Our destination today was Sanford, North Carolina. Once again, we chose to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway even though it added a few hours to our journey. The tradeoff in extra time is a ten-fold more beautiful drive with almost no traffic and zero trucks. If I had to pick the most beautiful road in all of the United States, the Blue Ridge Parkway would be a top contender.

When we arrived at my sister Mayela’s new home, her husband Stephen attempted to burn the house down while preparing bourbon butter sauce for our steaks. In truth, he is a masterful chef, and our meal was delicious.