We get one day in Asheville, so the obvious choice of things to do is the Biltmore Estate. This is my second visit and Joli's first. It's also one of the few things we actually planned on doing before we even left Florida. The place is, of course, huge and magnificent. I won't waste finger taps describing it here, there's more than enough of that elsewhere. The food on the other hand, I can't stop talking about. After touring the house, gardens and grounds, we were ready for a seat and a snack. Oh, and of course, some wine! Lunch at the Bistro was amazing. Yet another Epic Food Score. Both of our meals were fantastic, not that I was surprised considering where're we were. I had salmon cakes with spring leek puree, asparagus bacon hash, crispy polenta, Shiitake and grilled lemon butter. Yeah, it was that damn good. We walked out of there with such a food buzz I seriously had a hard time focusing when we first got in the car to leave. Thankfully the drive to Gatlinburg is short and somewhat familiar. Though I did need the assistance of my faithful copilot as we went through Cherokee and I turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway instead of 441, that would have been a fun 87 mile drive back to Asheville on pitch black mountain roads!
After sorting that out real quick, it was on to the obligatory stop at the overlook at the NC-TN state line, then straight into town to scout a hotel. No Four Points or Marriott here. Just lots and lots of tourist traps. And then we spotted it, a sign we couldn't resist, "theme rooms". Oh hell to the yeah! Swing on in a parking lot, catch some free wifi on the iPad, and check everybody's rates. Surprisingly, the place we had spotted seemed like one of the safer bets in town so we drove back to check it out. After inquiring at the desk, I found they only had one room left, the Asian suite. Sweet. But no, we can't stay the next night, they are overbooked by one room on Friday. Would hate to be that desk clerk, or that guest, later today. Arriving in the room we were pleasantly surprised at how big and nice it was, especially for the bargain price I paid. It's basically a small apartment, with a gas fireplace in the living room and a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom big enough for both of us (we verified).
No going out this time, we have a few bottles of Biltmore Estate wine and some triscuits, that will have to do. Not that there is much to do in town here anyway unless you're on a school trip or just plain lame. We will save the silly tourist stuff for Friday, can't let Joli miss Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede!
So off we go this bright and warm Friday morning to check out Cades's Cove before jumping over to Pigeon Forge for the horsey show. Looks like we will be staying there to follow, and from there, not sure still. Nashville? Atlanta? Who knows. We are just looking to make the most of our last few days. See everyone soon enough. Krag out.
3/17/2011
Road Trip to Nowhere In Particular: Day 4
This trip should be renamed to the "No Mo Tels Tour 2011" since when we left Tampa we had intended to stay mostly in little, old fashioned motor lodges instead of big hotels. Slight problem with that plan though, the American motel is dead. Though no place has had the motel graveyard we witnessed in Vilano Beach, everywhere else they simply don't exist. Shame, shame, shame.
So yesterday was a drive day, what else is there to say? After making my attempt to stop at Big John's on the way out of town to say thanks (not open yet), we took the 178 out of Charleston to the 25 all the way to Asheville. We intentionally avoided the interstate, to enjoy a more leisurely and scenic route. I knew it wouldn't be as fast and that was fine, we're not going for time here. What I DIDN'T know, and no map will tell you, is how many times the speed limit changes. Most of the road is 55, dropping down as you pass through towns. But some of these places play the speed trap game, 55, 45, 35, 45, 25, back to 55. Pick a damn speed andstickto it, please. Not wanting citation in a state that requires you to appear in person, even if you don't contest it, I obeyed them dutifully. This added a good 90 minutes plus to the drive.
It did make it more scenic though. Farmland, farmland, farmland. Big old houses with wraparouund porches, and ancient gas stations. I spotted an old filling station with an American Pickers grade gas pump out front. If I had the means, I would have sought out the owner and made an offer. Somewhere near Greensboro I spotted an amazing vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon sign rotting it's way off the post. Had I been driving truck, it would be in the bed right now. I wish we had been tallying Huddle House restaurants, must have passed a few dozen at least by now.
