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Blog — "travel"

Camping at Rocky Gap State Park

Heidi Shenk "travel"

Summer is about being outdoors. We spent this past weekend camping at Rocky Gap State Park with some friends. We went to Rocky Gap last summer for Andrew's birthday. It is one of the most dog friendly state parks we have camped at, so when our friends recently adopted a dog, it was the first that came to mind.

Lilah was born a water dog, and at her first smell and sight of the water, she was ready to plunge in. Her new friend, Colton, was timid at first, but as he watched Lilah from the shore, he finally followed her lead. Suffice it to say, the weekend was a dog party.

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The weather was gorgeous. After a morning swim, we hiked up a new trail amongst lush greenery and rocky paths. Our canine friends moved quickly ahead of us with agility in their steps. As we descended, a clearing gave way with an open creek bed.

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And of course, the weekend was not complete without a few good campfires and meals. I even experimented with our Dutch oven, baking this scrumptious coffeecake over the fire. We ate eggs, baked penne, s'mores, garlic bread, roasted veggies, and delectable French toast with nutella, bananas, and coconut. We certainly did not go hungry.

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And as we prepared to tear down camp, Lilah and Colton were certainly tired pups. Their weekend, as well as ours, was complete.

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Have you been on any camping adventures this summer?

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Byron on My Mind

Heidi Shenk "travel" Australia

Some days in Baltimore are hotter than others in June, and this week has certainly been a testament to that. It's only a tip of the iceberg reminder of what July and August will bring. On days like this, I'd love nothing more than to be transported back to a moment of dipping my skin and hair into the salty South Pacific in Byron Bay, Australia.

In all of my travels, some places leave a mark on my heart more than others. These are the sorts of places that literally make me cry, because of their beauty and because I know I'll eventually have to leave, not knowing when or if I'll ever return. Byron is one of those places.

On my last visit back in September, we watched humpback whales spout and cruise around the point below the lighthouse, made friends with two water dragons, enjoyed sunsets, celebrated my 30th birthday with mud cake and champaign, woke up to views of ocean waves carving out the rocky coast, drank beer with the locals, and daydreamed about what it would be like to live there.

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On days that I wish to go back, I let the photos take me there just for a while. And I remember Andrew's words as we took off from Sydney to head home to the States. "When we come back... not if, but when."

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The Biltmore Estate

Heidi Shenk "architecture" "photography" "travel"

A few weekends ago, Andrew and I planned a four day weekend mini road trip to Asheville, North Carolina. Our basic plan for the trip was to enjoy the vast number of craft breweries in the area, eat amazing food, and take a day trip to the Biltmore Estate. Beer, food, and architecture tend to be our general itinerary for most places we travel to or explore, and Asheville didn't disappoint in any of those departments. In fact, there were so many places that we didn't get to try, beer and food-wise, that we hope to make another visit sometime in the future.

As an architect, Andrew always wants to take in the famous or historic buildings that are nearby, so the Biltmore was an obvious no-brainer. If you ever plan to visit, you will need at least a day to take in the gardens, go on the house tour, and enjoy the winery afterward. The estate is absolutely huge, which we knew going into it, but we still hadn't realized just how huge until we arrived.

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While it ended up being a rather overcast and gray day, we still enjoyed our time strolling about the estate. The spring flowers were in bloom and were just gorgeous. Perhaps my favorite part about the entire estate were the many greenhouses that you could wander through. I could have spent hours amongst all of the lush plants and flowers had Andrew not nudged me along to the next thing.

Have you taken any quick road trips lately? Have you had the chance to visit the Biltmore?

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The Biltmore Estate

Heidi architecture photography travel

A few weekends ago, Andrew and I planned a four day weekend mini road trip to Asheville, North Carolina. Our basic plan for the trip was to enjoy the vast number of craft breweries in the area, eat amazing food, and take a day trip to the Biltmore Estate. Beer, food, and architecture tend to be our general itinerary for most places we travel to or explore, and Asheville didn't disappoint in any of...

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DC Cherry Blossoms and the MLK Memorial

Heidi outdoors travel Washington DC

On Saturday we decided to brave the crowds and take in the beautiful cherry blossoms that were blooming along Tidal Basin in DC. We had not been down that way for the blooms in a couple of years, and since the weekend had brought with it such beautiful weather, it seemed like a fun enough way to spend a leisurely afternoon.

The blooms were beautiful as they are each year, and walking amongst these...

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