Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Four States One Long Day
We awoke at 4am, ok I didn't exactly jump out of bed but was coaxed out by Keith who was annoyingly Chipper, it is unnatural.When I got in the shower I discovered there was no hot water. At a Westin? Really. Yes really. So I did the french bath thing, got dressed, and by 5am under the cover of the Memphis darkness we are on our way back to Atlanta. We crossed the boarder of Tennessee into Mississippi and stopped for breakfast in Tupelo cause of the Van Morrison song which it turns out was about Tupelo Florida. Oh well. After breakfast we started out again, I took over the driving for most of the remainder of the day, We went through Alabama, then back into Georgia. We finally made it back to our ultra hip Hotel the W in midtown Atlanta where we started almost two weeks ago. We were so tired I took a nice nap. We have traveled over 2700 miles through the South. This does not include our flight from Cali.We have had the time of our lives, but are anxious to get back home. We miss our dogs, our home, friends and family. We had our last dinner at our hotel at their Jean George Asian Fusian Restaurepant Spice Market. We did the tasting menu, the food was good, nothing fried and lots of fish. I had 2 cocktails and am now ready for bed. I can't wait to get home. Tomorrow when I get back I'll do a wrap up entry, I may try to add some pictures too. Thanks for joining us. I love you Mom. Peace out from Atlanta
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Rain Storms Ribs and Earnest
Arter cooling off in our air conditioned room for a couple of hours we head out for our last dinner in Memphis. We were all about the BBQ. I had done my research and determined that we were going to Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, a place renowned for their ribs about 12 or so blocks from our hotel. It was hot and muggy as we began our walk to the restaurant. About 3 blocks into it I noticed that it was raining about half a block away...then the skies opened up and the downpour started. It really rained hard, thunder and lightening followed. We ducked under the awning to wait it out. There was a country music concert going on in the park a Ross the street from us. We watched as folks got absolutely soaked. Keith kept saying it was going to pass through, so we waited and waited and the rain kept coming. After about 30 minutes I was finally able to hail a cab, and we were saved by Memphis native Earnest. A big Teddy bear of a guy and taxi driver extrodinair. We joked about all these girls in cotton dresses soaked to the bone and I remarked that I hoped they were wearing underware, from there itwent on to the praises of cialis. He was a fun guy and got us to the restaurant without us looking like drowned rats.
Yes we had ribs again, we had to. The ribs at Rendezvous were dryer and cooked over charcoal. No sauce but a great spice rub. Sauce was on the table if you wanted it. The beans and slaw they were served with were really good too. I can't say which ribs were better; these or the ones last night from Pig On Beale. Different styles both wonderful. We had planned to hit the clubs but were in a pork coma so we decided to make an early night of it. We called Earnest and he picked us up and took us back to our hotel. We have a 9 hour drive tomorrow back to
Atlanta. We did what we came here to do. We enjoyed the music, saw Graceland, learned about soul and the blues, and went to the Civil Rights Museum. Keith even made it on the news with his stint as a fill in demonstrator. It's all good.
Goodnight Mom, we love you. Peace out.
Yes we had ribs again, we had to. The ribs at Rendezvous were dryer and cooked over charcoal. No sauce but a great spice rub. Sauce was on the table if you wanted it. The beans and slaw they were served with were really good too. I can't say which ribs were better; these or the ones last night from Pig On Beale. Different styles both wonderful. We had planned to hit the clubs but were in a pork coma so we decided to make an early night of it. We called Earnest and he picked us up and took us back to our hotel. We have a 9 hour drive tomorrow back to
Atlanta. We did what we came here to do. We enjoyed the music, saw Graceland, learned about soul and the blues, and went to the Civil Rights Museum. Keith even made it on the news with his stint as a fill in demonstrator. It's all good.
Goodnight Mom, we love you. Peace out.
Last day in Memphis
This morning Keith went on his morning run, came back to the hotel and declared "I had a Forest Gump moment". Apparently he came across a group of teachers and folks who work for the school district that were having a small demonstration regarding the budget. They were small in numbers but very spirited. There were news cameras there and they recruited Keith to carry a sign and walk with them so they would look bigger while they were being shot for the local news. I love how he always comes back to me with an adventure to share, you never know with that boy.he then went on tour of the Gibson factory and I went on tour of the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum. I learned a lot about the roots of rock n soul, how it's linked to civil rights ect. It was curated by the Smithsonian and very well done. We then met for lunch. I ordered the grilled grouper sandwich cause it looked like the healthiest option and I haven't had fish in days.The grouper was topped with....BACON. You get pig on Everything here. I gave my bacon to Keith cause I knew I would have pork something tonight. The grouper was really good I took off the bread cause really it's too much already. Plus, you know, there will be dinner tonight.
We walked the 7 blocks to the Civil Rights Museum. It is on the sight of where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was excellent, very emotional. I'm not prepared to write about it just yet. I need to process it all. More later. Hi Mom. Peace out.
We walked the 7 blocks to the Civil Rights Museum. It is on the sight of where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was excellent, very emotional. I'm not prepared to write about it just yet. I need to process it all. More later. Hi Mom. Peace out.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pig Heaven Part 2
As I was saying before I pressed the wrong button and posted my last entry before I was ready.. So it's a bit rougher and younger. Beale street where the musicnis happening is only about 2 blocks where Broadway in Nashville was a about 5 blocks. I think Memphis is going through tough times and it shows, still it's got it going on. Tomorrow we are going to the Civil Rights Museum and will do some other stuff too. I am sure there is more pork in our future. Stay tuned. We love you Mom. Peace Out.
Pig Heaven
This afternoon Keith went to the Gibson store in Memphis pulled down a guitar and started playing much to his surprise he soon had a crowd listening to him play, mostly women. This isn't going to head or anything. Actually is pretty good so I'm glad he enjoyed the experience.
Tonight we went to a place called "Pig on Beale" . We both enjoyed the ribs, fall off the bone tender, dry rub with just a little sauce, I really liked them cause they weren't to gloppy. On the table they had two squeeze bottles, one sweet, and the other spicy sauce. Good way to do it.we each had slaw, Keith had fries and I had BBQ beans. But the star was those frigging fantastic pork ribs. Hail to the pig. Amen. After we went to a couple of clubs that were ok but then we went to BB KINGS BLUES CLUB. This is the place to hear the best music in Memphis. It was a lot of fun, and we stayed for a couple of hours. I think my hearing suffered but it was worth it. Wednesday night is Biker Night on Beale street and there were hundreds of Mortorcycles and their riders lining the street. Interesting. Memphis has a very different vibe than Nashville. I think it's younger, a little rough arund the edges
Tonight we went to a place called "Pig on Beale" . We both enjoyed the ribs, fall off the bone tender, dry rub with just a little sauce, I really liked them cause they weren't to gloppy. On the table they had two squeeze bottles, one sweet, and the other spicy sauce. Good way to do it.we each had slaw, Keith had fries and I had BBQ beans. But the star was those frigging fantastic pork ribs. Hail to the pig. Amen. After we went to a couple of clubs that were ok but then we went to BB KINGS BLUES CLUB. This is the place to hear the best music in Memphis. It was a lot of fun, and we stayed for a couple of hours. I think my hearing suffered but it was worth it. Wednesday night is Biker Night on Beale street and there were hundreds of Mortorcycles and their riders lining the street. Interesting. Memphis has a very different vibe than Nashville. I think it's younger, a little rough arund the edges
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Graceland Tennessee
We sadly say goodbye to Nashville about 9 am and head to Memphis, we drove for about three hours listening to Paul Simon's Fantastic Graceland album and Johnny Cash, it was a fun drive. We got to Memphis about 12:30 and decided to go to Graceland before checking into our hotel. I don't mean to be a whiner, I knowmI am incredibly lucky to be able to take this great vacation ...but folks it is about 100 degrees and very very humid, almost unbearable. When we are inside or driving it is all good, but outside for any period of time and it gets a little tough. We get to Graceland and take the tour, the basic tour. We didn't desire to see the cars or the Lisa Marie Plane.the tour of the house and surrounding buildings. The tour only includes the downstairs public areas, the upstairs bedrooms are off limits. First off the house which they call a mansion is not that big, but it is on 14 acres. Elvis paid about 100,000 for it. The furnishings were pretty gaudy, the jungle room with the furry furnishings were pretty, well, not what I would have gone with. But then again Elvis was Intitled to do whatever he wanted as I am I. There was a trophy room with all his gold records, which was cool. The pool was smaller than any of my friend's pool, in was really surprised. The costumes were nicely displayed and they had some replicas for sale for about $2000. Pricillas's wedding dress and vail were on exhibit as well. Imthought it was ugly but in their wedding pictures she looks great. Throughout the tour there was video of Elvis and we also had at the narrated headphones which I always like. The tour ended with the graves of Elvis, his parents, and grandmother. Kinda sad. When the tour was over we went through the 5 gift shops I bought three postcards and Keith got a tank top. We got to our hotel, a Westin and pretty nice. The location is right where Beale street is, that's where the music is too. The mighty Mississippi is within blocks as well. So here we are in Memphis. I'll keep you posted. Love you Mom. Peace out.
