After the tropical storm in Wilmington, we finally checked out of the hotel from hell (read my last blog about this if you need a laugh) and grabbed a quick breakfast down the block. Called “The Basics,” this place was anything but, offering a variety of breakfast dishes including a biscuit that was piled with smoked pork, eggs and cheese. It was so incredibly big that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish it. But I did. Lynn ordered a BLT egg sandwich that came with what was described as a “potato cake,” but actually looked like a giant arancini (fried rice ball for those who don’t know). I had to sneak a couple of bites of that one and it was good.
Virginia and Real Peanuts
We broke up the drive to Richmond by stopping at the Good Earth Peanut Company in Skippers, VA. I was expecting the shack-like look of their establishment. I wasn’t expecting the high-end peanuts that they produce. I’m also not afraid to admit that I hated peanuts growing up – any kind of peanut including peanut butter. It’s only been in the last 15 years or so that I can even eat a peanut as well as peanut sauce in most Thai or Asian dishes. Bizarrely, I do like peanut butter cookies (especially with chocolate chips), but still cannot eat a PB & J. I just think it’s gross. Anyway, if you’re doing a road trip and end up on I-95 and need a break, this is a fun place to stop and pick up a can of peanuts. We bought the sea salt variety.
The American Civil War Museum – Tredegar
Back in 2021, we barely had time to see the Edgar Allan Poe house/museum, when our trip got caught short. We didn’t even know the American Civil War Museum existed so decided to pay it a visit this time. Described on their website as exploring the Civil War from three different perspectives: North, South and African American, I thought the exhibitions were interesting and the building even more so.
Built on the ruins of the Tredegar Ironworks Central Foundry, it’s located on the James River waterfront. I thought the design of this building was fantastic and I loved how someone managed to build a modern building around the ruins. Take a look at the existing brick walls inside the museum which I thought was really cool.
After the museum, we spotted a large statue up on a hill and made our way there to take a look at the Virginia War Memorial.
Another Hilton, then Dinner & Breakfast!
This Hilton was like night and day. Converted from an old department store, the hotel was large and still had a certain elegance to it. The rooms were renovated, and I was afraid the sheer size of the hotel would lead to noise issues during our stay, but we heard no one.
We ended up going to Lillie Pearl for dinner which is the restaurant we never made it to on our last visit. When we walked in on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was packed, I inquired from our server if it was always like this on Tuesday’s. His eyes got very big, and he looked at me and said, “I don’t even know where all these people came from.”
That said, it was loud and party-like and we were lucky they held our table for us. However, I guess I was expecting a little more finesse from the kitchen. I thought the fried chicken was solid, but a tad dry, and the shrimp and grits were just okay. Still, I liked the atmosphere and while we definitely did NOT need dessert, I hadn’t had a single peach anything on this trip (yet). So, we ordered a deconstructed peach bread pudding which was gooey and good, but didn’t taste much like peaches.
Perly’s – It’s where you want to be
I hadn’t thought much about going to a Jewish restaurant/deli for breakfast the next morning, but when I stumbled upon Perly’s down the street from our hotel and looked at their menu, my reaction was WOW.
Basically, anything you could think of that would fit under the category “comfort food” was there to be had. Their website states that they open at 9 a.m., so, we got there shortly afterwards. I think, however, the locals know that’s not the real time they open, since a lot of people were already sitting and eating.
Care to have a plate called “The Schnorrer”? Complete with your choice of eggs, fish or meat, bread or bagel, with a potato latke, applesauce and chive sour cream? Don’t mind if I do. Lynn, who loves big breakfasts more than I do, decided he would simply get an egg sandwich. I didn’t question this but made a very big deal about eating my “schnorrer” with extra gusto.
And no, I didn’t fall asleep after such a heavy repast. We just got in the car (after getting a $20 parking ticket in Richmond because the Passport app that everyone is now using failed me) and drove towards Fenwick Island.
The Beach and Fenwick Island
We stayed in a newer Hilton a block from the beach. We had a large room and even a balcony where you can hear the waves but not see them since we were about a block back from the ocean.
I loved the beaches in Delaware. Actually, I loved Delaware so much that if the Lotto Goddess ever blessed me with some really decent winnings, I would buy a second house there. I’ve been thinking about a second house because I miss having someplace else to go since I get bored being in the same place all the time. But if you’ve read my stories, you probably already know that.
Best Meal of the Trip
There I said it and you don’t even know which restaurant I’m referring to. The restaurant is called Our Harvest, and they bring wood-fired cooking to a whole new level. There’s a large bar area, but we sat in the dining room across from the open kitchen, and just watched plate after plate of wonderful things being brought out. It’s a tapas-style menu so while it might sound like we ordered a lot of dishes, most of the plates were a few bites. Lynn and I both like trying lots of different things when we eat out, so it was a lot of fun. Plus, they have an outstanding wine list.
In no particular order, but all were worthy, I share with you: grilled octopus, swordfish, bison short ribs, lamb merguez meatballs (the only weak link in the line-up I thought), and then drum roll please – a wooden board filled with not one, but five grilled peaches on top of blueberry-flavored mascarpone with more blueberries scattered on top. The peaches alone were probably the best single thing I’ve eaten in my entire life. And I’ve eaten many, many outstanding dishes.
Bethany, Rehoboth Beach, and Lewes
Before we moved permanently to the Red House, we drove down to Delaware and spent some time in Rehoboth Beach. I had forgotten somehow that when our kids were little, we’d rent a house (on stilts) and enjoy a week at the beach. Now I’m sorry to report that summer rentals have skyrocketed in price and a rental that we might have paid $600/week for is likely to set you back closer to $4,000. I always say to Lynn, “I’m glad we did things a long time ago when everything was a lot cheaper.”
We walked both boardwalks, took some pictures, went into a couple of t-shirt shops looking for a particular t-shirt we can never find, and decided to drive into Lewes. We had maybe visited Lewes once before when we took the ferry over from Cape May, but neither of us remembered it.
We also visited the Zwaanendael Museum in town which looks exactly like a building you’d find in the Netherlands because it was modeled after one. Once again, I found myself quizzing the people who worked there (transplants) about how they liked their newly adopted state. Delaware is the first state to ratify the constitution, and Lewes, therefore is the first town. If you are wondering how Lewes is pronounced, it’s Lewis, as in Jerry Lewis. I had been saying “Loos” all these years which I was told was wrong.
The weather also cooperated enough for us to ditch plans to have lunch at a restaurant and just get a sandwich and take it down to the beach. Was it fortuitous that we happened to find a really good Italian deli in downtown Lewes? That would make eggplant parm sandwiches to go? And even sell you big chunks of Parmesan cheese? (This is a big deal for us since we have to travel over 70 miles where we live now to find an Italian deli with the aforementioned items.)
