Southwest Virginia Blogs

For over fifty years I've been walking the shores of the North Carolina coast.  The beaches like this recent shot of Emerald Isle are often at their nicest in the fall.  The water is still fairly warm, warm enough to go wading anyway, and the crowds are long gone.  My wife, Glenda, loves to look for shells. There are plenty of people who like to take home home shells to remember their great time at the beach.

My favorite way to memorialize a trip to the beach has always been taking home a cooler of fresh seafood.  For one magic summer while I was in college, I alternated camping on the beaches of Ocracoke Island with camping in the National Forests of western North Carolina.  Sometimes I would take the long way home from Ocracoke which as any well versed traveler of Route 12 knows is the Cedar Island Ferry.  I would stop in Morehead City for a meal at Captain Bill's and then fill a cooler full of fresh off of the boats shrimp and head home. I heard a rumor that Captain Bill's was up for sale, but there is no shortage of good places to grab some seafood before you fill your cooler.

Five to six hours after loading the cooler in the car,  I would be cleaning and boiling shrimp for a straight from the sea treat. I'm pretty convinced that most folks think shrimp come from the grocery store.  It has gotten more and more popular to buy your shrimp at the grocery store and have them steamed right there.  I'm no purist but I would rather have my shrimp cooked after they've been cleaned, and grocery stores don't do that.  You may not know the difference because you've never tasted shrimp that have been done right.  It's not that hard, but it does takes some time.

You do need one tool, a Shrimp Deveiner. They usually cost a dollar or two.  The next thing you need is fresh shrimp.  Ideally you try to get your shrimp as close to the boat as possible.  In most cases that means asking around locally to find out the best way to buy your shrimp.  Sometimes you can buy them right off the dock or from people who buy them right off the dock.  The shrimp should be firm and not mushy.

Often the shrimp you buy will have the heads still on the body.  Do yourself a favor and have the folks where you buy the shrimp take the heads off if at all possible.  It seems almost effortless for them, but for normal mortals it's a little more of a challenge.  Take a cooler and ice your shrimp down if possible.  Often the sea food shop will give you enough ice for a small cooler.  The biggest challenge with cleaning shrimp is that it is pretty boring.  We usually order three to four lbs of shrimp, weighed with the heads still on the shrimp.  That's about my limit.  After that I lose interest even if someone is feeding me freshly boiled shrimp.  By the time you take the heads and shells off, four pounds with the heads on are equal to approximately two pounds shelled and raw.

We've had good luck in the Swansboro, NC area buying our shrimp from one of the local institutions, Clyde Phillips Seafood, located between the bridges on Route 24.   Don't expect a lot of conversation, but you can count on fresh seafood and a magic touch for removing shrimp heads.

Learning to use the shrimp deveiner just takes a few shrimp and they don't seem to mind.  I also take out a second smaller bottom vein.  Once you have that mastered, my suggestion is to clean about one half your shrimp and then bring to boil about two to two and one half inches of water in an uncovered twelve inch deep (three quart) skillet.  If you have cleaned your shrimp the way I suggested, they cook without any smell.

My wife, Glenda, says she adds some salt, an amount or pile about the size of a quarter in her palm.  She dumps the shrimp in the boiling water and has a timer running from the minute the shrimp are dumped in the water.  The shrimp cook very quickly and are done in three minutes when they've turned a beautiful pink color.  As soon as they are done, my wife dumps them in a bowl of water filled with ice.

We then fish the shrimp out and let them drain in a collander.  All you have to do then is to put them in bowl or on a platter if they are going to be eaten immediately.  Once you have had real fresh shrimp done right, going back to anything less is tough to do.

I can highly recommend Kelchner's Cocktail sauce.  It does vary a little between batches so I try to be a little forgiving since it is the best I've ever had.

If you want to know more, this link on shrimp is very helpful as is this link on cooking shrimp.

You aren't able to read the sticker in the lower left corner of the left most window at Clyde Phillips, but it says "Friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp."  Just click on the link to the left for a view of the bumper sticker.  If anyone ever tries this shrimp appliance, I would be interested in hearing about it.

Going out to eat breakfast is one of our favorite things to do when we're relaxing.  Not having to clean up after an early morning meal is a special treat.

The challenge is always getting the ladies up and out the door before the morning is too far gone which I consider to be 8:30 am.  Yana's is located at 119 Front Street in Swansboro along North Carolina's Crystal Coast.

I managed to get the family over to Swansboro by slightly after 9 am which worked out fine since the middle of the week during the last of October isn't exactly high season here at the beach.  Getting to Yana's relatively early can be very important during the summer or even on the weekends during the winter.  Last weekend we waited thirty minutes for a table on Sunday morning.

However, if you want a delicious breakfast, the wait is worth it.  There are usually a couple of gift stores nearby that are open so it's fairly easy to entertain the ladies for a few minutes.

