Traveling Away the Winter Blues

All teachers know that January, February, & even March can be the longest months of the year.  As homeschoolers, we aren't exempt from wanting to throw in the towel and just watch every documentary possible on Disney +.  But over the years, I've found one of the perks of homeschooling is traveling (or day trips) when you just need to get away.  Last month, we took a Friday (Marty's day off) to drive two hours south to Savannah just for the day, but we squeezed as much history, good food, and bookstores as we could into a day.  

This post will cover a few of our favorite day trip places and some local spots along the way.  My biggest encouragement to anyone is to start exploring now.  Don't wait till you have enough money (don't go into debt either), don't wait until the kids are old enough or easier, and don't think that it's too late!  Seize every opportunity to explore, even your own city.  We took our girls on long car trips when they were toddlers.  Was it easy?  No way!  Was it worth it?  You know it!  Traveling to Japan when our girls were 5, 8, & 10 was our trip of a lifetime.  Hopping trains around Philadelphia & New York City will always be some of our favorite memories.  

But big trips aren't always in the budget, so day trips are the next best thing!  1-2 hours is the ideal travel time to allow plenty of time for exploring, but far enough away to make it feel like a vacation.  Here's our thoughts on Hilton Head, SC, Savannah, GA, and Beaufort, SC.

Hilton Head

This past summer, one of our bucket list goals was to visit or see all the lighthouses in SC.  As admirable as this may sound, it did not happen.  But we did visit a few, one of which was Harbour Town Lighthouse on Hilton Head (Heads up: There is fee to get into the resort where the light is located as well as a fee to go up in it.)

Hilton Head Spots: (all in the same shopping area)

- Frosty Frog Cafe
- Carolina Coffee & Crumbs
- Frozen Moo-Coligny

If you travel south on Hwy 17 to any of these locations, you must stop at the Carolina Cider Company & Clockwise Coffee!  The pastries, bottled drinks, and coffee are worth it, plus the ambiance is the cutest!

Savannah, GA

Wormsloe Plantation (1.5 mi avenue of live oaks)

Little Duck Diner has a great variety while still providing healthy options.  Such a fun diner feel!

One of the two bookstores we visited: The Book Lady Bookstore & E. Shaver Bookseller (next door to a tea shop)

I can't continue without emphasizing that taking these day trips as a family has been some of our best memories.  Even when Marty has yard work to do or ministry to prepare for, he still chooses to check out all of these new places along with us and I am so grateful!

Other Savannah favorites:

- Coffee Fox

- Leopold's Ice Cream

- The Paris Market (shop/coffee/dessert)

- Wright's Antiques

- Savannah Bee Co.

- Goose Feather's Cafe (breakfast/brunch)

- Davenport House & Museum

- Treylor Park (lunch/supper)

Beaufort, SC 

(pronounced Bee-yu-furt, as in beautiful)

Beaufort is one of the quaintest towns I've ever visited.  Not directly on the Atlantic coastline, it has a calmer presence.  Some of our favorites were the knitting store, Southern Sweets Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop, McIntosh Bookstore, The Chocolate Tree, and not to mention exploring the Kazoo Factory and Hunting Island Lighthouse.

Our Trip to Japan - Part 1

There will always be a thrill of adrenaline when walking into an airport.  The excitement was contagious since my girls were finally getting to walk through the security area that has seen so many family members pass through.  Even with arriving at RDU by 4:30 am, we were all pumped and ready for this long awaited adventure.

The girls could not have done any better on each of the flights especially considering this was their first time flying.  I think one of Sophie's favorite parts of flying was being allowed to chew gum (a privilege that doesn't come until our girls turn 6).  Our longest flight from LA to Tokyo (over 11 hours...) was full of movies, great food, some sleep, and amazing service!  Flying the Japanese airline, ANA has officially spoiled us.  It can't compare with United Airlines.

Arriving in Tokyo was a whirlwind!  We landed around 4:30 pm on Wednesday (a full day of traveling with stops in Houston, Los Angeles, and finally Tokyo).  Upon arriving and making it through customs easily, my parents were right there waiting for us.  Such a relief!  The next few hours consisted of getting our train passes & pocket wifi, checking out the cool Japanese bathrooms, eating Subway, and trying my hand at speaking Japanese while ordering McDonald's french fries.  Pitiful, to say the least...

