Our family recently returned from spring break! We took an epic road trip from Dallas all the way to western North Carolina.
Not only is that area of the country beautiful, but because I’m setting my next series in the Blue Ridge mountains, it’s also creatively inspirational for me. Until this trip, I’d only visited NC one other time. Back when I was in college. It had been too long!
We took our “spring” break before spring’s official start. But now the season of Easter and warmer temperatures and flowers and the release of my next book (on April 30th) has arrived. I thought I’d celebrate with a giveaway! To enter, click here.
Are you taking a spring break trip? Have you visited North Carolina?
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Becky Wade
Author at Bethany House
Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children. She absolutely loves writing funny, heartwarming, and inspirational contemporary Christian romance.
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I’m headed to the mountains of western North Carolina next week for a cousins’ reunion. It is a beautiful area, and The Biltmore is incredible! Your family had a fabulous adventure and made many family memories. so happy for you!
Thanks so much, Suzanne. Enjoy your reunion!
I’ve never been to North Carolina.
Being retired, every week is spring break. 🙂 We are going this next week to Oklahoma City to a photographers convention and can’t wait. We live in the Ozark Mountains now and love it. Going out to sit on the front porch is like being on vacation and one of my favorite places to sit out and read.
“Going out to sit on the front porch is like being on vacation and one of my favorite places to sit out and read.” I can imagine! I absolutely love sitting outside and reading with a view.
I hope you have a great time in OKC! I really enjoy the downtown “brick yard” area there.
As Kay mentioned, being retired makes every wrk spring break! But I’m taking the 9-yr-old grandson, who will be on spring break, on his first plane trip from MI to PA to visit his 10-yr-old cousin. They are quite the pair when together. We’ll also be celebrating the 18-yr-old granddaughter’s grad and certification as a Nurse Aide (& a journey on to RN). It’ll be a good 10 day visit w/ my daughter. We are even planning a trip to Lancaster for a quilt show. Looking forward to reading your newest. Still remember my first CFRR where my friend and I sat next to you. 😊
If you’re going to do a quilt show, Lancaster is definitely the place to do it! I think of it as the quilt capital. Enjoy your trip to PA! I hope we can offer better weather for your trip than we’re currently experiencing. I think it’s going to be a very wet spring.
Yes! I remember that CFRR well, Anne. 🙂
Your trip sounds like a terrific family time. Enjoy!!
I am actually from North Carolina! I’m from the Raleigh/ Fayetteville area. I had my honeymoon at Lake Lure, NC, which is near Asheville, NC! I deeply miss NC, as my husband is in the military and we are stationed in San Diego, CA.
I loved seeing your trip pictures on Facebook. It made me homesick! I miss NC so much! I hope you and your family had a wonderful time and I hope you enjoyed North Carolina.
I am taking my spring break trip next week to visit my husband in virginia! He has been in virginia since January for military training, while I had to stay behind in San Diego… I am so excited to see him!
“I hope you and your family had a wonderful time and I hope you enjoyed North Carolina.” We did! The Blue Ridge mountains are such a distinctive area… I can completely understand why you’d miss them.
I’m actually visiting your current town of San Diego this weekend, Brittany! We’re here so my daughter can attend SDSU’s Open House.
Biltmore looks amazing! I haven’t spent much time in North Carolina, but that looks like a place to see, and I’ve heard so much about the Blue Ridge mountains that I really need to take another look. Such a beautiful world we live in!
The Biltmore was amazing! It provided such a fascinating peek into the lives of the Vanderbilt family in the late 1800’s.
What a great trip, Becky! I love the mountains and the quiet of the forest. Thanks for sharing pictures. One of these days I need to get to the Biltmore. What a glorious, historical treasure!
You’d adore the Biltmore, Karen! And that area offers another one of your loves — waterfalls. 😉
I visited the Biltmore a few years ago and was astounded by how HUGE it is. How in the world they built it without modern equipment/tools I cannot even fathom. The library was by far my favorite room (of course!). The air even smelled different there – wonderfully clean, cool, and crisp, and the gardens and green house were a delight for all the senses as well. I hope to go back again someday to revisit. Can’t wait to read your new series set there.
Thanks, Amy!
Becky,
You and your family visited my favorite state! I grew up part of my life there and worked there after college. My husband and I honeymooned near Asheville and visited Biltmore! So excitednyour new series will be set there! Thanks for sharing your Spring break!
I’m excited to set my next series in that part of the country, too! I choose it, in part, because so many of my readers told me that the Blue Ridge mountains were their favorite.
Our kids are adults and one is now working, so spring break trips are no longer. My youngest did get to go to New York City with friends over spring break and had a fantastic time. I would love to see North Carolina one day. Your pictures definitely are enticing, it’s a gorgeous area.
It is!!
What a fun trip! I’ve always wanted to visit Biltmore. Maybe one day. We’ve been to NC 2 times, but just quick trips for a wedding and a visit to relatives. No sightseeing! This spring break, I will visit a cousin in Tacoma, WA. Pacific NW for me. Looks like a great trip. 🙂
Have a fantastic time in WA, Angie!
I’m a native Virginian so have had many opportunities to visit NC. My husband was stationed at Camp Lejeune for four years, so we explored much of the state then. The Biltmore is fantastic and there are so many wonderful stories about it. Eastern NC is just as interesting and beautiful – New Bern, Outer Banks, Wilmington. We retired in Virginia Beach, so the NC border is very close. Tell your husband there are many great golf courses here, plus Williamsburg, Jamestown, Shenandoah Valley.
