Southwest Virginia Blogs

We all have something in us that makes certain settings very comfortable mentally.  To me having water or mountains creates that virtual space which lets my mind wander beyond the physical boundaries of real property. 

Having mountains and oceans both is pretty special, but  not many places are that lucky especially if you want your water to be  warm salt water.

I have enjoyed living on the side of a mountain overlooking Roanoke.  I have taken many shots of the sun coming up over the mountains or the evening light sliding away from downtown.

The inspiration that you get when you look across a wide valley or a wide open expanse of blue water keeps the wheels under the human spirit turning.

The first step in dreaming is to see beyond your space.  It helps loosen the bounds on our minds.

It was a strange experience for me, the few years that we lived in Columbia, Md.  Our house in Columbia was surrounded by huge poplar trees.  It wasn't long before I felt smothered.  When I got to our home on the side of a mountain in Roanoke, I felt liberated.  In  fact each time I went back to Northern Virginia, I would feel the land closing in on me.

As soon I would cross into the Shenandoah Valley, I would feel like the whole world was spreading out in front of me.  Now that we get the chance to spend some time near open water, I can feel my mind racing across the water.

I feel especially lucky to have lived in so many wonder spots from the coast of Nova Scotia to Roanoke and North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks.

Views inspire us but they can also provide a great feeling of peace as the day closes.

I once consider writing a travel book of the new south, something like "Burgers, Barbecue, Bagels, and Beans."  I decided that the research would do be me in before I could finish the book.  Bagels do not seem to be as popular as they were a few years ago so I am not sure they would be a good topic these days.  Beans are a far too complicated, but I do claim to have one of the best baked bean recipes around, "The Best Baked Bean Recipe ever."

I will remain content trying to find the best burgers while sampling some great barbecue when I am fortunate enough to run across a true barbecue joint.  My gold standard is the burger my buddy Stephen cooked me a couple of summers ago in Northern Virginia.  Unfortunately his burger stand is never where I need it to be.

This past week on one of my marathon drives in the rain, I pulled into a Cookout drive through burger restaurant in Sanford, NC.  If you are not familiar with Cookout, you should give them a try.  They have very good charcoal burgers. I have eaten at the one in Mount Airy, NC a couple of times with very good results. 

Unfortunately with my Sanford stop, I was in a rush so I ate my burger at the stoplights while driving through Sanford.  That is not a very satisfying way to eat a burger.  I had hoped to find a Cookout in Wilmington this weekend to actually enjoy one of their burgers, but I did not have any luck.  However, while searching for great burgers, I found a local chain called P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille.  One of their locations was not far from the University of NC at Wilmington, so I slipped down there for lunch break.

It was a typical crowded college place where you filled out your own order form.  I came away with a very large cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $7.  It was an excellent burger.  It is a very different burger from the Burger in the Square burger that I nominated as the "The Best Burger in Roanoke."  The P.T. burger reminded me a little of one from "Five Guys Famous Burgers."

If you are in Wilmington, NC and looking for a very good burger with some salt and pepper home made fries, P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille is a good place to start.  Their three locations are at:

Fountain Dr (College)  392-2293

So. 17th St. (Hospital)  794-4544

Military Cutoff (Wright. Beach) 256-8850

There is little doubt that I am a big barbecue fan.  I have written about a number of barbecue spots like Bastians in Roanoke, Va in my post "Friday night at the Barbecue Joint." Then I wrote about a spot actually called the "Barbecue Joint" located on Weaver Dairy Road near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was mentioned in my post, "Back to the mountains."

Then there was the visit to Allen & Sons Barbecue, Chapel Hill, NC which was recommended by my friend Cameron.  When I took my real estate broker course in Hickory, NC, I discovered a really great spot, "FireBonz."   I even hauled back barbecue in a cooler to Roanoke a couple of times from Firebonz.