Since we were early for mid-week, we walked right in and had a choice of table or booth.  Jana's is a little crowded, but it's also very efficient.  The waitresses appear to really know what they are doing and all the food we've eaten has been very well prepared.  The most recent trip, I had country ham and eggs with home fries and a biscuit.  My wife, Glenda, had scrambled eggs and grits with a biscuit, and my oldest daughter, Erin, enjoyed a plate of pancakes with some country ham.

The meal was very reasonably priced.  With three beverages and tax but before tip, the total was twenty three dollars and a little change.  Jana's is definitely in the holiday mood with some great Halloween decorations, I'm told the ladies bathroom features a talking Elvis. Be sure not to miss that.

It's hard to fault a restaurant with delicious food where one of the town Cats, Morris, greets you just outside the door.  Yana's is open for breakfast and lunch.  Their menu is on line at this link.  You can call them at (910) 326-5501.

After breakfast, we hit the Swansboro shops until I protested loudly enough to be allowed to go take a nap in the car.

When the ladies were done shopping we drove across the bridge from Cape Cateret/Cedar Point to Emerald Isle.  Based on the number of boats anchored along the Inter Coastal Waterway, I believe the fish must be biting.

So if you haven't had a trip to the beach this year, now is a great time to come.  The crowds and heat are gone.  The fish and cool weather are here along with those of us who can't get enough of the beach.

Going out to eat breakfast is one of our favorite things to do when we're relaxing.  Not having to clean up after an early morning meal is a special treat.

The challenge is always getting the ladies up and out the door before the morning is too far gone which I consider to be 8:30 am.  Yana's is located at 119 Front Street in Swansboro along North Carolina's Crystal Coast.

I managed to get the family over to Swansboro by slightly after 9 am which worked out fine since the middle of the week during the last of October isn't exactly high season here at the beach.  Getting to Yana's relatively early can be very important during the summer or even on the weekends during the winter.  Last weekend we waited thirty minutes for a table on Sunday morning.

However, if you want a delicious breakfast, the wait is worth it.  There are usually a couple of gift stores nearby that are open so it's fairly easy to entertain the ladies for a few minutes.

Since we were early for mid-week, we walked right in and had a choice of table or booth.  Jana's is a little crowded, but it's also very efficient.  The waitresses appear to really know what they are doing and all the food we've eaten has been very well prepared.  The most recent trip, I had country ham and eggs with home fries and a biscuit.  My wife, Glenda, had scrambled eggs and grits with a biscuit, and my oldest daughter, Erin, enjoyed a plate of pancakes with some country ham.

The meal was very reasonably priced.  With three beverages and tax but before tip, the total was twenty three dollars and a little change.  Jana's is definitely in the holiday mood with some great Halloween decorations, I'm told the ladies bathroom features a talking Elvis. Be sure not to miss that.

It's hard to fault a restaurant with delicious food where one of the town Cats, Morris, greets you just outside the door.  Yana's is open for breakfast and lunch.  Their menu is on line at this link.  You can call them at (910) 326-5501.

After breakfast, we hit the Swansboro shops until I protested loudly enough to be allowed to go take a nap in the car.

When the ladies were done shopping we drove across the bridge from Cape Cateret/Cedar Point to Emerald Isle.  Based on the number of boats anchored along the Inter Coastal Waterway, I believe the fish must be biting.

So if you haven't had a trip to the beach this year, now is a great time to come.  The crowds and heat are gone.  The fish and cool weather are here along with those of us who can't get enough of the beach.

Going out to eat breakfast is one of our favorite things to do when we're relaxing.  Not having to clean up after an early morning meal is a special treat.

The challenge is always getting the ladies up and out the door before the morning is too far gone which I consider to be 8:30 am.  Yana's is located at 119 Front Street in Swansboro along North Carolina's Crystal Coast.

I managed to get the family over to Swansboro by slightly after 9 am which worked out fine since the middle of the week during the last of October isn't exactly high season here at the beach.  Getting to Yana's relatively early can be very important during the summer or even on the weekends during the winter.  Last weekend we waited thirty minutes for a table on Sunday morning.

However, if you want a delicious breakfast, the wait is worth it.  There are usually a couple of gift stores nearby that are open so it's fairly easy to entertain the ladies for a few minutes.

Since we were early for mid-week, we walked right in and had a choice of table or booth.  Jana's is a little crowded, but it's also very efficient.  The waitresses appear to really know what they are doing and all the food we've eaten has been very well prepared.  The most recent trip, I had country ham and eggs with home fries and a biscuit.  My wife, Glenda, had scrambled eggs and grits with a biscuit, and my oldest daughter, Erin, enjoyed a plate of pancakes with some country ham.

