Next up: Georgia. The welcome sign read “Welcome – we’re glad Georgia’s on your mind!” Stop it. You’re too cute, Georgia. Before checking into our hotel we drove out to Tybee Island, arriving just in time to watch a beautiful sunset on the beach. They had swinging love seats at many of the beach entrances, which was again sickeningly adorable. The beaches here are beautiful, with long wooden decks that lead over the dunes to the sandy waterfronts home to nesting loggerhead turtles.
While we’d heard great things from my parents and their friends Gail and Frank about Sundae Café on Tybee, they are closed on Sundays, so we opted instead for the Crab Shack. While a little kitschy, it was a fun experience. It was here we saw our first alligators of the trip, and tried crawfish for the first time. (My take: taste OK but a lot of work for a tiny bit of meat). We ordered a mixed shellfish platter for two that had enough food for probably four or five (corn, potato sausage, shrimp, crawfish, snow and Jonah crab, clams, mussels). We sat at a table outside, along an inland salt marsh waterway. The tables are cheap and utilitarian, with holes in the middle that allow you to throw shells directly into the trashcan underneath. I also enjoyed the cats, including one very fat cat, that wander around hoping for scraps while you eat.
::poor little guy, didn’t stand a chance::
I felt weirdly sick the next morning (tempting to blame the shellfish though Alan was fine and it definitely wasn’t food poisoning), so I slept off my weird little illness and sent Alan out to discover what’s cool in Savannah. Luckily I was feeling well enough to meet him around lunchtime and we grabbed a bite at Gryphon, which is a beautifully decorated restaurant situated in an old pharmacy. We continued walking around the beautiful old town that is covered with squares on practically every block, each one with statutes and a stunning collection of live oaks and Spanish moss.
We walked by the Mercer Williams House, which is seen in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There are tons of touristy things to do centering around this book and movie. Then we headed down to River Street, a charming cobble stone road with shops and restaurants that I imagine very much cater to the tourist crowd. Praline is a big thing here and we walked into a most delicious smelling candy store that offered free samples.
We grabbed slices of pizza to go from Vinnie VanGoGo’s at city market for dinner. They were delicious and a good deal and we enjoyed them in our hotel room as we booked most of the rest of our road trip.
We were disappointed to miss eating at the Olde Pink House which came highly recommended and had a great looking menu, but the only resi available was super late and I was still feeling iffy. I was also bummed to eat zero peaches while in Georgia!
We drove right past our hotel in Savannah and continued to Tybee Island where we enjoyed sunset on the beach. This loggerhead turtle nesting haven was most mellow, though I assume the population swells in summer.
After, we had a fun dinner at the kitschy Crab Shack on an inland waterway. Our $40 shared platter was enormous. My crawfish skills are adequate at best.
The (Days) Inn at Ellis Square is in a nice location but I would probably prefer to stay some blocks south, say at or near the Ballastone Inn. Jenni was sick so I walked on my own through City Market, east to Johnson Square with City Hall in the background and then I headed south on Bull Street which bisects several impossibly charming squares.
By City Market
Johnson Square and City Hall
Each is filled with live oaks and a statue or memorial, and each time I think I have reached the prettiest I am soon proved wrong. I saw another dog stalking a squirrel in the park, but unlike in Chicago this one’s owner was a hero and not an accomplice.
There are many impressive old buildings, churches and homes with wrought iron work. On the south side of Madison Square is shopSCAD (as in Savannah College of Art & Design), well worth a visit for its creative art and home decor. Forsyth Park is much bigger than the various squares, and not nearly as quaint.
I sought out Angel’s BBQ and Wall’s BBQ but they were closed, and Wiley’s BBQ was not walking distance. No matter, I met Jenni for a very good lunch at Gryphon (across from SCAD) housed in an ornate old pharmacy. It was not quite as tasty as it sounds, so one of these days I will attempt a better version of the sandwich with peanut butter, honey, home-made granola and banana.
Gryphon
Gryphon
After lunch we meandered up Abercorn Street, which like Bull Street bisects a number of squares and also a cemetery. At the northern end we descended a steep staircase to cobblestone River Street lined with shops and bars plus a World War II Memorial. Savannah Candy Kitchen has a huge selection of fudge, caramel apples, etc., and my free sample of praline was scrumptious.
WWII Memorial
River Street
The Olde Pink House comes highly recommended but no reasonable dinner reservation was on offer, so instead we got a couple slices at Vinnie Van Go Go’s in City Market. This is a solid, hole in the wall type pizza joint with a counter, some outdoor seats and a little beer on tap. The area was buzzing on a Monday night. We laid low, did some work, watched a Red Sox victory and rested up for another long day on the road.
Having left the fair rather late we didn’t get into Charleston until after midnight. Feeling overconfident or overly lazy (slash completely unaware that Charleston is the “top destination in the world” per Condé Nast and hence impossible to get a decent priced hotel reservation in) we made zero reservations in advance. While at the fair we had called the Not So Hostel and booked a room for that night, though they were full over the weekend. No sweat, we figured we’d find another spot no problem.
