A couple of weekends ago, John and I snuck away for some special time together before baby #2 arrives. We decided to venture to our neighbor city, Durham, and even though it was just for a quick weekend, and only 25 minutes away, it was so good!

The Asiatic Garden at Duke Gardens! My favorite : )

While prepping for our babymoon before having Griffin I remember having a similar feeling as I did this time — is this the right way to spend our time and our money right now? We have so much to do! So much to buy! Why are we doing this??

I came out of that first babymoon weekend, and this past one, with an immense thankfulness for taking the effort to get away.

It felt like the biggest breath of fresh air, offering a time of unhindered connection, reflection, prayer, mental/emotional preparation, and fun!

Durham and Raleigh are sister cities. If you’ve ever been to our airport or heard of our area from afar, you’ve likely heard us referred to as Raleigh-Durham. Well, Durham is the cooler, slightly hippie, probably went to art school, free-spirit sister of the two! She is the Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You. She likes food truck rallies, murals, being intellectual, and craft beers, and has a warm sense of pride and confidence about herself!

Y’all know I love the art of a simple, satisfying staycation.

Because we live so close to Durham, it’s easy to think about it as somewhere we can pop into whenever we want. The thing is, we rarely actually go! It feels way further or more time-consuming than it actually is. In fact, from where we live in Wake Forest (the suburbian-countryside north of Raleigh and just east of Durham), it’s actually easier to get to downtown Durham than it is downtown Rals.

When John and I considered our available time and budget for a getaway this go-round, we knew we needed to stay close by, keep it enclosed to the weekend, and focus on rest with each other. Well, that, and eating great food! It had been quite some time since I had meals that were made for me, cleaned for me, and that John and I could enjoy fully present with each other!

Here’s what we did!

STAY

I had a few criteria for this particular stay. Because we have a then-13-month-old at home, and I was 7 months pregnant already, rest and relaxation were top priority.

There are many beautiful hotels and inns in the area, and we ultimately landed on The Washington Duke Inn. From my previous career as a wedding hair/makeup artist, I had been inside enough times to know that it is decorated beautifully, feels grand, and that we’d be treated like royalty. It did not disappoint!

We got a great deal for a room — like many hotels, over the last year occupancy has been down and there are still amazing prices to be found! The king-size bed was SO plush and comfortable, and the furnishings made me feel like a queen. The bathrooms are outfitted in marble and they still offered daily housekeeping (a BIG plus for someone who keeps their own house day after day!)

I told John that my main goals were to wear a robe, read a ton, take a bath, and order room service. Done and done! The robes there were a very comfy and clean waffle knit, ready and hanging pristinely in the closet. I began reading The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother (SO good, and part of my birthday loot), as well as Scripture and magazines. John got me some chamomile bath salts from Indio Durham (a local and personal Durham fave!) so I could enjoy them at the hotel (we don’t have a bathtub at home), and I ordered a cappuccino to the room. Ahhhh!

Their breakfasts are delicious and decadent — we ate there both mornings! Meals are not included, but you feel like royalty while you’re there. The quality of food and service was top-notch, and you get to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

For me, it was especially nice to not have to cook or clean, to enjoy a seated, served meal using real dishes, and to talk and connect with John in a quiet atmosphere.

PLAY

Durham Bulls Game - When we found out the Bulls had a home game on Friday, we knew we were in! It was easy to walk up and get tickets there, and even though it was hot, it felt amazing to be back in the stands after last year. We grabbed some tasty treats for dessert, sang Take Me Out To The Ball Game, laughed together, and had a relaxing time!

Duke Gardens - We were so thankful that Duke Gardens had reopened! We walked through each part of the gardens at a leisurely pace, prayed, enjoyed the scenery, and took stock of the last year of our lives. We’ve gone from a 5-year stint of infertility to naturally conceiving with our first baby, having that baby, and surprise conceiving again 7.5 months later — it has felt so fast that we needed some sacred time to wrap our minds around what’s about to happen again. The Gardens were the perfect place. I especially love the Asiatic Gardens.