The meal was very reasonably priced.  With three beverages and tax but before tip, the total was twenty three dollars and a little change.  Jana's is definitely in the holiday mood with some great Halloween decorations, I'm told the ladies bathroom features a talking Elvis. Be sure not to miss that.

It's hard to fault a restaurant with delicious food where one of the town Cats, Morris, greets you just outside the door.  Yana's is open for breakfast and lunch.  Their menu is on line at this link.  You can call them at (910) 326-5501.

After breakfast, we hit the Swansboro shops until I protested loudly enough to be allowed to go take a nap in the car.

When the ladies were done shopping we drove across the bridge from Cape Cateret/Cedar Point to Emerald Isle.  Based on the number of boats anchored along the Inter Coastal Waterway, I believe the fish must be biting.

So if you haven't had a trip to the beach this year, now is a great time to come.  The crowds and heat are gone.  The fish and cool weather are here along with those of us who can't get enough of the beach.

I have written about crabs before, but they have always been the soft shelled variety.  My post, "The exquisite pleasure of fried soft shell crabs," shows that I have more than a passing acquaintance with blue crabs.

As was mentioned in that post, we did live in Maryland for a few years, so we certainly had the opportunity to sit around the table a few times with neighbors and attack a steaming pile of crabs waiting for us on newspaper.  Yet we had never tried doing crabs on our own. 

Our partners in our place in Swansboro, Robert and Diane, are born and bred Marylanders.  Crabs are second nature to them.  On their first visit to our joint second home, there was an effort made to catch crabs by dangling turkey necks on a string into the waters near our house.   The theory  is that the crabs  grab onto the turkey necks.  You then pull the crab up and slide a net under it just as it get to the top of the water.  Unfortunately either the tides or location conspired against us, and we struck out on catching our own crabs.  We ran out of time and tactics on that first visit. A week later, I did manage to catch a single crab while flounder fishing our dock.  Since one crab is pretty useless, I watched him scurry back into the water with the hope that perhaps this was a good sign.

Prior to our friends next trip, we visited Clyde Phillips Seafood between the bridges in Waynesboro.  Their sign indicating live crabs was a hopeful omen.  We actually got to go back into the cooler to examine their stock of crabs.  We made arrangements to come back the next day and get some crabs for our feast.

Robert and I headed over early the next day.   Robert used some tongs to pick some male crabs which were weighed and paid for before  being stuck back into the cooler for our return later in the day.

We then set off looking for crab mallets or crackers, Old Bay Seasoning, and coarse sea salt.  We had already snared a pot suitable for crab steaming on the way to the seafood market.  We had zero luck finding crab mallets or crackers, but we found everything else at the local Lowe's grocery store.

Later in the day after picking up an appropriate amount of beer at the local convenience store, we headed off to retrieve the crabs.  As soon as we got them home, they were thrown into the sink, where each one was examined to confirm that it was still alive.

Next they were placed into the steamer which already had beer and water turning into steam.  Next a good dose of Old Bay Seasoning and some coarse sea salt was put on the crabs.  The top was put on the steamers and the timer was set for twenty minutes.

After some battles with our propane stove which needs some adjustment, the crabs were pronounced done.  The ladies had earlier covered the kitchen table in plastic garbage bags with a layer of newspaper on tops.

We had a great feast, finding plenty of those delicious morsels that keep you picking until all the tasty sea creatures are gone. When we were done, it was all rolled up put in a garbage bag.

The only regret is that we eventually ran out of crabs and that it will be a while before we can go on a search for even larger crabs for another feast.

I have written about crabs before, but they have always been the soft shelled variety.  My post, "The exquisite pleasure of fried soft shell crabs," shows that I have more than a passing acquaintance with blue crabs.

As was mentioned in that post, we did live in Maryland for a few years, so we certainly had the opportunity to sit around the table a few times with neighbors and attack a steaming pile of crabs waiting for us on newspaper.  Yet we had never tried doing crabs on our own. 

Our partners in our place in Swansboro, Robert and Diane, are born and bred Marylanders.  Crabs are second nature to them.  On their first visit to our joint second home, there was an effort made to catch crabs by dangling turkey necks on a string into the waters near our house.   The theory  is that the crabs  grab onto the turkey necks.  You then pull the crab up and slide a net under it just as it get to the top of the water.  Unfortunately either the tides or location conspired against us, and we struck out on catching our own crabs.  We ran out of time and tactics on that first visit. A week later, I did manage to catch a single crab while flounder fishing our dock.  Since one crab is pretty useless, I watched him scurry back into the water with the hope that perhaps this was a good sign.

Prior to our friends next trip, we visited Clyde Phillips Seafood between the bridges in Waynesboro.  Their sign indicating live crabs was a hopeful omen.  We actually got to go back into the cooler to examine their stock of crabs.  We made arrangements to come back the next day and get some crabs for our feast.

