This year, for Spring Break, we decided to take a ROAD TRIP down South! We wanted to go to several Bucket List places all in one trip and it was SOOOO MUCH FUN!! So, we chose to drive to Hilton Head as our main destination, with various stops in between.
Kentucky Gorge Geological Area
We started our trip by driving to Lexington, Kentucky, where we spent the night at Hyatt Place (FREE with points!!) Click here to learn more about getting FREE Hotel stays!
The next morning, we drove to Slade, Kentucky where we drove around the loop, through the Kentucky Gorge Geological Area and checked out the Gladie Visitor Center. When we drove through the Nadie Tunnel, it was a two way street, but only had room for the width of one vehicle at a time. This caused vehicles to have to wait at the entrance until the other cars were all the way through before they could go. When we arrived at the tunnel, the two cars in front of us were actually backing up because other vehicles were almost through the tunnel, and needed to pass by first.
The Red River was interesting, as it was a gorgeous sea green color. The river bed was full of minerals that gave it a pretty green hue.
Natural Bridge – Kentucky’s Grand Canyon
While in Slade, Kentucky, we parked at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park and then walked the trail to the Natural Bridge. When we arrived at the Natural Bridge, found some very narrow cement steps that had a tall cement wall. We carefully climbed the steps to the top of the Natural Bridge. The view was SPECTACULAR!!
While standing on top of the Natural Bridge and looking out at the view, it completely reminded me of the Grand Canyon! My personal opinion is that the Natural Bridge area is the “Grand Canyon of Kentucky”. 🙂
This picture was taken from the Overlook across from the Natural Bridge. Nik and I hiked the path all the way around. We then stood on this boulder and looked across the canyon where Anthony was standing on the Natural Bridge. The people over there looked like small ants!
Pictures truly do not do this view justice. It was such a gorgeous view that I highly recommend making this a “Bucket List” location for your travels. Just know that you will be hiking for about 2 1/2 hours, so make sure you bring water and walking shoes.
After all the hiking fun, we continued our road trip and drove through Tennessee and onward to Asheville, North Carolina, where we stayed at the Residence Inn Asheville Biltmore. We had a gorgeous 1 bedroom suite with a pull out sofa and a full sized kitchen, and it was FREE! Click here to learn how to travel for FREE!
Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina
The next morning, we went to the Biltmore Estate, another Bucket List Destination!!! This place is MASSIVE and is SOO WORTH the visit! Once again, pictures truly do not do it justice.
There are actually quite a few things to see at the Biltmore Estate. The property itself has over 8,000 acres, including the House itself, beautiful gardens, farmland, forests and tons of wildlife. You can stay in the surrounding area, or you can choose to stay directly on the property at the Village Hotel, The Inn, or the Cottages.
While at the Biltmore Estate, we drove around the property and enjoyed the scenery and then we took a self-guided tour throughout the inside of the house. Each room had it’s own purpose and was uniquely designed to stand out. The architecture is intricate and so detailed.
We also checked out the gorgeous gardens! Below is a front view of the Conservatory. Once inside, there are many separate rooms to explore and SOOO many FLOWERS and PLANTS! It was a gardener’s paradise!!! I truly could have spent an entire DAY just hanging out with these plants.
Once we were done exploring the Biltmore, we then met some family for lunch and continued our road trip down to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina!!
If you want to learn more about the Biltmore Estate, check out their link at https://www.biltmore.com.
Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Below is our view while driving across the bridge, going to Hilton Head Island. By the time we got there, the sun was setting and the view was spectacular!
There is SO MUCH to do on Hilton Head Island! We rented bicycles and spent an entire day riding on nice bike paths all over Sea Pines Plantation, which is at the southern tip of the Island. Sea Pines, in and of itself has a lot to explore. We rode our bikes to the Stony Bainard Ruins, around some of the golf courses, through housing additions, and on the beach.
We followed the bike path to the beach and Nik wanted to ride bikes ON the beach. We were nicely surprised that the sand was compacted enough to easily ride our bikes across it. Such a gorgeous view! We had to watch out for the jellyfish though, because the tide had washed up a lot of them and they were stuck in the sand.
Below is our view of one of the ponds along the bike path. It’s part of a housing addition! There are four alligators sunbathing on the other side of the pond! They did not move at all, just hung out resting.
Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island, SC
While on Hilton Head Island, we went for a five minute walk from our resort to Harbour Town. Harbour Town is a perfect place to visit! There are lots of cute little affordable shops and restaurants throughout the area. They are all a quick walk from the lighthouse, which is a museum inside. We were able to climb the steps to the top of the lighthouse and look out at the ocean.
The Harbour is a great place to take an excursion, such as an evening sunset cruise or a dolphin tour. It was nice and relaxing just hanging out on the pier too!
Check out the above pictures of the inside of the lighthouse! They even had a gift shop at the top!
Coligny Beach Park, Hilton Head Island, SC
While we were there, we also spent a day exploring the rest of the island and found Coligny Beach Park. This park is unique in that it has a very nice and clean ocean front view to hang out on the beach, but it also has lots of cute little affordable shops! We really could have spent an entire day just browsing through all of the small stores!
After visiting Hilton Head Island, we know that we will DEFINATELY be back!!! This is one Bucket List place that I could call HOME, if the houses weren’t so costly, haha. I like that the island has everything we need to actually live there…Publix, Walmart, gas stations, restaurants, both fast food and nice sit down places, TONS to do, and GORGEOUS beaches!!
Savannah, Georgia
Since Hilton Head Island is only about 45 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia, we decided to make a little road trip to Savannah and check out the city for a day, while we were in the area.
Bonaventure Cemetery- Savannah
So, we met friends at the Bonaventure Cemetery, which is the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen! Make sure you take bug spray when you go to visit though. We were eaten alive by the sand gnats, lol. One thing that we noticed in the cemetery was that there are a lot of monuments that have intricate details. We especially like Gracie’s monument. She was a little girl who passed away and her family had a monument carved to look like her. They also have a plaque that tells Gracie’s story.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist – Savannah
After visiting the cemetery, we decided to check out the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, which is an amazing cathedral in the heart of Savannah. I wish I would have taken a picture of the outside of the cathedral. They are doing construction all along the south side of it, but it still looks breathtaking. the inside of the cathedral is massive. The pictures below only show a small portion of the inside.
Square – Downtown Savannah
Once we were finished at the Cathedral, we walked around Downtown Savannah for a while. There are lots of little market squares and parks with TONS of flowering shrubs EVERYWHERE! we also noticed that there are little shops, museums, and cafes sprinkled throughout the city among lots of little apartments.
Tybee Island – Savannah, GA
Before continuing our road trip and heading back to Hilton Head Island, we decided to check out Tybee Island, which is only 20 minutes from downtown Savannah. We checked out the beach a little and, while we’re not quite sure, we believe we could see Hilton Head Island from the shores of Tybee Island.
It was a fun day exploring Savannah and we were glad we checked it out.
Greenville, South Carolina
The next morning, we drove to Greenville, South Carolina, where we spent the day hanging out with friends. That evening, we stayed at Hyatt Place Haywood for FREE! Click here to learn how you can travel for FREE too!!
Charleston, West Virginia
The next morning, we continued our road trip and drove through North Carolina and Virginia, and landed at Charleston, West Virginia. I wanted to see the State Capitol in Charleston because I had always heard it was beautiful and it truly WAS GORGEOUS!!
That night, we stayed at the Four Points Sheraton (for FREE!!) and had Riverfront view! We spent some time walking along the river and checking out the property of the State Capitol.
The next morning, we toured the inside of the West Virginia State Capitol. It was beautiful and had marble all throughout, including the columns, walls, and stairs.
Hocking Hills, Ohio
After visiting the State Capitol, we drove to Hocking Hills, Ohio, where we met some friends and went hiking. We hiked to Chapel Cave and found a waterfall. It was so fun being outside in nature with friends and family.
Check out this gorgeous Waterfall!! It was totally worth the hike!
We ended our 8 Day Road Trip by driving home from Hocking Hills. This was an AMAZING trip! And I already have SO many more Bucket List ideas!
I have added Charleston, South Carolina, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Jekyll Island, and a return trip to Hilton Head Island. I’m thinking perhaps doing a “Beach Hopping Trip”.
What are some amazing places on YOUR bucket list? I would love to hear them in the comments!