So, we sat on the beach sharing the sandwich and listening to the waves hit the sand.
Close Runner-Up for Dinner that Night
While we loved Our Harvest, we really liked One Coastal, too. The food was expertly prepared, and the composition of the plates was stunning. I just had a problem with the space. It was small and kind of non-descript, and while we could have opted to eat outside, that would have put us basically in the parking lot watching cars go by on Coastal Highway Route 1.
Still, I’d definitely pay a return visit to sample things like chicken and biscuits, which was really a tongue-in-cheek dish since the chicken in question was a liver pâté. When it was spread out on the plate, it looked like wet sand which made it fun to eat. The fresh salad and the figs were also insanely good.
Tons of chefs do tuna crudo and pair it with watermelon. I realized then that there’s lots of fresh tuna off the coast of Delaware which is why this dish tasted just so much better than any other rendition I’ve had. I also had to inquire what those tiny round green balls were that you see on the plate and was enlightened to learn they are “cucamelons” aka Mexican miniature watermelons. They were fun to eat, but truthfully, didn’t have much taste.
We also shared a crab aguachile in a spicy pepper broth that was delicious. Followed by a cucumber salad with smoked trout roe and fresh dill that was just okay.
Still, after those small plates, we wanted more tuna. So, we split an entree of seared tuna with a salad that was so pretty, I just had to look at it for a bit.
And Then…
In the morning, we braced ourselves for a 7-hour drive home. But not before visiting one of the WWII Observation Towers, taking a couple of photographs, as well as trying to memorize the view as much as possible until we can return. Which I hope will be very, very soon.
Even as we told ourselves “It’s only water,” Tropical Cyclone Eight was powerful. There was A LOT OF WATER in Wilmington and the surrounding area during our 48-hour sojourn. Our sneakers were wet for nearly three days after the storm, and we had a bag of wet clothes that we carried around for five days until we got home. Note to self: bring extra sneakers during hurricane season!
The Hotel Fiasco
But first I need to talk about the hotel we stayed in. It was a Hilton and usually we don’t have a problem with the Hilton chain. However, the fact that the hotel was texting me at 8:28 a.m. before we had even checked into the hotel begging me to share my experience of staying there, kind of pissed me off. Roughly three hours later (11:45 a.m.), I received another text asking me how my stay was going so far. Since we still hadn’t checked into the hotel yet, I decided this wasn’t a good sign.
The Hotel Ballast looked nice from the outside, had ample parking, and they had a restaurant, a bar, and not one, but two young men who were there simply to valet your car. Since I hadn’t seen a valet since before COVID, this I thought was a sign of a hotel trying really hard to up the guest experience. (I was wrong.)
When we checked into our room, we had a glimpse of the Cape Fear River, and the U.S.S. North Carolina that we planned to visit before we left the area. It also took us nearly 10 minutes to find the switch that opened the blinds so we could see the aforementioned view.
Then I looked around the room and realized we didn’t have a single piece of furniture or luggage rack to put our suitcases on. At this age, I’m definitely not scrouging around on the floor when I need some underwear, so I went out into the hallway and found a housekeeper.
Between google translate and a co-worker, she was able to deduce that a luggage rack was needed and apparently gave me one from someone else’s room. (Sorry, whoever got that room next.) Lynn and I thought about going out for a walk and prior to leaving, I went to the bathroom. After I washed my hands, I realized that the sink was clogged. I called the front desk and after a few minutes I was told I could move to another room. But I had to go down to get the key. No one was bringing it up to me, nor was there any offer of help with our luggage.
So, we packed up the few things we had already unpacked, and I went down to the front desk to get the new key. Luckily, our new room was on the same floor, so it wasn’t a total hassle but an inconvenience. We also had the foresight to take the luggage rack with us, and low and behold, the new room already had a luggage rack, so now we had two. Which is the exact amount of luggage racks I expect to find in a room anyway. Since we had figured out how to open the blinds in the last room, we thought we were in good shape.
Finally, when we went out for our walk (and figured out how to get to the restaurant for dinner), I was feeling a bit angry at Hilton. By the time we got back, the hotel robot had already texted me again (3:34 p.m.) asking how the stay was going. Well, at least this time I had something to complain about. I mentioned us having to switch rooms, our lack of a luggage rack, and not being able to find the switch to open the blinds. I also went onto the Hilton website and realized that they were offering a lower rate with breakfast than what we were paying. Obviously, I thought that needed to be mentioned in my complaint as well. I quickly received a text from the front desk apologizing for the room, and an offer of a $25 food and beverage voucher for our “inconvenience.” This apparently would be at the front desk for me to retrieve when I wanted it. I was also told that a luggage rack would be sent up as well. I decided not to volunteer that at this point we now had two, which in hindsight was a good thing, since the promised luggage rack was never delivered to our room.
Four hours later (7:25 p.m.), we received another text message asking us to text them when we checked out. Did I need to remind them that we had just arrived and were staying two nights? I decided to ignore the rest of the messages until this actually happened.
Dinner at Seabird
At the helm of Seabird in Wilmington, N.C. , are Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton. Chef Neff was named a finalist in this year’s Outstanding Chef category by the James Beard Foundation at their annual awards ceremony. It had been on my list of restaurants to try for a few years so the anticipation on my part was really high.
I expected the food to be good. I didn’t expect the food to be exceptional and the service to be extraordinary. Apparently, other people in Wilmington must think this restaurant is over-the-top good too, since even on a Sunday night the restaurant was packed.
We had oysters to start. And two pieces of cornbread topped with sorghum that were so large and dessert-like that I needed to ask what they were.
The smoked catfish and oyster pie interested me, and I asked our server, Sean (a CIA-trained grad himself), how it was made. Apparently, the pie topping wasn’t your traditional puff pastry, but dough that was made out of gnocchi. This gave the dish a thick crepe-like taste, but I thought it was clever and a fun starter.
Swordfish Schnitzel?
Yes, I knew about the dish. Yes, we were going to order it. Was the hype worthy? Absolutely. Perfectly fried (but not greasy), this is the dish most home cooks aspire to make. If, of course, you live in a coastal area that has access to fish this fresh.
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and proceeded to get alerts about the tropical storm warning as well as a flood watch. Were we prepared? Other than not having proper footwear, I can say that we were. I mean, the streets look wet but not under water, right?