Robert and I headed over early the next day.   Robert used some tongs to pick some male crabs which were weighed and paid for before  being stuck back into the cooler for our return later in the day.

We then set off looking for crab mallets or crackers, Old Bay Seasoning, and coarse sea salt.  We had already snared a pot suitable for crab steaming on the way to the seafood market.  We had zero luck finding crab mallets or crackers, but we found everything else at the local Lowe's grocery store.

Later in the day after picking up an appropriate amount of beer at the local convenience store, we headed off to retrieve the crabs.  As soon as we got them home, they were thrown into the sink, where each one was examined to confirm that it was still alive.

Next they were placed into the steamer which already had beer and water turning into steam.  Next a good dose of Old Bay Seasoning and some coarse sea salt was put on the crabs.  The top was put on the steamers and the timer was set for twenty minutes.

After some battles with our propane stove which needs some adjustment, the crabs were pronounced done.  The ladies had earlier covered the kitchen table in plastic garbage bags with a layer of newspaper on tops.

We had a great feast, finding plenty of those delicious morsels that keep you picking until all the tasty sea creatures are gone. When we were done, it was all rolled up put in a garbage bag.

The only regret is that we eventually ran out of crabs and that it will be a while before we can go on a search for even larger crabs for another feast.

I have written about crabs before, but they have always been the soft shelled variety.  My post, "The exquisite pleasure of fried soft shell crabs," shows that I have more than a passing acquaintance with blue crabs.

As was mentioned in that post, we did live in Maryland for a few years, so we certainly had the opportunity to sit around the table a few times with neighbors and attack a steaming pile of crabs waiting for us on newspaper.  Yet we had never tried doing crabs on our own. 

Our partners in our place in Swansboro, Robert and Diane, are born and bred Marylanders.  Crabs are second nature to them.  On their first visit to our joint second home, there was an effort made to catch crabs by dangling turkey necks on a string into the waters near our house.   The theory  is that the crabs  grab onto the turkey necks.  You then pull the crab up and slide a net under it just as it get to the top of the water.  Unfortunately either the tides or location conspired against us, and we struck out on catching our own crabs.  We ran out of time and tactics on that first visit. A week later, I did manage to catch a single crab while flounder fishing our dock.  Since one crab is pretty useless, I watched him scurry back into the water with the hope that perhaps this was a good sign.

Prior to our friends next trip, we visited Clyde Phillips Seafood between the bridges in Waynesboro.  Their sign indicating live crabs was a hopeful omen.  We actually got to go back into the cooler to examine their stock of crabs.  We made arrangements to come back the next day and get some crabs for our feast.

Robert and I headed over early the next day.   Robert used some tongs to pick some male crabs which were weighed and paid for before  being stuck back into the cooler for our return later in the day.

We then set off looking for crab mallets or crackers, Old Bay Seasoning, and coarse sea salt.  We had already snared a pot suitable for crab steaming on the way to the seafood market.  We had zero luck finding crab mallets or crackers, but we found everything else at the local Lowe's grocery store.

Later in the day after picking up an appropriate amount of beer at the local convenience store, we headed off to retrieve the crabs.  As soon as we got them home, they were thrown into the sink, where each one was examined to confirm that it was still alive.

Next they were placed into the steamer which already had beer and water turning into steam.  Next a good dose of Old Bay Seasoning and some coarse sea salt was put on the crabs.  The top was put on the steamers and the timer was set for twenty minutes.

After some battles with our propane stove which needs some adjustment, the crabs were pronounced done.  The ladies had earlier covered the kitchen table in plastic garbage bags with a layer of newspaper on tops.

We had a great feast, finding plenty of those delicious morsels that keep you picking until all the tasty sea creatures are gone. When we were done, it was all rolled up put in a garbage bag.

The only regret is that we eventually ran out of crabs and that it will be a while before we can go on a search for even larger crabs for another feast.

One of the neat things about the North Carolina's Crystal Coast is that everyone has a favorite restaurant and they're all different.  One of our neighbors had mentioned to me a while back that the Red Barn Grill in Hubert, NC was a great spot to get reasonably priced, very fresh seafood. He had described the directions from the gate at Camp Lejeune.

On one of our recent trips to Swansboro, I saw a sign for Route 172 which leads through Camp Lejeune.  On a whim we decided to see if we could find the Red Barn Grill since it was after 5 pm.  Since the roads didn't look like my neighbor's description, we stopped at Camp Lejeune's gate and asked directions from a youthful and clean cut Marine.  He had never heard of the Red Barn Grill, but on his advice we headed bad towards Route 24.

It was then I decided to try my favorite gadget on what I had at one time labeled "my new portable computer" which turns out to be my heavily computerized Acura MDX.  That  favorite device would be my GPS which I often describe as  a "Great Road Warrior tool." On the trip down from Roanoke to Swansboro I had discovered a neat feature which actually tells you the names of the services at a particular Interstate exit.  It also will list restaurants ranked by distance in an area where you're traveling. 