  

Since our family was awake by 4:30 am the following morning (this picture was taken a little after 5 am), we enjoyed walking through the Japanese garden on the grounds of our hotel, and a relaxing breakfast at Starbucks in the airport (since we had a free shuttle to and from our hotel).

 

There was a train station under Narita Airport making transportation into Tokyo so convenient.  The Japanese train system is incredible!  So efficient, so clean, and so fast (more about that later!)

My girls fully embraced the experience of train riding, taking in the sights, watching the countryside change within the span of minutes from rice fields to the sky scrapers of one of the largest cities in the world.  

Our mission for the day was to view Tokyo... from as high as possible.  A short walk, with plenty of sights to take in, led us to the Tokyo Tower looming above a local temple (so typical of Japan to have the old and new intertwined). 

 

Signs of a nation in desperate need of Jesus were always present. My heart broke during these times, but it gave opportunities to share with our girls the need for the gospel to be proclaimed in a nation steeped in idol and ancestor worship.

Tokyo Tower was full of amazing views, Chloe's lost wallet, Naomi's "fright height," and a mysterious baseball found at the top of the tower during renovations.  We couldn't have asked for better weather on our day of viewing.  I had hoped to see a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, but maybe the actual hike will happen on another trip...

My little middle noticed this quaint park on our way to the tower, so an unplanned stop on our way to lunch was enjoyed by all of us.

CoCo Curry was our choice for lunch.  So many memories flooding back...  I was so proud of my family in this area of traveling.  They all tried foods new to them and never complained.

Needless to say, jet lag caught up with us by early afternoon. Even the bribe of the hotel pool was almost not enough to wake up our little Naomi.  But after a quick swim with Nana & Daddy, we were back to the airport for a traditional Japanese supper (gyoza, soba, edamame, and yakisoba) where Sophie "practiced her bowing" while falling asleep during the meal.

More to come soon...

Why Travel?.

The smell of diesel... memories of the bus ride from the terminal to the plane.  The feel of the wind as we rode the ferry across the bay every trip to boarding school.  The tightness of being squeezed like a sardine riding the train to and from school with my little sister.  So many of my memories relate to travel...  For me, it's in my blood. My entire life has revolved around traveling. Born in Texas, my parents brought me back to North Carolina as a two week old.  At two years of age, I traveled with my parents to Singapore where they were in missionary training before continuing on to Sapporo, Japan.  Planes, ferries, trains, buses, taxis were all common modes of transportation for me and my sisters growing up.  For a few years, I commuted to boarding school by airplane, flying as junior pilots (as our little pendant said) with my fellow MK friends back and forth from the Tokyo area to the northern island where our school was located.  In middle school, my friends and I commuted by train to our weekly boarding school in Tokyo.  

It's in my blood.  The thrill of the hustle and bustle of airports. The smells.  The people.  Maybe that's why I want to share the country of my childhood with my children.  To see this amazing land through their eyes, to experience the food and smells with them, and to embrace the adventure of traveling once again. 

Why now?

If we don't go now, the opportunity may never present itself again. Our girls are at the perfect age to travel.  They are still young enough that everything will be eye opening and thrilling, yet old enough to walk decent distances without need of strollers.  I pray they will remember this trip for the rest of their lives.  

Yes, it is costing us an arm and leg, and we pray daily that our vehicles will survive another year.  But we know that God will provide as He has already shown over the past few months.  Sweet friends and family have given sacrificially, and to watch our girls put such effort in selling their sea glass creations (from Okinawa) and cake pops & lemonade to help supplement the cost of travel has been so humbling. They have put every penny in our Japan fund. Never once have they asked to keep it for themselves or use it for spending money.  

"To travel is to discover profound things and learn about yourself in the world; what a joy to give children that experience while they're still under their parents' roof.  It takes money, time, and planning, but so does most everything in life.  Traveling with kids is so very worth the effort." - Tsh Oxenreider, Notes from a Blue Bike

I will not pretend to say this is primarily a mission trip.  The bulk of our trip is funded by our tax refund money.  But I do pray that God will do a work in all of our hearts while on this trip.  I pray over those we will be sitting next to on each flight. I pray that God will open the eyes of our girls to a world full of amazing things and to instill in them a passion to reach out to those who are hurting and without hope.  I pray for strength for each of us as the traveling will not be easy.  But now that passports have arrived and tickets have been reserved, we are eager to embark on this exciting adventure!