So we wheeled into town around 8 last night and went straight to another Four Points Hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant, drinks in the room, and girl scout cookies in bed. That was the extent of the adventure.
Today it's off to see the Biltmore Estate. Perhaps this will be our one stop we spend two nights at, we shall see later. Not in any hurry to get back in the car.
Tomorrow's update should be more interesting. Until then...
So yesterday was a drive day, what else is there to say? After making my attempt to stop at Big John's on the way out of town to say thanks (not open yet), we took the 178 out of Charleston to the 25 all the way to Asheville. We intentionally avoided the interstate, to enjoy a more leisurely and scenic route. I knew it wouldn't be as fast and that was fine, we're not going for time here. What I DIDN'T know, and no map will tell you, is how many times the speed limit changes. Most of the road is 55, dropping down as you pass through towns. But some of these places play the speed trap game, 55, 45, 35, 45, 25, back to 55. Pick a damn speed andstickto it, please. Not wanting citation in a state that requires you to appear in person, even if you don't contest it, I obeyed them dutifully. This added a good 90 minutes plus to the drive.
It did make it more scenic though. Farmland, farmland, farmland. Big old houses with wraparouund porches, and ancient gas stations. I spotted an old filling station with an American Pickers grade gas pump out front. If I had the means, I would have sought out the owner and made an offer. Somewhere near Greensboro I spotted an amazing vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon sign rotting it's way off the post. Had I been driving truck, it would be in the bed right now. I wish we had been tallying Huddle House restaurants, must have passed a few dozen at least by now.
So we wheeled into town around 8 last night and went straight to another Four Points Hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant, drinks in the room, and girl scout cookies in bed. That was the extent of the adventure.
Today it's off to see the Biltmore Estate. Perhaps this will be our one stop we spend two nights at, we shall see later. Not in any hurry to get back in the car.
Tomorrow's update should be more interesting. Until then...
3/16/2011
Road Trip to Nowhere In Particular: Day 3
Yeehaw! Georgia to South Carolina. this was a quick, easy drive. With the exception of a slight navigational hiccup in the form of Google directing me onto a road that has been closed for nearly a year to the day. Come on, Big G, I rely on you for many things and always sing your praises, don't make me look bad here. So after correcting our route, and adjusting my attitude with the help of a Waffle House pecan waffle (it is Georgia after all), we were off and running on the state road instead of boring old I-95. As we got closer to Charleston, into a town I can't remember the name of, we started coming across antique stores. And I don't mean the junk shops that pass for antiques back home, I mean ANTIQUES. Huge, old, solid wooden furniture from the ancient homes that are all throughout the area from plantation days. At a place called Livingston's we saw a wardrobe big enough for both of us to fit inside, with the doors shut. If it weren't priced at $29,500 I might have tried, there's probably a talking lion in there somewhere.
From there, onward to Charleston. What a gorgeous scene as you come across the bridge into the city center. And boy, do people here like to jog. And then there's the Citadel cadets, who just have to. Once again, the parking gods must love me this week. First street I try I find a metered space with a two hour limit and an hour and fifty five minutes until the meters aren't enforced. This is another walking friendly town, with the exception of their ancient sidewalks being a bit narrow, when they exist. After a cursory stroll of the city street market and the obligatory tourist traps (same ones we have seen in every town so far) we happened across a magical word painted on the side of a run down old building. Tavern. Jackpot. And not just any tavern, the one all the local waiters and bartenders go to after work. It was the bastard child of Tiny Tap and The Emerald, with the beer selection of House of Beer. Happy times. Our bartender was awesome. Polite and helpful, he gave us more tips than I could remember. Thankfully one or two of the restaurants he recommended I had already spotted and remembered where they were.
From the dark, cozy confines of Big John's, I let Joli and Hotwire work their magic again. She found a place just a few blocks off and we decided she would walk there and check in while I retrieved the car. Good thing we did, you would NEVER find this place from the street. Fulton Place Inn, sounded nice enough. Turns out Fulton place is more of an alley. After missing it at least three times on the confusing, unmarked one way streets, I spotted her on the corner guiding me in on the phone. What a nice place. It's an ancient three story inn with long, wide halls, high ceilings, and plenty of old south charm. And a bargain too, with room service breakfast included and complimentary sherry in the lobby.
