Our Unplugged Date to Georgia's Little Grand Canyon featuring Gold Peak Tea at Krystal's

Aug 28, 2018

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Gold Peak Tea. All opinions are mine alone. #MyGoldPeak #CollectiveBias

Dating, when you finally find the right person, is probably one of the most blissful parts of a relationship. There are still butterflies, you're still SO excited to see each other when the day ends, and there's still lots of adventures and "firsts" to be had. The possibilities, when you're dating, are really endless. But what happens once you've been dating for a few years and your relationship has seemingly hit a wall of stagnant "date nights" that include watching Netflix while simultaneously scrolling on your phones?

About six months before we got married, I told Justin that I wanted us to really focus on unplugging more and going on actual dates. Not just a quick dinner out of necessity for food, but real dates where we could challenge each other and ourselves, and ultimately grow more as a couple. We started simple by simply putting our phones away at dinner but now that we're married, we've been really intentional about scheduling actual dates and unplugging more regularly.

Dating your spouse with intention is something I've heard is so important when you get married. It can be so easy to get caught up in the monotony that is life as a married couple that you can start to lose all of those fuzzy feelings you had before you were married. I know that dating your spouse gets harder and harder as the years go by and kids get involved but that's why it's so important to Justin and me to really savor this time we have together and take full advantage of it.

Our Unplugged Date to Georgia's Little Grand Canyon featuring Gold Peak Tea at Krystal's

We go on at least one date every week and it usually consists of hitting up a local restaurant. This weekend, I knew I wanted to do something different and really focus on being outside together, and most importantly, unplugged. Georgia's Little Grand Canyon is located at the Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area and is only a 45-minute drive from Fort Benning. A quick check of the weather and we knew that it would be the perfect place for our unplugged date.

WWe started our date by swinging by our local Krystal's location to pick up lunch to eat in the park. I've never lived anywhere with a Krystal's before so I knew we were going to have to try it eventually. I love that the burgers come in these adorable little boxes which make them perfect for a picnic and they carry my favorite sweet tea, Gold Peak! Gold Peak was my go-to when I lived in New York and good sweet tea was nearly impossible to find. I love that the fresh-brewed taste reminds me so much of the sweet tea I grew up drinking at my grandma's. Being able to snag a large cup of Gold Peak Tea at Krystal's before our adventure made it feel like we brought our own tea straight from home! You can find out more about Gold Peak Tea here!

Next, we drove to the Canyon and found the perfect spot for our little picnic. I love when parks have picnic tables because it makes enjoying food in a scenic location so much simpler. Justin and I enjoyed talking about all of the exciting things we're looking forward to in the next couple of months while sipping on our Gold Peak Tea and eating our food. With so much technology available at our fingertips, taking a few moments like this to truly unplug and be engaged with each other is so special. We talked about how our weeks went and actually listened to what the other had to say instead of some "mhmms" while being distracted by our phones, computers, or the television.

Once we finished eating, it was time to explore the canyons! I have been waiting to visit this location since we found out we were moving to Fort Benning so the excitement was real, Y'all. And I can't even begin to describe how stunning the scenery really was. Pictures absolutely don't do it justice. My favorite part of the adventure came when we hiked down to the canyon floor and got to actually see the water working it's magic to carve out the canyons little by little! Being able to take in the beauty of the canyons in all their glory without looking at them through a phone screen was such an incredible experience too.

We spent the remainder of our adventure exploring the cabin floor, walking, talking, and holding hands. We even splashed through the water a couple of times! The cool thing is that when you're intently dating your spouse you don't really care what's happening on your phone. I think recreating this unplugged date in different locations is definitely going to be our thing from now on.