Well, we’re getting into town around midnight and take a wrong turn, which got us a bit lost, and in an area that’s looking a little on the shady side, and not in the shade of the live oaks kinda way. One more turn and the blue lights start flashing in our rear view. The officer asked what we were doing, and Alan replied that we were looking for our hotel. His response, “well you lost son. You in the hood!” Welcome to Charleston! Ha. He gave us directions and told us not to come back. Pretty crazy that only a few blocks away from a really nice part of town cops pull over nicer looking cars just for being in the area. In fact, they came over to both windows and shone their flashlight in to see what we were doing. I wondered if they thought we were trying to buy drugs. So that was our first observation of Charleston – super nice areas are right next to the hood areas. It seems there is no in-between.
We had a private room at the Not So Hostel Annex that night, which was a steal in Charleston at $70 a night, but definitely not impressive. The bed squeaked every time you took a deep breath in, Alan had to fix the broken toilet while I made the bed, and the door to the (communal) bathroom basically didn’t shut. Oh, and I almost threw up from the smell when we opened the fridge in the kitchen that claimed to have free breakfast. No thanks. (That sounds really whiny when I type it. It was perfectly fine for a hostel, but definitely not one of those awesome, charming kind of hostels that make you glad you’re choosing to stay in a hostel).
Unfortunately this left us in Charleston on a Friday and Saturday night with nowhere to stay. Opting in light of our first night’s experience to choose location over a further away and moderately less expensive spot we picked the Days Inn in Downtown Charleston. The location was phenomenal. The hotel was gnarly. It was the worst hotel we stayed at on the entire trip. At $250 a night it was by far the most expensive place we stayed on the trip (except for weddings when we stayed at fancy places, and our anniversary splurge at the Statler). I’m no priss, we stayed at a lot of grungy hotels/motels/etc. on this trip and I can totally hang, but this place was gross. The carpet smelled like vomit, the shower was covered in dirt, and there was an open box of condoms in the bedside table, right next to the Bible. That said, we could walk to everything, which was great, and everything else we could find online was $450/night or more. So, here’s what you can learn based on our mistake: book in advance for Charleston.
Our first day in town we spent the entire day at a coffee shop and a Fedex copy store. Nine plus hours completing our visas for China and India. It’s kind of ridiculous the hoops they make you jump through. Not to mention all the weird issues we had in answering certain questions because we are homeless, unemployed, had basically no plans of which port of entry we’d be coming in, where we’d be staying, which cities we’d be visiting, which port of entry we’d be exiting through, when we’d even be there, so and so on. I’m trying to not bore y’all with the details, but I guess my point is to offer some advice for anyone who might do something like we are: plan way more in advance when you have the comforts and advantages of a home and access to a printer and so on.
We rewarded a hard day of work with dinner at Slightly North of Broad. Took me a while to realize it stood for SNOB. We were starving by the time we arrived, so shared a charcuterie plate that had some great rabbit pate (sorry to all the cute bunnies at the fair, but you are so delicious). I ordered the calamari salad and Alan the stuffed quail, and we also split a cup of butternut squash bisque. We were both surprised at how crowded the streets and restaurants were. The city is filled to the brim with college students, tourists, and of course lots of Citadel uniform clad young men. We were also a touch surprised by how dressy the people were there, lots of pearls and Vera Bradley. The city is beautiful, filled with bright colored old homes with the most incredible porches and palmettos and live oaks dotting the streets everywhere.
Saturday morning we checked out the Farmer’s Market, which had a lot of Southern staples such as chow chow, grits, boiled peanuts, pickled okra, pimento cheese, and chicken n waffles. There were an unusually large number of puppies (literal baby dogs, I know I call most dogs puppies) out. Obviously I enjoyed this. There was also an awesome large lady singing “Don’t Think Twice” and “Lime in the Coconut” on the square. After that we did a bit of a walking tour around town, passing the Nathaniel Russell house on Meeting St., the White Point Garden, Waterfront park and Rainbow Row on Bay Street. We were unenthused by the City Market which was a tourist trap filled with junky knick-knacks. Horse drawn carriage tours pass by constantly, and you can practically get the info for free just by overhearing the tour guides as they pass.
We stopped at Bull Street Gourmet and Market for lunch and I had an incredible shrimp and oyster salad, Alan a smoked duck club sandwich. Afterwards we went back up to Marion Square where the Farmer’s Market was held to fit in some exercise.
Before dinner we grabbed a quick drink at Closed for Business and then headed over to dinner at Macintosh. We split the burrata and gnudi with BBQ rabbit. I ordered the scallops appetizer and Alan the duck leg. The food was great and Alan also enjoyed a martini with pimiento bacon olives.
We were off our game again in Charleston. By this time we were insanely behind on blog posts, and realizing how many things we had to do to get ready for our six month trip to Asia. These things impede your ability to focus on and enjoy the current places. But we slapped ourselves on our faces, and got back in the groove. We packed up the car with effort again so we could put the top down finally (Sven hadn’t gone topless in quite a few states).
Leaving Charleston we stopped on Shem Creek for a little brunch, sitting on the deck where we could watch the boats and kayaks. We took a quick walk on the boardwalk through the salt marshes where we learned that “cooter” is Gullah for turtle, and saw a woman catch a really cool puffer fish.