There have been a very few barbecue meals that I didn't consider a success like the one we had at Olde Virginia Barbecue in Rocky Mount, Va.  However, the general rule is that any barbecue is better than no barbecue.  As I said in "Barbecue And More Barbecue," I love barbecue.

Since I have been wandering around North Carolina's Crystal Coast,   I have been suffering from a barbecue drought.  Early one morning on my way to a very useful NC broker post licensing course in Wilmington, I happened to notice a metal roofed building called "The Smokehouse" on the west side of US 17.  I made a note of the mileage, and promised myself if that I had a good day in class that I might stop by and check it out on the way home.

We had one of the most productive days that I have enjoyed in my many real estate classes.  With that as a background, I was on the lookout for The Smokehouse.  I walked in and without even looking at the menu, I asked if they did barbecue by the pound.  The young lady said yes. I ordered a pound with some slaw and two buns.  Complete with tax, the meal came to $9.08.  I did not even have to ask, I got chopped pork.

About forty five minutes after leaving, I backed down our driveway on the east side of the White Oak River in Carteret County with what I hoped would be my first successful capture of real Eastern North Carolina barbecue.

We made our sandwiches, and it did not take Glenda, my wife, and I long to decide that I will be swinging by The Holly Ridge Smokehouse whenever I get a chance in my travels to Wilmington.  The barbecue was very lean with a nice hint of vinegar without being overwhelming.  The slaw was also crunchy and tasty.  The meal was a winner, a great bargain, and there is even enough left for Glenda's lunch tomorrow.

I wonder how their fried chicken is?  There's seems to be a shortage of that also along the Crystal Coast.  The Smokehouse opens early every morning.  If a full parking lot is an indication of good food, their breakfast must be very good.

There is little doubt that I am a big barbecue fan.  I have written about a number of barbecue spots like Bastians in Roanoke, Va in my post "Friday night at the Barbecue Joint." Then I wrote about a spot actually called the "Barbecue Joint" located on Weaver Dairy Road near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was mentioned in my post, "Back to the mountains."

Then there was the visit to Allen & Sons Barbecue, Chapel Hill, NC which was recommended by my friend Cameron.  When I took my real estate broker course in Hickory, NC, I discovered a really great spot, "FireBonz."   I even hauled back barbecue in a cooler to Roanoke a couple of times from Firebonz.

There have been a very few barbecue meals that I didn't consider a success like the one we had at Olde Virginia Barbecue in Rocky Mount, Va.  However, the general rule is that any barbecue is better than no barbecue.  As I said in "Barbecue And More Barbecue," I love barbecue.

Since I have been wandering around North Carolina's Crystal Coast,   I have been suffering from a barbecue drought.  Early one morning on my way to a very useful NC broker post licensing course in Wilmington, I happened to notice a metal roofed building called "The Smokehouse" on the west side of US 17.  I made a note of the mileage, and promised myself if that I had a good day in class that I might stop by and check it out on the way home.

We had one of the most productive days that I have enjoyed in my many real estate classes.  With that as a background, I was on the lookout for The Smokehouse.  I walked in and without even looking at the menu, I asked if they did barbecue by the pound.  The young lady said yes. I ordered a pound with some slaw and two buns.  Complete with tax, the meal came to $9.08.  I did not even have to ask, I got chopped pork.

About forty five minutes after leaving, I backed down our driveway on the east side of the White Oak River in Carteret County with what I hoped would be my first successful capture of real Eastern North Carolina barbecue.

We made our sandwiches, and it did not take Glenda, my wife, and I long to decide that I will be swinging by The Holly Ridge Smokehouse whenever I get a chance in my travels to Wilmington.  The barbecue was very lean with a nice hint of vinegar without being overwhelming.  The slaw was also crunchy and tasty.  The meal was a winner, a great bargain, and there is even enough left for Glenda's lunch tomorrow.

I wonder how their fried chicken is?  There's seems to be a shortage of that also along the Crystal Coast.  The Smokehouse opens early every morning.  If a full parking lot is an indication of good food, their breakfast must be very good.