We've used that feature successfully before on trips to the NC coast when the hunger for barbecue struck us. Since we were a few miles from any known restaurant, I guessed that the GPS would have a listing for the Red Barn Grill.  A few taps on the touch sensitive screen and my guess was proven correct.  Without even slowing down or changing direction, we were off on a culinary adventure.  The GPS had also shown the distance to the Red Barn Grill as eleven miles so the trip was going to be short.

In just a few minutes we were pulling up in front of the restaurant where I noticed a hand lettered sign that said "Fresh Local Oysters."  I was sold immediately, and we started walking towards the building.  It was pretty obvious from the GPS that we were at the end of the road and a later look at another map confirmed it.

Once inside, we eventually figured out that you needed to order at the counter and then go wait at your table for your food in what appeared to be a converted general store.  Of course I went for the fried oysters, and my wife, Glenda, decided to try the flounder fillet.  It wasn't long before our food arrived.  It was fresh, tasty, and came with the fried seafood restaurant standard of "fries, slaw, and hush puppies."  The oysters were small but very good.  Glenda opined that her flounder hadn't been out of the water very long.  It was a very good meal at a reasonable price and was even served on a red-checkered table cloth.  The hush puppies were better than average but not up to the standard of the Sobotta Family Hush Puppies.

Of course it is pretty hard to beat home cooking, and I still favor fresh caught flounder either from the local sea food market or my own hook and line.  That way I can do my own cooking and end up with what something really special, "A Southern delicacy, pan fried flounder."

However, don't let that stop you from trying the Red Barn Grill in Hubert. It's a interesting experience with good seafood.  The other food must be pretty good also since they were out of their spaghetti special before 5:30 pm.  They also seem to be open for breakfast, but it's a little far us to give that a try. 

We didn't have great cell phone coverage in the area so if you're calling for directions, do it before you get on the road.  Their phone number is (910) 326-1163.  The address for the Red Barn Grill is 101 Red Barn Rd, Hubert, NC.

One other note, if you're out shopping for an auto GPS, they are not all created equal.  I find the one on our Toyota Avalon to be of limited usefulness while the one on our Acura MDX is something that I use all the time.  The rule for GPSs would be try before you buy.

One of the neat things about the North Carolina's Crystal Coast is that everyone has a favorite restaurant and they're all different.  One of our neighbors had mentioned to me a while back that the Red Barn Grill in Hubert, NC was a great spot to get reasonably priced, very fresh seafood. He had described the directions from the gate at Camp Lejeune.

On one of our recent trips to Swansboro, I saw a sign for Route 172 which leads through Camp Lejeune.  On a whim we decided to see if we could find the Red Barn Grill since it was after 5 pm.  Since the roads didn't look like my neighbor's description, we stopped at Camp Lejeune's gate and asked directions from a youthful and clean cut Marine.  He had never heard of the Red Barn Grill, but on his advice we headed bad towards Route 24.

It was then I decided to try my favorite gadget on what I had at one time labeled "my new portable computer" which turns out to be my heavily computerized Acura MDX.  That  favorite device would be my GPS which I often describe as  a "Great Road Warrior tool." On the trip down from Roanoke to Swansboro I had discovered a neat feature which actually tells you the names of the services at a particular Interstate exit.  It also will list restaurants ranked by distance in an area where you're traveling. 

We've used that feature successfully before on trips to the NC coast when the hunger for barbecue struck us. Since we were a few miles from any known restaurant, I guessed that the GPS would have a listing for the Red Barn Grill.  A few taps on the touch sensitive screen and my guess was proven correct.  Without even slowing down or changing direction, we were off on a culinary adventure.  The GPS had also shown the distance to the Red Barn Grill as eleven miles so the trip was going to be short.

In just a few minutes we were pulling up in front of the restaurant where I noticed a hand lettered sign that said "Fresh Local Oysters."  I was sold immediately, and we started walking towards the building.  It was pretty obvious from the GPS that we were at the end of the road and a later look at another map confirmed it.

Once inside, we eventually figured out that you needed to order at the counter and then go wait at your table for your food in what appeared to be a converted general store.  Of course I went for the fried oysters, and my wife, Glenda, decided to try the flounder fillet.  It wasn't long before our food arrived.  It was fresh, tasty, and came with the fried seafood restaurant standard of "fries, slaw, and hush puppies."  The oysters were small but very good.  Glenda opined that her flounder hadn't been out of the water very long.  It was a very good meal at a reasonable price and was even served on a red-checkered table cloth.  The hush puppies were better than average but not up to the standard of the Sobotta Family Hush Puppies.

Of course it is pretty hard to beat home cooking, and I still favor fresh caught flounder either from the local sea food market or my own hook and line.  That way I can do my own cooking and end up with what something really special, "A Southern delicacy, pan fried flounder."

