PS: The winner of the giveaway is announced the end of this post!

Check out my recap video below to get a good feeling of the resort, or watch it on my YouTube channel here. (Be sure to subscribe to my channel to never miss a video!)

Alright, now let’s dive into this recap!

We headed down on Thursday evening after work and arrived to an extremely comfortable room complete with a full kitchen (dishwasher and refrigerator included!), a huge bed, private terrace, beautiful bathroom, and even an in-room washer & dryer.  You can watch the room tour on my Instagram highlights under the “Travel” icon.  We were staying in The Village at Wild Dunes and even though we got there when it was dark, I could tell it was going to be so beautiful!  It was late by the time we arrived, however had we been feeling up to it, we could have taken a 1 minute stroll down the sidewalk to the Coastal Provisions bar for a little night cap.  We didn’t do it the first night and instead went right to sleep, but we definitely visited later in the weekend.

The next morning we woke up pretty early, ordered breakfast to the room, and then Craig settled in to do some work while I headed to the fitness center to get my workout in.  I love that they have not only 1 but 2 fitness centers in The Village area.  One is more of just full of cardio machines and medicine balls, but doesn’t have a lot in terms of machines or free weights.  But then there is the main fitness center, just a short walk across the parking lot, that has 3 different rooms full of free weights, machines, cardio machines, etc.  Pretty much anything you need to get a great workout in.  I love to workout on vacation so it’s important to me to have the option to do so with an onsite fitness center.

Friday I spent the rest of the day at a poolside cabana.  The pool at The Boardwalk Inn is adults only, which is nice because it’s so quiet.  But don’t worry, if you’re looking to bring your family, the Grand Pavilion has two separate pools that are both beachside that are for kids and adults alike.  The poolside cabanas are first come, first serve, so I was out there around 11am and picked an open cabana.  There are servers that come around and you can order food & drink.  So basically I had no real need to leave all day long, and I pretty much didn’t until about 5pm when we decided to head up and get ready for dinner.  That is my idea of a dream day!!

Friday night we had dinner at Coastal Provisions, which is located inside The Boardwalk Inn and an easy 2 minute walk from The Village, however we wanted to take the more scenic route, and went down to the beach first for a little stroll through the soft sand at golden hour.

Dinner was delicious and I absolutely adored the beachy decor and ambiance at the restaurant.  They really nailed it…I wish the decorators could come do my house

Saturday we had a great day and I was up to see the sunrise to shoot some workout videos.  The sunrise was so beautiful!! Then I met up with Craig for a delicious breakfast, back poolside at Coastal Provisions.  It was just such an easy spot to walk to and the food was great, so why not!?  Craig got the breakfast platter and I got the greek yogurt bowl with a small side of steel cut oatmeal…and all the berries!!

Breakfast was followed by a workout of course!  Craig hit the gym for a lift and it was my cardio day, so I hit the sidewalk that runs through the expansive Wild Dunes property and got a 5 mile run in.  Then we hit the beach!! We laid out by the ocean for a couple of hours just relaxing before heading up to the pool to grab lunch and an afternoon beverage.  It was definitely a leisurely day but hey, that’s what vacations are for, right??  I will say, that afternoon we were a little bit more active because we grabbed a couple of beach cruisers from the bike rental and cruised around! It was seriously such a perfect day to ride around.  It was sunny and 72 pretty much the whole weekend…we were so happy with the weather!!

Saturday night we took advantage of the Resort’s proximity to Charleston and we got a ride into town to grab cocktails and appetizers at our favorite spot, The Rooftop Bar at Vendue.  We hung out there a bit and then decided to walk around a little before heading to dinner.  We had reservations at Husk so we meandered the streets until we arrived.  We were seated at a beautiful table on the second floor balcony which I loved!

Sunday we slept in a little bit before begrudgingly packing up to leave.  I mean, who ever really wants to leave the beach?  Not me!  It helped we were going to temper our departure with another pit stop in Charleston for more walking around and brunch.  I could walk around that city all day!!  But we didn’t have all day unfortunately, so we got a couple miles in around town before landing at another favorite spot, The Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits.  I came here back on my bachelorette party, and then Craig and I also came back last year when we did a Charleston weekend.  It never disappoints.  Finally, we headed back to the car to make our way back to Charlotte.

I know I will be back and I am looking forward to that day!  I highly recommend Wild Dunes Resort as the place to plan your weekend getaway or vacation.  No matter how many days you have there, you will no doubt enjoy every moment of your time.  I know we did!  It truly was the best weekend ever.