From there we headed over to the Boone Hall Plantation, which I chose among others for it’s stunning long driveway lined with 100 year old live oaks dripping in the most romantic Spanish moss. Especially with the top down you feel like a princess driving in there. If it looks familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen the house in The Notebook, one of a handful of movies filmed on the property.
We took a tour of the mansion, which is still privately owned and inhabited, so you can only see the first floor. We also took a tour of the plantation where you’re driven around on a tractor type bus to see the areas where cotton was grown, bricks made, and pecan trees. It was all set up for Halloween haunted hay rides and a corn maze, and over by the main house for a wedding later that day. The slave quarters are filled with exhibits about various aspects of slave life. It was my first time on a plantation, and fascinating to learn all about it.
The border on I-95 is rife with amusement rides and fireworks, clearing any confusion that you have switched states.
We arrived in Charleston after midnight and I missed the turn off Route 17. Just a few blocks from our intended destination, I stopped the car to re-orient. I said to Jenni that it felt like the ghetto, which surprised me because I had previously considered only the touristy images of this renowned destination and we were so near downtown. As we drove away, the lights flashed in the rear view and I got pulled over. Two cops approached with flashlights on our faces. The gentlemen on my side was a little scary himself with tats and a beanie, and he asked what we were doing. Oddly enough we were not attempting to procure narcotics but only to locate our hotel. He advised, “well you lost, son, you in the hood!” He gave us directions and warned us not to return. Things got much better from here.
October 24-27, 2013 (Thursday-Sunday)
Lacking a full appreciation of Charleston’s popularity and cost, we did not attempt to reserve accommodation until our arrival day. We booked a private room in the annex building of the Not So Hostel at 33 Cannon Street, which was mediocre (squeaky bed, doors hard to shut, breakfast non-existent, toilet requiring my plumbing skills) but priced right at under $80 including tax. Despite these flaws we might have stayed the next two nights but private rooms were sold out, and we preferred to keep alive our streak of sleeping in the same room as a married couple. If you are really budget conscious and don’t mind a shared room, the regular Not So Hostel on Spring Street seemed to have a good vibe and the Cannon annex was not so bad.
Lovely home south of Broad
A great many places were sold out or even pricier, and we wanted a premier location for two weekend nights here. So we bit the bullet and paid $249/night for a fairly lousy Days Inn with a terrific location on Meeting Street. Fine lodging was available much cheaper across the river in Mount Pleasant and elsewhere.
Friday was a lousy and stressful day. City Lights Coffee shop on Market Street is a charming spot frequented by locals, but I would have preferred to spend fewer than seven hours here working on visa applications and logistics. A couple more hours at FedEx and $1029 plus $39 for copies and shipping later, our applications for multi-entry India and China visas were in the mail. Unfortunately, we had to miss the Friday parade at the Citadel.
White Point Garden
It was unusually cold during our visit which meant perfect days and cool nights, similar to Los Angeles. My initial impression is that Charleston is a charming blend of the south and the Caribbean. There are palm trees and we passed a couple corners with guys playing steel drums. Unique to this city is the eternal presence of young men wearing perfectly pressed gray and white uniforms of the Citadel. I was struck by how many people are out cavorting day and night. The crowd tends to be attractive and apparently this is a popular spot for bachelorette parties. So pay attention all you single guys…
We walked to dinner at Slightly North of Broad (aka S.N.O.B.) and with no reservation on a Friday night were seated quickly at the chef’s table, which is a bar with six seats at the back of the room facing the open kitchen under a brick archway. The space is pleasant with high ceilings and exposed pipe, but the pipe is closer to black than stainless and there are dark brass chandeliers. The result is a nice blend of industrial and southern cozy.
The charcuterie plate arrived in an instant and was delicious. Jenni’s favorite was the rabbit pate and at yesterday’s fair her favorite attraction was the rabbit barn, so we concluded she likes observing and devouring. And since I said my favorite attraction of the fair was the pig races, a trend emerged. The highlight of the meal was the butternut squash bisque. I had a couple interesting beverages. Smoke on the Water consisted of Cathead Pecan Vodka, chipotle puree, Oloroso sherry, orgeat syrup and orange peel. In my martini I opted for pimiento cheese olives instead of my standard blue cheese order. Overall the meal was enjoyable but nothing special.
The next morning we strolled to the Saturday farmer’s market in Marion Square, where I fell in love with Charleston. Two sides of the square were lined with booths selling photographs, varied flavors of pecans, fruit, vegetables, shrimp, pottery, honey, flowers, pickled everything, various prepared meals, etc.
Marion Square farmer’s market
Holocaust memorial
A woman with a raspy voice headlined the singer/songwriter duo well-versed in Bob Dylan. Puppies were omnipresent. Not just puppies as Jenni uses the word to signify any dog, but actual, adorable puppies. We were surprised to see a Holocaust memorial on the southeast corner of the square.
It was not yet time for lunch but we were tempted by Ted’s Butcher Block which is a deli with great looking artisanal bacon and sausage and all kinds of meats and cheeses plus freshly made paninis. The City Market was less exciting and very touristy with cheap jewelry and apparel plus knick knacks and a couple food spots. Charleston Cooks is a nice little kitchen store that offers cooking classes, and it was here I first heard Everlast’s acoustic version of Jump Around.