However, don't let that stop you from trying the Red Barn Grill in Hubert. It's a interesting experience with good seafood.  The other food must be pretty good also since they were out of their spaghetti special before 5:30 pm.  They also seem to be open for breakfast, but it's a little far us to give that a try. 

We didn't have great cell phone coverage in the area so if you're calling for directions, do it before you get on the road.  Their phone number is (910) 326-1163.  The address for the Red Barn Grill is 101 Red Barn Rd, Hubert, NC.

One other note, if you're out shopping for an auto GPS, they are not all created equal.  I find the one on our Toyota Avalon to be of limited usefulness while the one on our Acura MDX is something that I use all the time.  The rule for GPSs would be try before you buy.

One of the neat things about the North Carolina's Crystal Coast is that everyone has a favorite restaurant and they're all different.  One of our neighbors had mentioned to me a while back that the Red Barn Grill in Hubert, NC was a great spot to get reasonably priced, very fresh seafood. He had described the directions from the gate at Camp Lejeune.

On one of our recent trips to Swansboro, I saw a sign for Route 172 which leads through Camp Lejeune.  On a whim we decided to see if we could find the Red Barn Grill since it was after 5 pm.  Since the roads didn't look like my neighbor's description, we stopped at Camp Lejeune's gate and asked directions from a youthful and clean cut Marine.  He had never heard of the Red Barn Grill, but on his advice we headed bad towards Route 24.

It was then I decided to try my favorite gadget on what I had at one time labeled "my new portable computer" which turns out to be my heavily computerized Acura MDX.  That  favorite device would be my GPS which I often describe as  a "Great Road Warrior tool." On the trip down from Roanoke to Swansboro I had discovered a neat feature which actually tells you the names of the services at a particular Interstate exit.  It also will list restaurants ranked by distance in an area where you're traveling. 

We've used that feature successfully before on trips to the NC coast when the hunger for barbecue struck us. Since we were a few miles from any known restaurant, I guessed that the GPS would have a listing for the Red Barn Grill.  A few taps on the touch sensitive screen and my guess was proven correct.  Without even slowing down or changing direction, we were off on a culinary adventure.  The GPS had also shown the distance to the Red Barn Grill as eleven miles so the trip was going to be short.

In just a few minutes we were pulling up in front of the restaurant where I noticed a hand lettered sign that said "Fresh Local Oysters."  I was sold immediately, and we started walking towards the building.  It was pretty obvious from the GPS that we were at the end of the road and a later look at another map confirmed it.

Once inside, we eventually figured out that you needed to order at the counter and then go wait at your table for your food in what appeared to be a converted general store.  Of course I went for the fried oysters, and my wife, Glenda, decided to try the flounder fillet.  It wasn't long before our food arrived.  It was fresh, tasty, and came with the fried seafood restaurant standard of "fries, slaw, and hush puppies."  The oysters were small but very good.  Glenda opined that her flounder hadn't been out of the water very long.  It was a very good meal at a reasonable price and was even served on a red-checkered table cloth.  The hush puppies were better than average but not up to the standard of the Sobotta Family Hush Puppies.

Of course it is pretty hard to beat home cooking, and I still favor fresh caught flounder either from the local sea food market or my own hook and line.  That way I can do my own cooking and end up with what something really special, "A Southern delicacy, pan fried flounder."

However, don't let that stop you from trying the Red Barn Grill in Hubert. It's a interesting experience with good seafood.  The other food must be pretty good also since they were out of their spaghetti special before 5:30 pm.  They also seem to be open for breakfast, but it's a little far us to give that a try. 

We didn't have great cell phone coverage in the area so if you're calling for directions, do it before you get on the road.  Their phone number is (910) 326-1163.  The address for the Red Barn Grill is 101 Red Barn Rd, Hubert, NC.

One other note, if you're out shopping for an auto GPS, they are not all created equal.  I find the one on our Toyota Avalon to be of limited usefulness while the one on our Acura MDX is something that I use all the time.  The rule for GPSs would be try before you buy.

If you have memories of cool fall days and crisp apples like I do, you're probably like me and always on the hunt for the perfect apple.  When we lived in Canada, there was a wonderful apple that had pink streaks in the flesh.  It was one of my favorites in the fall.

Recently during the winters I've enjoyed New Zealand Pink Ladies.  However, last year I got introduced to Honey Crisp apples.  They're absolutely delicious, very crisp and juicy.

They're one of the more expensive varieties, but in my mind they're worth it.  I would tend to agree with the Seattle Bon Vivant blog.

They are the closest one can get to eating Apple Cider. Refreshing and a bit tart, yet sweet and with a lovely finish.

As far as I'm concerned no other apple that I've tried comes close.  They even have the DrukenBlog produce seal of approval.