In the Morning
We woke up to torrential rain. We went downstairs for breakfast clutching the $25 food and beverage voucher I had retrieved the night before. There we were met by a skeleton staff trying to accommodate all the guests whose plans were thwarted because of the storm. There were a lot of people sitting around, looking at their phones, I guess wondering what they should do instead.
We ordered a couple of omelets, really good cheddar grits and English muffins. We had planned to spend the day at Wrightsville Beach, but apparently that wasn’t an option. We listened to the rain hit the glass windows of the hotel and decided to go see a historic mansion instead.
The Bellamy House Museum
Was it underwhelming? Yes. Were we told by the museum staff that they were closing in 45 minutes because of the storm, but we could see the house anyway? Yes. We walked through the rooms and looked at things. And then we tried to get a glimpse of the garden but got soaking wet in the process. I did take quite a few pictures of the kitchen. And I loved the menu for a Christmas dinner circa 1850’s. Probably because our Red House was also built during that time period. But I don’t think I could have made all that food!
Visiting the house and the gardens took less than half an hour and it wasn’t even noon. We looked at the radar and realized that the storm was moving out of the area, so we decided to go to Wrightsville Beach and be on the lookout for flash floods, etc.
Wrightsville Beach
We drove down to the beach and even got out of the car and got pummeled a bit by the wind. There were other idiots who were doing the same thing, so I didn’t feel I was a particularly special idiot. Here’s Lynn trying to not be blown over. And the waves hitting the pier, which I thought was kind of romantic, actually.
After driving up and down looking for things to do on Wrightsville Beach (there wasn’t much in my opinion and I’m glad we didn’t stay there), we decided to get Thai food for lunch. Something hot and spicy after this rainy weather was in order. Luckily, we found a place that was open, and the chicken pad Thai and green curry (also with chicken) were simple and hit the spot with the bad weather we were having.
The U.S.S. North Carolina
I think we were one of four people on the huge battleship that day. We tried not to fall on the decks that were quite slippery as the wind constantly blew all around us. We quickly went inside the ship and navigated the steep stairs. I probably took about 100 pictures and thought about having to cook for nearly 2,300 men on a daily basis. Really, the numbers are staggering regarding the amount of bread that was baked, cakes that were made, and dishes that were consumed. Look at that giant mixer and all the attachments in the locker!
What was particularly interesting touring the ship was that it was its own small town. There was a barber, a butcher, a cobbler, a laundry room, tailor, a post office and a store. Not to mention a dentist, doctor and everything in between. Here are some of my favorite shots from the ship, particularly the shot of the old-fashioned typewriters.
And let’s not forget about the bathrooms. And how there wasn’t an inch of privacy. Maybe it’s different for guys, but maybe not. And what about the bunk beds????
After we navigated getting off the ship and listening to our shoes squeak as we walked, we headed back to the hotel. During lunch we had received an email from the restaurant we had booked for dinner telling us that because of the storm they weren’t going to be open that evening. So, we had to make other plans. Since it was also a Monday, this proved to be a little tricky.
Luckily, we found a restaurant, Circa 1922, that was open, and we had a decent steak dinner after many days of eating fish. Well, we didn’t forgo fish entirely since we ordered half a dozen oysters to start, a salad, two filets, and even crème brûlée for dessert.
Remember the street shot I had taken earlier? Were the streets now flooded on the walk back to the hotel? Absolutely.
During the two days we were in Wilmington I quizzed many of the people I met on how they liked living there. I got an overwhelming positive response, but truthfully, Wilmington was a bit underwhelming for me.
That said, I’m glad we went. And I loved the photograph of us that the U.S.S. North Carolina team members encouraged us to buy.
Hilton Update
When we got home, I took the time to write their corporate headquarters about our stay in Wilmington. Did I mention that on the last day we were there our parking card was somehow deactivated so we couldn’t get into the parking lot? And a line of cars that was behind us had to back up? And that Lynn had to walk up the ramp of the hotel and speak to someone at the front desk to have the card reactivated? Should I mention that perhaps the valet guys, instead of waiting around to park a car, could have maybe worked inside the hotel dealing with customer complaints (like no luggage racks, clogged sinks, and how to open the room blinds in under 30 seconds.)
After receiving my email, Hilton Guest Services promised to deposit lots of extra points into our Hilton Honors account within 24 hours. They also said they would send us a check for one of the nights we stayed there. Three days later, no points had been deposited in our account. And, since most hotels would have just issued a credit card refund, instead of sending us a check, I questioned why this was being handled this way. Eventually, the points were received, but as of this date, the “check is still in the mail.”
Tomorrow, we return to Richmond (where our vacation abruptly ended three years ago) and will wrap up our trip on Fenwick Island.
We woke up to dark grey skies which was not particularly inviting since this was supposed to primarily be a “beach” vacation. We were determined however to ignore the weather and just have fun.
After grabbing the fair to poor, but complimentary breakfast at the hotel (although the biscuits were pretty good), we went to see the Wright Brothers National Memorial. We had been there years ago when the kids were little, and I thought a repeat visit was in order. I particularly liked the cement markers that showed how far Wilbur and Orville first flew without killing themselves in the process. There’s also an interesting museum which is included with the park admission. Over the summer we had purchased a lifetime National Park Service pass, so going forward, any NPS site we visit will be free.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
We somehow had missed seeing the dunes the first time we were in Kitty Hawk, and I didn’t realize their scope or height. I also loved seeing all the kites on the dunes; it provided a much-needed splash of color on a dreary day. Since it was our 38th wedding anniversary, I found a teenager to take a photograph of us, and then I took a lot of pictures of the sand and the kites.
Bodie Lighthouse, Then Lunch
We didn’t climb up to the top of the lighthouse, but we did walk down the boardwalk over to the marsh area and saw a bunch of crabs in the water and even pelicans in the distance. It definitely wasn’t a picnic-at-the-beach type of day, so we opted to stay in Nags Head and look for a place to have lunch, preferably on the water. Fish Heads in Nags Head fit the spot. It had indoor and outdoor sitting (most people were sitting inside at the bar), and we ordered spicy peel and eat shrimp to start, some fried fish sandwiches, and a couple of beers. It wasn’t raining (yet), so the day wasn’t totally ruined.
The Beach
I was surprised at how narrow the beach had gotten since our last visit. So much so that if the tide came in, you might get wet. Fact checking my memory, a study by Yale University states that the coastal areas of the Outer Banks are losing about 13 feet a year and in the last two decades they have retreated about 200 feet. That’s quite a lot of beach to lose for a resort community! Still, we sat on the beach in windy conditions and enjoyed the sound of the water and the wind.