Waterfront Park
Waterfront Park
Re-energized from this auditory gem, we walked through Waterfront Park with its fountain water pink for breast cancer month. Whoever came up with that public awareness and fundraising campaign is a genius. Rainbow Row on East Bay Street is worth a visit, and the homes become grander as one walks south towards the beautiful, live oak filled White Point Garden. Many of the homes south of Broad are spectacular and some function as museums. We were enamored of the huge porches which scream (whisper?) relaxation and good living. Horse carriage tours are everywhere, and we preferred to walk but the informative nature might make these a good bet for orientation.
Rainbow Row
Mansion on East Bay
Our disappointment that Husk (a restaurant by James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock) had already stopped seating for lunch dissipated quickly inside Bull Street Gourmet and Market. One orders at the counter, there is a robust collection of beers and wines, and my smoked duck club was delicious. Alright y’all, now I’m REALLY far behind as I’m sitting in Hong Kong at the moment, so I’m gonna blow through the rest of this!
White Point Garden
Love the live oaks
We grabbed a nice exercise sesh in Marion Square and saw lots of folks in their tuxedos going to weddings on a Saturday night. Pre-dinner cocktails at Closed for Business were pleasant, dinner at The Macintosh was near excellent. The dessert menu was so impressive that I must share it with you.
Yet another waiter who mistook us for bumpkins ignorant in the ways of burrata…After dinner we poked our heads in at Halls Chophouse which was vibrant and reminiscent of Mastro’s. I think traditionally Calhoun Street was something of a dividing line, but at least now much of the hip restaurant and bar scene is on King Street north of Calhoun.
On Sunday, Sven at last went topless again and there were many folks out jogging as we crossed the bridge to Mount Pleasant. Brunch at Water’s Edge on Shem Creek was OK, after which we walked around the boardwalk through the salt marshes. I like this part of town. And I learned that in the Gullah dialect, cooter means turtle. How fun.
Shem Creek
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in distance
Periwinkles (snails)
Puffer fish!
Boone Hall Plantation is about 15 minutes away and touring this still-working property was wonderful.
I think there are other plantations on the other side of Charleston and don’t know which are the best, but I definitely recommend visiting at least one. It is hard to imagine others have a more picturesque driveway entrance lined with live oaks.
Boone Hall began growing indigo and rice before focusing on cotton. Apparently a plantation is a large farm focusing on one crop. Pecan trees were their big thing at one time. Now they grow blueberries, peaches, squash, grapes, strawberries and more, plus a little cotton and pecans and wedding venue business. They filled some of The Notebook here, and Jenni was elated. Oh, there is also a huge Halloween spectacle and corn maze, and a butterfly garden.
Charleston is a terrific city, just try to avoid making any wrong turns.
We crossed the state heading to Charleston, and though we did not spend a night, we did notch a couple more college campuses and one serious state fair.
October 24, 2013 (Thursday)
With all due respect to my friends and family who attended Duke, I am no fan of the Blue Devils. But game recognize game, so I had to check out the campus and Cameron Indoor (where I caught a quick glimpse of practice). The campus is hilly and most beautiful, with masonry of gray and beige instead of the ivy-covered red brick to which I am more accustomed. A short drive took us to UNC, and though I did not see enough of Durham for a fair comparison, Chapel Hill seemed like the more attractive town.
We had lunch at Top of the Hill on Franklin Street, the main drag which is lined with shops and restaurants. Jenni made a nice southern selection of grit cake with mushrooms and shrimp. See my BBQ post for details on the pulled pork sandwich. This place is also a brewery. A couple other recommendations we got were Crooks Corner in town, G2B in Durham and Foster’s Market in between.
A little further south we paid $10 to park across the street from the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, then $9 each to enter. The village of yesteryear was our first stop, which is a big indoor circle with live demonstrations of how to make things like: soap, candles, pottery, guns, tin, origami, glass, horse hair pottery, brooms and more. Duane Raver is a nature-painter there that Jenni’s family has known more years than I have lived.
At the Neomonde Bakery artisan bread making show, Jenni guessed correctly that 200k people are born daily worldwide. This earned her a gratis pumpkin spice cupcake with thick cream cheese frosting. We fared less well at several games like toss the ring on the bottle, shoot out the red star with the rifle, knock over the blocks with a softball or lift the bottle with a pole and string. I was quite disappointed with myself. And with the game operators who pursued customers more aggressively than Allen Iverson avoided practice.
A highlight of the day was the pig race show, which entailed a string of races including the categories of piglets, baby goats, ducks and Vietnamese pot belly pigs. The hosts had creative NASCAR names, and some of the clientele was entertaining.
We probably should have saved our appetite for things like BBQ turkey legs, fried oreos and sloppy joe’s sandwiches between Krisy Kreme donuts. Instead, we ate only the fair classic of fried dough.
The livestock section was educational. I did not know a cow could fetch $25k at market, nor that Zoe the Holstein could give 84 pounds of milk per day. For $2 each we got a quick lesson in how to pull the udder.
There was an exhibit dedicated to honey bees, largely to raise awareness about their dangerously dwindling population. A separate building housed the rabbits, and I was surprised by the wide variety of breeds. I liked the furry white English Agoura.