Correction
I really try to be truthful in this blog but apparently I made a grave error in my last entry..several of Keith's paper airplanes DID MAKE IT DOWN TO THE HOTEL LOBBY because he is a skilled and expert paper airplane maker and flyer. I stand corrected. Thank You.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Going Solo and Rockin it With My Baby
Let me just say that if you have not been to Nashville you have got to get there. It is a wonderful city, America at it's best. It is a big city with a small town vibe. It has southern charm with a northern sensibility. It has tattooed and pierced hipsters and lean young men with silver belt buckles and cowboy hats. Fantastic young women with streaks of purple in their hair, denim short shorts, colorful tube socks and cowboy boots. You can fly your freak flag or be a good old country girl/ boy and it's all good. I like it here..a lot.
Today was our day to do our own thing. We agreed to each follow our own bliss for the day and then meet for dinner and a night of honky Tonkin. Keith got going first, no surprise. My boy was busy. He went to the Country Hall of Fame Museum, the original Grand Old Opry now called the Rymen Auditorium, where he played on the stage and got his picture taken.he went to Roberts Western World and had a fried bologna sandwich that he said was heavenly. He met a guy at a bar named Michael who wanted Keith to be his drinking buddy for the day. The dude said he lived off his royalties from music but we think he probably is a hopeless alcoholic and is on disability. In any case Keith declined his offer. Keith walked for miles through the city, he had a great time. I enjoyed hearing about his adventures. One one of the many wonderful qualities that Keith has is that he makes friends wherever he is. He talks to everyone and is genuinely interested in others people's lives, so it doesn't surprise me someone wants to hang with him all day.
I took my time this morning. After talking with a young women at the front desk about where to find interesting and unique shops Intook antaxi across town to a cute and artsy area. I spent the afternoon browsing through the shops and bought just one thing. An art piece made out of recycled Nashville licensed plates. It will look good in my kitchen. I had lunch in a cafe called Provance. I had a vegi sandwich that had avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mango chutney on whole grain bread, along with it I had some fruit salad. Very nice. Today was about 95 degrees and super humid. By mid afternoon I needed to get out of the heat. I was soaked, just dripping with sweat, not pretty. I grabbed a cab back to the hotel to rest up and cool off.
I had made reservations for a restaurant I had read about called the Watermark. I made a great choice, we had a fantastic dinner, it was food prepared perfectly. I started with fried green tomatoes that were served over a small amount of creamed corn and topped with some lobster. Get the picture? Soo good. Keith had ..wait for it.....heirloom tomato soup. It was good too. For our entrees I had filet mignon medium rare, white cheddar potato gratin, and creamed spinach. The spinach was the best I had ever had, my filet was tender and really flavorful and my potatoes were creamy and crunchy at the same time. Keith had a pork chopped that had a delicious grilled flavor and was served with mashed potatoes, spinach, and a peach and jalepeno chutney. I think his chop was the best pork chop I had ever tasted. I had proseco, 2 glasses for those of you counting and Keith had several glasses of beer. The service was impeccable, the chef came out to greet us and thank us for coming. It was a great dining experience. Oh yeah for dessert Keith had a King Alphonse Cordial and I shared my gelato which was a sccop of strawberry, a scoop of honey ricotta, a scoop of vanilla bourbon. They made the gelato there and it was very good. After dinner we went back to Broadway street and cruised the clubs, once again we heard some great music.
Our hotel suite is on the top floor about 15 stories up.You get vertigo when you look down into the lobby which all the rooms face. Keith spent about 30 minutes making paper airplanes and flying them off our balcony down to the lobby. None of them made it all the way down but he had so much fun doing it! I got a glimpse, not for the first time, of what he must of been like at the age of 10 or 11. It was wonderful. So tomorrow we are off to Memphis, our final stop before we drive back to Atlanta on Friday. We have gone over 2000 miles so far.
We love you Mom. Peace Out.
Today was our day to do our own thing. We agreed to each follow our own bliss for the day and then meet for dinner and a night of honky Tonkin. Keith got going first, no surprise. My boy was busy. He went to the Country Hall of Fame Museum, the original Grand Old Opry now called the Rymen Auditorium, where he played on the stage and got his picture taken.he went to Roberts Western World and had a fried bologna sandwich that he said was heavenly. He met a guy at a bar named Michael who wanted Keith to be his drinking buddy for the day. The dude said he lived off his royalties from music but we think he probably is a hopeless alcoholic and is on disability. In any case Keith declined his offer. Keith walked for miles through the city, he had a great time. I enjoyed hearing about his adventures. One one of the many wonderful qualities that Keith has is that he makes friends wherever he is. He talks to everyone and is genuinely interested in others people's lives, so it doesn't surprise me someone wants to hang with him all day.
I took my time this morning. After talking with a young women at the front desk about where to find interesting and unique shops Intook antaxi across town to a cute and artsy area. I spent the afternoon browsing through the shops and bought just one thing. An art piece made out of recycled Nashville licensed plates. It will look good in my kitchen. I had lunch in a cafe called Provance. I had a vegi sandwich that had avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mango chutney on whole grain bread, along with it I had some fruit salad. Very nice. Today was about 95 degrees and super humid. By mid afternoon I needed to get out of the heat. I was soaked, just dripping with sweat, not pretty. I grabbed a cab back to the hotel to rest up and cool off.
I had made reservations for a restaurant I had read about called the Watermark. I made a great choice, we had a fantastic dinner, it was food prepared perfectly. I started with fried green tomatoes that were served over a small amount of creamed corn and topped with some lobster. Get the picture? Soo good. Keith had ..wait for it.....heirloom tomato soup. It was good too. For our entrees I had filet mignon medium rare, white cheddar potato gratin, and creamed spinach. The spinach was the best I had ever had, my filet was tender and really flavorful and my potatoes were creamy and crunchy at the same time. Keith had a pork chopped that had a delicious grilled flavor and was served with mashed potatoes, spinach, and a peach and jalepeno chutney. I think his chop was the best pork chop I had ever tasted. I had proseco, 2 glasses for those of you counting and Keith had several glasses of beer. The service was impeccable, the chef came out to greet us and thank us for coming. It was a great dining experience. Oh yeah for dessert Keith had a King Alphonse Cordial and I shared my gelato which was a sccop of strawberry, a scoop of honey ricotta, a scoop of vanilla bourbon. They made the gelato there and it was very good. After dinner we went back to Broadway street and cruised the clubs, once again we heard some great music.
Our hotel suite is on the top floor about 15 stories up.You get vertigo when you look down into the lobby which all the rooms face. Keith spent about 30 minutes making paper airplanes and flying them off our balcony down to the lobby. None of them made it all the way down but he had so much fun doing it! I got a glimpse, not for the first time, of what he must of been like at the age of 10 or 11. It was wonderful. So tomorrow we are off to Memphis, our final stop before we drive back to Atlanta on Friday. We have gone over 2000 miles so far.
We love you Mom. Peace Out.
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Night in Nashville
After Avery long and eventful day we arrived in Nashville. We are stayinfpg at the downtown Hilton in a delux suite and it's really swanky. Its kinda fun. Fifth across from our hotel we can see from our window the arena. Brittney Sp,ears is playing there tonight so there are oddles of teenage girls all hoochied up. It is a riot to see. Ok back to the trip. We asked Philnthe bell hop where we go for a casual but good meal within walking distance. Our hotel is in a greatblocation right in the middle of everything. Here is a lesson for all travelers. Do not ask a 18 year old who has only lived in the area For a couple of months where to eat unless you are 18 too.
Phil recommended a place called Demos, about 7 blocks from the hotel. As soon as we left the hotel it started to rain, then pour, then thunder and lightening, then a deluge. I had an umbrella but it was raining so hard my umbrella went inside out. We got to Demos and realized pretty quick that this probably wasn't going to be great but decided to make the best of it. At least we were out of the rain. We ordered our meals, I'm not going to go into detail, let me just say it was the worst pasta we have had in a long time, maybe ever but my manhattan was good so not all was lost. Our waiter was adorable his name was Colt( he said it was his real name) and of course he is a musician trying to make it in Nashville. It was fun talking with him, I hope he makes it. After dinner we headed to Broadway St where all the clubs are. WE HAD A BLAST! First we went to a place called the Stage, it had a country/ rock feel. The band was good and we stayed for about 45 minutes. The band in these clubs all play for tips. There are about 4 blocks of clubs all a little different. People just go from one to another. Next we went to "Roberts Western World" where they play traditional western swing. The band was a bunch of old timers and they were great, Keith was in heaven and we were having a great time. We saved the best for last. The final club of the evening was called " Layla's Bluegrass Hillbilly and Country Inn" They featured bluegrass music and were wonderful. We bought two CD's there from the band and bought the band a round of drinks. Really fabulous. We had such a fun time and it kinda smoothed over our snarkiness that popped out occasionally during the day. It was kind of romantic and really fun. Tomorrow we are going to do our own thing during the afternoon, find a good place to have dinner then hit the clubs in the evening. Thatsball for now, good night Mom. Peace Out.