And now for the winner of the GIVEAWAY! The winner will receive an overnight stay, complete with a complimentary dinner at Coastal Provisions and Barrier Island Eco Tour!  The winner was randomly selected using random.org, and the winner out of almost 600 entries is:

#456, Samantha Jane from @Petite.On.The.Go!!  Congrats!  Please email me or DM me on Instagram to claim your prize!

Many thanks to Wild Dunes Resort for the complimentary stay and experiences. All opinions are my own.

xo,

Bess

PS: You can shop all of my outfits in the widget below!

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We went to the Excellence Playa Mujeres in Mexico.  It came highly recommended by my travel agent (who also happens to be my aunt, so I trusted her!) and was an excellent combination of everything that we were looking for: tropical, all-inclusive, adults only, and relatively close…we weren’t trying to spend 16 hours on an airplane ya know?! After the stress of planning a wedding, I didn’t want traveling to my honeymoon to be stressful.  A quick 3 hour flight directly from Charlotte to Mexico was right up my alley!  We were there one week but wished we had stayed for 2.  Or forever.

A typical day for us was sleeping in the most comfortable king bed and waking up on our own (aka me waking up on my own around 8 or 830 and waking Craig up), going to the fitness center for a workout (yes we worked out on vacation!), came back to the room to shower & change into our bathing suits & cover ups, then either order room service breakfast or head down to one of the AMAZING buffet breakfasts.  The food is so good and there’s more food to choose from than you know what to do with, so ya know…just get everything! Why choose

After breakfast we would head out to the beach and grab a big lounge bed on the front row, with unobstructed views of the ocean and of course right in the sunshine! This girl soaked up as much as possible.  We’d be out there by 1030 or 11, and would generally fall asleep for a little nap and be up in time for lunch.  Rough life, huh?  The staff there are constantly bringing around fresh fruit and little shooters, plus any other drink you could possibly want.  We of course had our fair share of fresh margaritas…to this day we’ve yet to find one as good as those! In the afternoon we would either continue to lay out on the beach or head up to our room.  We had an Excellence Club suite so we had our own rooftop with an infinity pool.  We had a stocked bar of course, so the occasional tequila shot would happen there as well.  When in Rome Mexico!

Around 5pm we would start getting ready for dinner and then head down to the main bar at the center of the hotel for a pre-dinner drink.  Then dinner would be at one of the amazing restaurants at the resort.  I would be lying if I said some nights we had more than one dinner…lol.  Hey, we had to try everything!  I remember our last night we had 2 restaurants left to visit but only one night. So we did an early 6pm dinner, then went back at 10pm to another restaurant for another dinner. And now you see why we worked out

Side note- Craig & I got massages at the spa one day, and they were, without a doubt, the BEST massages we have ever had.  Absolutely heavenly.

Enjoy some of our pics below!

Anyways, I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Excellence Playa Mujeres and definitely recommend it for a honeymoon or for an adults only getaway!! We have been ready to go back since the moment that we left.

If you have any questions, let me know below in the comments!

xo,

Bess

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Half-Mile Farm cuts no corners when it comes to luxury.  Arriving around 7pm on Friday evening in January, we had just missed the sunset as it was going down.  In our defense, the drive there is stunning and there are a few different overlook pull-offs on the windy mountain road to take in some pretty amazing views {see picture below}, to which we took full advantage.  When we walked into the main lobby area of the original farmhouse we were greeted with sounds of live music and a gentle hum of the guests chatting over their complimentary hors d’oeuvres {Social Hour is 5:30-6:30pm daily}, followed quickly by the smiling faces of the staff, who promptly checked us in and helped us unpack the car and get everything into our room.

Oh, the room.  Where to begin?  We were in one of the Woodlands Luxury King Balcony Fireplace guestrooms. This has to be possibly one of my most favorite hotel rooms that I’ve ever had the pleasure to stay in.  Old Edwards Hospitality purchased Half-Mile Farm in 2015 and lovingly renovated the already beautiful property to add comforts, conveniences, and a higher degree of luxury in the bedding, furnishings, and accents.  Our room had gorgeous hardwood floors, a beautiful fireplace, plush king bed, private balcony and view of the forest, the most perfect bathroom {with heated floor tile!}, a romantic standalone tub, and the softest robes & slippers just begging you to put them on!  Did I mention the little sugar cookies they put on your pillow with turn down service?