There was also an agricultural section, where we saw an 800 pound pumpkin, a 5 pound potato (and some really cool decorated spuds), and a 241 pound watermelon. Jenni saw walnuts and thought they were truffles. We are a long way from Cali, sweetheart.
On the drive towards Charleston I stopped for gas in Lumberton, North Carolina. Based on the cast of characters at the station, you certainly should not if you can avoid it. If we had more time, it would have been nice to visit the Asheville area where Dave’s mom and dad live or the Outer Banks. Alas, one must leave with reasons to return.
On our way to the North Carolina State Fair (touted by my southern Virginian family as the best in the country) we stopped to drive through Duke so Alan could see the campus. I had come down to look at it when I was in high school, but had forgotten just how impressive a campus it is. After Duke, we popped over to UNC Chapel Hill and drove around the campus there for a few minutes before stopping for lunch at the Top of the Hill. I tried a mushroom grit cake with shrimp and Alan got a barbecue pulled pork sandwich with beer cheese sauce. Both were tasty but not mind blowing.
Next was the state fair! It was $10 to park and $9 a person for entry which we thought was pretty reasonable for such a huge fair. Of course, they get you with all the alluring purchases (read: so many carnival games) inside. We checked out the Village of Yesteryear before popping into a Bread Making Show, which was more of a comedy show for the brief time we were there. I won a free cupcake by guessing correctly that 200,000 people are born a day (woohoo! I never win things!).
::ice cream machines made out of some heavy duty machinery::
After that we headed over to see a pig race! Oh my god, so adorable. These little piglets, goats, ducks, and Vietnamese potbelly piggies took turns racing around a little track while a very packed crowd cheered them on.
::pig racing::
We played a ton of games ourselves. Like, we totally blew the budget and frustrated ourselves trying to win a giant teddy bear, then a medium sized teddy bear and eventually anything, dear god just give us a stupid toy! (See, the cupcake was a fluke). We were surprised by how aggressive the game operators were. And maybe that’s part of what kept us going… all the “don’t you want to win something for the pretty lady?”’s took their toll on Alan’s confidence I guess.
::look at that concentration::
They had just about anything you could ever desire deep fried – the usual twinkies, oreos etc, but for the more aggressive, you could opt for a deep fried uncrustable PB&J sandwich, a deep fried cinnamon roll, or even a deep fried slice of pecan pie or cheesecake. Not your style? How about a deep fried PICKLE? A burger served on a Krispy Kreme Donut? No? Anyone? We opted for a classic, and shared a fried dough. We struggled to finish it, and I was amused that Alan got yelled at by a random woman for throwing away some fried dough.
Later on, I was very excited to learn how to milk a cow for the first time, though a bit embarrassed that my hands were too cold and her poor nipple – err udder – shriveled up upon touch. Sorry girl. I also learned that the black and white cows, like the ones in the Chick-Fil-A ads are dairy cows, not beef cows.
::a big, and expensive, pig::
::milking::
::milk it baby::
There was an impressive agricultural display, including a 5 lb potato, 241 lb watermelon, and the cutest display of vegetables decorated like animals by the North Carolinan children. In addition, there was a vegetable petting zoo. While these things are probably designed to appeal to the under ten crowd, I was like a kid at, well, this place.
::mighty pumpkins::
::now that’s a big watermelon::
My favorite part might have been the bunny room. Granted they’re all in cages and you’re not allowed to touch, but they had a massive room of rabbits of every breed imaginable on display. Oh the cuteness overload. I hadn’t the faintest idea there were so many kinds of bunnies. Especially the English Angouras (?). they looked like something out of a horror movie, like a Frankenbunny that’s part-bunny, part-IT, with eyes like burning embers.
All in all – really fun. So glad we stopped to check it out. who doesn’t feel like a kid again at a fair?
We left D.C. with a quick stop at Georgetown bagels (just realizing after writing all these posts how many bagels we’ve eaten on the road, yikes). I was really excited and nostalgic for the tollbooths where you have to throw change in. I think Virginia was the only place we saw these.
::this little guy joined for the ride down to VA, I thought it was good luck::
We stayed with my aunt Susan and Darrell, who live in South Boston, VA and were very generous hosts. I loved the chocolates she left out on the bed! Our first night in town a whole bunch of my extended family came over to Susan and Darrell’s for dinner and a lot of catching up (including four of my five uncles on my mom’s side). This was so fun – I was even telling Susan the next day how my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Darrell showed us his kids’ impressive website that covers their hunting and noodling adventures. I had never heard of noodling before – it’s where you stick your arms into these deep mud holes in the river to catch catfish. Sounds scary as you could accidentally find a snapper turtle in there, not to mention the “flathead rash” one gets from the catfish themselves. They had some impressive catches – catfish, turkey, deer, you name it. Most of the men in the family are big into hunting, and we heard some great stories about their adventures hunting.
We ate some great Southern home cooking – including chili beans with venison, biscuits, cornbread and ham my aunt Susan made, jalapeño poppers Darrell made, fried chicken and livers my uncle Billy (aka Billy Crocker) made. Hot dog, I love biscuits (note also the very Southern use of “hot dog” as an exclamatory phrase). Lynn told me how grandma made biscuits with clobber, which is pure milk fat. I guess that’s the secret.