Phil recommended a place called Demos, about 7 blocks from the hotel. As soon as we left the hotel it started to rain, then pour, then thunder and lightening, then a deluge. I had an umbrella but it was raining so hard my umbrella went inside out. We got to Demos and realized pretty quick that this probably wasn't going to be great but decided to make the best of it. At least we were out of the rain. We ordered our meals, I'm not going to go into detail, let me just say it was the worst pasta we have had in a long time, maybe ever but my manhattan was good so not all was lost. Our waiter was adorable his name was Colt( he said it was his real name) and of course he is a musician trying to make it in Nashville. It was fun talking with him, I hope he makes it. After dinner we headed to Broadway St where all the clubs are. WE HAD A BLAST! First we went to a place called the Stage, it had a country/ rock feel. The band was good and we stayed for about 45 minutes. The band in these clubs all play for tips. There are about 4 blocks of clubs all a little different. People just go from one to another. Next we went to "Roberts Western World" where they play traditional western swing. The band was a bunch of old timers and they were great, Keith was in heaven and we were having a great time. We saved the best for last. The final club of the evening was called " Layla's Bluegrass Hillbilly and Country Inn" They featured bluegrass music and were wonderful. We bought two CD's there from the band and bought the band a round of drinks. Really fabulous. We had such a fun time and it kinda smoothed over our snarkiness that popped out occasionally during the day. It was kind of romantic and really fun. Tomorrow we are going to do our own thing during the afternoon, find a good place to have dinner then hit the clubs in the evening. Thatsball for now, good night Mom. Peace Out.
A quicky
We just got to Nashville and Keith says I only have 5 minutes to spit out a blog before we hit the streets. After the hours park we left for Makers Mark IT TOOK US FOREVER to get there. It is not easy to find and we had a few spats as HE WOULD NOT TAKE DIRECTION from me. But we made it and it was worth it. It was hidden away in this beautiful valley. Go on their website and you can see how lovely it is. I love makers mark bourbon, think it's the best. The tour was interesting, il learned it's one of the few bourbons that doesn't use rye and before you make bourbon you have to make beer! Cool right? We saw it in it's various stages, the barrels, the botteling process, and the dipping the bottles in wax. At the end we did antasting of the original bourbon and Makers Mark 46 their new product. I am a fan. It was hot humid and muggy and by the end I was glad to get in our air conditioned car and on our way to Nashville. It took us about 3 hours to get here. Keith and I have been together non stop and we are starting to get a little cranky with each other. Don't anyone worry it's just companion fatigue. Perhaps tomorrow we will have some time apart. We really are having a blast. Oh I forgot to tell you about lunch. We could not find a place to eat for the longest time. We first tried this town of Springfield and all their little restaurants went out of business. We finally went 10 miles to the next town called Lebanon ( in Kentucky.) and found one place which was an ItLian joint. I had a meatball sub and he had the chef salad. Mine was tasty, but I would have been happy with ANYTHING at that point. Keith liked his salad. The people were very impressed that we were from Cali. When we checked into the Hilton tonight Keith has his guitar looking like a pro. Some guy askednto see it and gushed all over it. Keith thinks he is so cool now. Jeez. Gotta get ready before big daddy has a cow. Love you Mom. Peace out.
Bourbon and Horses all day long
Last night we had dinner in Llexington atvaplace a couple of blocks from our hotel called DeSha's. It has been there a while at at one time was the place to go. It is still ok, actually we had a nice meal. I started with a sweet manhattan, my family's signature drink. This one was about 3 times the size of a Joe Betro Manahatten. I knew I was in trouble when I saw it but I was very thirsty. Along with my cocktail I had grilled scallops and grits along with a salad. The grits were delicious. They were a little cheesy and there was a midly spicy sause served with them. The scallops were pretty good, I would have liked anlittle more caramelization on them but I don't want to be picky. It also came with asparagus which was well asparagus.Keith had fried grouper which I tasted and it was yummy. He started with sausage vegetable soup and it tasted very much like the on I make which means it was very good. We had a long day and the drink hit me like I knew it would. We got back to the room, callednroom service for our evening ice cream and I was asleep before 9 pm.
This morning after breakfast we went to Kentucky Horse Park. The place could easily be an all day thing it goes on endlessly.there are museums,many different horses thT you can ride ( we did NOT). they have guided tours that take about 3 hours which we skipped. After the museum which was blessedly airconditioned We did see a show that highlighted several breeds. It was fun, glad we saw it. I like horses, but I'm not a horse person.Keith said he " loved" horses. I had no idea, I learned something. More on Kentucky later.
Hi Mom, miss you. Peace out.
This morning after breakfast we went to Kentucky Horse Park. The place could easily be an all day thing it goes on endlessly.there are museums,many different horses thT you can ride ( we did NOT). they have guided tours that take about 3 hours which we skipped. After the museum which was blessedly airconditioned We did see a show that highlighted several breeds. It was fun, glad we saw it. I like horses, but I'm not a horse person.Keith said he " loved" horses. I had no idea, I learned something. More on Kentucky later.
Hi Mom, miss you. Peace out.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Cruising Through West Virginia
We got going at about 9am. It was a nice easy morning..no parasites and egg mcmuffins for breakfast. We decided to take the back roads through West Virginia for the first leg of the drive. We knew it would take much longer but it's about the journey and not the destination. Lexington Kentucky was our goal for the day and it didn't matter to us what time we got there.
West Virginia is the most densely wooded state we have been through thus far. They don't call them "the mountaineers" for nothing. The terrain and surrounding mountains are steep. The leads are pretty windy, it's a very good thing I brought motion sickness pills. We drove through miles of these small communities, some are named but I would not exactly call them towns but I guess they are. They have post offices and several churches, most look like less than a hundred people live there, but still these small hollows always have more than church, usually Methodist and or Baptist. Being Sunday morning we could see sometimes 4 to 6 cars and sometimes as many as 20 cars parked out back of the churches. This really is the bible belt. There are Jesus slogans everywhere you look. As Keith said with this much poverty alls they may have is their faith. There is extreme poverty. Really broken down mobile homes and houses that look as if they are ready to collapse but are clearly inhabited. Front porches and yards loaded with " stuff" I may think it's junk but to them it may be treasures. What I found interesting was that there many nice homes as well and they were not in separate areas. So we saw ramshackeled homes next to homes that were lovely and freshly painted with well tended yards. I could not help thinking what it would be like to grow up here. For sure everyone knows everyone else's business. If you were different in any way I imagine it would be difficult. On the other hand it is beautiful country and the closeness of the community could be a comfort during hard times.
Coal is king in West Virginia and we drove by many coal mines and coal processing plants. Huge mountains of the stuff and long shoots to transport it form the site to to where they did whatever it is they do to it. There are clear differences between Virginia and West Virginia. We saw tons of State Police in Virginia, as you know I met one myself. We saw none in WV . In Virginia the roads are pristine, in WV there is litter lining the roads. In Virginia they have really nice rest stops with clean bathrooms. In West Virginia we had to pull over and pee in the woods ( just keeping it real). The have and the have nots, sadly nothing new. Still natural beauty is everywhere there too.
As we pulled off the highway into Lexington Kentucky it started to pour down rain. Not just a regular downpour but heavy sideways rain where you could not see even with the windshield wipers going on full speed. I found our hotel without any drama and here we are. From the land of steep mountains to the gentle rolling hills of Kentucky, the journey continues. More on Kentucky next time. Till then...Hi Mom and Peace out.
"
West Virginia is the most densely wooded state we have been through thus far. They don't call them "the mountaineers" for nothing. The terrain and surrounding mountains are steep. The leads are pretty windy, it's a very good thing I brought motion sickness pills. We drove through miles of these small communities, some are named but I would not exactly call them towns but I guess they are. They have post offices and several churches, most look like less than a hundred people live there, but still these small hollows always have more than church, usually Methodist and or Baptist. Being Sunday morning we could see sometimes 4 to 6 cars and sometimes as many as 20 cars parked out back of the churches. This really is the bible belt. There are Jesus slogans everywhere you look. As Keith said with this much poverty alls they may have is their faith. There is extreme poverty. Really broken down mobile homes and houses that look as if they are ready to collapse but are clearly inhabited. Front porches and yards loaded with " stuff" I may think it's junk but to them it may be treasures. What I found interesting was that there many nice homes as well and they were not in separate areas. So we saw ramshackeled homes next to homes that were lovely and freshly painted with well tended yards. I could not help thinking what it would be like to grow up here. For sure everyone knows everyone else's business. If you were different in any way I imagine it would be difficult. On the other hand it is beautiful country and the closeness of the community could be a comfort during hard times.
