Sunday, March 1, 2015

We're Going on a Babymoon!

A few weeks ago, I decided to get to business and book us a babymoon before baby's due date got any closer.

Wait. What's a babymoon, you ask?

Think of it as a reverse honeymoon. You're celebrating this big occasion in life by going on a vacation, but instead of going after the big event, you go before, since going after would mean you'd be brining a baby along with you.

Basically, we're going on a vacation to celebrate the upcoming birth of our child. And getting one last trip under our belts before baby makes us stay put for a while.

So, when we started brainstorming places to go, we knew we wouldn't want to go too far since I'd be 30 weeks pregnant during the week we put aside for this adventure. That ruled out a lot of options, including flying.

I also knew I wanted some place that would be affordable, yet luxurious or romantic or unique, and definitely relaxing.

And I put a 6-hours-away-by-car max on our travel, 'cause this pregnant body doesn't want to sit still in a car much longer than that.

That narrowed things down quite a bit.

Within a 6-hour driving radius of Memphis, we've got places like...

Nashville (3 hours), but we've already been there, done that a lot.
Chattanooga (6 hours), but I wasn't getting the luxurious vibe.
Land Between the Lakes (3 hours), but again, not luxurious.
Little Rock (2 hours), but who goes the Little Rock on vacation? It just didn't seem special. (No offense, Little Rockers!)
Hot Springs (3 hours), but been there, done that too.
St. Louis (5 hours), which could have been romantic, since that's where John and I met, but since we both lived there for a while, it didn't quite feel like "getting away."
Memphis (0 hours), which would have been a nice stay-cation, but like St. Louis, wouldn't have felt like much of a get away.
New Orleans (6 hours), which we almost decided on, but at the last minute realized it'd be too much walking for lazy ol' me.

And then we found it. Our babymoon destination!

After several hours of online research and hemming and hawing over finding the perfect destination, I finally found it.

Eureka Springs, AK in the Ozarks, exactly 6 hours from Memphis!

While asking around for suggestions, a coworker mentioned Eureka Springs, but I hadn't really given it much thought. It looked nice and all, possibly even romantic, and definitely relaxing, but didn't have that unique wow factor.

That is, until I found a place where we could rent a TREEHOUSE!



Or a HOBBIT HOLE!


Or a CASTLE!!



So get this, you guys...

WE'RE STAYING IN A MINI-CASTLE! :)

Our castle-for-two has fireplaces, a luxurious five-head shower, a private jacuzzi, and even a secret passageway!! Plus all the other lovely amenities you'd expect... wifi, mini-kitchen, plushy bed, cable.

AND it was super cheap to stay since we're going during the off season. Sure, it may be a little cold, possibly even snow, but that's what those fireplaces and jacuzzi are for, right?

Plus, reviews of the place online are all GLOWING. Somehow, I hit the jackpot!

This momma can't wait to get away!

Ok, so time for me to admit it. I'm a planner. I spend hours online, researching and reading reviews to plan the perfect trip. I'm not the type that can just show up with no plans and enjoy the spontaneity of exploring a new city. Eeek! That sounds so stressful to me. This lady has got to have a plan to make the most out of every minute away. And thank goodness, I have a husband who doesn't mind putting all the planning in my hands.

So, in addition to booking our castle (hehe, it's fun to say that) and hoping to spending many hours lazing about there, I've also already found about 20 restaurants that sound yum, super cool looking shops that are calling my name, museums for exploring, other sights to be seen, and this beautiful chapel that I can't wait to photograph the heck outta.

Oh, and of course I've booked us a couple's massage. John's will be extra special because it's a chocolate massage. Yummmm! (Shhhh, don't tell him. It's a surprise!) Oh heck, mine'll be special too: a prenatal massage fit for a pregnant queen! We never do massages since they're usually so expensive, so this will be a royal treat!

This is shaping up to be one lovely babymoon!

We depart later this week, so expect for things to be hush on the blog for a little. And then expect a Eureka Springs Babymoon recap post, including a big picture dump, I'm sure. You know how I roll.

Eureka Springs, get my castle ready because here we come!

24 comments:

  1. Your trip sounds like such fun! I can't wait to see our pictures, especially the chapel. That looks stunning.

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    1. Hopefully my amateur photography skills can do it justice. :)

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  2. You had me at TREEHOUSE. I don't even know how you chose between the three options. That might have taken me weeks.... :P

    Hope you crazy kids have fun! :)

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    1. I'll tell you how I chose between these three impossibly-hard-to-choose-between options. Hobbit holes weren't available, so that was out. And the castles had more luxurious looking bathrooms... they had me at 5-head showers. Ha! So that's what we went with. :)

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  3. Eureka Springs is a wonderful place to visit! It's very unlike the rest of Arkansas.

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    1. Glad to hear it!! :) It looks so quaint, with lots to explore and lots of opportunity for relaxation. Just what we need!

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  4. Thorn corn was where Jessa Dugar was engaged! How fun!! Have a great time! I won't bother you! Lol

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    1. Of course you would know that. Do you watch the Duggars much? :P

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  5. Ooo fun fun! I wish we would have done this before our baby came...but I'm definitely planning it if we're blessed with #2, whenever that might be. Time away is super fun no matter what the reason, though!

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    1. I agree! Any excuse to get away is good enough for me! :D

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  6. Sounds like such a great time! Have fun!

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  7. My brother recently visited Eureka Springs and really enjoyed it. Your babymoon idea sounds wonderful. Enjoy!

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    1. Aww, glad to hear he liked it! Hope we enjoy too. I bet we will. :)

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  8. That sounds like so much fun! Really, any of those places would be really fun to stay in, but it sounds like you will have an amazing time! ...But now I'm thinking you have to go stay in an ACTUAL castle one day, too. ;) Obviously, that would not fit the current trip needs, but seriously, one day when you have the opportunity DO IT!

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    1. I know!! I remember reading about how you got to stay in a castle and thinking... that sounds amazing!! Baby steps for us though. Fake castle to start, real castle when we finally make it over to Europe someday. :)

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  9. Oh this sounds fantastic!! I will have to check out Eureka. Actually, I lived in Little Rock for a year and a half and LOVED it. Next time you're looking for some place to go, let me know and I'll give you all the best LR suggestions. Really, I promise, LR is great!

    Side note, we looked for a weekend getaway to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday and we settled on Hot Springs. (Currently we live in Monroe, LA.) I'd been to HS before, but the last time it was for vacation, I was 4 years old, so needless to say I had no idea what to expect. We lucked into staying at a friend's family condo and it was FABULOUS! We had a blast. Hopefully we'll be able to go back again because it was pretty chilly and not very sunny or inviting, and I know there a ton more fun things to do there!

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    1. I realize I was super rude about LR. Ha! Sorrrrryyyyyy, it just didn't sound exciting. But if I'm being honest, I really didn't even give it a chance. Didn't research much but places to stay and when I couldn't find something nice and affordable (within my 5 minutes of looking), I decided to pass. BUT if we're looking for another getaway soon, you'll be my first go-to for tips, since LR is super close to Memphis and I probably do need to give it a chance. :)

      We went to HS too! About a year and a half ago, I think. I wrote about it here: http://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/hot-springs.html. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, especially our visit to the bath house on the last day! Plus the food was great! It's definitely a cute little getaway. What'd you guys do there?

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  10. How fun!! Our housemates went to Eureka Springs for their honeymoon and loved it. I hope you have a great time!!

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    1. It would make for a super romantic honeymoon destination too! Thanks, girl! <3

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