Blessed Beyond Measure: Spring Break Road Trip: To Myrtle Beach

Day 1, April 1: Kenosha, WI to Knoxville, TN

On the morning of Thursday, April 1, our family loaded up the van and took off on our Spring Break Road Trip Adventure to Myrtle Beach.

Pre Road Trip Mileage: 146,670

The first day we made our way to Tennessee. It was a long day in the car, but it was nice to get our worst day of travel out of the day on right off the bat. We drove, played some games in the car and stopped at a few rest stops along the way to run off some pent up energy. I had also made a travel timeline in the van for our trip where our destinations were located along the path and a mini version of our van (on a clothes pin) progressed its way from home to each stop.

My mom made Hazel a bunch of quite book pages which helped keep her busy and happy in the car. I was very worried with how she would travel, but she ended up by the best behaved of the 3 kids. I shouldn't have been surprised.

Video: Car Jammin'

Culvers lunch in the car...because it was very busy in there and well COVID.

Baby had to eat lunch too!

Video: Baby's Lunch

Burning some energy outside.

I had found some cheap prizes for the trip to reward the kids for good behavior. At this time Hazel's obsession with ponies was fairly new and I had wanted to get her a My Little Pony. Those turned out to be ridiculously expensive (like $20 for just one pony), but I found a pack of 4 generic ponies at Walmart for $5!

Apparently it was nap time 😆

We stopped in Kentucky to get gas and were excited to find a Meijer! ;)

Kentucky Sunset

We made it to Tennessee!

About 12 hours after we left we were at our hotel for the night!

At the hotel everyone was hangry and exhausted. I tried to get a picture with the kids and I, but Avery wasn't having it so I took one without him...

...which just made him more mad and he insisted we take another one with him...doesn't he look happy?!

This one's better!

Day 2, April 2: Knoxville, TN to Columbia, SC

Today began with a nice breakfast in our hotel and then we were on the road again. This time though our first destination was only about an hour away. We left Knoxville and headed to Great Smokey Mountain National Park driving through Pigeon Forge along the way (which the boys found HIGHLY entertaining!).

Morning cartoons & snuggles with Baby.

Big Smiles!

Our first daylight view of the mountains!

Pigeon Forge

Once we reached Gatlinburg and made it through the lunchtime traffic, we picked up some Subway and then headed to the GSMNP Visitor's Center for a picnic, some souvenirs and a little sight seeing.

Of course we had to get our NP Passports stamped, but due to COVID we were required to have the park ranger do it for us.

Even the bears wore masks!

We were at GSMNP when the boys were 4 and almost 2 in 2016. At the time they fit in the hole in this tree very well.

4.75 years later, they didn't fit as well and fought for space.

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center we continued on Newfound Gap Road over to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina with a couple of stops along the way for more site seeing.

We saw some ice formations on the side of the mountain road, so I made Eric get out and take some pictures for me! :)

Our family with a foot in each state.

We got more passport stamps on the NC side of the park (and we were able to get them ourselves), PLUS the boys were able to get their Junior Ranger badges.

Video: Junior Ranger Swear-In

More Passport Stamps!

When we were done at the Visitor Center, we drove another few hours to our hotel for the night in Columbia, South Carolina.

Wendy's Sign Reads: "Christ is Risen" <3

Day 3, April 3: Columbia, SC to Myrtle Beach, SC

Today was our final day of traveling TO Myrtle Beach. We left our hotel in Columbia and headed to Congaree National Park for some more NP Passport Stamps and sight seeing on our way. It was basically just a boardwalk through a swamp, but the weather was nice and the mosquitos were mostly non-existent so we had a nice time.

When we arrived at our hotel the night before it was past the kids' bedtime and we were told that they had given our room away to a pro basketball team that decided to stay an extra night. They gave us another room, but it was a downgrade from what we'd reserved (1 room instead of a suite) so to make up for it they gave us the lesser rate, free breakfast vouchers and allowed us to grab some goodies for the car from their snack area. Hazel was a fan of her bacon! :)

We tried to do the entire loop of the boardwalk, but one portion of it was under water. We decided we could handle the ankle-deep, ice-cold water and continued on, but when we came to an area that was waste deep it was time to turn around!

NP Passport Stamps!

When we finished up at Congaree NP, we ate some lunch in the car and drove a few more hours before making it to our resort and main destination for the week: Myrtle Beach.