Coal is king in West Virginia and we drove by many coal mines and coal processing plants. Huge mountains of the stuff and long shoots to transport it form the site to to where they did whatever it is they do to it. There are clear differences between Virginia and West Virginia. We saw tons of State Police in Virginia, as you know I met one myself. We saw none in WV . In Virginia the roads are pristine, in WV there is litter lining the roads. In Virginia they have really nice rest stops with clean bathrooms. In West Virginia we had to pull over and pee in the woods ( just keeping it real). The have and the have nots, sadly nothing new. Still natural beauty is everywhere there too.
As we pulled off the highway into Lexington Kentucky it started to pour down rain. Not just a regular downpour but heavy sideways rain where you could not see even with the windshield wipers going on full speed. I found our hotel without any drama and here we are. From the land of steep mountains to the gentle rolling hills of Kentucky, the journey continues. More on Kentucky next time. Till then...Hi Mom and Peace out.
"
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Morning Surprise, Afternoon Delight, Caught In the Act
Well we have had quite a day in Virginia. Last night we got to bed around 2am but I could not fall asleep. Finally around 5am I dozed off. At 8:30 Keith woke me up so we could get a move on. We had an ambitious day planned. He had already been up for a couple of hours and done some laundry. Yes, the boy is a morning person, I have never been. But I got up and chugged some bad coffee. Three and a half hours is not enough sleep but I figured I could catch a nap in the car. So I'm getting ready and I hear my beloved say "oh shit is this a tick?" the answer was yes it is! Located about 4 inches below his belly button ( yes there) was a little brown tick latched on as if it's life depended on it. Out came the tweezers, and I am happy to say the operation was a success. We hope no lime disease is in his future. We think he may have picked it up when he was exploring his cousin Lisa's woods. It probably crawled up his leg and landed where it did. Enough said about that.
After the complimentary continental breakfast we headed out at around 10:30. After looking at the map we decided to skip Monticello cause it would have taken us out of our way and added an additional 4 hours at least to our day. We were very excited about seeing the Luray Canyons and we knew the drive through the Shenandoah Valley would be beautiful. Ever since I heard John Denver sing about this place I have pictured it and longed to see it. Oh my gosh it is beyond description but I'll give it my best shot. Picture green rolling hills and with full trees, rivers running through and ancient mountains on all sides. Everywhere you look there is a postcard. Cows and horses dotting the landscape along with dark red barns as well asnstructures that were probably once farm houses but have long since been vacated. All of it something I will never forget. It goes on forever.
Rice crispies and fruit only goes so far so at 12:30 we stopped in Sperryville VA. Sperryville is a small town, very historic and well just a sweet little place. We came upon a little eatery called "High On the Hog" I knew that was the place for us. Their tag line is" a taste of south in your mouth" I am not making it up. I had the pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw and Keith had a fried fish sandwich. We enjoyed our lunch in their patio where a stream was running by the side and shade trees cooled us off. My pulled pork was as good as a pulled pork sandwich could be. The meat was juicy and sweet with just the right amount of sauce and it was wedged between a soft sesame seed sandwich bun. Perfect. The slaw was refreshing and crunchy and had a good amount of pepper, yummy. Keith said his fish sandwich was "good" high praise coming from him. After lunch we got back on the road and arrived at Luray Caverns at about 2pm. The Luray Cavernsare a U.S natural landmark and the largest caverns on the east coast. We took the tour which lasted about 90 minutes. The cavern is enormous, goes on forever. The stalagmites and stalactites were so spectacular it was hard to believe they were not made by Disney. It was really cool down there but humid at the same time. To get down in to the cavern we went down a long stairway then we wound our way through it. There were guides placed at points of interest. Young well scrubbed and clean cut men and women all locals . They shared facts and interesting bits of history. After the tour we made are way up the very long staircase which conveniently dumps you out at the expansive gift shop. As my mother would say " just a bunch of junk". Still,mi bought a few souvenirs. really, I am not a shopper, and I have not bought much of anything on this trip so far. I would like to pick up some folk art if I find something interesting. I'll keep looking.
We still had about 3 hours to drive before we got to West Virginia where we wanted to spend the night. I got behind the wheel, I like to drive,Keith has been doing most of it, his choice. So I'm getting my groove on listening to NPR weekend programming which we love. The Roads are great not much traffic at all. The posted speed limit is 70 but jeez in Southern Cali we never go the posted speed limit. Never! But this ain't Cali and I got pulled over by the Virginia State Police. He clocked me going 82 but gave me a ticket for 80 so I would not have to appear in court for reckless driving. He was very nice. I told him he had a beautiful state and he agreed and said he had never been to mine, I told him mine was beautiful too. So I put the sped control on 70 , even though Keith told me I could get away with going faster I stayed at 70. We got to our hotel in Beckley West Virginia after 7. We were too tired to go out so we got turkey burgers and ice cream . Just fine. So far we have travelled since arriving in Atlanta 1514 miles. We still have a week to go. Tomorrow Kentucky.
Peace out. Hi Mom we love you!
After the complimentary continental breakfast we headed out at around 10:30. After looking at the map we decided to skip Monticello cause it would have taken us out of our way and added an additional 4 hours at least to our day. We were very excited about seeing the Luray Canyons and we knew the drive through the Shenandoah Valley would be beautiful. Ever since I heard John Denver sing about this place I have pictured it and longed to see it. Oh my gosh it is beyond description but I'll give it my best shot. Picture green rolling hills and with full trees, rivers running through and ancient mountains on all sides. Everywhere you look there is a postcard. Cows and horses dotting the landscape along with dark red barns as well asnstructures that were probably once farm houses but have long since been vacated. All of it something I will never forget. It goes on forever.
Rice crispies and fruit only goes so far so at 12:30 we stopped in Sperryville VA. Sperryville is a small town, very historic and well just a sweet little place. We came upon a little eatery called "High On the Hog" I knew that was the place for us. Their tag line is" a taste of south in your mouth" I am not making it up. I had the pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw and Keith had a fried fish sandwich. We enjoyed our lunch in their patio where a stream was running by the side and shade trees cooled us off. My pulled pork was as good as a pulled pork sandwich could be. The meat was juicy and sweet with just the right amount of sauce and it was wedged between a soft sesame seed sandwich bun. Perfect. The slaw was refreshing and crunchy and had a good amount of pepper, yummy. Keith said his fish sandwich was "good" high praise coming from him. After lunch we got back on the road and arrived at Luray Caverns at about 2pm. The Luray Cavernsare a U.S natural landmark and the largest caverns on the east coast. We took the tour which lasted about 90 minutes. The cavern is enormous, goes on forever. The stalagmites and stalactites were so spectacular it was hard to believe they were not made by Disney. It was really cool down there but humid at the same time. To get down in to the cavern we went down a long stairway then we wound our way through it. There were guides placed at points of interest. Young well scrubbed and clean cut men and women all locals . They shared facts and interesting bits of history. After the tour we made are way up the very long staircase which conveniently dumps you out at the expansive gift shop. As my mother would say " just a bunch of junk". Still,mi bought a few souvenirs. really, I am not a shopper, and I have not bought much of anything on this trip so far. I would like to pick up some folk art if I find something interesting. I'll keep looking.
We still had about 3 hours to drive before we got to West Virginia where we wanted to spend the night. I got behind the wheel, I like to drive,Keith has been doing most of it, his choice. So I'm getting my groove on listening to NPR weekend programming which we love. The Roads are great not much traffic at all. The posted speed limit is 70 but jeez in Southern Cali we never go the posted speed limit. Never! But this ain't Cali and I got pulled over by the Virginia State Police. He clocked me going 82 but gave me a ticket for 80 so I would not have to appear in court for reckless driving. He was very nice. I told him he had a beautiful state and he agreed and said he had never been to mine, I told him mine was beautiful too. So I put the sped control on 70 , even though Keith told me I could get away with going faster I stayed at 70. We got to our hotel in Beckley West Virginia after 7. We were too tired to go out so we got turkey burgers and ice cream . Just fine. So far we have travelled since arriving in Atlanta 1514 miles. We still have a week to go. Tomorrow Kentucky.
