Day 3: Glamping at Moondance

🌤️ Glamping at Moondance – Day 3: Creekside Adventures and Cozy Moments

We started our third morning the same way we began our trip — back at our favorite breakfast spot for another dirty Alani and a toasted cream cheese bagel. There’s something about that little place that just feels like vacation — probably because calories and caffeine don’t count when you’re technically outdoors.

Before our next adventure, we stopped by a local market to pick up our traditional travel Christmas ornament — a little keepsake to remember each getaway — and grabbed a few snacks for the road.

A few peaceful hours kayaking down the creek and out to the lake sounded easy enough. The water was calm, the air warm, and the scenery pure Alabama beauty. But five minutes in, we realized steering a kayak together should count as couples therapy. Jess swore we were gliding in perfect rhythm; I was more concerned we were reenacting Titanic..iceberg dead ahead… or maybe a bolder would be more accurate.

Along the way, we spotted turtles sunbathing, a blue heron soaring above, and a snake casually swimming across the creek. Jess was sure it “locked eyes” with her. I was trying to reassure her that they were more afraid of us than we are of them, while trying to figure out a manly way to bail the boat if it came at us and scream “everyone for themselves”.

We eventually found a small sandy “beach” and decided it was the perfect lunch spot — a peaceful little island for our picnic. The plan was simple: pull up, step out, enjoy lunch. Except when I stepped out, I learned the hard way that not all “beaches” are created equal. What looked like a gentle shoreline turned out to be a trapdoor to the deep. One second I was ankle-deep… the next, chest-deep in freezing water. Jess laughed so hard she nearly dropped the chicken salad, and I came up looking like a man who just discovered his life jacket’s purpose. I’ve never seen a drop-off so steep in my life — one small step for man, one giant plunge for Pete.

Once I dried off (and my dignity partially returned), we finally sat down for our picnic — chicken salad, grape salad, crackers.

The way back oddly enough seemed faster than getting there and after getting beached again on some rocks we made it back to the dock. If we could have had a camera crew videoing us getting back on the dock and then getting the kayaks and canoes back in their spots we would be rich. Y’all the struggle was real.

Once everything was put back we went back to our favorite seats in the creek and played a long round of Would You Rather that had us laughing so hard we nearly fell back in.

The hot tub was calling our names, and after a soak under the trees, we both crashed into a nap that could only be described as “it touched our souls.”

That evening, we walked from our glamp to the host lodge for a private dinner made just for the two couples. The house was stunning — modern, elegant, and perched with a view that looked straight out of a movie. Before dinner, I somehow got talked into playing the piano, and soon everyone was standing around the kitchen swapping stories about life while the smell of dinner filled the air.

When it was time to eat, we were escorted downstairs to the wine cellar — dim lighting, perfect music, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you whisper even when you don’t need to. The host prepared everything himself, starting with his homemade Caesar salad dressing that honestly could’ve been served with a straw. (I said it, and I stand by it.)

Then came the steak and shrimp — hands-down, top five meals of our entire lives. Every bite felt like a mic drop. EJ and Thomas kept us laughing through the whole dinner, tossing out one-liners and inside jokes (we now say, the second is the best kind).

We finished the evening upstairs with peach cobbler and ice cream — warm, sweet, and made even better by the company. And we can’t forget Dexter, the hosts’ goldendoodle, who might just be the cutest dog in Alabama... sorry Cash we still love you but I’m shopping for a new friend for you.

It’s hard to put into words how special that night felt — one of those rare moments where everything slows down and you realize you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

As the stars came out over Moondance, we just kept saying what we always do — it’s the best days when we’re together, because the laughs never stop and the inside jokes never end.