That strong or irresistible desire to travel must be something that is in your genes.  If that is not the case, then perhaps all those vacations back in my youth, when people actually took two weeks off, instilled a love of travel.  In those days it was the magic of a swimming pool or beach at your door step with restaurant meals instead of home cooked fare. From a very early age, I was in charge of the maps.

That I am one who has wandered far is undeniable.  I was born in North Carolina, went to military high school in Tennessee, college in Massachusetts, and bought an old farm on the shores of Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy. That eventually led to my first career on a wilderness farm north of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Only marriage stopped me from homesteading in Newfoundland.  I guess for the seventeen years that we have lived in Roanoke, Virginia, the continual trips up Interstate 81 have kept my wanderlust at bay.  Even during those years, I can remember one of my most enjoyable trips being one where I tracked down what at the time was an impossible to find Acura MDX.  Then I flew to Tallahassee to pick it up and then had a leisurely drive up the many back roads to Roanoke.  Now that I rarely travel to Washington, I have spent a lot of time on the North Carolina coast.  However, mostly getting there has involved a lot of Highway 220 and Interstate 40, neither of which is a favorite road of mine.

One of the most recent trips down to the coast happened to coincide with the Durham to Raleigh rush hour which added nearly an hour to our travels.  I swore that I would find a new way.

My next trip I cut off of Route 220 at Ridgeway and followed Route 87 then Route 14 to US 29.  Eventually I crossed Interstate 40 on the east side of Greensboro about an hour and forty five minutes after leaving Roanoke.  I worked my way onto Route 421 and headed to the coast.   I made a short stop in Sanford to visit Chatlee Boat and Marine. (There might just be a post or two on boats soon.)

I picked up Interstate 40 at exit 341 near Newton Grove.  That meant the whole trip of 315 miles only had a little over thirty miles of Interstate travel. Around six o'clock in the evening, I rolled into Swansboro.

The distance traveled was a few miles less.  I did spend some time on two lane roads, but I cut my teeth on the twisting two lane roads in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains so I will take a lightly traveled two lane road over and an overloaded Interstate anytime.   My travel time with the boat shopping removed was shorter than I have ever managed before and that also includes a stop for a few photos.  Then there was the added bonus that my MDX got well over 23 mpg on the trip which was about 2 mpg better than on the Interstate.

You don't get to see many cotton fields when traveling along the Interstates.  Even the ones you see would be pretty hard to capture with a camera.  The trip to the coast with the exception of the Durham-Raleigh area was already more stress free than a ride up truck overloaded Interstate 81 to Washington, DC.  This new route even removes the North Carolina version of Northern Virginia from my path.

On the way I even figured out a few tweaks that I could make to the route to save a few more minutes.  Now that they have started ripping up faulty concrete in Raleigh area, I just might make Route 421 my default way of getting to the Crystal Coast.

I feel lucky to be alive in days of GPS while real maps are still around.  It is hard to get the kind of overall perspective you need from a small GPS screen so I build my trips on a paper map, and then let the GPS guide me most of the time. I don't mind if the GPS gets upset with me if I find a better way. It can still easily get me out of a jam. More than once I have pulled off of Interstate 81 and gotten around a blocked highway with the help of my GPS. 

I find GPS invaluable.  It took me right to Chatlee's doorstep just as it had faithfully directed me to many far more complex locations where I had appointments in my career in federal sales.  I recently read an article by John C. Dvorak.  I might write a response to his article, "Overrated GPS Annoys Dvorak." If I do, I suspect the title will be "Overrated Dvorak Annoys Experienced GPS User."

I am not above asking for directions, but with a map and the great GPS on my Acura MDX, who needs other directions.  It is the perfect combination for a guy with wanderlust in his soul.

More details on GPS in my post, "GPS a great road warrior tool."