After resting and changing, we headed out for dinner. The first two highly recommended dinner places we tried were full up for the night, without reservations. So I called ahead to the place I recalled wonderful smells coming from on our afternoon walk, Fig. Apparently, the head chef there has been on Iron Chef and beat the Iron Chef on taste. And I believe it. They had a table for us, and boy, was I glad they did. Small and beautiful, with an eclectic menu, this place is a winner. I had what was easily in the top three meals I have eaten in my life. Starting with a dram of Dubonnet and an absolutely wonderful beef tartars. Yum yum, I do so enjoy raw meat. Entree was grilled swordfish on an English and white pea ragout. This was hands down the best piece of fish I have ever eaten, EVER. If you are in Charleston, this place is a must. Though we intended to forego dessert and find a place called Speakeasy (you actually have to ask at a doorway and get let in a locked door) for a nightcap, we gave in. Again, glad we did. We opted for the chocolate pudding over burnt caramel topped with hazelnut, olive oil and sea salt. Wow. I mean, WOW! Pure delight.
From there we headed off on a hunt for this secret door. A few blocks later though, the food buzz kicked in and we said the he'll with it and retired for the evening for Canadian Club and a cigar in the courtyard. To tell the truth, the meal was so good, the smoke wasn't even that enjoyable and was snuffed only halfway finished. Our room was quiet and bed comfortable. And being on the third floor, we could enjoy having the window open instead of air conditioning. I slept like a dead man and woke this morning finally feeling totally relaxed, the vacation vibe has finally set in.
Today is a bit longer trek to Asheville, but takes us through beautiful mountain country. Weather has stayed warmer than I expected, I'm actually wishing I brought more shorts. I can hardly wait to get to the Biltmore Estate, if you've never been, you should. Hopefully Big John's will be open by the time we go, so I can pop in and thank Chris for steering us to that wonderful dinner last night.
So far I have taken but few pictures, which is unusual for me. As is writing this much, but I am actually rather enjoying it. Thanks for reading and look for another entry tomorrow. We will be home all too soon.
From there, onward to Charleston. What a gorgeous scene as you come across the bridge into the city center. And boy, do people here like to jog. And then there's the Citadel cadets, who just have to. Once again, the parking gods must love me this week. First street I try I find a metered space with a two hour limit and an hour and fifty five minutes until the meters aren't enforced. This is another walking friendly town, with the exception of their ancient sidewalks being a bit narrow, when they exist. After a cursory stroll of the city street market and the obligatory tourist traps (same ones we have seen in every town so far) we happened across a magical word painted on the side of a run down old building. Tavern. Jackpot. And not just any tavern, the one all the local waiters and bartenders go to after work. It was the bastard child of Tiny Tap and The Emerald, with the beer selection of House of Beer. Happy times. Our bartender was awesome. Polite and helpful, he gave us more tips than I could remember. Thankfully one or two of the restaurants he recommended I had already spotted and remembered where they were.
From the dark, cozy confines of Big John's, I let Joli and Hotwire work their magic again. She found a place just a few blocks off and we decided she would walk there and check in while I retrieved the car. Good thing we did, you would NEVER find this place from the street. Fulton Place Inn, sounded nice enough. Turns out Fulton place is more of an alley. After missing it at least three times on the confusing, unmarked one way streets, I spotted her on the corner guiding me in on the phone. What a nice place. It's an ancient three story inn with long, wide halls, high ceilings, and plenty of old south charm. And a bargain too, with room service breakfast included and complimentary sherry in the lobby.
