Best Beach in North Carolina

There are many beach communities in North Carolina - Outer Banks, Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Topsail... the list goes on. I have had the opportunity to visit many of these beaches, and I've finally picked my favorite... Kure Beach! Never heard of it? Exactly.

While I absolutely LOVE the Outer Banks, it took me literally 3 hours to go 5 miles on the way to our beach house on my last visit. No thank you! Wilmington and Carolina beaches are well-known and I've found that they often become quite crowded during the summer months (winter months are a whole different story!).

Kure Beach is located on Pleasure Island (I kid you not, that's what it's called). This is an island near Wilmington and is home to Carolina Beach, Fort Fisher and, of course, Kure Beach. Now I'll add this note here - it's pronounced kurr - ee beach, not "cure." #LocalInsight

The reason I've landed on Kure Beach as my favorite beach is for several reasons. Let's start with parking. If you want FREE, UNLIMITED parking, Kure beach is for you! Just look for spots near the pier! That's the key - stay near the pier. Not only, is there parking, but you can also stop in the pier for a convenient bathroom, any forgotten items (towel, sunscreen, sunglasses) and some seriously delicious ice cream. It's the perfect spot!

The beach is nice and comparable to other good ole Carolina Beaches, but the convenience found at Kure beach really seals the deal for me. I actually lived and worked on Pleasure Island for a summer, and I tried all the beaches in town. Time and time again I found myself heading over to Kure beach for easy parking and a nice, relaxing day in the sun. If you are ever in the area, check it out! Even the hotels and beach houses are a smidge cheaper (but by no means cheap) than those in the surrounding area. It's honestly a lovely place to spend a vacation and I highly recommend it!

If you'd like some recommendations for other travel ideas, I'd love to help! Shoot me an email at
Malena@MilesIntoMemoreisTravel.com or visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Weekend Away in the Countryside

 Sometimes life can be a little overwhelming and the desire to just get away starts to creep in. Often, it's too expensive to take a big, spontaneous trip; however, a weekend away is much more doable. My husband and I were living in different states, planning a wedding, getting married, moving halfway across the country and going on our honeymoon. That's a lot of work (and fun)! We were ready for a break. We decided that a weekend away in the countryside was just what we needed! 

After a little bit of time spent browsing Air BnB, we stumbled across this adorable cabin!

And what was even better, is that this gorgeous getaway was just 35 minutes away from our house. PERFECT! 

The views were gorgeous, and we had the best time. It was still quite cold, so we didn't end up walking around the grounds - but maybe next time! Instead we curled up on the couch inside and just relaxed and enjoyed the views from the comfort of the cozy cabin.

The furniture was very cozy, and we had a blast. We read books, played games and enjoyed each other's company.

Sometimes taking a break is just what you need to recharge. It was the perfect weekend for us, and it was not very expensive at all! I highly recommend taking a look and seeing what little adventures are near you. It was exactly what we needed.

If you'd like some help finding the perfect getaway (big or small), I'd be happy to help. MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Hiking Necessities

I'm a huge fan of the outdoors, so naturally I jump at the chance to go hiking anytime I can! Besides going on plenty of local hikes, I've gone for a hike in New Mexico and an extreme hike (coasteering) in Portugal. Coming up? The Grand Canyon! We are planning to go hiking just about every day. We are quite excited! That said, it's so incredibly important that you are well prepared for your trek. Here are some items I recommend bringing with you on your day hike!

Here we are hiking La Luz Trail in New Mexico! I'm in the middle wearing orange and rocking that knee brace. Note the tall socks, long-sleeve sun-shirt and hat. #Prepared

Safety Equipment

Even if you are going on a small day hike, you should be ready for an emergency. I personally like the bring things like: waterproof matches, some rope (I have a paracord bracelet), emergency blanket, first aid kit and a whistle. That way should I fall or get hurt, I would have what I need to survive a night or two in the wilderness. Obviously, I hope to never need any of these items, but I can hike with a relaxed mind knowing I've taken the necessary precautions.

Of course, you should also carry your cell phone, but unfortunately, that's not fool proof. Phone batteries often die when you are out in the wilderness (thank you, roaming). That being said, you can opt to bring an external battery to recharge as needed. I also highly recommend bringing a paper map - don't really solely on your phone for navigation!


Protective Gear

Regardless of your skin complexion, you need to protect yourself from the sun! Skin cancer doesn't discriminate! That being said, I recommend wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a long-sleeved sun-resistant hiking shirt and tall socks. Bug spray will also make your hike a little more comfortable. And don't forget to re-apply your sun screen!