Peace out. Hi Mom we love you!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Family Reunion
We just got back to our room after having spent the evening at Keith's cousin Lisa and her husband Dan's home in Powhatan Virgina. They have 19 acres of spectacular horse property and a beautiful home. It was at one time a plantation that was later sub divided into parcels. They have 4 horses , 3 goats, 5 dogs, and 20 cats. Needless to say Lisa is an animal lover. I liked her right away. Her son Ryan and Keith's uncle Bob who is Lisa's dad were there. Keith's cousin Steve , who lives outside of Washington DC and his wife Linda came as well. Keith had not seen Lisa in over 40 years, so it was very sweet. We took a tour of the property,and they have their own woods! The barn that Lisa designed is nicer than many homes. It really was unlike anything I have ever seen. This family is very musical. After we had Chinese take out all the boys took out their instruments and played together. Ryan used to be the band leader for the Glen Miller Orchresta, Uncle Bob plays the trumpet, Steve plays mandolin, Keith played his guitar. Linda,Lisa and I hung out and talked listening to the boys in the next room. I am really happy that Keith has reconnected with these good folks. I do believe we will come back to visit, next time for a bit longer. We also really hope they come out to Cali.
Virginia is green like the rest of the South but has a different feel. It's hard to explain but as we drove through the back roads it was easy to imagine what it may have been like 150 years ago during the civil war. I also imagined how terrifying it must have been for slaves trying to escape through the thick woods.
Tomorrow we are going to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate and Luray Caverns.
Peace out.
Virginia is green like the rest of the South but has a different feel. It's hard to explain but as we drove through the back roads it was easy to imagine what it may have been like 150 years ago during the civil war. I also imagined how terrifying it must have been for slaves trying to escape through the thick woods.
Tomorrow we are going to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate and Luray Caverns.
Peace out.
From the home of the crab to the land of the pig
Inknow I usually post in the evening but there is a chance that I won't get back in time tonight or that I will be to sleepy. So here is an early post. In will include tonight's happenings in my next one. I want my Mom to have an entry for today, so this is for you Mom.
After our breakfast this morning we hit the road leaving Kitty Hawk North Carolina and headed to Richmond Virginia around 10 am. Before I go any further let me update you on Keith, he is not nutty brown as he predicted, he is decidedly red. Still cute but in a red way. Ok, the trip... About 45 minutes into it on 158 west in waterlilly we saw a sign that said "inmates working" now in Cali we see " weekend warriors" all the time picking up trash in their orange vests. But these inmates were in black and white striped pajama type uniforms just like in the movies. Another point of interest was a sign in Sunberry NC that stated "Beware of swamp land around here don't get stuck" . I have remarked more than once to Keith that it would be easy to bury/ dispose of a body in the south. The sides of the roads are so dense with trees and often marshy and dark. I know what you are thinking, no worries.
Just Before we crossed into Virginia we stopped at a small market to use the restroom. Now up until this point I have been pleasantly surprised to see how clean all the bathrooms have been. Oy Vay, this one stopped the clean bathroom streak in it's tracks. But when a girl has to go she has to go so I just tried to not touch anything and used a ton of hand sanitizer.
We crossed into the proud state of Virginia around noon. We drove through Suffolk which looks like it s making a half assed attempt at gentrification. Not quite there yet, still quaint but hickyish. Fun fact....Virginia is the Peanut Capitol of the World, yeas the whole world.There are signs for peanuts EVERYWHERE!
Because we have been having breakfast every morning and going out for dinner every night we have been virtuos and skipping lunch. But today I was hungry so we stopped in Wakefield at the world famous Virginia Diner . It was very crowded and there seemed to be a lot of locals. They had a buffet but you can also order off the menu. Did you know that Keith hates buffets, won't eat at them ever. In think it's interesting that for someone who grew up poor he really insists on service and tries to go first class all the time. As he says " I've learned to like nice stuff". I did not grow up rich but very middle class and I would be fine at a budget motel ( now and then) and I like a good buffet. But I have learned to adapt to the royal treatment he enjoys. Ok back to lunch...the buffet had fried chicken and other fried stuff plus all the southern sides like collard greens, black eyed peas, okra, BBQ chicken & pork, yams, Mac and cheese. It just seemed too much for for lunch. On the menu they had a section called the "lighter side". We are not talking about salads and tofu it was just smaller portions of everything . I ordered the country ham biscuit sandwiches which were 3 slider sized biscuits with ham, dry no mayo mustard or anything. There were 4 slices of sweet dill pickle on the plate but nothing else.I asked for some mustard which they brought. The ham was so incredibly salty my lips are chapped from it. I ordered it cause I love a good biscuit but these we not great I took the tops off all of them topped the ham with drop of mustard and a pickle slice. It was a disappointment so I ordered a piece of their "legendary peanut pie" . It was like pecan pie but with peanuts and not as good. Keith had a cup of vegetable beef soup and a BLT. He said the soup was very good and the sandwich was fine. With all the great meals we have had this one lousy one won't kill me. I have been trying to eat the local faire, Keith generally eats whatever he feels like. If there is soup available he will order it, it doesn't matter if it is 115 degrees out. I understand cause if I was standing in the snow barefoot I could eat ice cream which is my favorite thing in the world to eat.
Well we just checked into our room and I need to get ready to go to Keith's cousin's house where they are going to have a family reunion of sorts. As children they played together but have not seen each other in 40 years. His uncle and some other cousins will be there too. I'll tell you all about it later. So until tonight or maybe tomorrow morning...Peace out.
After our breakfast this morning we hit the road leaving Kitty Hawk North Carolina and headed to Richmond Virginia around 10 am. Before I go any further let me update you on Keith, he is not nutty brown as he predicted, he is decidedly red. Still cute but in a red way. Ok, the trip... About 45 minutes into it on 158 west in waterlilly we saw a sign that said "inmates working" now in Cali we see " weekend warriors" all the time picking up trash in their orange vests. But these inmates were in black and white striped pajama type uniforms just like in the movies. Another point of interest was a sign in Sunberry NC that stated "Beware of swamp land around here don't get stuck" . I have remarked more than once to Keith that it would be easy to bury/ dispose of a body in the south. The sides of the roads are so dense with trees and often marshy and dark. I know what you are thinking, no worries.
Just Before we crossed into Virginia we stopped at a small market to use the restroom. Now up until this point I have been pleasantly surprised to see how clean all the bathrooms have been. Oy Vay, this one stopped the clean bathroom streak in it's tracks. But when a girl has to go she has to go so I just tried to not touch anything and used a ton of hand sanitizer.
We crossed into the proud state of Virginia around noon. We drove through Suffolk which looks like it s making a half assed attempt at gentrification. Not quite there yet, still quaint but hickyish. Fun fact....Virginia is the Peanut Capitol of the World, yeas the whole world.There are signs for peanuts EVERYWHERE!
Because we have been having breakfast every morning and going out for dinner every night we have been virtuos and skipping lunch. But today I was hungry so we stopped in Wakefield at the world famous Virginia Diner . It was very crowded and there seemed to be a lot of locals. They had a buffet but you can also order off the menu. Did you know that Keith hates buffets, won't eat at them ever. In think it's interesting that for someone who grew up poor he really insists on service and tries to go first class all the time. As he says " I've learned to like nice stuff". I did not grow up rich but very middle class and I would be fine at a budget motel ( now and then) and I like a good buffet. But I have learned to adapt to the royal treatment he enjoys. Ok back to lunch...the buffet had fried chicken and other fried stuff plus all the southern sides like collard greens, black eyed peas, okra, BBQ chicken & pork, yams, Mac and cheese. It just seemed too much for for lunch. On the menu they had a section called the "lighter side". We are not talking about salads and tofu it was just smaller portions of everything . I ordered the country ham biscuit sandwiches which were 3 slider sized biscuits with ham, dry no mayo mustard or anything. There were 4 slices of sweet dill pickle on the plate but nothing else.I asked for some mustard which they brought. The ham was so incredibly salty my lips are chapped from it. I ordered it cause I love a good biscuit but these we not great I took the tops off all of them topped the ham with drop of mustard and a pickle slice. It was a disappointment so I ordered a piece of their "legendary peanut pie" . It was like pecan pie but with peanuts and not as good. Keith had a cup of vegetable beef soup and a BLT. He said the soup was very good and the sandwich was fine. With all the great meals we have had this one lousy one won't kill me. I have been trying to eat the local faire, Keith generally eats whatever he feels like. If there is soup available he will order it, it doesn't matter if it is 115 degrees out. I understand cause if I was standing in the snow barefoot I could eat ice cream which is my favorite thing in the world to eat.
Well we just checked into our room and I need to get ready to go to Keith's cousin's house where they are going to have a family reunion of sorts. As children they played together but have not seen each other in 40 years. His uncle and some other cousins will be there too. I'll tell you all about it later. So until tonight or maybe tomorrow morning...Peace out.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Total Chill
First I must start by saying I apologize for all my spelling and grammar errors both past, present, and future. I do not proof read these posts cause I usually do them before I go to bed and I am too tired by that time. I know many of you might think I am a little tipsy when I write these, I may be some of the time but not most of the time. But remember I am on vacation, so cut me some slack, thanks friends.