I had read mixed reviews about this restaurant but found it actually to be a lovely dining experience. Our server was knowledgeable, and the menu was creative. A crab bisque with a drizzle of basil aioli to start? Don’t mind if I do! What about a flounder special with herbed spätzle with a side of snap peas and sauteed tomatoes? Fancy a homemade dessert? We split a solid rendition of a macadamia tart with homemade caramel ice cream. They also wrote “Happy Anniversary” in chocolate on the plate which was a nice touch. It was not terribly pricey, even though the first wine we ordered they were out of and I ended up spending more money on wine than planned. Still, I loved the atmosphere and thought everything was good.
The Lost Colony (It’s Still Lost)
Apparently, Lynn didn’t pack enough socks for the trip. So, in the morning we started out by doing some shopping. Not only for socks, but a few sweatshirts, too. And, since many of the stores between Kitty Hawk and Nags Head were having an end-of-summer sale on sundresses, I couldn’t resist buying at least two. The damage wasn’t excessive (less than $100 for a big bag of stuff I will actually wear), and then we headed to see the Fort Raleigh National Historic site.
Described as England’s “First Home in the New World” by the National Park Service, it has preserved the location of the Roanoke Colony even though the people who lived there disappeared. There’s also a very popular musical production called, The Lost Colony, that has been running every summer since 1937. The Waterside Theatre reminded me a bit of the Globe Theatre in London simply because like the Globe, it’s an open-air venue. (This theatre is located on Roanoke Sound.)
Lunch, The Beach, Then Dinner
I was looking for a simple lunch. Maybe some fish and definitely some oysters. We had limited lunch choices in Roanoke but found a place that looked a little run down but the food (Lynn’s at least) was really good.
I had a crab cake and should have asked for “no bun” since I usually only eat half the bun anyway. Lynn ordered what looked like dinner to me – a huge piece of salmon with fresh green beans on grits. All I can say is that those grits were absolutely delicious! And I kept stealing bites of his dish as I picked away at mine. See the size of the crab cake versus the size of the bun? Really, it’s quite comical. Lesson learned.
We headed to the beach after lunch. It was windy and a bit chilly, so I reluctantly put on a sweatshirt over the bathing suit I insisted on wearing.
Dinner that evening was more fish and unfortunately my haddock was overcooked. But the Oysters Rockefeller were decent, and they had a weird, but edible rendition of what they considered key lime pie. (It was mostly filling.)
We walked back down to the beach after dinner. I had forgotten that people walk on the beach at night and use flashlights to guide their way. Since it was pitch black and still windy, we just listened to the winds crashing against the sand but didn’t walk down to the water.
On To Wilmington
In the morning, we drove to Wilmington but not before stopping for lunch first. We had eaten enough fish in the last 12 hours and had reservations at a James-Beard nominated restaurant, Seabird that evening. So, pizza seemed like a logical choice, right?
In New York when you order a personal pan size pizza, you roughly get a pizza that’s about the size of a dinner plate. It’s meant for one person (unless you are a mouse), and the crust is usually thin. In between rest stops on our drive further south, I had been researching “Authentic NY Style” pizza and stumbled upon a place called “Abruzzo” in Jacksonville, NC.
We found Abruzzo. We ordered what we thought were two “personal pan size pizzas.” About 10 minutes later two very large pizzas were placed on the counter in front of us. What just happened I thought? I looked at Lynn and he seemed to think we could eat both pizzas, no problem. I had three slices, Lynn had four slices, and we still had AN ENTIRE PIZZA PIE LEFT. I took the remaining pie back up to the counter and hoped I wouldn’t offend the guys working there. I tried to explain my mistake, and they graciously listened to me ramble, but ultimately, they just wanted me to take the pizza home. I explained we were traveling and asked perhaps if they could donate it to a homeless shelter. They just looked at each other and didn’t think that was a possibility. However, before we had even gotten to the car, one of the guys behind the counter had followed us outside. He wanted to give us back the cost of the extra pie we had ordered. I told him that wasn’t necessary but wow, what a nice gesture! (I do hope someone ate that extra pizza because while it wasn’t really “Authentic NY Style” pizza, it was still pretty good.)
The next story will talk about dinner at Seabird (hint: it was extraordinary) and the impending tropical storm, Tropical Cyclone Eight, about to hit.
Originally, this was going to be the continuation of the road trip we started in September 2021 which ended abruptly when Lynn got sick. He is better now and thus, we decided to resume the trip we had originally planned. But once I looked at the map, there were other places I wanted to see as well, so I added them to the list. Namely: Gettysburg, PA, Kitty Hawk, NC, Wilmington, NC, Richmond, VA, and finally, Fenwick Island, DE.
We had been to Gettysburg before but realized as we were touring the Gettysburg National Military Park, that we hadn’t seen any of the monuments. So, I’m not sure what I remember us doing there years ago other than maybe driving around the town. It was humbling, to say the least, to be there on September 11, 2024, and see the statues, battlefield locations, and the cemetery. I took a lot of pictures, but the day felt sad to me. Probably because of 9/11 and also the loss of so many young men.
The biggest monuments were from the states of Pennsylvania and New York. But I also liked seeing the statues of Lincoln and we climbed up the rocks to see Little Round Top and got a sense of the challenges of fighting on that terrain and at that height. The Eternal Light Memorial was also memorable although we couldn’t actually see the light because the sun was so bright at that particular time of day.
We spent nearly 2.5 hours driving through the park and also visited the cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. I felt particularly heavy-hearted to see the “unknown” markers for those killed on the battlefield.
We had just enough time to also visit the Eisenhower house and farm in Gettysburg, the town the former President and his wife chose to retire in. The house wasn’t open for tours, and we were the only people there, but I loved seeing the house and the vegetable and flower garden. Look at those peppers! And even though I know absolutely nothing about his Presidency, I did get a sense that this was a very soothing place to escape to after being in Washington.
A Funky Hotel, Then Dinner
There were actually more than a couple of places to stay at in the area, but I wanted to stay in town and not spend a zillion dollars. The Federal Pointe Inn, originally built as the town’s first high school, has since been transformed into a hotel. Although it’s part of the Choice hotel chain, it definitely doesn’t look like any Choice hotel I’ve stayed in. The hotel was charmingly decorated with antiques, the bathroom was renovated, and the room was comfortable and spacious. (I mention room size only because I knew that the rooms on the rest of the trip would be tiny in comparison.)
Doesn’t this look like a lovely hotel? I think so. I also loved the fact that some developer didn’t tear down this historic building and just plop down a big box-like building to house another ugly chain hotel.
