humidity drops, usually in September, it’s noticeably more comfortable, and when the temperatures also drop, it’s what most people would say is finally tolerable. I’m used to hot and humid weather so I’ve been to Charleston many times during the summer months, which coincide with the best beach weather, and it’s never bothered me, but I’m more heat-tolerant than most people. October is probably the ideal month to come, when crowds are a bit less and temperatures are comfortable.

I was just in Charleston in late October and was shocked frankly at how bad traffic was. It had gotten worse from the last time I was in the city, just a little over a year ago in November of 2022. I overheard many people who live in the area complaining about how bad traffic has gotten here. It seems the word about Charleston being such a wonderful city has gotten out and the growth rate has been hovering around 1.8% the past few years. When you pile a bunch of people into tiny connecting islands with not much physical space to grow and it’s nearly impossible to expand the roadways, that just makes for a traffic jam.

Even still, given how expensive everything is, how bad traffic is, and how hot and humid it can be, I still love Charleston and will keep coming back. The many good and great things about the city outweigh the not so great and bad things, so at least for now, it remains one of my favorite cities in the world. No city is perfect and neither is Charleston, but it has enough charm to capture my heart.