So after a sensible breakfast of fruit and cereal ( frosted flakes my vacation cereal) I hit the beach. Cabana boy had set up our umbrella and chairs so I was set. It was a bit cooler today which was nice but it was a little windy. The water was pleasant but the surf was a bit rough so I got in once, got knocked on my ass, so I pretty much stuck to the shore which was just fine. I just gazed at the water and listened to " this American life episodes for about 5 hours. It was pretty perfect. Keith joined me for some of the time but also left for a couple hours to see the Wright Brothers Museum at Kill Devil Hill, Kitty Hawk. I had no interest what so ever, sue me. Before I got In the sun I sprayed myself with sunscreen. Did I mention it was windy? Apparently I missed several areas, the wind blowing the spray off my body as I now have large areas that are fried. Very big patches on my legs in random areas that are really burnt. Keith on the other hand put no sun screen on and is burnt all over. He is unconcerned and believes he will be toasty brown tomorrow. NOT.I'll let you know how it turns out for him.
Based on abrecommendation from Keith's new BFF the bartender we went to the Blue Point restaurant in The town of Duck.Duck is very affluent, it reminded me a bit of Cape Cod but southern. The Blue Point was gorgeous, the best spot on the island to view the sunset which we did, it took my breath away. We had another great meal. I am getting so spoiled, or more spoiled, you pick. I started with a summer mellon salad which consisted of perfectly ripe cubes of watermelon and cantaloup on top of thin slices of Virginia ham with tarragon and arugala, all drizzled with a very light dressing. It reminded me of procuitto and melon that we had in Italy but southern. My main course was a crab sauté which was lump crab sauted with slivers of smoked salmon ands chives topped witb heirloom tomatoes. I washed it down with two glasses of champagne, cause I can, cause I'm on vacation. It was really really good. Keith started with a cold potato and crab soup and followed by crab cakes which had no filler that I could detect. He had beer with his meal. They also served the most delicate and yummy squares of cornbread along with sliced baquet. We were too stuffed for dessert not even our nightly cones. It was a good day. Tomorrow we are off to Richmond Virginia where Keith will see a cousin he has not seen for almost 40 years. It should be fun. I'll let you know.
Peace out.
So after a sensible breakfast of fruit and cereal ( frosted flakes my vacation cereal) I hit the beach. Cabana boy had set up our umbrella and chairs so I was set. It was a bit cooler today which was nice but it was a little windy. The water was pleasant but the surf was a bit rough so I got in once, got knocked on my ass, so I pretty much stuck to the shore which was just fine. I just gazed at the water and listened to " this American life episodes for about 5 hours. It was pretty perfect. Keith joined me for some of the time but also left for a couple hours to see the Wright Brothers Museum at Kill Devil Hill, Kitty Hawk. I had no interest what so ever, sue me. Before I got In the sun I sprayed myself with sunscreen. Did I mention it was windy? Apparently I missed several areas, the wind blowing the spray off my body as I now have large areas that are fried. Very big patches on my legs in random areas that are really burnt. Keith on the other hand put no sun screen on and is burnt all over. He is unconcerned and believes he will be toasty brown tomorrow. NOT.I'll let you know how it turns out for him.
Based on abrecommendation from Keith's new BFF the bartender we went to the Blue Point restaurant in The town of Duck.Duck is very affluent, it reminded me a bit of Cape Cod but southern. The Blue Point was gorgeous, the best spot on the island to view the sunset which we did, it took my breath away. We had another great meal. I am getting so spoiled, or more spoiled, you pick. I started with a summer mellon salad which consisted of perfectly ripe cubes of watermelon and cantaloup on top of thin slices of Virginia ham with tarragon and arugala, all drizzled with a very light dressing. It reminded me of procuitto and melon that we had in Italy but southern. My main course was a crab sauté which was lump crab sauted with slivers of smoked salmon ands chives topped witb heirloom tomatoes. I washed it down with two glasses of champagne, cause I can, cause I'm on vacation. It was really really good. Keith started with a cold potato and crab soup and followed by crab cakes which had no filler that I could detect. He had beer with his meal. They also served the most delicate and yummy squares of cornbread along with sliced baquet. We were too stuffed for dessert not even our nightly cones. It was a good day. Tomorrow we are off to Richmond Virginia where Keith will see a cousin he has not seen for almost 40 years. It should be fun. I'll let you know.
Peace out.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
In the Land of Andy & Yogi?
Left Ocean Isle North Carolina at 6am and headed for Kitty Hawk on the outer banks of North Carolina. We took secondary roads the whole way so we could go through the towns and get a feel for where we were at. North Carolina is much more affluent than Georgia I think and even more than South Carolina. Lots of plantations (that term creeps me out but thats what they're called), lots of golf courses. But there are still plenty of small towns that are clearly going through hard times. We stopped in one called New Bern for breakfast. It had a community college and some churches but it really made me wonder what there is for the young folks here, do they all move away? What do they do for work if they stay. I had my iPad out during breakfast and my waitress was fascinated by it, didn't know what it was. I know that could happen in Cali too but they probably only have one Apple Store in the whole state.
You know how when you bare on a long drive and you get lot in your thoughts? You might wonder about the history of the place or maybe it triggers some memories for you. Perhaps it ouches you in a spiritual way. Well, we had been driving listening to music and all the sudden Keith says " this is Mayberry Country " as in Andy Griffith. Ok, nothing weird about that and in fact he is right. But then a couple of minutes later he asks " is this where Yogi Bear is from?" I replied that he was a cartoon character and therefore not from anywhere and went back to our won private musings. We later stopped at a farm stand cause I had not had any fruit since we left home. I bought peaches and blueberries. Yesterday Keith picked up some boiled peanuts. We had seen signs for them everywhere and I said I wanted to try them. Being the thoughtful guy he is he bought some and we both agree they are nasty! They are wet, soggy, soft, and taste like over cooked beans. Really yucky.
So we finally got to Kitty Hawk about 1pm but could not get into our room till after 3. So we sat on the pier and went to the bar. It is really pretty the beach is fantastic, clear waters white sand. We are staying at the Hilton and Keith is already best friends with the bar tender and cabana guy. We will be hooked up tomorrow. Keith has cabana boy setting us up with umbrellas and chairs tomorrow and I wouldn't b e surprised if we got beach service from his bud the bartender.
Once in the room a nap was irresistible. We were hot and sweaty and had been up since super early. Keith's bud the bartender recommended a place called Ocean Boulevard for dinner. I fully intended to have fish, I really did. I have been trying to make healthy choices a portion of the time. But crap they had grilled duck breast with foie gras potato gnocchi served with Swiss chard and squash. How can anyone say no to that. It was so good. The duck was lean and served medium rare and not greasy at all. It had a sauce of peach gastrique . It was not heavy like duck can sometimes be. Keith had paella and crab bisque. Yes I had 2 glasses of wine it chilled and crisp. After we stopped by baileys ice cream parlor for cones. His chocolate mine coffee. It was called Edys but it is better known to Usonian the west coast as Drewyers. Keith is now snoring and I am ready to join him.
Peace out.
You know how when you bare on a long drive and you get lot in your thoughts? You might wonder about the history of the place or maybe it triggers some memories for you. Perhaps it ouches you in a spiritual way. Well, we had been driving listening to music and all the sudden Keith says " this is Mayberry Country " as in Andy Griffith. Ok, nothing weird about that and in fact he is right. But then a couple of minutes later he asks " is this where Yogi Bear is from?" I replied that he was a cartoon character and therefore not from anywhere and went back to our won private musings. We later stopped at a farm stand cause I had not had any fruit since we left home. I bought peaches and blueberries. Yesterday Keith picked up some boiled peanuts. We had seen signs for them everywhere and I said I wanted to try them. Being the thoughtful guy he is he bought some and we both agree they are nasty! They are wet, soggy, soft, and taste like over cooked beans. Really yucky.
So we finally got to Kitty Hawk about 1pm but could not get into our room till after 3. So we sat on the pier and went to the bar. It is really pretty the beach is fantastic, clear waters white sand. We are staying at the Hilton and Keith is already best friends with the bar tender and cabana guy. We will be hooked up tomorrow. Keith has cabana boy setting us up with umbrellas and chairs tomorrow and I wouldn't b e surprised if we got beach service from his bud the bartender.
Once in the room a nap was irresistible. We were hot and sweaty and had been up since super early. Keith's bud the bartender recommended a place called Ocean Boulevard for dinner. I fully intended to have fish, I really did. I have been trying to make healthy choices a portion of the time. But crap they had grilled duck breast with foie gras potato gnocchi served with Swiss chard and squash. How can anyone say no to that. It was so good. The duck was lean and served medium rare and not greasy at all. It had a sauce of peach gastrique . It was not heavy like duck can sometimes be. Keith had paella and crab bisque. Yes I had 2 glasses of wine it chilled and crisp. After we stopped by baileys ice cream parlor for cones. His chocolate mine coffee. It was called Edys but it is better known to Usonian the west coast as Drewyers. Keith is now snoring and I am ready to join him.
Peace out.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Wait where are we again?