We walked into town for dinner that night and ate at Sign of the Buck. My decision to eat there was primarily because I was intrigued by the venison steak on the menu. Since I rarely see venison on any menu in the U.S., it was definitely my go to order, and it didn’t disappoint. Also, this summer, I saw a lot of chefs (and home cooks) jumping on the Basque cheesecake bandwagon. I have never made a Basque cheesecake and stopped making large format desserts years ago when the kids moved out. For those who aren’t familiar with this dish, it’s a crustless cheesecake that is baked at a higher temperature, so the top is burnt and caramelized. While this cheesecake was okay, it didn’t have the caramelization I was looking for. (But it did look pretty on the plate with those little puffs of meringue, too.)
BBQ in Henrico
I had tried to plan some stops on the long drive south so we wouldn’t be eating 1) fast food or 2) no food at all. Visiting Redemption BBQ in Henrico, VA, was a bit of a detour, but since they had gotten a recent mention in the August issue of Southern Living, I couldn’t resist at least trying their pulled pork sandwich.
Don’t let the modest storefront in a shopping plaza deter you. When we walked in to order a couple of pulled pork sandwiches to go, there was a sign on the door apologizing for any delays you might experience in getting your food in a timely manner. Apparently, because of the magazine article, the place has been mobbed.
We waited less than 5 minutes for our sandwiches to be made and we were offered free glasses of sweet or unsweetened iced tea. Welcome to the South!
Finally, Kitty Hawk!
We arrived in Kitty Hawk a bit after 5 p.m., after braving Virginia drivers (worse than New Yorker’s mind you), and a line of cars going over the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge/Tunnel. Since the weather was about to turn, we checked into our Holiday Inn and after dropping our bags, ran back out to look at the ocean. (Remember we lived near the ocean on Long Island for 30+ years, but somehow seeing a different part of the Atlantic is exciting.)
Not only did we get a pretty view of the beach, but the colorful prickly pear cactus on the walk to the beach automatically gave the trip a more south of the border vibe than expected.
Dinner at Steamers later that evening proved to be a nice surprise. We made the mistake of asking for a table on the upper deck of the restaurant and it was so windy I thought we’d get blown over the side! I remember eating a really good clam chowder to start, but I think I just kept my head down, ate the soup, and forgot to take a picture. I didn’t forget about our entrees though. Lynn ordered swordfish on a bed of risotto, and I had perfectly cooked tuna on a bed of mashed with some really good fried oysters.
We left Mackinaw City behind and headed up to see the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in the town of Paradise, Michigan. Although their website claims that it is a very popular tourist destination, I didn’t believe it. Until we got to the parking lot and there wasn’t any parking. Luckily, we managed to find a spot along the road and made our way up to the museum.
There’s a lot to see. The lighthouse caught my attention first. Then the museum and the lighthouse keeper’s quarters that chronicled what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper in the late 1800’s. There was also an Edmund Fitzgerald film and exhibit about the loss of the ship back in 1975. They even played the Gordon Lightfoot song regarding the tragedy, and it could have been corny, but it wasn’t.
The Driftwood on the Beach
I was surprised by the amount of driftwood we saw on the beach. There were a few people swimming and I did dip my toes in the water to see how cold it was. (It was pretty cold.) Doesn’t Lynn look particularly handsome here? I think so.
After seeing the lake and the museum, we grabbed some lunch at a roadside tavern and headed to see some waterfalls. I mean, who doesn’t like a waterfall?
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
After paying the $11 non-resident fee to get into the park, we hiked a bit. Luckily, the walk to see the water was primarily a boardwalk. (This is important as you’ll see towards the end of this story.) Maybe I’m jaded because we have A LOT of waterfalls in New York State (including one in our own backyard). These were just okay. It was probably a good thing to do if it was really hot, and you were traveling with older children. The water looked very brown though, and I later learned it was because of the tannins from the surrounding trees that leak into the water. Apparently, it’s also nicknamed “Root Beer Falls,” which I thought was appropriate.
On to See the Locks
We had about an hour and a quarter to drive from the park to Sault St. Marie. The mission: to see the Soo Locks. Truthfully, it was kind of boring. I had read a lot about the locks – the key take away is that they are gravity-fed. Operated and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, there is also a small visitor center as well as an observation platform. So, we climbed the stairs to the top of the platform, and then everyone just kind of stands around and waits for a boat to come through the lock. When a boat does arrive, you get to watch as the boat goes down (or does the water go up?). This enables the boat to navigate through the St. Mary’s River (where the locks are located), and then make their way to either Lake Huron or Lake Superior. The museum (and the platform to view the boats) are free to the public although there is a security checkpoint when you enter the park. I had wanted to see the Soo Locks and now I did. So, I count myself lucky, if underwhelmed. (I attribute this sentiment to the fact that we, too, live near many locks on the Erie Canal and have watched boats navigate the waterways.)
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario not Michigan)
When I had first told Lynn we were staying in Sault Ste. Marie as part of our trip, he thought we were staying in the Michigan town. No, I told him, we would be staying on the Canadian side. Why? Well, since I wanted to drive further up the coast in the morning to see more of Lake Superior, I figured it would be easier than having to go back and forth across the border. Plus, (and most importantly), there was an Asian-fusion restaurant that had caught my attention.
I will say that while Sault St. Marie, Michigan, wasn’t anything to write home about, neither was the Canadian town with the same name. Case in point: we stayed in a Holiday Inn that was across the street from a mall that had since gone out of business. That meant the entire area was pretty dead, but bizarrely the hotel was packed. I have to think it’s because 1) there was no place else to stay, and 2) everyone was heading somewhere else in the morning. We had a lovely suite with a fireplace even though it looked like it fell from the sky (it divided the room in half). And overall, maybe because there didn’t seem to be a lot of activity in the town, it was very quiet.
Dinner at Peace
I had picked this restaurant because it was a 5-minute walk from the hotel and also only one of two places in town that even looked decent. Actually, dinner at Peace that night was more than decent. The menu was exciting, the food was delicious, and Wednesday night they have a 50% off bottles of wine deal. We also had a great server, Ella, who besides walking us through some great menu choices, told us what we should see (Agawa Rock Pictographs), and eat (apple fritters), when we drove up the TransCanada Highway in the morning.
Peace’s menu focuses on small plates, so we had quite a few of those. To start: a spicy shrimp dish plated on a dish of julienned celeriac. A crispy salmon roll came out next, and then an octopus special that turned out to be my favorite dish. We were about to order mussels, too, when the table next to us ordered a round of bao buns. One look at their plates and our eggplant-stuffed version was headed our way. The cooking was creative, spicy, and Lynn thought it was the best meal of the trip. (My vote went to Grace’s in London, Ontario.)