That strong or irresistible desire to travel must be something that is in your genes.  If that is not the case, then perhaps all those vacations back in my youth, when people actually took two weeks off, instilled a love of travel.  In those days it was the magic of a swimming pool or beach at your door step with restaurant meals instead of home cooked fare. From a very early age, I was in charge of the maps.

That I am one who has wandered far is undeniable.  I was born in North Carolina, went to military high school in Tennessee, college in Massachusetts, and bought an old farm on the shores of Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy. That eventually led to my first career on a wilderness farm north of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Only marriage stopped me from homesteading in Newfoundland.  I guess for the seventeen years that we have lived in Roanoke, Virginia, the continual trips up Interstate 81 have kept my wanderlust at bay.  Even during those years, I can remember one of my most enjoyable trips being one where I tracked down what at the time was an impossible to find Acura MDX.  Then I flew to Tallahassee to pick it up and then had a leisurely drive up the many back roads to Roanoke.  Now that I rarely travel to Washington, I have spent a lot of time on the North Carolina coast.  However, mostly getting there has involved a lot of Highway 220 and Interstate 40, neither of which is a favorite road of mine.

One of the most recent trips down to the coast happened to coincide with the Durham to Raleigh rush hour which added nearly an hour to our travels.  I swore that I would find a new way.

My next trip I cut off of Route 220 at Ridgeway and followed Route 87 then Route 14 to US 29.  Eventually I crossed Interstate 40 on the east side of Greensboro about an hour and forty five minutes after leaving Roanoke.  I worked my way onto Route 421 and headed to the coast.   I made a short stop in Sanford to visit Chatlee Boat and Marine. (There might just be a post or two on boats soon.)

I picked up Interstate 40 at exit 341 near Newton Grove.  That meant the whole trip of 315 miles only had a little over thirty miles of Interstate travel. Around six o'clock in the evening, I rolled into Swansboro.

The distance traveled was a few miles less.  I did spend some time on two lane roads, but I cut my teeth on the twisting two lane roads in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains so I will take a lightly traveled two lane road over and an overloaded Interstate anytime.   My travel time with the boat shopping removed was shorter than I have ever managed before and that also includes a stop for a few photos.  Then there was the added bonus that my MDX got well over 23 mpg on the trip which was about 2 mpg better than on the Interstate.

You don't get to see many cotton fields when traveling along the Interstates.  Even the ones you see would be pretty hard to capture with a camera.  The trip to the coast with the exception of the Durham-Raleigh area was already more stress free than a ride up truck overloaded Interstate 81 to Washington, DC.  This new route even removes the North Carolina version of Northern Virginia from my path.

On the way I even figured out a few tweaks that I could make to the route to save a few more minutes.  Now that they have started ripping up faulty concrete in Raleigh area, I just might make Route 421 my default way of getting to the Crystal Coast.

I feel lucky to be alive in days of GPS while real maps are still around.  It is hard to get the kind of overall perspective you need from a small GPS screen so I build my trips on a paper map, and then let the GPS guide me most of the time. I don't mind if the GPS gets upset with me if I find a better way. It can still easily get me out of a jam. More than once I have pulled off of Interstate 81 and gotten around a blocked highway with the help of my GPS. 

I find GPS invaluable.  It took me right to Chatlee's doorstep just as it had faithfully directed me to many far more complex locations where I had appointments in my career in federal sales.  I recently read an article by John C. Dvorak.  I might write a response to his article, "Overrated GPS Annoys Dvorak." If I do, I suspect the title will be "Overrated Dvorak Annoys Experienced GPS User."

I am not above asking for directions, but with a map and the great GPS on my Acura MDX, who needs other directions.  It is the perfect combination for a guy with wanderlust in his soul.

More details on GPS in my post, "GPS a great road warrior tool."

I felt fortunate recently to be in Roanoke during the peak of the fall leaves.  I snapped this shot from our deck on November 1.  The shot reminds me of how beautiful the Roanoke Valley can be.  The colors aren't with us very long, but they always leave a lasting impression.  It's always easier to let your mind wander back to remember the good things than it is to deal with some of the tough things that we face every day.