Hello from Ocean Isle North Carolina. Or is it South Carolina? No it's North. I got it. Ok. We took off this morning from Savannah at about 6am and drove for a bit over 6 hours. We took our time, got off the main road so we could go through the towns and countryside. It is lush and beautiful and mostly rural. We drove by lots of soy bean crops and indigo too. We had breakfast at a Stucky's which is a chain kind of like Bobs Big Boy in the old days. On our
satalight radio we listened to classic rock and NPR and the coffee shop station. While it was sweltering outside we were cool as cucumbers, it was a fun drive and the time flew by. We had loosley planned to Stay in Myrtle Beach but when we saw it decided to keep on going. Myrtle Beach was crowded and schlocky. There were what seemed like thousands of children. Now don't get me wrong I do not hate kids. If they belong to someone I know or are related to me I actually get fond of them. But random kids are not my thing. For one thing they pee in swimming pools, and I planned on swimming. Also they tend to travel in packs and are loud. So we moved on. Here is a fun fact..when we passed through North Myrtle Beach the sign said "birth place of Vannah White" who knew. There was also a street called possum run. Weird right? I have tried to identify road kill when I see it but there is one splat I have seen several times that is unfamiliar I think it may be armadillo but really I am guessing. Hard to tell when it's all squished .
When we got here we liked that it was not crowded and we found a great place right on the beach. These beaches are really nice with beautiful dunes and tall grasses. The sand is white and there are tons of shells. I went for a swim and the water was warm. So relaxing. We are south of Cape Fear so pretty far down there. Keith went for a walk on the beach and because he was looking for shells didn't realize how far down the beach he was. Turns out he was about four miles down and then he had to walk back! When he got to the hotel he was wiped out. After a 2 hour nap he felt much better. We just got back from a relaxed dinner. We both had fish that was not fried! We stopped at an ice cream parlor where the locals hang. The place was packed ( lots of kids but what are you gonna do? They were actually cute and fun to watch). They made their own ice cream and it was good, chocolate for him, mint chocolate chip for me. We sat in rocking chairs in front and enjoyed our cones. It was a sweet way to end a sweet
day.
Peace out.
satalight radio we listened to classic rock and NPR and the coffee shop station. While it was sweltering outside we were cool as cucumbers, it was a fun drive and the time flew by. We had loosley planned to Stay in Myrtle Beach but when we saw it decided to keep on going. Myrtle Beach was crowded and schlocky. There were what seemed like thousands of children. Now don't get me wrong I do not hate kids. If they belong to someone I know or are related to me I actually get fond of them. But random kids are not my thing. For one thing they pee in swimming pools, and I planned on swimming. Also they tend to travel in packs and are loud. So we moved on. Here is a fun fact..when we passed through North Myrtle Beach the sign said "birth place of Vannah White" who knew. There was also a street called possum run. Weird right? I have tried to identify road kill when I see it but there is one splat I have seen several times that is unfamiliar I think it may be armadillo but really I am guessing. Hard to tell when it's all squished .
When we got here we liked that it was not crowded and we found a great place right on the beach. These beaches are really nice with beautiful dunes and tall grasses. The sand is white and there are tons of shells. I went for a swim and the water was warm. So relaxing. We are south of Cape Fear so pretty far down there. Keith went for a walk on the beach and because he was looking for shells didn't realize how far down the beach he was. Turns out he was about four miles down and then he had to walk back! When he got to the hotel he was wiped out. After a 2 hour nap he felt much better. We just got back from a relaxed dinner. We both had fish that was not fried! We stopped at an ice cream parlor where the locals hang. The place was packed ( lots of kids but what are you gonna do? They were actually cute and fun to watch). They made their own ice cream and it was good, chocolate for him, mint chocolate chip for me. We sat in rocking chairs in front and enjoyed our cones. It was a sweet way to end a sweet
day.
Peace out.
Savannah Part 2
Soo.. After I left Gerry Spence the famous drunk trespassing hairdresser but all in all nice chap I made my way to the Juliette Gorden Low House. She was the founder of the Girl Scouts which was a fairly subversive act for it's time. Even though I was kicked out of the girl scouts ( a story for another time and place, they did ask me to return but I declined) I still love what they stand for. The Girl Scouts unlike the boy scout org ( the boy scouts are super homophobic and proudly discriminate against gay boys and men, they also mandate that the scout pledge to God) are inclusive and empower girls and young women. My kinda folks. Plus the cookies are off the hook. I chatted with the scouts working there scoped out the gift shop but did not take the tour. It was getting late in the day and I was dying for a shower.
That evening Keith and I went to the highly recommended Elizabeth on 37th for dinner. It is a fine place to sup, for sure. It is in a mansion built in 1900, really something to behold. The service was perfect, everyone was so nice but not stuffy at all even though it was fine dining. I started off with champagne which I continued to drink throughout the evening. Keith had clams and followed with flounder and shrimp. In started with scallops with ginger and followed with flounder served with butter beans and corn pudding. Everything was very good, all the produce was from their garden and the seafood was caught locally as well. We ended
with blueberry peach pie. The food was only part of the experience, what made it so special was our server. We began to chat and found out that he and his brother own the place and came out of retirement to raise money for the exiled monks and nuns of Tibet to build them a much needed water system. Tragically, Buddhist Nuns and Monks are dying from diseases caused by dirty water. He then showed us pictures with him and his holiness the Dali Lama. They are friends. We listened to him speak about metaphysics which after the champagne was too over my head but made sense in an instinctive way. I told my understanding of the teachings of the Dali Lama was that really it just comes down to love, that that is the only thing that matters. He agreed that love and compassion were it and the only way to happiness is to try to make others happy, that we won't attain happiness if we only focus on ourselves. Keith and I fell in love with this guy. He was very humble but had this magical aura about him . He is walking the talk, and serving great food to boot.
Peace out.
That evening Keith and I went to the highly recommended Elizabeth on 37th for dinner. It is a fine place to sup, for sure. It is in a mansion built in 1900, really something to behold. The service was perfect, everyone was so nice but not stuffy at all even though it was fine dining. I started off with champagne which I continued to drink throughout the evening. Keith had clams and followed with flounder and shrimp. In started with scallops with ginger and followed with flounder served with butter beans and corn pudding. Everything was very good, all the produce was from their garden and the seafood was caught locally as well. We ended
with blueberry peach pie. The food was only part of the experience, what made it so special was our server. We began to chat and found out that he and his brother own the place and came out of retirement to raise money for the exiled monks and nuns of Tibet to build them a much needed water system. Tragically, Buddhist Nuns and Monks are dying from diseases caused by dirty water. He then showed us pictures with him and his holiness the Dali Lama. They are friends. We listened to him speak about metaphysics which after the champagne was too over my head but made sense in an instinctive way. I told my understanding of the teachings of the Dali Lama was that really it just comes down to love, that that is the only thing that matters. He agreed that love and compassion were it and the only way to happiness is to try to make others happy, that we won't attain happiness if we only focus on ourselves. Keith and I fell in love with this guy. He was very humble but had this magical aura about him . He is walking the talk, and serving great food to boot.
Peace out.
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Hairdresser, happily lost, Mrs. Wilkes, and Elizabeth
Readers beware, I have had too much champagne tonight so my spelling will be worse than usual, I do apologize in advance. Savannah is a very interesting place. Beautiful and gentile, but also smoldering and full Of eccentrics. The city is home to these live oak trees that are draped with Spanish moss, they look ancient and somehow mysterious. IAccording to Duke University Savannah has more ghosts than any other place in the country. I believe it.
We started on our Trolly tour of the city at 9am. A bitbafter 10 we hopped off and got in line to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding house. Wevhad heard that this was the best place to have lunch(the only meal they serve). President Obama ate there over a year ago. The service is family style and you are seated at large tables with other guests, we met some great folks there. about 20 sides are served along with The Best Fried Chicken. There were like 5 potato dishes, Mac and cheese, greens, beans, okra ( slimy), yams, yellow squash, cucumber salad, black eyed peas, two kinds of rice, biscuits, corn muffins, gravy, beef stew, molasses, and of douse all are served sweet tea. For dessert chice of peach cobbler or banana cream pie. I did not try everything, I showed great restraint. But the chicken and biscuits were very good. It was more about the experience for me. It was so warm and welcoming. When you were done you carried your plates and glass to the kitchen. It was a unique dining experience and very memorable.