The TransCanada Highway
We had planned for at least one real beach day on this trip and today was supposed to be the day. We woke up to chilly, gray skies, and the threat of rain. When we left the downtown area of Sault Ste. Marie heading north, I realized the cause of the town’s demise. Most of the shops and restaurants (primarily fast-food chains) had all moved to the strip outside of town. We’ve seen this in many cities we’ve traveled to and it’s just depressing.
We drove nearly two hours along the coastal highway and arrived at Agawa Bay to see the rocks. The sign shown below should have deterred me. It didn’t. Actually, we started out on the hike without any hiking gear, and quickly went back to the car and got our poles.
Was it treacherous? Yes. Was I extremely uncomfortable? Yes. Did I think I was going to die? (50/50). I kept quizzing those who had made the climb down and were now heading back up. 1) How much further is the trail? 2) Is it worth it? And 3) Does it get any worse? Every single person lied. This includes the Dad who was showing off by carrying his daughter on his shoulders.
In between hyperventilating, I did manage to take some pictures. Did I mention I’m afraid of heights? Not going up, but going down? Did I mention I also broke one of our hiking poles, so Lynn gave me his? See him holding the broken one?
In fairness, once we got close to the bottom of the trail and saw Lake Superior, I looked at Lynn and said, “That’s it.” I didn’t have to navigate any more dangerous boulders to look at basically the view I was getting now.
And then we walked back up (including me at one point having to crawl up one particularly annoying steep, rocky section), until we reached the car. Lynn said to me, when we had regrouped, that he thought I was going to quit long before I did. I didn’t, I kept going and now feel kind of proud about it. However, had we made it around that last bend, this supposedly is what would have greeted us.
The Biggest Apple Fritter I’ve Ever Seen
Even though after that “hike,” I could have easily tossed back a bottle of booze, we stopped at The Voyageur’s Lodge on Batchawana Bay to grab lunch. As mentioned, we knew about the apple fritters, but we wanted more than that. So, we split an order of fish tacos and fries, and ONE ENORMOUS APPLE FRITTER. We had taken our food outside to eat on their deck when it started to pour. We quickly ran to the car and ate there. I mean, look at the size of that fritter!
Harmony Beach
After finishing the fritter (it wasn’t bad even though I didn’t taste a hint of apple in the batter and luckily, it wasn’t a belly bomb), we decided to try and find a beach. Remember, going to Lake Superior and sitting on the beach, even briefly, was the purpose of the trip. (Besides touring the Frank Lloyd Wright house that would come later in the trip of course.)
It stopped raining when we reached Harmony Beach. There were a few brave ones in the water, but I was happy to just stand on the beach (fully clothed) and look at the lake. Had the weather cooperated, I think the view would have been pretty. These pictures just emphasized the dreariness of the day, but definitely not my mood. And yes, there was a lot of driftwood on this beach, too.
The Border Guard
Dare I mention that when we left Canada in the morning and crossed back into the States, the U.S. border guard wanted to know where we had been. When we mentioned the Agawa Pictographs, he didn’t even blink an eye. He just said, “You know people fall off those rocks and have to be rescued!”
Tomorrow we’re driving to Grand Rapids, and then our final destination, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Lake Superior was the only great lake we had never seen. We weren’t planning on going to see the “last one” this summer, but when I researched going back to Maine and the Eastern Townships area of Quebec, those areas proved to be prohibitively expensive. So, a trip to Ontario, and the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan seemed a more affordable option.
Since I was celebrating a birthday and didn’t want to spend all day driving on my birthday, we decided to leave the day before. This way (we hoped) we’d have no issues crossing over the border into Ontario in the morning. Why was I so considered about border traffic? Because I had a lunch reservation at a winery that I didn’t want to miss.
Old School Cafe, Naples, NY
Our first stop though was lunch in Naples, NY. The Old School Cafe, right on the main road, had been on my “to do” list for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. But has anyone ever seen me post a picture of a waffle? The answer to that is NO. Even my daughter, Rachel, was alarmed that my first meal of our trip was something I never make, order, or eat. I just don’t eat waffles.
I’m not sure what possessed me that afternoon, but suddenly I wanted something different. Something sweet and something savory. Therefore, The Old School Cafe’s special that day, a buttermilk waffle topped with Korean spicy chicken, was definitely a hit.
On the way from Naples to Medina (where we were staying for the night), Lynn happened to mention a Louis Kahn church in Rochester that he had visited once in college. Could we detour he asked? Of course, I said yes, and luckily, it wasn’t even a detour, but a mere two minutes from the highway we were already on.
Louis Kahn in Rochester
The First Unitarian Church of Rochester was completed in 1962. The building was closed so we weren’t able to get inside, but we did walk around the entire structure. Was it the ugliest building I’ve ever seen? No. Here’s a photograph of it anyway.
Medina, New York
We had been to Medina a few years ago and had stopped for lunch. It seemed like a quirky town with a couple of decent restaurants and even some boutique-type hotels. Since Medina is only an hour away from the Canadian border, it seemed like a good choice since there was a restaurant there that I had my eye on, too.
Downtown Medina is small. You can walk both sides of the street in under 10 minutes and find yourself wondering what else to do. We came across a plaque, commemorating a speech Frederick Douglass gave. Was it coincidental that it just happened to be the same day (August 3), but 155 years later? Perhaps. (This also happened to us on another occasion on the trip.)
After walking around the downtown area, we decided to try and see Medina Falls. Unfortunately, the pathway overlooking the falls was crumbling and thus, a bit scary. Plus, there were so many trees and bushes overlooking the falls, that I couldn’t really get a decent view. Actually, had I not heard the sound of the water rushing (plus a dog barking whose owner somehow had managed to get down closer to the falls), I wouldn’t have known that the falls even existed.
After the lackluster viewing of the falls, I drove to see The Culvert Road. I knew that it was the only road under the Erie Canal, but didn’t know the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” connection. Apparently, we had missed it the last time we were in town, and since we were the only car on the road, it obviously wasn’t a trendy tourist thing to do. (Since I now live near the Erie Canal, most fun facts about the canal pique my interest.)
The Hart House Hotel
Now that we can travel any day of the week, we generally try to avoid Friday or Saturday nights because it’s always more expensive to stay on those days. Unfortunately, this time we didn’t have a choice, and luckily, the Hart House Hotel had one room available. I loved this quirky hotel and admired all the hard work the owners put into restoring it. It features a contactless check-in, and I’m glad they like to rave on their website that they now have an elevator since our room was on the third floor and the stairs were steep. And no, we didn’t sleep on the couch. Our room was quite large (hence the sitting area) and named after John Jacob Astor.