Friday night we ventured into town after we got unpacked and grabbed pizza at Sky Pie.  This pizza was so good, definitely add it to your list if you’re a pizza fan like me!  Craig knows that one of my favorite meals of all time is pizza and wine, so kicking off my birthday weekend with that dinner was perfect.

Saturday we woke up and went to the Main House dining room for breakfast, which is included in your stay and available each morning from 8-10:30am.  The chef specially prepares each breakfast, which has a starter course and a main course.  The first day we had this little baked cobbler with fresh fruit to start, and then sweet potato grits, fried pork schnitzel, and two eggs over easy as the main course.  The second day the starter was a honey melon fruit cup followed by a ricotta pancake with peach butter and a side of scrambled eggs and sausage.  Coffee & fresh juice are served as well!

After breakfast we were treated to a tour of the property, including the historic southern cabins that have been renovated and reconstructed into luxury cabins, also available to rent!  Craig absolutely loved these.  They are so rustic and woodsy; these are definitely a great option if you want something even more private.  Often times wedding parties or family reunions will book out the entire property, including the cabins, and wedding parties will stay there, etc.  Something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a great venue!! Renting out this entire place for a wedding weekend would be so dreamy and amazing!

Following our tour, we took the brief 5 minute drive into town to use the fitness center, which is located at the main Old Edwards Inn.  It is a fully stocked gym that has pretty much any piece of equipment you would need.  Following our workout, we headed back to Half-Mile to shower and relax in the room that afternoon.  We popped some champagne, turned on the fireplace, and watched college basketball   No really, that is our idea of a perfect afternoon!

We headed down to check out the social hour before dinner, and we grabbed a glass of wine and headed out to the bonfire set up in the front yard that overlooks the lake.  I could have stayed there all night!  At social hour there is a full bar with cocktails, beer, and wine available for purchase so you can find something you like!

Our dinner reservations were at 6:30 at Madison’s, the Old Edwards Inn’s farm-to-table restaurant.  We had truly spectacular service (our server, Bryan, was amazing!) and probably a 6-course meal {I lost count!!} of the most delicious, fine, and fresh foods.  Not only were they delicious but they were also creative, but in a good way.  Sometimes restaurants can go a little overboard with their creativity.  Madison’s really hits that sweet spot where you know the chef absolutely knows all of the little flavor intricacies that are involved and really nails it.  Both the server and sommelier were also incredibly knowledgeable and helpful about the extensive wine list.

So from the menu we tasted so many things and loved them all: the potato & ham hock soup, the fresh garden salad, the homemade pimiento cheese dip, the beef tartare, the seared scallops, the stuffed pheasant breast {my entree}, and the 48-hour braised short ribs {Craig’s entree}, finished off with the english toffee pudding and chocolate variation dessert with fudge, mousse, & praline truffle.

I cannot say enough about this meal. It was one of the best I’ve ever had, no doubt!! Craig and I left stuffed and so so happy.

The next morning we slept in a bit, made a Nespresso in the room, and meandered on down to breakfast around 9:30.  I had a spa appointment for a massage at 11am, so we headed over there for that and Craig was granted access to use the spa amenities such as the sauna and whirlpools.  I had a one hour massage and it was so perfect!! It was definitely one of the best I have had in my life.  My therapist was Dana, in case you want to request her in the future, but I am sure they are all fabulous!  The spa is quiet, relaxing, and I loved the fruit infused water.  I didn’t get any pictures because it’s a device-free area and I wanted to respect that.  But trust me, it’s lovely!  It was truly a perfect cap on such a relaxing and lovely weekend.  I felt so rejuvenated on the way home, and I already am looking forward to going back.

To top it all off, Old Edwards Hospitality has offered a complimentary upgrade just for my readers if you book a stay at Half-Mile Farm.  Call 855-271-7246 to book your stay.  Please note the complimentary upgrade is valid until May 1, 2018.  Let me know if you go…it’ll make me really jealous!!

Thank you to Old Edwards Hospitality for the complimentary experiences.  All opinions are my own.

xo,

Bess

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Lucky to have this place within a few hours driving distance! And blessed to have a husband that will just go with me when I wanna go and indulge me doing whatever random thing I want to do!  If y’all have never visited Charleston you should put it on your list  This trip we stayed at this VRBO which was beautiful!  It’s great for 2 people, however our next trip I am already planning a stay at The Inns.  They have options great for larger groups so invite your friends!! Check out their website and the amazing accommodations…the houses have been fully renovated into luxury rentals so keep it in mind if you’re headed to the lowcountry!

xo,

Bess

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