Because Keith and I have been together 24/7 and we wanted to see different things we split up after lunch and agreed to meet back at the hotel before dinner. I highly recommend this strategy. Even the happiest of couples need a break from each other, and I need time to myself. Its fun to then come together to share your solo adventure. So off I went. I got back on the trolly tour but I got off oat the wrong stop. Of course cause getting lost when it's 108 is just what I wanted to do. So I wandered around went about 15 blocks out of my way, but
I enjoyed it, no really I did. I took time to take in the gorgeous historic distrct. Before I
finally found my destination I purchased some water and sat on a bench in one of the many
Squares which are like mini parks. So I'm sitting there soaked from sweat due to the humidity but very content. The walk has done me good and given me a chance to ponder my experience o far. So I'm sitting there drinking my water and this guy comes over and sits next to me and says his name is Gerry and he is the hair dresser from the movie and book " midnight in the garden of good and evil" . This is the book that in sired me to see Savannah! I was a bit skeptical as this guy was at least a bit drunk. I asked him what he was doing these days and he told me gave private tours of secret gardens and did I want one. Gerry said he knew everyone in the city and all the dirt too. I declined the offer, but he insisted I take his number just in case. I later found out heis infamous trespassing in people's gardens who he does not know . Consider this part 1, I'll have to finish the saga tomorrow..the champagne has gotten the better of me.
We started on our Trolly tour of the city at 9am. A bitbafter 10 we hopped off and got in line to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding house. Wevhad heard that this was the best place to have lunch(the only meal they serve). President Obama ate there over a year ago. The service is family style and you are seated at large tables with other guests, we met some great folks there. about 20 sides are served along with The Best Fried Chicken. There were like 5 potato dishes, Mac and cheese, greens, beans, okra ( slimy), yams, yellow squash, cucumber salad, black eyed peas, two kinds of rice, biscuits, corn muffins, gravy, beef stew, molasses, and of douse all are served sweet tea. For dessert chice of peach cobbler or banana cream pie. I did not try everything, I showed great restraint. But the chicken and biscuits were very good. It was more about the experience for me. It was so warm and welcoming. When you were done you carried your plates and glass to the kitchen. It was a unique dining experience and very memorable.
Because Keith and I have been together 24/7 and we wanted to see different things we split up after lunch and agreed to meet back at the hotel before dinner. I highly recommend this strategy. Even the happiest of couples need a break from each other, and I need time to myself. Its fun to then come together to share your solo adventure. So off I went. I got back on the trolly tour but I got off oat the wrong stop. Of course cause getting lost when it's 108 is just what I wanted to do. So I wandered around went about 15 blocks out of my way, but
I enjoyed it, no really I did. I took time to take in the gorgeous historic distrct. Before I
finally found my destination I purchased some water and sat on a bench in one of the many
Squares which are like mini parks. So I'm sitting there soaked from sweat due to the humidity but very content. The walk has done me good and given me a chance to ponder my experience o far. So I'm sitting there drinking my water and this guy comes over and sits next to me and says his name is Gerry and he is the hair dresser from the movie and book " midnight in the garden of good and evil" . This is the book that in sired me to see Savannah! I was a bit skeptical as this guy was at least a bit drunk. I asked him what he was doing these days and he told me gave private tours of secret gardens and did I want one. Gerry said he knew everyone in the city and all the dirt too. I declined the offer, but he insisted I take his number just in case. I later found out heis infamous trespassing in people's gardens who he does not know . Consider this part 1, I'll have to finish the saga tomorrow..the champagne has gotten the better of me.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Crabby can be good
Savannah is such an elegant city, we have only seen a small section, enough to make me excited about our trolly tour of the city tomorrow. I like these trophy tours cause they usually have pretty good and knowledgeable guides and you can get on and off all day. It is a very pleasant waybto make the most of your stay. This afternoon we walked along the river, Keith enjoyed the fact you could stroll with a beer as long as it is in plastic. The irony is that you can buy alcohol on Sunday's in a bar and walk the streets with it but you cannot purchase it from a store. It's a blue law thing, a nutty southern tradition. I understand there are also some states outside the south that have blue laws too. Makes me appreciate Cali.
Keith and I travel well together. We enjoy each other a lot. He goes out of his way to make sure my needs are taken care of and I like to think I do the same(I'm not taking about those needs, that is none of your business). So I hesitate to complain, really I do, I mean what more could I want right? Well screw it, it must be said Keith likes to see everything and walk in directions where there is nothing to see, just cause. People it is frigging hot. I am talking Africa hot with stunning humidity. Ok I feel better. I will say that we do pack it in and the exercise is much needed. Ok I won't complain again, at least not here.
In spite of taking the long way we ended up at a great restaurant called Belford's. I had amazing crab cakes with this great tomato jam( they gave me the recipe) ! Keth had she crab stew and crab ravioli. We ended with peach ice cream for me and chocolate for Keith. Tomorrow the city tour .
Peace out.
Keith and I travel well together. We enjoy each other a lot. He goes out of his way to make sure my needs are taken care of and I like to think I do the same(I'm not taking about those needs, that is none of your business). So I hesitate to complain, really I do, I mean what more could I want right? Well screw it, it must be said Keith likes to see everything and walk in directions where there is nothing to see, just cause. People it is frigging hot. I am talking Africa hot with stunning humidity. Ok I feel better. I will say that we do pack it in and the exercise is much needed. Ok I won't complain again, at least not here.
In spite of taking the long way we ended up at a great restaurant called Belford's. I had amazing crab cakes with this great tomato jam( they gave me the recipe) ! Keth had she crab stew and crab ravioli. We ended with peach ice cream for me and chocolate for Keith. Tomorrow the city tour .
Peace out.
Georgia On My Mind
We said goodbye to Atlanta for now and headed on 16 East for Savannaha. The country is beautiful, very lush and green. They are having a heat wave which with the humity feels like 120 degrees I swea, and this is heat is making me swear frequently. Every ten minutes or so one of us will say f#%ck it's hot. But, still we are having a blast. I stared seeing signs for Macon. I do not know why but it became imperative that we stop there. So we did, we drove through the town, some of it looked like it had seen better days, and parts were lovely. Big old stately homes, lots of brick and columns. Countless churches, mostly Baptist and Methodist, a large old Catholic church too. Keith mentioned that Wesleyan College was there, a historic all women's college( I think Hilary Clinton went there), so we drove through it. It is an expansive campus with ginourmous Brick buildings most with white columns and an equistrium center that smelled like money. It looked like a great place to spend for years. The student population is only 2300 and including room and board is $ 29,900. It could be worse. By this time we were starving, even Keith who pretends not to care about food. We had breakfast at "the Waffel House" they are all over the south, like every 20 mile you see one. It was kind of like a " Denny's " but southern and cheap. I had grits with my eggs. I was surprised to learn that grits and polenta are the same thing exactly. I was happy. Keith was happy with his greasy chicken cheese and bacon sandwich too. We drove a total of about 250 miles before we got to Savannah. Just checked in . More later. I am locked out of Facebook cause I can't remember my password so those of us who have mutual friends want to post this on your Facebook page feel free.
Peace out
Peace out.
Peace out
Peace out.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Reunion in Atlanta
Keith and I just got back from dinner with my old friend Jay.it was wonderful to see him . He took us to a bear hangout ( bear refers to burly gay men). It was a fun place and we had fried pickles( everything can be fried in the south). I also had ribs which were very good. Everyone is very polite, I mean like unnaturally polite. It is a bit unsettling. Later came back to our ultra hip hotel room and visited some more.it is very special to spend time with someone who has known you your whole life and shares your history/herstory.
Tonight will be an early night. We have been up since 3am . Keith is already snoring. I am going to put in my earplugs, and crash. Tomorrow we are headed to Savannah.
Keith is really snoring I hope I can sleep! But really, he has been so wonderful taking care of all the details making this a great trip so far.
Peace out.
Tonight will be an early night. We have been up since 3am . Keith is already snoring. I am going to put in my earplugs, and crash. Tomorrow we are headed to Savannah.
Keith is really snoring I hope I can sleep! But really, he has been so wonderful taking care of all the details making this a great trip so far.
Peace out.
The alarm sounded off at 3 am, as we had to be at Ontario Airport at 4:30 for our 6am flight. We were on time all was well until... Keith had booked us first class tickets but the boarding passes said otherwise. I was cool either way but he had all the original paperwork ( love being married to a Virgo their anal retentive ways come in handy) so we ended up in first class. Yes it is an indulgence, I know but damn it is so worth it. We don't vacation often so it's a nice splurge. Finally arrived in Atanta and got to our Hotlel. We are staying at the W Atlanta. Very very hip. I think we are the oldest people staying here. Keith carrying his guitar makes us a look a little like we might belong! Yes, he brought his guitar.. Did you think he would be able to be separated from it for two weeks? Clearly not. I need to get ready for dinner, we are meeting my oldest friend Jay. We went to kindergarden through eighth grade together and have stayed connected. We have not seen each other in over ten years.
I am really looking forward to our reunion.
Peace out.
Did I mention it is hot as he'll and really humid, I mean really really humid.
I am really looking forward to our reunion.
Peace out.
Did I mention it is hot as he'll and really humid, I mean really really humid.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Pretrip Prep
Getting ready to take off for our southern adventure on Saturday. House sitter (thanks Sarah!) all set, shopping done, maps & travel books ready, packing tomorrow and we will be off!
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