Two years ago, my Mama gave us a gift certificate to bedandbreakfast.com and we finally used it this weekend. We didn’t get an opportunity to go before Landon was born, and then after he was born I was nursing and we just never found a few days to get away. We realized last week that Grayson’s Spring Break isn’t until the end of March, and by then I’ll be much too far along to travel very far in a car as I’ll be approaching the end of this pregnancy. After Harper is born, it will be the same as after Landon was born, and another year would have passed that we would not have used our gift certificate. So, this trip was kind of like a now-or-never thing. Sometimes, spur of the moment decisions end up being the most fun!

I had never been away from Landon for three full nights before, and Lordy mercy did I miss my boy… but I wouldn’t have traded these few days alone with Grayson for anything. It was the most fun!

Bedandbreakfast.com has tons of great B&B’s to choose from, and we knew we wanted to go somewhere near the beach. We go to Morehead City with some friends every summer and love the area, so we were happy to find a B&B called Harborlight Guest House nearby in Cape Carteret. When you already have at least a little knowledge about the area, restaurants, and shops, I think you get more out of your trip. Not to mention, knowing our way around (for the most part) makes it easier.

We left early Friday morning and made it to our favorite little drive in for lunch. El’s Drive In in Morehead City has been in business since 1959 and they’re famous for their shrimp burger and super burger. It’s delicious!

We had no idea what to expect when we checked into our B&B because the website has not been fully updated since the new owners took over, but we were so pleasantly surprised. When we pulled up, we were captivated by the beauty of the property. The B&B sits on a peninsula with great views all the way around of the Bogue Inlet. The owner, Perry, came out to meet us and was so warm and welcoming. He and his wife, Dana, have just recently purchased the Harborlight Guest House and are only a few years older than Grayson and I. Come to find out, we share the same alma mater (Go App State!) and they were both just as sweet as could be. He gave us a tour, helped us carry our bags, and showed us to our room, all the while giving great recommendations for local restaurants.

Our room, the Swann Suite (named after the nearby town of Swansboro), was darling and so clean and cozy. The bathroom had a beautiful claw foot tub (which, you better believe I took advantage of) and as beautiful of a view as our room did. The sunrises and sunsets were breathtaking and we felt like we had the best seat in the house.

Breakfast was phenomenal and served in-suite in two courses. First, a breakfast appetizer was served with juice and coffee (which just happened to be some of the best coffee we had ever tasted) and then the rest of the meal. The first day, we feasted on poached pears with raspberry jam, an egg quiche, bacon, and sweet potato muffins, and the next day we had mushrooms stuffed with sausage and cream cheese, fruit, sausage links, and the fluffiest pancakes. It was far better than anything we expected and the housekeeping and kitchen staff were so sweet.

We didn’t really make any plans for how to spend our time, which was a refreshing change. We just went with the flow, Grayson fished, I napped and read and wrote and soaked in the clawfoot tub until my heart was content. We ate good food, spent some time in Beaufort, watched funny movies, and woke up without any alarms. It was so restful and peaceful.

We found a new favorite restaurant- the Icehouse in Swansboro. It’s right on the water in the cutest historic waterfront district and our food was so delicious that we went back there the next night! Their crab tostadas were heavenly and we loved the shrimp and grits and grouper with garlic mashed potatoes. I love eating on the water, too. The service was fantastic, the food was amazing, and the view was so beautiful!

We were sad to leave on Sunday morning after breakfast, but I could hardly wait to have my boy back in my arms. It’s about a five hour drive home from Cape Carteret, so I’m glad we didn’t wait any longer in my pregnancy to make the trip. We are so thankful to have been given such a wonderful gift, a trip that we’ll remember forever.