It was so interesting getting everyone’s perspective on who in my family I looked most like. Normally people say I look more like my dad and my brother looks more like my mom, but everyone down there said the opposite. I was also told I have the “Scheier nose.” I’m hoping this is a compliment… ?
There was a distinct difference in dialect as my family all have the Southern drawl. A few phrases we noticed used differently: they say “fix” rather than “cook,” “reckon” (which reminds me of Australia), and they opt for “right” in lieu of “very” (as in, “he did a right good job fixing that chicken). Wendy even made fun of Alan’s accent, for the way he said “June.” This is not to say Alan was not accepted with open arms, everybody loved him. In fact, my cousin Will was so excited he told my uncles, “I think we could turn Alan into a redneck in a week!”
My uncle John shared a story about going up into a tree as a kid to retrieve a dog or cat that was stuck up there, and he credits my mom for saving his life when she broke his fall. This is one of many stories about family injuries I heard.
Susan and Darrell’s place sits on a big piece of land, and just across the street is the land where my mom and her siblings grew up. Some of my uncles have been working on building new structures over there. Sometime during dinner a handful of the boys snuck off and called Susan to tell her to bring everyone outside. From the porch we got to watch a fireworks show they put on from the property across the street. It was quite the welcome!
I forgot how funny my family is. When leaving, Billy’s goodbye was, “well, I’m glad y’all got to see me!”
I played with Susan’s dogs for a bit the next morning. They are Norwegian Elk Hounds and they’re super cute. They’ve trained them to roll over and play dead when asked, “would you rather be a democrat or die?” They also drop to the floor if you point at them like you’re aiming a gun and go, “Bang! Bang!”
Susan fixed us a hearty breakfast of biscuits, bacon and cheesy eggs and after that we headed out for more family time. We visited my grandma in the nursing home. Susan is so incredibly great with her, and with older folks in general. She stopped to say hello and remembered everyone we passed in the halls. I was touched to hear that my grandma affectionately calls Susan a “hummingbird.” We also enjoyed the story about how when my grandmother would drive to the North Carolina state fair with my aunts and uncles as kids, when she got lost she’d just start following the other cars because “everyone must be going to the fair!”
::from Grandma’s nursing school yearbook::
::from Grandma’s nursing school yearbook::
Next up was Grandpa and Lucy. Alan was impressed with the furniture he’d built, and possibly more impressed by his gun collection. Then it was time to start shooting. Grandpa taught me how to shoot and I fired my first shot with his rifle. Alan wowed everyone with his impressive aim as a beginner and proudly took the paper plate with bullet holes home as a souvenir. I told him he could now officially be accepted by the Scheier side of the family.
I loved the story about how everyone called my brother Rainbow when they took him hunting as a young boy. He didn’t have any orange to wear so he just wore a really bright jacket that had lots of colors on it. Instead of Rambo, he became immortalized as Rainbow.
We checked out Grandpa’s garage and workshop, stopping to admire his and Lucy’s Native American spears, headdresses and jewelry, as well as coyote, wolverine and raccoon skins.
Our last stop of the day took us to uncle James and June’s house. They gave us a beautiful Brazilian cherry wood cutting board as a wedding gift that James had made himself. We were very impressed with his carpentry work, as well as the beautiful paintings he’s done. I must get my creative side from the Scheiers! We also discovered upon leaving that there is a superstition that warns against leaving through a different door than the one you entered.
::one of James’ paintings::
We got back late and had some steak and potatoes with Susan and Darrell, which were delicious.
Our last morning Darrell tried to teach Alan how to shoot the bow, but Alan couldn’t get the bow back. Hadn’t realized how difficult those things are! After that we went over to the land across the street from Billy’s to shoot some of Darrell’s guns. We saw the platforms up in the trees that Billy built for deer hunting. Then we fired the big guns. I shot Darrell’s AR-15, which was stunningly loud, and a little terrifying for me. Once was enough, and I left the heavy weapons to the men after that. Alan continued on, practicing his aim with the AR-15 and then a revolver called “The Judge” and another handgun.
Just before heading out we stopped by the property across the street and checked out the work my uncles did. It’s really impressive how skilled they are!
I’m sure I’m leaving out lots of wonderful stories we heard while visiting with the family, but it was really an incredible experience getting to spend this time with my family that I hardly get to see.
We spent a couple amazing days visiting Jenni’s family in Southern Virginia, where her mom grew up. Except for Susan, this was my first time meeting everyone. Jenni’s grandmother, Margaret Scheier, passed away last week. May she rest in peace. It is a blessing that we were able to spend time with her.
October 22-24, 2013 (Tuesday-Thursday)
I knew on the drive down from D.C. that I was entering less familiar territory when some road tolls in Virginia required me to throw quarters into that plastic basket, and also when I spotted the first Confederate flag of the trip. South Boston, VA was our destination. It is near the border with North Carolina and the economy centers on manufacturing, which has not been easy for some time in America. A short drive down the road is Dan River, which once was home to a textile company that sadly was the debtor in the first major bankruptcy assignment of my career.
