some favorite places

When I was younger (and we were living in North Carolina the first time around), one of my family's favorite places to go on summer vacation was Sunset Beach. We all missed it a LOT when we moved around the southeast, but since moving back to Raleigh, we've gone every summer for the past four years! It's so beautiful, and this is one of my favorite pictures of the pier.

Without question, North Carolina is my favorite state, but West Virginia is in my top five. For a few summers, my cousin was a white water rafting guide on the New River, so I would go up there for a couple days each year to go rafting with him. This is a picture of the gorge from the Fayetteville, WV Visitors' Center. Definitely go if you ever get the chance!

Ohhhh Las Vegas. You are so unpredictable, and yet, so commercially mesmerizing. My best friend, Amanda, was Miss North Carolina 2008, so when she headed to Vegas in January of 2009 to compete for Miss America, my friend, Jessica, and I were right there! This was taken from the top of the "Eiffel Tower" at the Paris Hotel. I wish we could have stayed longer!

I'll leave you with this... a drool-worthy picture of my Great Uncle's Bentley. Last summer, my cousin got married in Florence, SC. Almost every member of Uncle Billy's family has driven away from their weddings in this car, and this wedding was (supposed to be) no exception. My cousin and his bride ended up getting pretty sick during the reception, so they had to leave early (in a different car), but the rest of us enjoyed the party!