The election will be here in a flash.  My guess is that we will have just as many tough problems three months after the elections as we have today.  The difference I hope is that we will have some people with fresh ideas who are more committed to doing the right things for the country than they are to spending all their energy trying to stay in power forever.  If we don't see a change, we should work hard to get new people to run for office.  We cannot afford to endure another several years of corruption, and I'm referring to a disease that isn't a stranger in either of the political parties. 

I'm hoping the fear mongering ends, and someone can emerge who is dedicated to bringing out the best in our country not the worst.  I have seen enough of politics defined by division and fear.  I hope we can prove we're smarter than politicians think we are.  If we don't elect new people, we deserve exactly what we'll get, more of the same, lame, corrupt, and petty politicians whose greatest pleasure is lining the pockets of those organizations who footed the bill for their election.

It would be absolutely wonderful to see some national leadership on transportation.  Certainly it doesn't look like Virginia can figure out its own mess by itself.  The Interstate Highways were a federal initiative, but they are badly in need of upgrades.  Certainly Interstate 81 is a classic case, but the last thing we need is more pollution belching trucks coming down through the valley.  Our landscape holds in the fumes, and I for one don't want to see the Shenandoah Valley turned into a three hundred miles long version of Los Angeles.  There has to be a better way.  If not, we'll be paying for the inaction with health problems and fewer opportunities to see those beautiful Roanoke Valley colors.

Vote, but vote wisely.

I felt fortunate recently to be in Roanoke during the peak of the fall leaves.  I snapped this shot from our deck on November 1.  The shot reminds me of how beautiful the Roanoke Valley can be.  The colors aren't with us very long, but they always leave a lasting impression.  It's always easier to let your mind wander back to remember the good things than it is to deal with some of the tough things that we face every day.

The election will be here in a flash.  My guess is that we will have just as many tough problems three months after the elections as we have today.  The difference I hope is that we will have some people with fresh ideas who are more committed to doing the right things for the country than they are to spending all their energy trying to stay in power forever.  If we don't see a change, we should work hard to get new people to run for office.  We cannot afford to endure another several years of corruption, and I'm referring to a disease that isn't a stranger in either of the political parties. 

I'm hoping the fear mongering ends, and someone can emerge who is dedicated to bringing out the best in our country not the worst.  I have seen enough of politics defined by division and fear.  I hope we can prove we're smarter than politicians think we are.  If we don't elect new people, we deserve exactly what we'll get, more of the same, lame, corrupt, and petty politicians whose greatest pleasure is lining the pockets of those organizations who footed the bill for their election.

It would be absolutely wonderful to see some national leadership on transportation.  Certainly it doesn't look like Virginia can figure out its own mess by itself.  The Interstate Highways were a federal initiative, but they are badly in need of upgrades.  Certainly Interstate 81 is a classic case, but the last thing we need is more pollution belching trucks coming down through the valley.  Our landscape holds in the fumes, and I for one don't want to see the Shenandoah Valley turned into a three hundred miles long version of Los Angeles.  There has to be a better way.  If not, we'll be paying for the inaction with health problems and fewer opportunities to see those beautiful Roanoke Valley colors.

Vote, but vote wisely.

I felt fortunate recently to be in Roanoke during the peak of the fall leaves.  I snapped this shot from our deck on November 1.  The shot reminds me of how beautiful the Roanoke Valley can be.  The colors aren't with us very long, but they always leave a lasting impression.  It's always easier to let your mind wander back to remember the good things than it is to deal with some of the tough things that we face every day.

The election will be here in a flash.  My guess is that we will have just as many tough problems three months after the elections as we have today.  The difference I hope is that we will have some people with fresh ideas who are more committed to doing the right things for the country than they are to spending all their energy trying to stay in power forever.  If we don't see a change, we should work hard to get new people to run for office.  We cannot afford to endure another several years of corruption, and I'm referring to a disease that isn't a stranger in either of the political parties. 

