Valeria Out Loud

Hey Guys! Two posts in one weekend..yay!

Tonight I am going to catch you up on the end of our road trip – the last two days where we leave the beautiful beach to start our road trip back home, making an overnight stop in Virginia. It’s a quick post because we spent most of it driving and went home a day early!

Let’s get into it!

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Day 7: We left our beachy condo, very sad, to hit the road for our next journey ahead Fredericksburg, Virginia. A totally new destination for all of us.

We made our first planned stop for a late breakfast at Bojangles. A side note, we are obsessed with Bojangles- it is by far THE best fast food chicken in the country. Hands down.

Then we made our merry way to Virginia. The drive was pretty good, no traffic on this leg of the trip. Then we stopped for a late lunch at 3P at Parker’s BBQ in Wilson. My husband researched this place beforehand and it got really great reviews on the pulled pork and fried chicken…but, uhm, it wasnt much like the reviews though those reviews were authentic! And I did my Instagram research and it really was a place people drive to from all over to eat.

Maybe there’s something wrong with me!? Anyways.

From the front you notice there’s history. There’s an unchanged presence to the building and their smokehouse. But it seems like it is stuck in the past, not in a good way. I am not going to slam the place because it is a landmark in that town. And somehow it was packed with more and more people showing up as we were there. Why? I don’t know! The food was truly subpar. And the place had a smell. Like an old couple’s home and grease. Odd smell.

The sweet parts were, however, the service and the people. When you walk in the first thing you see is a gaggle of teen boys dressed in white shirts and those 50’s diner soda jerk hats waiting at the center to seat you. Very eager. Then the walls were decorated in lots of vintage pieces and glass work. All themed in pigs. And everyone was friendly. Very friendly and polite.

I’ll give them that the fried chicken was good, I will give them that but that only. 🤢

Then we hit the road.

Eight and a half hours of driving later, we made it to Fredericksburg! After checking into our hotel, we decided to explore the town a bit by car, as it was pretty late, then made our way to our reservations at a restaurant called Foode, run by renowned chef Joy Crump. The location was inside a renovated bank and decorated with modern local and historical photographs. The food was simply amazing! My husband ordered a burrata salad and cornbread. I ordered the shrimp and grits. The girls split a burrata salad and fries …and cornbread. We savored every bite of our meal and enjoyed the cozy ambiance of the dining room.

Following our dinner, we headed to Carl’s, a historic frozen custard shop. BUT this shop claims to have invented the root beer float! Anyone verify this? They serve shakes, sundaes, cones and such but only in three flavors- vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. I didn’t grab any custard of my own, as I was full, but I took one bite of my husband’s cone. The custard was heavenly, smooth and light. Very good.

As the night drew to a close, we decided to call it a day to get some rest.

Day 8: During breakfast at the hotel, my family was kicking around the idea of going straight home rather than stopping in PA.

Actually they started this conversation in jest the night before but somehow this morning they were talking in details and for real! They all felt like the drive (eifht hours home) would be easy and it would give us an extra day before work and school to decompress. I was pretty surprised that this was the consensus because I wanted another day of travel and being away. But, well, I joined in and agreed so I didn’t squash anyone’s hopes of sleeping in their own bed that night.

It was a long journey home, taking us over nine hours with few stops. However long, we were all so happy to be back in the comfort of our own home and to sleep in our own beds.

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Going on this road trip with my family was most memorable. We drove down the coast, stopping at various landmarks and scenic spots along the way. All the laughter we shared, the games we played, and the stories we told each other during long stretches of highway. This was a bonding experience that brought us closer than ever before. Now, whenever I think back on this trip, I can’t help but smile and feel grateful for the memories we created.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post on this vacation week, guys! Whether it’s through comments, messages, or simply reading my words your support is appreciated. 😊

till next post xo!