If your neck is prone to burning, I recommend flipping your collar up, tying a bandana around your neck, or investing in a buff. A buff is a stretch tube of sun-protectant fabric that can be worn in a  zillion different ways. I tend to wear mine as a headband or as a neck/ear protector. Don't forget that bandanas make great multi-purpose items! You can bandage a wound, wipe down your gear, use it as a sweat rag etc. Always a good thing to have nearby!



More Food and Water Than You Think You Need

This seems obvious, but I can't stress it enough! Bring more food and water than you think you need. Do not skimp! What if you get lost? Or the water source is dry? Don't set yourself up for a bad situation - come prepared. Regardless of the length or duration of your hike, you need to treat nature with respect.

If you'd like some help planning your next big trek, I'd love to help. Visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Australia and New Zealand Planning - Starting Out

Big trips take big planning. That's why we are starting the process nice and early for our trip to Australia and New Zealand. We are thinking of going February or March of 2019, but we've already started narrowing down the places that we might want to visit. 

Let's start with Australia. There are so many places I want to go! Sydney,  Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide! I want to see them all! Unfortunately, with a two-week time frame, we probably will not be able to hit them all. That said, I know we will see Sydney. I want to see the Opera House and do the bridge walk specifically. They look so incredibly fun!

The second Australian city we'll visit will probably be either Melbourne or Gold Coast. We'll just have to see! Both look absolutely beautiful and are (relatively) near our route.

As for New Zealand, there are too many places to list! We will probably try to visit Auckland and/or Christ Church. And we probably will visit Hobbiton! Because how cool would that be? That's up near Auckland so I could see us using that as a jumping off point. So many things to consider! 

The other big attraction that looks amazing is the world's largest bungee jump swing, A J Hackett Bungy New Zealand Nevis Swing. We've already done the World's Largest Bridge bungee jump in South Africa, so why not hit another big one? 

                                          

I mean, just look at how beautiful that is!!! I absolutely can NOT wait to go visit these gorgeous places
for myself. If you have any recommendations, I would LOVE to hear them!

If you want help planning your own adventure, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

PS These pictures are from Pixabay. I typically use pictures I've personally taken on this blog, but alas I don't have any Aussie pics... yet!

The Best Place to Get Discount Hiking Gear

We are mere weeks away from our Grand Canyon trip so we are taking inventory of our hiking gear. Now, we will be "car camping," so we don't need to worry too much about the weight of our packs. That makes life much easier! When we go on over night hiking/backpacking trips every ounce counts, but in this case, we will be just doing day hikes with smaller packs and leave our big gear behind at our campsite.

Day hikes or not, you still need good gear. Your body will thank you for it! I have a bad knee, so I pay special attention to things like hiking shoes, knee braces and trekking poles. Fortunately, I've found great ways to avoid going broke trying to acquire the gear you need. Here's my secret: REI. And, no I am not sponsored by them, nor do I work for them. I'm just a big fan!

When I first got into hiking, I was rather broke. So naturally when I heard that REI had a "garage sale" I was all about it! This sale happens periodically and essentially they take very lightly used gear and drop the price like CRAZY. I'm talking I found a pair of hiking shoes for $10! These are high-quality shoes that ordinarily would cost at least $100, and I got it for 90% off!! I was thrilled! Now full disclosure - these are not the cutest shoes in the world. I would much prefer a more sleek version, but for $10, I was sold.

Next up, my knee brace. I originally tore my MCL in high school and then again in college. It's been a long road and unfortunately, my doctor-prescribed knee brace bit the dust after a particularly tough soccer match. Now this is no way medical advice, but if you find yourself in need of a general brace, I've found you can pick up perfectly adequate braces at your local drug store. Every situation is different, but I love drug store braces! And it's especially great if you can use a coupon and get it for a discount.

Finally, I got a screaming deal on trekking poles! My husband is an REI member (I know, I know. I'm repeating a source, but it's how I roll!), and he gets notifications of sales and at the end of the year he gets a dividend. We use that dividend check and try to combine it with other discounts and save up for when we need a big ticket item - like trekking poles. We've done it a few times for things like our tent and sleeping bags.

Quality gear can make a huge difference in your hiking experience. Before you buy a knock off version or a slightly sketchy item, try to find a creative way to buy a better product at a lower price. It's worked for me! And I can't wait to put my gear to the ultimate test next month at the Grand Canyon.