I've never been a beach person - nor much of a water person for that matter - there are only lakes and rivers in the land-locked Prairies scoured out of the ground by the glacial action of the last ice age and the meltwaters of the Rocky Mountains .
But, I think I could be... Place name links like Carolina Beach, NC go to Wikipedia. Place name links like Carolina Beach use the local tourism or government website.
| 2012.11.06 |
Freedom, God, and Food |
Comment
|
It's Election Day here, and after months, nay years, of yak-yak-yak people go to the polls to make their words count. TFS voted by fax, so we never saw any polling places, but in honour of the day of democracy I have to make note of 2 items of American democracy that are very obvious to our everyday travels: God, and Food.
Churches within an
hour's drive of the beach house | |
|
There are churches everywhere. Even driving down the rinkiest, dinkiest rural roads through all the states we've been through there's a church at least every 500 feet, as though they're mandated to be so like bus stops. Churches with steeples, churches with flat roofs, churches in large buildings with attached residences, churches in strip malls, churches of all the commonly-known faiths, churches like the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, and non-denominational churches. The local broadsheet newspaper devotes an entire page to church listings each Sunday. Religion is like an industry. Wherever there's one church, there are several others. Being an old city, Wilmington has a lot of old churches, many of them very architecturally beautiful. |
And once people are done praising their Lord, they eat! Or even if they don't praise any Lord, they eat. There are a lot of places to eat, even more than churches. On my Bristol trip and this trip I've dragged TFS through every chain eatery of any significance, just the ones we don't have in Canada or I've not been to. There aren't many we've missed, and if we have, they're out of range or very regional.
| Biscuitville |
|
We saw this chain on our trip to Martinsville, but haven't made it to one. They seem to be located in northern NC and southern VA so it's not likely we'll make it to one. Besides, there's not a lot one can do with biscuits. |
| Bojangles |
|
We tried one of these on the way through Myrtle Beach. Not impressed. Dull chicken, and the rest wasn't done all that well. I'll try it again myself so I don't have to put TFS through it again. |
| Chick-Fil-A |
|
Tried one in Wilmington during my Bristol trip. Fried chicken sandwiches mostly, cheap, but otherwise unremarkable. Maybe I'll try it again. Not sure why people would line up in support of them after their anti-gay-marriage kerfuffle. |
| Church's Chicken |
|
Haven't made it to one yet, but will. |
| Cracker Barrel |
|
An old-timey down-homey place, with an attached store full of old-timey down-homey things to buy. Food is good, lots of choices, pretty well done. Worth repeat visits. Tried grits, biscuits and gravy, and chicken-fried chicken there. No reason to have the former two ever again. Life's too short for dull mouth-stuffing. |
| Dunkin' Donuts |
|
99 cents a donut, no reason to ever try them again. Didn't try their coffee, but there's coffee in better places. |
| Hardee's |
|
Tried this the first day of my Bristol trip. Their motto is "Eat Like You Mean It", and that says a lot about the state of fast food in America. Decent burger place though. Sibling to Carl's Jr in the rest of the US. |
| IHOP |
|
Had to try their pancakces. Looks like a decent place, worth visiting again. |
| Golden Corral |
|
Real decent buffet place. If I lived near one I'd probably eat there once a week. Lots of variety, cheap, tasty stuff. When in doubt, I vote to eat there. |
| Long John Silver's |
|
Saw one in Bristol but never made it. Seafood, fried. Probably won't make it to one. |
| Ruby Tuesday |
|
Like Applebee's, and very well done. We've been twice, and happy with the place each time. Good prices and good food. |
| Smithfield's Chicken 'n' Barbecue |
|
Been there once on my own, a couple times with TFS. Very good fried chicken, not so good barbecue. Out here, "barbecue" means pulled pork, which is pretty bland. Odd service model: order and pay at the counter, give them your name, and they wander the place calling your name to deliver your food. They also refill your drink, for free, like many other places. |
| Sonic Burger |
|
A drive-in, vs drive-through burger place. Like the old drive-in burger places, except they don't leave you a tray to hold your food, so what's the point? Not worth a repeat visit. |
| Waffle House |
|
Good breakfast place, nothing fancy, and all their outlets are real small, only a half-dozen booths and a dozen counter seats. Food isn't spectacular, but good value. We've been a few times, maybe worth going once a month. Unfortunately their waffles are thin and soft and not like Belgian waffles. |
| Zaxby's |
|
Mostly fried chicken it seems. And cutesy food names that start with 'Z'. Haven't been there yet, but I/we will. |
There are some food items common to menus here, most featuring cornmeal, and very simple, a product of the poverty of the region after the Civil War. Or, the lack of imagination of cooks and eaters here - we're not sure. - Fried chicken is everywhere, as is fried food in general, even seafood. The best fried seafood is Calabash style , lightly breaded and fried.
- Grits are a textureless white corn porridge that are a staple of breakfast dishes in the south. Bland and verging on lumpy, I don't see the point and can't understand why they're so popular.
- Biscuits and gravy invoke a reverance in people who like them. Baked flour with a side of mostly-flour gravy - I don't get it. Comfort food I guess.
- Hushpuppies are fried cornmeal fritters served as a side dish. Pretty flavourless, but decent with hot sauce.
- Sweet Tea is a style of iced tea that people drink as a staple, and by the gallon. I'm not a big tea fan, so the attraction is totally lost on me, even moreso when it's thick and syrupy. Fast food places dispense it alongside sodas, and often sell it by the jug.
- North Carolina Barbecue is barbecued pulled pork, a usually-bland pile of shredded meat with not a lot of flavour. "Lexington" style uses a ketchup-based sauce, but we haven't seen that this far east.
|
| |
| 2012.11.09 |
Another Southport Day |
Comment
|
| Sometimes, ya just gotta get out of the (beach) house. Today we went to Southport, making it onto the ferry seconds before it left port, passing a dredging barge on its way to Florida. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| 2012.11.10 |
Apropos of Clear Skies |
Comment
|
A break in the weather meant that we could partake of the beach for a couple days. Crowds are light this time of year, mostly locals and weekenders, with many trying their hand at seasonably-favourable fishing conditions.
|
|
|
|
|
Shirted, because a
breeze made the air
just a little too chilly
past noon. | |
|
The USS North Carolina at dusk. The ship is permanently docked as a tourist attraction now, which we'll get to see one of these days. It sits just across from the River Walk in downtown Wilmington. |
|
| |
| |
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)