Durham Streetery - There’s always something fun and special happening in Durham, and the gals at work tipped me off to The Streetery event on Saturday. In a different place each time, The Streetery blocks off a stretch of road around restaurants, bars, and shops, and has pop-up vendors in tents, allowing you to stroll around at leisure. This time it was in the Brightleaf district downtown, so we walked around to the sounds of a live jazz band and did a little shopping before lunch.

Shopping - While at The Streetery, we popped into one of our favorite stores in Durham, Indio. They have a thoughtful and eclectic/cool collection of housewares, jewelry, books, cards, candles, and accessories (AND they have an online store so you can shop from where you are!) We stocked up on great greeting cards, some bath salts for me (from one of my fave local bath/body brands), and a few other goodies as gifts. We also did a little shopping while at Parker + Otis for lunch!

EAT

Ah, the shining stars of our stay in Durham, the food!!

Namu - If given the choice of where to eat, I will almost always choose Asian food! Namu is hands-down my favorite Asian place in the triangle area. It is the restaurant version of the popular local food truck Bulkogi. I would recommend eating there, and make your way back to the garden patio, where you can eat your delicious, authentic food under trees and string lights, by a fountain! I also highly recommend the dumplings and Bibimbap!

Breakfasts at the Inn - As I said before, we chose to eat both breakfasts there at the Inn. It was nice to not feel like we needed to rush off anywhere. The setting was honestly so beautiful, and the attentive, classical service made me feel like a queen. But most importantly, the food was delicious! John and I both recommend the pancakes!

Parker & Otis - A Durham staple! P+O recently moved from Brightleaf to the American Tobacco Campus, but it still has that been-here-forever kind of feel, and you can sit outside by the water. Not only do they have delicious sandwiches, fresh salads, and a great assortment of fun chips and bevvies, but they also have a great gift shop area! I always find great planners/journals, home decor, and cool kitchen items here. This time, we picked out the softest Elmo plushie for our little gal Griffin, who recently has fallen in love with Sesame Street.

Ponysaurus - John’s favorite local brewery! While he got a drink, I grabbed some of their pizza and a coke, and we ate on the lawn at one of their picnic tables as the sun was setting. It was very relaxed and an opportunity to connect and people-watch.

Roses - Another amazing Asian option in Durham! Roses is the cutest little shop in Brightleaf, serving authentic ramen, dumplings, and really delicious house-made sweets. The seating was outside and even though it was quite hot at lunchtime, I still got the ramen and it was STILL the best decision! And we both got their ice cream sandwiches (a MUST) and a dessert to take home for Grammy, who happily watched Griffin while we were away.

Liturgy Beverage Co. - If you’re looking for a great coffee option in Durham, I highly recommend Liturgy! Amazing quality, located in the newly opened Durham Food Hall (and close to the entrance so you can pop in and out easily). I judge a coffee shop based on their cappuccino - it’s a simple bev but you know when you taste a good one. They knocked it out of the park! They also offer plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

And a very special thank you to our amazing kiddo caregivers, Auntie Na-na and Grammy!

It was Griffin’s first weekend away from us, and she was a total champ! Look at these sleepy cousin faces! : )

:) I got lots of texts like this while we were away and it made me SO happy!!!

Where are you off to next?

Any local-to-you places on your bucket list?

What do you look for in a simple getaway?

We’ll be hunkering down for a while to welcome our newest family member, and while that puts a bit of a pause on travel of any kind, I’m looking forward to a restorative postpartum, getting to know my little guy, and dreaming of adventures to come for our family of 4!!

Sending my love to you from my beloved RDU,

Sam

P.S. Read more about our past travels here! And if you want to stay in the know as one of my close kindred friends, sign up for my Kindreds Gazette newsletter. It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s pretty, and it’ll send you some extra love and inspiration every month or so.

Our Babymoon in Durham