After resting and changing, we headed out for dinner. The first two highly recommended dinner places we tried were full up for the night, without reservations. So I called ahead to the place I recalled wonderful smells coming from on our afternoon walk, Fig. Apparently, the head chef there has been on Iron Chef and beat the Iron Chef on taste. And I believe it. They had a table for us, and boy, was I glad they did. Small and beautiful, with an eclectic menu, this place is a winner. I had what was easily in the top three meals I have eaten in my life. Starting with a dram of Dubonnet and an absolutely wonderful beef tartars. Yum yum, I do so enjoy raw meat. Entree was grilled swordfish on an English and white pea ragout. This was hands down the best piece of fish I have ever eaten, EVER. If you are in Charleston, this place is a must. Though we intended to forego dessert and find a place called Speakeasy (you actually have to ask at a doorway and get let in a locked door) for a nightcap, we gave in. Again, glad we did. We opted for the chocolate pudding over burnt caramel topped with hazelnut, olive oil and sea salt. Wow. I mean, WOW! Pure delight.
From there we headed off on a hunt for this secret door. A few blocks later though, the food buzz kicked in and we said the he'll with it and retired for the evening for Canadian Club and a cigar in the courtyard. To tell the truth, the meal was so good, the smoke wasn't even that enjoyable and was snuffed only halfway finished. Our room was quiet and bed comfortable. And being on the third floor, we could enjoy having the window open instead of air conditioning. I slept like a dead man and woke this morning finally feeling totally relaxed, the vacation vibe has finally set in.
Today is a bit longer trek to Asheville, but takes us through beautiful mountain country. Weather has stayed warmer than I expected, I'm actually wishing I brought more shorts. I can hardly wait to get to the Biltmore Estate, if you've never been, you should. Hopefully Big John's will be open by the time we go, so I can pop in and thank Chris for steering us to that wonderful dinner last night.
So far I have taken but few pictures, which is unusual for me. As is writing this much, but I am actually rather enjoying it. Thanks for reading and look for another entry tomorrow. We will be home all too soon.
3/15/2011
Road Trip to Nowhere In Particular: Day 2
Day two, just a short morning drive from St. Augustine to Savannah. Got to see the Marriott resort we stayed at in the daylight, damn it was nice. Up 95a few hours and once again pulled into a choice parking spot as soon as we got here. The parking gods must be smiling down on me this week. Savannah is a great walking town, and being a college town, an even better biking spot. Kind of wished I had mine. I just love all of the public squares they have here. What great place to stop and catch some internet to search a hotel. And get this, they have grass here. Not that itchy, bug filled crap we call grass in Florida either. Actual soft, green, lush grass that you can actually sit down on.
First thing we did was hit a bunch of the antique shops as we cased the area for last nights activities. I scored a super cool 60's era Ronson mechanical pencil lighter for the princely sum of five dollars on the very first stop. From River St we watched a tanker ship that must have been a full city block long go by for what seemed like five minutes. Then we proceeded to take note of the locations of the many Irish and Scottish pubs, I had no idea this was such a Celtic town.
After getting a general idea of what was in the area, we decided it best to stay right in the heart of town, within walking distance of all the shops, restaurants and bars. Since last nights lodging was a bit off the beaten footpath, we didn't want to spend another night room-bound. So we sat on the grass in Oglethorpe Square and once again, Hotwire found us some sweet digs for a great rate. After checking in and depositing the car, it was back to the streets in search of dinner. Though I had fish and chips and a pint of bitter on the brain, I discovered that on Mondays one of the hotel restaurants offers all you can eat mussels. If you know me, you know not only can I not resist an all-you-can-eat offer, I take it as a personal challenge. See Facebook for the gluttonous details. From there it was a short stroll to Molly Macpherson's Pub, who apparently has the largest single malt collection on the east coast. And I believe them. But felt less than imaginative, so it was a round of Powers whisky and a pint of Bellhaven. Another reason Savannah is a great walking town, you can carry your drink with you. Take that Ybor! We made quick pass through the Paula Deen store, just cause we were already there.
By now, the only other place we wanted to stop, The Distillery, was farther than we cared to walk and I wasn't driving anywhere. So it was back to the hotel for a Bushmill's and a Rocky Patel '92, then upstairs to bed. Today we move on to Charleston. More updates to follow. I will try to remember to take more pictures this time.