I'm hoping the fear mongering ends, and someone can emerge who is dedicated to bringing out the best in our country not the worst.  I have seen enough of politics defined by division and fear.  I hope we can prove we're smarter than politicians think we are.  If we don't elect new people, we deserve exactly what we'll get, more of the same, lame, corrupt, and petty politicians whose greatest pleasure is lining the pockets of those organizations who footed the bill for their election.

It would be absolutely wonderful to see some national leadership on transportation.  Certainly it doesn't look like Virginia can figure out its own mess by itself.  The Interstate Highways were a federal initiative, but they are badly in need of upgrades.  Certainly Interstate 81 is a classic case, but the last thing we need is more pollution belching trucks coming down through the valley.  Our landscape holds in the fumes, and I for one don't want to see the Shenandoah Valley turned into a three hundred miles long version of Los Angeles.  There has to be a better way.  If not, we'll be paying for the inaction with health problems and fewer opportunities to see those beautiful Roanoke Valley colors.

Vote, but vote wisely.

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.

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.

There comes a point when you've said all you can say about our political situation.  I think that I've arrived at that point.  The newspapers are full of opinions so it's no trouble to find one that matches your own.

I'm for as little government as possible, and I'm going to leave it at that.  I am for protecting our environment.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to foul our own nest.  I would like the next generations to have the opportunity to experience some of the wonderful places that I have seen.

For a number of years we owned a two person kayak.  I spent many wonderful hours in Carvin's Cove exploring and even fishing. Mostly due to career demands at Apple Computer in my last years there, I gave it up.

Recently I passed my NC state real estate exam, and I gave my self a reward for all those long hours of study and classroom time, I bought myself a new kayak.

I had done some research earlier and decided on a Wilderness System Pungo 120.  Unfortunately I couldn't find any locally so we went on a GPS adventure.  It's rare when my Acura GPS screws up, but this time it really did.  What should have been a trip to Rocky Mount of slightly over two hours ended up being over three hours.  The trip back with some human directions and my new blue Pungo 120 only took a couple of hours.

The river in our backyard is the the White Oak.  It's a beautiful river.  Getting out on the river in the new kayak was a real pleasure.  It you could zoom in a little on the picture to the left you could see in the distance the bridges over the White Oak near Swansboro, NC.

I spent an hour wandering around and exploring which is about all the old body could take cramped up in a kayak.

The water is still warm, and it couldn't be much more beautiful out on the river.  It's a good way to completely forget about politics.

I need to find a better exit ramp than the boat ramp in our subdivision. It's a little steep for a graceful kayak exit, but that's just a minor problem.

On the way back in I did have to get cleared by the local air patrol, but he was pretty tolerant of me trying to get as close as possible for a photo.

Lots more kayaking pictures at "Kayaking the White Oak."

There comes a point when you've said all you can say about our political situation.  I think that I've arrived at that point.  The newspapers are full of opinions so it's no trouble to find one that matches your own.

I'm for as little government as possible, and I'm going to leave it at that.  I am for protecting our environment.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to foul our own nest.  I would like the next generations to have the opportunity to experience some of the wonderful places that I have seen.

For a number of years we owned a two person kayak.  I spent many wonderful hours in Carvin's Cove exploring and even fishing. Mostly due to career demands at Apple Computer in my last years there, I gave it up.

Recently I passed my NC state real estate exam, and I gave my self a reward for all those long hours of study and classroom time, I bought myself a new kayak.

I had done some research earlier and decided on a Wilderness System Pungo 120.  Unfortunately I couldn't find any locally so we went on a GPS adventure.  It's rare when my Acura GPS screws up, but this time it really did.  What should have been a trip to Rocky Mount of slightly over two hours ended up being over three hours.  The trip back with some human directions and my new blue Pungo 120 only took a couple of hours.

