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This past weekend, Ashley and I took a trip to Covington, GA—aka Mystic Falls, VA, from The Vampire Diaries. We had actually done this trip once before, back in December 2023.

Both times, we were there for a convention dedicated to the show. In 2023, we had a one-day pass; this time, we upgraded to a two-day pass.

We were in disarray before heading to the airport—our flight was delayed, and in the chaos, I forgot our parking passes for the convention. Luckily, the delay gave us enough time to grab them before taking off.

We were relieved to finally arrive—three hours later than scheduled. After picking up our rental car, we headed straight to our Airbnb.

The next morning, we woke up excited and ready for Day One! We got to the convention early to check in at registration, pick up our weekend badges, and grab our photo-op and selfie tickets.

First stop: the panels. This year, they were held outdoors since the weather was in the 80s. The first panel we caught was mainly focused on The Originals. We watched a bit before it was time for our first selfies, which were in a building on the opposite side of the grounds.

Ashley’s first selfie was with Kaylee Kaneshiro, one of her favorite people from Legacies. They chatted for five minutes—Kaylee was incredibly sweet and helped calm Ashley’s nerves.

Next, we headed to Riley Voelkel’s table—it was my turn! Riley even brought her own selfie light. I was super nervous and had no idea what to say. She told me I was beautiful, and all I could manage was, “I’m speechless.” We just burst out laughing.

We returned to catch the Legacies panel—our favorite show! The panelists discussed their journeys to the show and where they are now. Oddly, horses were a major topic, and to this day, I still don’t know why.

When it was time to meet Claire Holt, we realized we had open drinks and couldn’t bring them in line. So, we wandered around and ended up grabbing a selfie with Chord Overstreet. He was super sweet. We talked about Glee, his favorite musical numbers, and more for about five minutes.

Back in line for Claire Holt, we finally got our photo. She was quiet but looked so cozy and comfortable in her pajamas. Honestly, I wish I were her—so cute, and that accent? To die for.

Next up: the Panda Promise trio photo op with Danielle Rose Russell, Kaylee Kaneshiro, and Jenny Boyd. Ashley and I debated our pose forever, but we finally settled on doing hearts with them. The girls were so sweet—they truly warmed our hearts.

That night, there was a concert with Ben Levin, Chris Brochu, Chord Overstreet, and Kat Graham. Unfortunately, we hadn’t eaten beforehand. We stayed as long as we could but eventually had to duck out for food. We later found out the concert ended around 11 PM.

We drove into Town Square looking for dinner and ended up at a local bar called The Social Goat—which makes amazing drinks in a bag. We tried to eat at Mystic Grill, but the wait was over two hours.

The next morning, we were up and ready for Day Two! We arrived even earlier since we had photo ops scheduled for 11 AM. I had purchased a Joseph Morgan photo the night before, and we were also finally going to meet Ian Somerhalder.

Lines were crazy. We hit Joseph’s line first—it moved fairly quickly. Then we had to race over to Ian’s. His line was slower (apparently, he’s a talker). We waited for about an hour, and when I finally got in the booth with him, I was completely mesmerized. He was so sweet, and that eye contact? Unreal. We got multiple fist bumps and chatted for a couple of minutes—it was such a core memory. I wish I could relive it.

Ashley then took a selfie with Leo Howard, who she’s loved since childhood. At the last convention, she froze and didn’t talk to him, so this was a big moment. She told him how much she loved Kickin’ It, and they laughed together—he made it so easy for her to relax.

We headed over to Danielle Rose Russell’s table for my selfie. She had a big ring light, and I could either take the selfie myself or have someone do it. I let someone else take it because I was too shaky. I asked Danielle how she was doing (genuinely, knowing she can be anxious in big settings), and she was so kind and receptive. It really meant a lot.

An hour later, we had a duo photo op with Kaylee Kaneshiro and Jenny Boyd—another one I snagged the night before. We figured we met the trio, so it was only right to meet the “sisters.” Plus, Ashley couldn’t go a day without seeing Kaylee again.

We also met Kat Graham—who was full of life! Music was playing, and she was dancing and laughing the whole time. I was nervous at first, but the moment I spoke, she immediately put me at ease. She told me I was beautiful, and I told her the same.

We caught one last Legacies panel, where the cast talked about getting that iconic call from their agents and answered fan questions.

Afterward, we left the convention feeling a little heartbroken that it was over. Back in Town Square, we noticed Stefan and Damon’s cars were parked outside Mystic Grill—so of course, we had to grab some pics.

We also checked out the replica of Stefan and Damon’s living room. Tours were every 30 minutes, and the room had many original artifacts from the show (and replicas for those missing). If it’s not there, it’s probably somewhere else in Covington.

We continued exploring, snapping photos, and looking at props and costumes from the show. That night, two brothers performed a piano concert in the Square, which was a lovely way to wind down.

On our final morning, we headed to the Welcome Center, where the Mystic Falls, Virginia sign is located. Since our last visit, they’ve added a film garden highlighting all the shows filmed in Covington.

We started our little farewell tour at the Lockwood Mansion and then moved on to Caroline’s house. After that, we walked across the street to Elena’s.

We returned to the Welcome Center to visit the museum, which houses props, artifacts, and more from the show—they’ve even added new items since our last trip. Finally, we returned to Town Square one last time, grabbed a quick bite and a drink at the Mystic Grill bar, and then headed to the airport.

This trip was filled with laughter, sweet moments, and unforgettable memories. Covington truly feels like a second home now—and honestly, we’re already counting down the days until we can go back.

To watch our journey, click the link below!