I would have liked to talk about the dinner we had that night in Medina because it was another reason we had decided to stay there. Alas, it turned out to be the most expensive meal of the trip, and disappointing, too. I rarely post a negative review of a restaurant I’ve been to, primarily because I don’t want anyone to lose their livelihood. I also understand the power of negative reviews on Tripadvisor and Google that can potentially turn people away. The few times I’ve had an issue with a meal, I’ve sent a note afterwards to the manager just as a heads-up and expect nothing in return. My silence about this particular restaurant will be enough.
On To Canada (But Lake Ontario First)
In the morning, we had time to kill before a 1:30 lunch reservation at Trius, a winery/restaurant we had been to before in Niagara-on-the-Lake. So, we decided to take the long way on Route 18 which runs along Lake Ontario. The weather that day was gorgeous, and we got to see a new lighthouse, Three Mile Point, as well as what looked like a laid-back summer town of Olcott. One takeaway from this ride were the gorgeous flowers (particularly sunflowers) that I saw blooming in everyone’s garden! For the birthday girl, it made her day!
Niagara-On-The-Lake
We have been to this area of Ontario many times and it’s still one of our favorite places to visit. Luckily, the border crossing was quick, and although we did end up driving through the town of NOL to see what was “new,” we just made it in time for our lunch reservation.
We sat outside and looked at the grapes still hanging on the vines. After discussing the hot weather we’ve had with our server, we learned that their harvest might be brought in about three weeks earlier this year. Since I know nothing about harvesting grapes, I just filed this away under something “good to know.” Followed by, yes, climate change is real!
Back to lunch. We had wine flights, and we had a tomato and nectarine salad. Then we had a cold smoked salmon plate with fingerling potatoes and poached shrimp. We split a slice of apricot cake with mousse that was frosted with a white chocolate ganache and whipped cream. We ordered more wine to go with dessert, and thinking about this lunch now makes me very hungry.
Most importantly, look how happy we are after this amazing meal!
London (Ontario that is)
Somehow, I had confused London, Ontario, with a town I thought we had been to and remembered as “charming.” This was not the same town. However, I specifically wanted to stay overnight there because of a restaurant that was on my “foodie radar.” I will mention how much I LOVE traveling through Canada, but how much I HATE the 401, the 405, the 403, and any other major highway that reminds me of being on Long Island. Unfortunately, to get anywhere quickly in Canada, these highways are your only option. Traffic is always bumper-to-bumper. But there aren’t any tolls, and there are “ONroute” rest areas every so often if you need to pee or a get a cup of coffee.
So, after getting off the 401, we made sure the restaurant we were going to was within walking distance of our hotel, and that there were sidewalks. (More on the latter later.) I had forgotten that the next business day was a civic holiday, which meant downtown London was pretty empty. Most people, I’m assuming, having departed for some sort of vacation or camping adventure elsewhere.
Dinner at Grace
Grace offers a CA$65 4-course prix fixe menu that you can’t beat. The Executive Chef, Angie Murphy, also has a sense of humor in that she has named many of her dishes. Case in point: the new potato and pickled cucumber dish that you see below, called “Velvet Underground,” is such an unassuming dish on the menu that I wasn’t sure if I should order it. However, this one totally wowed me. The potatoes and the cucumbers were so smooth (hence the velvet description, I assume) that I could have ordered another plate of that one dish alone. Next up: “Gold Bar” – polenta with eggplant, tomatoes, compressed zucchini, parmesan and basil in a thick tomato sauce. Lynn had a duck breast as an entree (not shown), but I went for something a bit unusual.
Titled “Doctor, Doctor” (put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning), it featured Ube gnocchi with mushrooms, tofu, and cilantro in a hot coconut sour sauce. I did check with our server to make sure I knew about “Ube.” (It’s similar to a sweet potato, but actually a yam with a gorgeous purple color.) Finally, last but not least, dessert was a “Chocolate Mirage.” Also known as chocolate mousse on a stick with a sour cherry sorbet, the dish was fun and delicious. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the “stick” in question was actually a biscuit that was made to look like a stick and totally edible.
A Bit of Bavaria in Frankenmuth, Michigan
After leaving London in the morning, we crossed back over the border, and suddenly were in Michigan. Frankenmuth was a surprise to me. I was looking for a place to stop for lunch and didn’t know anything about this German-themed town near Saginaw, but still about three hours from our Mackinaw City destination.
Luckily, I had already scoped out the lunch possibilities and settled on Prost, a wine bar/restaurant that specialized in charcuterie. How could we resist that? It was very crowded, but we managed to get a seat at the bar. Since we knew we had a big dinner ahead of us, we decided to share a “German Heritage” board with a couple of beers. I was already feeling a bit elitist (having lived in Munich for so long) that I didn’t think the kitchen would be able to pull off a decent rendition, but they did.
Our board had some summer sausage, liver pate, black forest ham (the only cold cut that I wasn’t particularly fond of), as well as a mild “Butterkäse” cheese along with sauerkraut, pickles and bread. We drank Paulaner out of a can, and I was pleasantly surprised that the food was so good.
Afterwards we walked around town, and I tried to think I was in Bavaria – somewhere. I took a lot of pictures. There were murals, there were tons of flowers, and even a little Glockenspiel with dancing figurines. On the way out of town we even got to drive under an “Auf Wiedersehen” arch.
Mackinaw City Here We Come
I love to look at maps and would frequently look at a map of Michigan. (I know, I know, boring.) But looking at a map fuels my desire to travel and plan trips to see things I haven’t seen before. I had always wondered about Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge which crosses the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
I had booked the cheapest hotel I could find for Mackinaw City in August. This meant we were staying at a Holiday Inn right near the bridge. The good news: we had a small balcony and even had a glimpse of the water. The bad news: if you sat outside on the balcony, you were accosted by never-ending traffic (including heavy trucks), so the noise level was pretty high. Luckily, the hotel was on the newer side (or renovated, I’m not exactly sure), and someone had the brains to not only put in room darkening shades in our room, but also install windows that kept all the noise outside.
The Holiday Inn was adequate for our two-night stay. But what we didn’t realize is that although we could almost see the restaurant we had booked that night from our hotel, we weren’t sure how to get there because of the bridge and the traffic. Luckily, we found a road that went under both. When given the option of walking to dinner, we usually prefer that over driving.
Audie’s for Dinner
Billed as a restaurant with both a “Family Room” and “Chippewa Room,” of course we walked into the family side by mistake. I will take a moment to comment on families that let their children 1) run around, 2) make a lot of noise and generally behave badly at the table, and 3) order off a kid’s menu when they are old enough to eat “real” food. I just can’t fathom having children who would behave like that in any restaurant and immediately feel hostile towards parents who don’t do anything to change their children’s behavior. End of rant.