If you have memories of cool fall days and crisp apples like I do, you're probably like me and always on the hunt for the perfect apple.  When we lived in Canada, there was a wonderful apple that had pink streaks in the flesh.  It was one of my favorites in the fall.

Recently during the winters I've enjoyed New Zealand Pink Ladies.  However, last year I got introduced to Honey Crisp apples.  They're absolutely delicious, very crisp and juicy.

They're one of the more expensive varieties, but in my mind they're worth it.  I would tend to agree with the Seattle Bon Vivant blog.

They are the closest one can get to eating Apple Cider. Refreshing and a bit tart, yet sweet and with a lovely finish.

As far as I'm concerned no other apple that I've tried comes close.  They even have the DrukenBlog produce seal of approval.

The slightly inaccurate thermometer on our deck read thirty two degrees Fahrenheit this morning. I checked some weather sites which reported low temperatures near thirty six degrees in the area.  Whatever the exact temperature, it appears fall is upon us.  The leaves are starting to turn, and my curiosity on the progress of the leaves prompted me to do a Google search on "Virginia fall foliage."

That turned out to be an unfortunate detour to mostly broken links.  The first link took me to "Virginia is for Lovers fall foliage 2006."  Unfortunately that site wanted me to install the latest version of flash which wasn't at the top of my to do list for today.  The next link took me to the "Virginia State Climatology Office Fall Color Information."  Since what I really wanted was information on the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests, I clicked on that link.  What I got was this.

The file you requested is not available.

The next link I tried was the Shenandoah National Park link.  A little wandering there took me to a very "helpful" page with the following information.

Question: When will the fall leaves in Shenandoah National Park be at peak color?

Answer: Usually, the peak season for fall colors is mid-late October. However, it is dependent on the weather. The fall colors start at the higher altitudes, and gradually move down the mountain to the lower elevations.

The page also offered a download of a Word file which was current as of October 6.  Just for kicks since this was turning into something of a battle of wills I downloaded the file (not something I like to do) which starts out with the following text.

"Fall is definitely upon us here in the mountains of Virginia, bringing with it shorter days and noticeably cooler temperatures. The colors and textures of autumn are changing daily. Although we’ve come close, we still haven’t had our first official frost this year, once that happens, we’ll see even more rapid changes in the foliage....."

"The bright red Virginia creeper vines are very showy right now as they wind their way up trees, along rocky outcrops, and even over the rock walls that line the Skyline Drive."

Since the picture of the Virginia Creeper which I took earlier this morning was the impetus to start thinking about fall foliage, I would have to rate my Internet fall foliage tour as a bust.

I did try clicking on the Blue Ridge Parkway link and ended up with a little better results.  I got a nice slider prediction of fall foliage in NC and a more up to date report.

Fall Foliage Report: Week 4, October 11, 2006

Red and yellow, purple and orange – as the mercury dips, people reach for sweaters and mugs of hot cocoa and the trees begin a full-fledged metamorphosis to brilliant color. With evening temperatures reaching the 30s in some areas, fall color reaches its peak in the higher elevations of the North Carolina Mountains this week. Even trees in lower elevations are blushing with color.

For Virginia I got a phone number that I could call, "1-800-424-LOVE."  Just to fair to Virginia, I went back and installed the latest version of flash and visited the Virginia Fall Colors site which had a nice little slider that basically showed the Roanoke Valley well past its peak by this time in October.  So much for accurate web information.

All this leads me to believe that most of the reliable information on leaf change in Virginia isn't going to come from our state managed web sites.  For those of you looking for fall foliage, I can offer this shot I took of the Roanoke Valley last November 5th.  Based on the weather I would guess the peak in Roanoke will be in the next ten to fourteen days.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but sometimes we get overwhelmed in it.  In the time that I spent wandering the web looking for information about fall foliage, I could have driven over towards Newcastle and gotten a much better idea of what things look like for this fall.  Fortunately the view from my kitchen table is better than most drives, but this would be an outstanding time to go visit the Homeplace over in Catawba,  just a few minutes from Roanoke.

Tonight we might see some frost which would be very early for this mountain, and it's pretty hard to believe since the grass in the front yard looks like spring green.

Jumping to another subject which will eventually lead back to fall foliage, if you are into Barbecue and Wine, and not necessarily at the same time, the NY Times had an interesting article about the North Carolina versions of both.

THE Piedmont in North Carolina is holy ground for barbecue connoisseurs: a place where pork shoulders are still pit-cooked over smoldering hardwood, and men with names like Snook and Boney live on through their smoky legacy.

The old-school barbecue joints they’ve left behind would alone warrant a road trip through this patchwork quilt of old farms, small towns and distant mountain views that sprawl south and west of Winston-Salem. But they’re not the only reason for food-minded tourists to visit here.

Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, in the Yadkin Valley, a fledgling wine scene has taken root, one that doesn’t feature just the sweet native muscadine, but also pork-friendly Old World varietals like cabernet franc, sangiovese and even nebbiolo.

Glenda, my wife, and I actually had a very nice meal  a couple of years ago at the "The Wolf's Lair Restaurant" which is situated at the Black Wolf Vineyards near Dobson, NC.  If that's a little fancy, you're in the neighborhood of the Depot at Cody Creek a very popular area restaurant.

Actually it's a great time to visit that area of North Carolina, if you don't mind some traffic.  This weekend is the annual Mount Airy, NC Autumn Leaves Festival.  There looks to be plenty of good old time music on the program.  If you need a place to stay, check out the Sobotta Manor which is the lovely Bed and Breakfast now being run by our friends the Hesters out of the Sobotta family home place.  It's within walking distance of most of the Fall Festival exhibits. 

When you come back up Fancy Gap make a note of the foliage and send me an email.  I'm more likely to find out about the changing leaves that way than I am from the Virginia websites.

For a while I was irritated by the Hardee's commercial that claimed that Roanoke had chosen Hardee's Thickburger as the best burger in Roanoke.  Recently I noticed that City Magazine did a vote on the best burger  in Roanoke and that Five Guys won.

The problem with these magazine eatery votes is similar to the problem we face with our political system.  We have far too many uninformed people voting.  The result being that the country ends up in a mess and the wrong burger get anointed "King of the Burgers."

I have enjoyed a number of Five Guys Burgers, they're very good.  I've even had a few burgers from Hardee's and a number of other restaurants around the area including Red Robin, Fuddruckers, and Ruby Tuesdays.  I also ran an Angus cattle ranch for over ten years. A few pounds of high quality burger might have slipped onto to my plate from the grill during that time.

With that background, I challenge anyone to find better tasting burgers than the ones that come from Burger in the Square.  Now you have to really want to get one.  They're in the old Market Building which means going downtown and finding a parking spot.  It's probably not as convenient as the other spots, but the burger you will find is well worth the effort.

It is the best burger in town.  It's not even really a contest.  My wife and I ate there today, she had a single combo, I had a double combo.  The total damage (not to the arteries) but to the wallet was $12.00.  You won't find better burger meat in Roanoke.  Their phone number is (540) 982-1639.

For a while I was irritated by the Hardee's commercial that claimed that Roanoke had chosen Hardee's Thickburger as the best burger in Roanoke.  Recently I noticed that City Magazine did a vote on the best burger  in Roanoke and that Five Guys won.

The problem with these magazine eatery votes is similar to the problem we face with our political system.  We have far too many uninformed people voting.  The result being that the country ends up in a mess and the wrong burger get anointed "King of the Burgers."

I have enjoyed a number of Five Guys Burgers, they're very good.  I've even had a few burgers from Hardee's and a number of other restaurants around the area including Red Robin, Fuddruckers, and Ruby Tuesdays.  I also ran an Angus cattle ranch for over ten years. A few pounds of high quality burger might have slipped onto to my plate from the grill during that time.

With that background, I challenge anyone to find better tasting burgers than the ones that come from Burger in the Square.  Now you have to really want to get one.  They're in the old Market Building which means going downtown and finding a parking spot.  It's probably not as convenient as the other spots, but the burger you will find is well worth the effort.

It is the best burger in town.  It's not even really a contest.  My wife and I ate there today, she had a single combo, I had a double combo.  The total damage (not to the arteries) but to the wallet was $12.00.  You won't find better burger meat in Roanoke.  Their phone number is (540) 982-1639.

For a while I was irritated by the Hardee's commercial that claimed that Roanoke had chosen Hardee's Thickburger as the best burger in Roanoke.  Recently I noticed that City Magazine did a vote on the best burger  in Roanoke and that Five Guys won.

The problem with these magazine eatery votes is similar to the problem we face with our political system.  We have far too many uninformed people voting.  The result being that the country ends up in a mess and the wrong burger get anointed "King of the Burgers."

I have enjoyed a number of Five Guys Burgers, they're very good.  I've even had a few burgers from Hardee's and a number of other restaurants around the area including Red Robin, Fuddruckers, and Ruby Tuesdays.  I also ran an Angus cattle ranch for over ten years. A few pounds of high quality burger might have slipped onto to my plate from the grill during that time.

With that background, I challenge anyone to find better tasting burgers than the ones that come from Burger in the Square.  Now you have to really want to get one.  They're in the old Market Building which means going downtown and finding a parking spot.  It's probably not as convenient as the other spots, but the burger you will find is well worth the effort.

It is the best burger in town.  It's not even really a contest.  My wife and I ate there today, she had a single combo, I had a double combo.  The total damage (not to the arteries) but to the wallet was $12.00.  You won't find better burger meat in Roanoke.  Their phone number is (540) 982-1639.