The river in our backyard is the the White Oak.  It's a beautiful river.  Getting out on the river in the new kayak was a real pleasure.  It you could zoom in a little on the picture to the left you could see in the distance the bridges over the White Oak near Swansboro, NC.

I spent an hour wandering around and exploring which is about all the old body could take cramped up in a kayak.

The water is still warm, and it couldn't be much more beautiful out on the river.  It's a good way to completely forget about politics.

I need to find a better exit ramp than the boat ramp in our subdivision. It's a little steep for a graceful kayak exit, but that's just a minor problem.

On the way back in I did have to get cleared by the local air patrol, but he was pretty tolerant of me trying to get as close as possible for a photo.

Lots more kayaking pictures at "Kayaking the White Oak."

There comes a point when you've said all you can say about our political situation.  I think that I've arrived at that point.  The newspapers are full of opinions so it's no trouble to find one that matches your own.

I'm for as little government as possible, and I'm going to leave it at that.  I am for protecting our environment.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to foul our own nest.  I would like the next generations to have the opportunity to experience some of the wonderful places that I have seen.

For a number of years we owned a two person kayak.  I spent many wonderful hours in Carvin's Cove exploring and even fishing. Mostly due to career demands at Apple Computer in my last years there, I gave it up.

Recently I passed my NC state real estate exam, and I gave my self a reward for all those long hours of study and classroom time, I bought myself a new kayak.

I had done some research earlier and decided on a Wilderness System Pungo 120.  Unfortunately I couldn't find any locally so we went on a GPS adventure.  It's rare when my Acura GPS screws up, but this time it really did.  What should have been a trip to Rocky Mount of slightly over two hours ended up being over three hours.  The trip back with some human directions and my new blue Pungo 120 only took a couple of hours.

The river in our backyard is the the White Oak.  It's a beautiful river.  Getting out on the river in the new kayak was a real pleasure.  It you could zoom in a little on the picture to the left you could see in the distance the bridges over the White Oak near Swansboro, NC.

I spent an hour wandering around and exploring which is about all the old body could take cramped up in a kayak.

The water is still warm, and it couldn't be much more beautiful out on the river.  It's a good way to completely forget about politics.

I need to find a better exit ramp than the boat ramp in our subdivision. It's a little steep for a graceful kayak exit, but that's just a minor problem.

On the way back in I did have to get cleared by the local air patrol, but he was pretty tolerant of me trying to get as close as possible for a photo.

Lots more kayaking pictures at "Kayaking the White Oak."

If you've never gotten off of Interstate 81 at Raphine and taken a trip out to Wade's Mill, you've missed one of the fun things to do in our area.  The exit is 205, and the drive is only about 4 miles out Va. 606.  Raphine road is a Virginia Byway, and of course it will have some beautiful leaves in a few weeks.

Beside the all the wonderful flours and the milling equipment, there's a great gift shop to visit at Wade's.  To top it all off, the mill is in one of the most scenic areas of Virginia and right next door to Buffalo Springs Herb Farm.  My wife, Glenda, tells me that there is also a great knitting shop, Orchardside Yarn Shop, just down the road.

We wanted to get a few Rada knives for our youngest daughter and for our new spot on the coast.  For those of  you unfamiliar with Rada knives, they are a pleasure to use. Mostly they are great because you can put a great edge on them, and they keep it.  They also fit your hands very well.  It's nice to know that they are also American made.

The knives are some of the most durable ones that I've ever used.  My mother had some, and they were her favorites for slicing tomatoes or whatever chore needed doing in the kitchen.

We've bought Rada knives from Wade's Mill before.  It's a good excuse to get out in the country and enjoy some great mountain air.

When you have tomatoes as ugly as ours you need a good peeling knife and the Rada ones fit the bill.

Wade's Mill is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday: 1 to 5 PM.  They close just before Christmas and don't open again until April.  Their phone number is 800-290-1400.  I posted a few shots I recently took at the mill at this site.