Susan and Darrell kindly hosted us and the first night they had over nearly all Jenni’s aunts and uncles who live nearby, except James and June who were out of town. Southern fare was in full effect, including bean stew with venison, fried chicken and fried livers, baked ham, biscuits, cornbread and jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon. Billy brought the chicken and livers, and for his cooking prowess he is known as Billy Crocker. Lynn informed us that grandma used to make biscuits with clabber. Susan taught us a great trick: a mix of peanuts and candy corns makes a good treat.
Mid way through the evening some of the fellas disappeared and called Susan with instructions to gather everyone and come to the front porch. The guys had driven across the road to the family’s property (where Jenni’s mom and her siblings grew up, though the house is now gone) and surprised us with a fireworks show! After Devin’s in Maine, this was the second fireworks show in a few months courtesy of Jenni’s peeps.
I learned some new lingo like “fix” for cook, “reckon” for believe and “right xxx” which is hard to explain. Molly and Hogan, Susan and Darrell’s Norwegian elk hounds, roll over when asked if they’d rather be Democrats or die. We heard the story of how Jenni’s grandma Margaret loved the NC State Fair and each year she would get lost driving there. She always said, “it’s OK, we’ll just the follow car in front of us because I’m sure they’re going there, too.” As luck would have it, we were in the area during the 10 days this fair is open for the year and vowed to go. Which you will read about it in my North Carolina post.
One of Darrell’s two sons joined with his family and there was robust discussion of hunting, fishing and noodling. In case you don’t know, “noodling” is yanking enormous catfish out from the muddy banks of rivers with one’s hands. These creatures are often 40-50 pounds and have been recorded well over 100 pounds! Gloves are worn often these days to minimize flathead rash, which is the painful looking injury inflicted by catfish bites. Even gloves will not save digits if one is unlucky enough to find a snapping turtle hole instead of catfish.
There are different hunting seasons for different animals and implements. My memory is a tad foggy by now, so please excuse any inaccuracies or omissions. They hunt deer and wild turkey, along with various other animals. Bow and arrow, muzzle loader, rifle or shotgun may be used for different targets and at different times. A heavy contraption may be used to ascend and set up a platform in the trees. Darrell’s boys have an impressive website dedicated to the outdoorsman lifestyle. Check it out here.
On Wednesday we went into the historic old town area and saw Susan’s friend. The day before Jenni and I had stopped at Caffe Peroni which has a surprisingly eclectic beer selection. A couple doors down is Bistro 1888, which is supposed to be good. I saw a little structure selling 20 pound bags of ice 24 hours/day for $2, the first of many in the South. Later we visited Margaret at the nursing home in Clarksville. She was beyond thrilled to see Jenni and gave us ear to ear grins when she voiced her approval of Jenni’s good choice in marrying me. Susan was wonderfully kind and loving to Margaret and is like the mayor there. Afterwards, we passed a widemouth bass mailbox and crossed Buggs Island Lake before heading to Jenni’s grandpa George’s and Lucy’s home.
This is quite a special place. George is a gifted carpenter and built much of the furniture in the home, including a bench that in a style I can only describe as pointillist writing since I don’t know the carpentry equivalent says “Caglayan” on top and “Open Sesame” on the side, which was the name of one of Alper’s companies. George shared old photos of Jenni’s immediate family (by the way, when Devin visited at a much younger age he wore bright clothes to hunt and thus earned the name Rainbow, not Rambo) and told us his ancestors were brewers in Hungary.
Devin
Alper and Teddy
He has a garage workshop where he used to make bullets, including shaping the metal and loading the powder. He was an award winning archer. There is a side house with an astounding collection of Native American pieces, dolls, spears, pelts of coyote, wolverine, and raccoon, and much more.
Then we got to the guns. Tons of guns, as Guru would say. Again my memory is foggy and I will not do this justice, but his collection includes several handguns, a Winchester 1873, the Colt equivalent of the Bushmaster AR-15, a Tommy Gun complete with violin case and all, and more. I shot the plain old .22 rifle. And I did the family proud. After a couple rookie rounds, I hit my stride and from about 20-25 yards showed the paper plate who was boss! Jenni let off a couple rounds, too.
Juices now flowing, Susan took us over to Danville to James and June’s home. James is quite the artist. He showed us many paintings and flawless woodwork he has crafted. The man is passionate about wood. (Yet again, that’s what she said.) He sent us off with a handmade Brazilian cherry cutting board. That night, Darrell grilled some ribeye steaks, Susan made baked potatoes and garlic bread, and we watched the Red Sox win their first of four World Series games.
Before continuing south on Thursday, we got a bit more QT with Darrell and the hunting tools. I was slightly embarrassed when I could not draw his compound bow. It is the wrong length for me, but more strength might have done the trick. Darrell could not have been kinder, assuring me that it’s all about what muscles you use regularly and that even he struggles at the start of the season. I reckon the latter was a pity nod. Whether he struggles at the start of the season or not, he was masterful before our eyes. He put two arrows in a blue dot the size of a plum from 40 yards out.
We drove to some property that Billy leases by the river and broke out the big guns, literally. Darrell’s collection rivals that of grandpa George, and he generously let me empty a bunch of rounds. Ammo is not cheap for guns like these. I shot a Sig Sauer 9mm with a 15 round clip and The Judge, an epic piece that can shoot .410 shotgun shells or .45 long colt bullets. The AR-15 was probably my favorite, and I was pleased to hit a log sticking out of the river perhaps 90 yards away. I was also pleased when my hearing returned to normal a day or two later.