So happy you had a great vacation and love the pictures of your beautiful family. Your young daughter is the one who had the tea party in England with her doll, correct? Excited about your new series in the Blue Ridge!
“Your young daughter is the one who had the tea party in England with her doll, correct?” Yes! She’s a hoot.
She’s the same age as my grandson who lives in Southern California. All of your children are beautiful – such a great family picture.
Looks like a lovely trip with your family. No spring break plans for us, and although I have traveled extensively, I have never been to North Carolina. I’d love to visit there and also see The Biltmore.
Yes, we did take a family spring break trip…. to NC and the Biltmore!! Our youngest son is actually on spring break this week and went to NYC with our student choir on a choir tour/mission trip. I keep looking for him and then realize he’s not at home. 😳
I enjoyed seeing your NC/Biltmore pics the same week that we were in the region!
I live less than two hours from Blowing Rock and Boone. We try to go every year for a day trip. I am so happy to hear you are setting a book there. It’s beautiful country.
It truly is! In my opinion, it’s a wonderful book setting.
I have visited The Biltmore twice in my lifetime and it was amazing. No spring vacation planned for me at this time but you never know!
It took us almost two hours to drive to the Biltmore, but it was absolutely worth it. I’m so glad we saw it!
I live in Western North Carolina. I live about 45 minutes from Asheville. If you love the mountains you will love it here.We are getting ready for a spring break trip to Savannah Georgia. We have never been and I love visiting new places. Have a great spring . I am looking forward to reading your book based in the Blue Ride Mountains.
Thanks, Jackie! I love to visit new places, too. I hope you have a wonderful time in Savannah. 🙂
I’m currently on my spring break. Today + the weekend and then it’s back to work. My father recently passed unexpectedly, so my 6-year old daughter and I spent three days with my mom. We had to do some sad business (there is SO much paperwork after a loved one dies … very little downtime to actually grieve) first, but then we went to the Descanso Gardens in Pasadena, CA, ate lots of different yummy foods from various local restaurants, and visited the Gene Autry museum in downtown LA. I’ve never been to NC, but would love to visit someday. 🙂
I’m sorry about your dad, Nicole.
Thank you for sharing your photos! I live in upstate SC. I’m about 45 minutes from one of the state’s most beautiful waterfalls – Looking Glass Falls – in Brevard. We either vacation in NC and/or TN as well as take many day trips to NC. My dad’s favorite place is Maggie Valley and he and my mom actually ended up honeymooning in Franklin.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and look forward to reading your books set here.
How cool that we visited the town they honeymooned in!
We are heading to North Carolina next week! We’ve never been there and are excited to visit the east coast. It’s been difficult to get ready for the trip and I was asking the Lord if we should even be going, but your post today confirms that God is in it!
Yay! The stress that comes before a trip really does make you second-guess, doesn’t it? But then you get there and you’re like “Thank you, Lord!”
I LOVE North Carolina!! Biltmore is an amazing highlight, and the “behind-the-scenes” tours are definitely worth it! My family’s hoping to make it to the Creation Museum & Ark Encounter this spring or summer.
I live in the upstate of South Carolina, so have been to North Carolina many times. My husband and I try to visit Biltmore at least once or twice a year!
Our wedding anniversary is in April and we usually try to get away around that time. This year we are headed to Hilton Head Island. It’s not quite beach season, but we just enjoy the pace of life there and listening to the ocean even if we don’t get in it.
Becky, thank you for sharing your trip. I’ve never been to North Carolina.
We went to North Carolina and visited the Biltmore last summer. I think it looks like a castle out of a fairy tale! The swimming pool with underwater lights amazed me, too, given the time period (although they didn’t have proper sanitation for it so they had to drain it every few days – ick!).
What a great trip! I loved the family photos. North Carolina is gorgeous, parts of it feel as if you stepped back in time, the natural beauty is so captivating. Glad you had a wonderful tour guide for the Biltmore Mansion too. Have a beautiful weekend.
Beautiful photos! We live near the NC mountains, just over the border in TN. Biltmore is such a treat! Staying home for spring break this year.
My husband and I have been to North Carolina many times over 43 years of marriage.
The last spring break vacation I had was when I worked in the school system.
I went with a group of teachers to the Bahamas.
Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
The photos were beautiful. Thank you for sharing. My daughter lives south of Charlotte, NC, so I’ve been there a few times. I always enjoy the views in the mountains and the snatches of fog and mist are lovely. This Spring Break I am staying at home and relaxing. Last year, my daughter and I took our Ukrainian exchange student on a road trip from Indiana to California and back. So much fun!
Too many snow days this year for a Spring break. Our family will wait for the lazy days of summer to get away. We have never been to NC. The photos were gorgeous – another example of God’s awesome creation. Thank you for sharing them with your followers.
Oh wow! I live in Murphy NC and rest of my family live in Tuckasegee. I love living in this area! I hope to take my daughter to Biltmore house soon. Loved reading about your trip!
Husband is unable to travel in March or October because of work, so I went down to New Orleans by myself to visit our son! Such a blast to spend two days at the WW2 Museum. Would love to visit NC sometime, too, but we usually visit our young adult children wherever they happen to be!