The M Spot

*Long post with MB sightseeing recommendations & pictures*

Hubby and I took a trip together without the baby, for the first time since RJ was born. I’ve gone away without my guys before, but we have never left our little guy with someone for more than a few hours, let alone overnight or a weekend! Though, I was very nervous about leaving him, I knew it was time. So, Friday evening, Hubby and I set of to Myrtle Beach, and made a stop in Charlotte to drop RJ off with close family friends. He cried for a while, but by the time we made it to MB he had made a change for the better. Knowing that my baby was happy allowed me to relax and enjoy our weekend!

We arrived at MB late Friday night and we were exhausted. So, we settled in decided to get an early start Saturday morning. The home where we stayed was in OceanLakes. It’s centrally located and it didn’t take us more than 10 or 15 minutes to get anywhere we wanted to go. I grew up in SC but had only been to MB once before, and that was just a day trip. I didn’t realize there was that much to do, even in the off season. Saturday, we got started around 9am and had breakfast at Eggs Up Grill, think Waffle House meets IHOP, not bad and reasonably priced. Then, we headed to Tanger Outlets. Still fueled from breakfast, we headed to Broadway at the Beach, think when an amusement park and a shopping mall collide. Here, we went to Wonder Works, an interactive science museum. It was interesting, kids 6 and up will love it. When were leaving the museum, I notice the zip line and was intrigued, but didn’t have the nerve to do it. More on that later.
For a late lunch, we headed to Murrells Inlet to Nance’s Creekfront Restaurant. Their specialty is roasted oysters, and people were ordering them by the bucket full, literally! I’m not a huge oyster fan and Hubby thought eating them required too much work! He ordered steak & lobster. He said he lobster didn’t have any flavor. I ordered crab legs and they were YUMMY!! From there, we went down to the beach, but the sun was setting and it got dark and cold!! We returned to the house then headed to Nacho Hippo at The Market Common for drinks. I highly recommend the grilled corn on the cob appetizer!!!

Sunday morning we were up in time to make  it to 9am Mass.  Then, we got changed and headed to River City Cafe for lunch. We arrived a little early, so we took that opportunity to take a walk on the beach, until they opened. It was a beautiful but chilly day. The cold wind didn’t stop me from enjoying the beauty of the ocean, or Hubby from collecting a crazy amount of shells! After our beach fix, we headed into the restaurant to enjoy our fattening cheeseburger lunch:) Then, we headed back to Broadway at the Beach, to play a couple games of miniature golf and so I could ride the zip line!!!

I have a huge fear of heights!! HUGE!! Yes, I fly on airplanes, strictly out of convenience, I’ve walked across the Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges and Hubby even proposed on the observatory deck of the Empire State Building! However, I don’t like heights! I also, don’t like roller coasters! I hate that feeling in my stomach, it is not fun for me.  So, why did I want to do the zip line? It just looked like so much fun!! LOL  I was nervous it would cause that dropping feeling in my stomach, but it didn’t.  I climbed the stairs surrounded by 5 kids, whose ages ranged from 8-19.  They looked as if they glided 50ft in the air, while hanging from a rope everyday! I, on the other hand, was trying to convince myself I was making a sane decision! I got to the top, and the next thing I knew, I was gliding through the air and I was enjoying it! I was so proud of myself! On the return trip, I even stopped clutching the rope and waved to Hubby!! It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I would love to do it again.  So, you now ask, am I still afraid of heights?! HELL YES! LOL

That evening we wanted a laid back dinner that wouldn’t require dressing up. We decided to try Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse.  Well, I didn’t make a reservation, hey, it was the off season, so it shouldn’t be that crowded, right?! Whatever!! There was a 2hour wait. I politely turned around and walked out! Could the food have really have been THAT good?!  I guess we’ll find out another time. Anyway, we then headed to Baron’s Steaks and Spirits. It was a small locally owned restaurant. It wasn’t packed, in fact it was practically empty, but I’d read great reviews, so we stayed. The food was good, dinner was cozy and we got to watch the Giants game while we ate!! Perfect.

Monday morning, we hit the road and headed to Charlotte to pick up RJ. I’m so grateful Hubby and I were finally able to have some one-on-one time.  We were able to talk, voice concerns, plan and just enjoy each others company, uninterrupted.  In the 14 months since RJ arrived, we really hadn’t taken time to do that. We’ve gone to dinner for a few hours, here and there, but nothing like this trip.  I hadn’t realized how much we needed that to reconnect, on all levels.  Life can be hectic, but throw jobs and kids in the mix, and you really have to work hard to carve out couple time.  I think we both realize that creating time, just for the two of us, has to be a priority and it’s ok to leave the baby with family in order to have that time.

How do you go about creating one on one time with your significant other?