Here are some other things I learned in Virginia…two new superstitions: (1) touch the windshield and make a wish when driving through a yellow light; and (2) it is bad luck to exit a dwelling from a different door than that which you entered. Jenni’s family does not mind eating with hands nor off each other’s plates, just like my family. There are a lot of towns around here that end with “ville.” Hard work and being down to earth command great respect, and success is not begrudged. The Midtown Market in Danville is said to be enjoyable. Chains include Cookout drive through with lots of milk shakes, Bojangles and Sheetz Gas. We saw gas as low as $2.89/gallon. Spending time with Jenni’s family was a highlight of the trip for me, and I look forward to some hunting, fishing and Billy Crocker’s frog legs and pork shoulder on my next visit.
We were in a sorry state when we finally arrived in D.C. so we pretty much went straight to bed. Being so hung over in a 6-year-old girl’s room covered in Selena Gomez posters and all things pink feels a little wrong. I should probably explain that we stayed with our friends Seth and Jill just outside D.C. and their daughter Chloe generously let us use her room for a few nights.
We got a bit of a late start the next morning and started out going to Seth’s local Dunkin Donuts where Seth is famous and the manager loves their son Cooper (who couldn’t?). We headed down to the Georgetown area as neither Alan nor I had ever seen or spent much time there before. We grabbed lunch at J Paul’s and then walked down to the Potomac where we could see the Kennedy Center and Arlington buildings across the river. I fell in love with the residential areas near Georgetown with the stunning row homes and pleasant streets. This is one of the few places on our trip I felt like I could see myself living (though I’m sure this particular area is no easier to get a starter home in than Santa Monica). We meandered around the campus for a bit and Seth showed us where he taught a class.
::seth and jill at georgetown::
Another one of Alan and Seth’s fraternity brothers came down (up?) from Baltimore for the day and met up with us here, and we all went over to drive by the national mall, and walked over to the White House and WWII memorial.
::white house, obligatory around the world photo::
::high fiiiive::
::i love fall::
Back at Seth and Jill’s we kicked some soccer balls around with the kids. I thought it was cute that the neighborhood kids go “ghosting,” which is when they ring the doorbell, drop a bag of candy and run. The neighborhood was full of young families and obviously a great community for raising kids. I was jealous of this, as it’s harder to find in LA.
::cooper and jill playing with the neighbors adorable puppy::
:adorbs::
::how cute is this munchkin?::
::jumbo in a diaper::
Much to Chloe’s dismay the adults went out to Mexican for dinner at Mi Cucina where I was regaled with more stories of the Tufts college experience. Those crazy kids. Seth and Jill even dug out their old photos when we got home and we enjoyed seeing how young everyone looked and how different Alan was.
It was a short visit, but great to catch up with Seth and Jill and I was very happy to finally meet and get to spend some time with their too stinking cute kids.
I finally made it to Chevy Chase, Maryland to visit Seth and Jill. It was so nice to catch up with Chloe and Jumbo and meet Cooper and Winnie.
October 20-22, 2013 (Sunday-Tuesday)
On our drive from Long Island to Maryland occurred three milestones. 1) The most expensive toll I have ever paid, $15 to cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge; 2) The Delaware House Travel Plaza was such a vibrant highway rest area that it earns print; and 3) We crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.
The area where Seth and Jill live is great. It really has a neighborhood feel to it. Everyone walks with their kids to and from the elementary school. Well, it is mainly nannies but the spirit is there. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, ghosting abounds. This is where you leave a bag of candy on someone’s steps, ring the bell and run. Seriously. “Bag of candy” is not code for some nefarious prank. This is how they roll on the gentle streets of Chevy Chase.
Nearby, on the rough and tumble blocks of Bethesda, we grabbed coffee at Dunkin Donuts where Seth and Cooper are famous. Then we walked around Georgetown and got lunch at J. Paul’s. My reuben was quite good and Jenni ensured we did not go too many days without a lobster roll. We were both impressed by Georgetown.
Jenni placed it high on the list of locations to consider living. It is a beautiful area with colorful row homes, right on the Potomac River, and the university campus is pretty. Commercial activity centers around Wisconsin Ave and M Street, and there are a few F&B spots down by the river. Tucker drove down from Baltimore which was awesome; I love that dude.
While waiting for drinks at Saxbys Coffee, which has flavors like Grasshopper and Chunky Monkey, Seth asked Tucker a toilet question. He said, “you told me you know how to curve wood so maybe you know something about plumbing.” A candidate for that’s what she said?
Near the Mall, after Seth pulled an outrageous U-turn that should have alarmed the Secret Service, we debated whether the depressing David’s Tent display was a tent rental company or Jesus preacher. It is the latter. The buildings in D.C. are most impressive, and I believe the law still limits height to not exceed the United States Capitol. This makes D.C. feel more light and airy than a typical large city. The Washington Monument was covered in scaffolding but we saw the relatively new WWII Memorial across the pond from Lincoln.
That night, the Giants finally won a game (the first of four straight) and Jenni was a trooper while we perused boxes of old Tufts photos. I already miss the Cohen family and look forward to returning soon!
champagne&backpacks 