First thing we did was hit a bunch of the antique shops as we cased the area for last nights activities. I scored a super cool 60's era Ronson mechanical pencil lighter for the princely sum of five dollars on the very first stop. From River St we watched a tanker ship that must have been a full city block long go by for what seemed like five minutes. Then we proceeded to take note of the locations of the many Irish and Scottish pubs, I had no idea this was such a Celtic town.
After getting a general idea of what was in the area, we decided it best to stay right in the heart of town, within walking distance of all the shops, restaurants and bars. Since last nights lodging was a bit off the beaten footpath, we didn't want to spend another night room-bound. So we sat on the grass in Oglethorpe Square and once again, Hotwire found us some sweet digs for a great rate. After checking in and depositing the car, it was back to the streets in search of dinner. Though I had fish and chips and a pint of bitter on the brain, I discovered that on Mondays one of the hotel restaurants offers all you can eat mussels. If you know me, you know not only can I not resist an all-you-can-eat offer, I take it as a personal challenge. See Facebook for the gluttonous details. From there it was a short stroll to Molly Macpherson's Pub, who apparently has the largest single malt collection on the east coast. And I believe them. But felt less than imaginative, so it was a round of Powers whisky and a pint of Bellhaven. Another reason Savannah is a great walking town, you can carry your drink with you. Take that Ybor! We made quick pass through the Paula Deen store, just cause we were already there.
By now, the only other place we wanted to stop, The Distillery, was farther than we cared to walk and I wasn't driving anywhere. So it was back to the hotel for a Bushmill's and a Rocky Patel '92, then upstairs to bed. Today we move on to Charleston. More updates to follow. I will try to remember to take more pictures this time.
3/14/2011
Road Trip To Nowhere In Particular: Day 1
Started out our drive around the southeast yesterday with a trip to St. Augustine. I expected traffic and congestion once we got into the central part of town, just because of it being such a tourist destination, but was surprised to find it nearly impassable. We shortly realized why, they were having a seafood and music festival. Since I'm traveling with my good luck charm though, we quickly found a parking spot right in front of the gate, for only 5 bucks! After wolfing down a few fried goodies and a beer , we spent the res of the afternoon walking the district, checking out cool old buildings, churches, forts, and carriage horses. From there we headed to Vilano Beach, an island to the north. Lured in by a giant kitschy MOTEL sign, we found it has turned into a sad, creepy ghost town of old Florida motor courts. Not a single one still in business, likely chased out by skyrocketing property taxes. Depressing, really. We are losing our local history in the name of "progress".
After that it was back onto A1 north through Ponte Vedra. We parked and walked out onto the most pristine and secluded beach I have ever seen in Florida. I even found a still-live mermaid's purse (google it), which I returned to the ocean. More people shold really take advantage of places like that, it's why we live here.
By sundown it was time to find our room for the night. Driving north all the way to Jacksonville beach, we found a glaring lack of basic motels. So with the aid of some free Starbuck's Wi-Fi, Jolie managed to score us a room at the Marriott resort at the Sawgrass Golf Course for half price. Go Hotwire!
Today we are off to Savannah, GA. Hopefully the Alamo Plaza Motor Court is still in operation. Stay tuned...
After that it was back onto A1 north through Ponte Vedra. We parked and walked out onto the most pristine and secluded beach I have ever seen in Florida. I even found a still-live mermaid's purse (google it), which I returned to the ocean. More people shold really take advantage of places like that, it's why we live here.
By sundown it was time to find our room for the night. Driving north all the way to Jacksonville beach, we found a glaring lack of basic motels. So with the aid of some free Starbuck's Wi-Fi, Jolie managed to score us a room at the Marriott resort at the Sawgrass Golf Course for half price. Go Hotwire!
Today we are off to Savannah, GA. Hopefully the Alamo Plaza Motor Court is still in operation. Stay tuned...
2/06/2011
Found in The Men's Room pt.5
We already knew that. Perhaps this should have been posted in the ladies room?
2/27/2010
Found in The Men's Room pt.3
Stupid phone, unless I have about a bajillion candlepower light shining on something, it won't focus.
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