Once we found the correct entrance, two things caught my eye on Audie’s menu. Perch and Whitefish. The last time I had eaten perch was when my grandmother, Theresa, was still alive. She lived in Whiting, Indiana, a mere 29 minutes from downtown Chicago, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Occasionally when I’d visit, I remembered many “all you can eat perch” meals at a place called Phil Smidt. Before they went out of business, I even found a retro-looking postcard that I’m particularly fond of. I even put the postcard in a small frame to remind me that their sauteed perch in butter sauce was the best I’ve ever eaten!
I was hoping Audie’s would be up for the challenge. While their perch was decent, it wasn’t the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness I was looking for. Still, the menu was fun. We had some Oysters Rockefeller to start, followed by the perch, and apparently, someone had told them it was my birthday week, so we split some homemade vanilla maple ice cream for dessert.
And if anyone wants to see the glimpse of water from our little balcony and the bridge at night, I have photographs of that, too.
Tomorrow we’ll take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. You’ll be able to read about it on my next post.
Last summer, I wanted to visit Naulakha, the only house that was built by Rudyard Kipling in Dummerston, Vermont. Unfortunately, the trip never panned out, so when tickets went on sale for this year’s opening, I didn’t waste any time.
Now owned by The Landmark Trust USA, the house is about a 10-minute drive from Brattleboro. Construction started in 1892-1893 and Kipling spent about $11,000 to have the house built. He was also adamant that the architect, Henry Rutgers Marshall of NYC, design it so the layout was similar to a ship. I didn’t really see the ship allusion, but the house is quirky, and the grounds are beautiful.
Manchester for Lunch
We had started this two-day trip the day before and headed to Manchester for lunch. I’ve written frequently about traveling to Vermont when we lived on Long Island, and how when our son was little, he called the state of Vermont “Mont.” Apparently to him, it was a magical place that Mommy and Daddy liked to disappear to every so often.
Manchester has changed in the 30+ years we’ve been visiting. Some of the old Inns are still there, but bigger chain hotels have moved in. There seem to be more places to eat now and less shopping. (That in my opinion is a good thing.)
Sunday lunch (not brunch) can be tricky even in major urban areas. My favorite thing to do is simply look at Google maps, click on some restaurants in the area I’ll be traveling to, and hope that their restaurant hours and website are up to date. Bonus points if they have posted a recent menu and not a “Mother’s Day” menu from 2022.
We ended up at a new place (for us), The Crooked Ram, that advertised their outdoor dining area – The Yard. Since I love eating outside on almost any occasion (well, maybe not when it’s snowing), this seemed like a lovely way to kick off our small trip.
The Yard has a fun vibe. You’re sitting outside but are covered under a mostly open wood beam structure. The menu is small plates oriented and creative. If there were any pet peeves on my part, it was their highly crafted, but limited wine offerings by the glass. This is partially my fault. I’m not up to speed on organic/natural wines and haven’t jumped on the orange wines that are very trendy right now. (I actually had to look up how that particular color is achieved. It’s wine made from white wine grapes, but they use the same fermentation process as red wine.)
We were going to get oysters to start. But when I learned they had been flown in from the West Coast, I balked. I really do try to stay local and not contribute to climate change problems. Hence, I don’t like to order things to eat that first had to make either a plane ride or long-distance truck haul in order to get on my plate. I did see other tables eating these oysters and hoped we could get some for dinner.
Tuna Crudo and A Pie
So, forgoing the oysters, the next best thing was for us to order a tuna crudo with dill fronds and thin slices of radishes with a diced fennel garnish. There were also some spicy red peppers thrown in with the vinaigrette and all I can say is “Yummy!” Could the tuna have been flown in from the West Coast as well? Possibly, but at this point I had already passed on the oysters, and the crudo sounded delicious.
You’ll notice in the photograph below that after much back and forth with our very patient server, I simply ordered us glasses of French Burgundy. Yes, I wimped out after trying to discuss the merits of a certain white or orange wine, and I wasn’t in the mood for beer.
After the tuna, we decided to split an artichoke and coppa-laden pizza that was pretty good. I say that because while the dough was thin and chewy, it was a little on the bready side for my taste. Still, it hit the spot and we had a nice lunch.
This was not an inexpensive meal, and I did read many of the Trip Advisor reviews online where people complained about the prices and the small portions. I don’t mind small portions and since I food shop almost every day, I know what good food costs. Factor in the price of staff to make and serve such delicacies and, yes, it becomes very expensive to eat out these days.
Woodstock Next
We didn’t remember ever visiting Woodstock, Vermont, and after lunch we drove to see “what’s there.” There were shops, a few hotels, a few restaurants, but the most popular place in town seemed to be the ice cream place – Woodstock Scoops. It was hot, it was summer, could we actually get a scoop of ice cream and break our record of only one scoop a year? (We already had ice cream last month after a day on Lake Ontario.) We did. Well, since we were in Vermont, I wanted something with maple syrup in it. Hence, my scoop of vanilla with maple syrup and walnuts. It was so good that I forgot to take a photograph! I just ate most of it myself until I handed the cup over to Lynn who had already finished his (boring in my opinion) chocolate soft serve in a cone.
One Red Covered Bridge Needed
I wanted a picture of a red covered bridge so did a quick search on my phone and found one after our ice cream stop. The Taftsville covered bridge proved to be a popular spot with visitors that day, but I did get more than one photograph.
Waterbury – Hen of the Wood
We had visited Waterbury back in August 2021 and the reason for our visit this time (besides visiting Kipling’s house which at this point was now two hours south of us) was to have dinner at Hen of the Wood. We had eaten at their Burlington location, but never snagged a reservation at their Waterbury place.
Hen of the Wood is now located in downtown Waterbury, a move from their previous site. The space is modern which I wasn’t expecting but not cold. The menu and wine list were as inviting as their Burlington spot, and the service was probably some of the best I’ve experienced in a few years.
We were lucky that they had oysters to start. From Cape Cod! That’s only two states over, right? So, we ordered a half dozen. In perusing the menu, I was almost embarrassed to admit to our server, Maria, that I knew what “Fazzoletti” meant. (It’s handkerchief pasta.) Although I told her in jest not to tell anybody, even she couldn’t resist raising her eyebrows at my knowledge. That said, the pasta was a bit doughy, but the mascarpone cream sauce with spinach and breadcrumbs brought it all together. We ordered the ham-wrapped rabbit loin next and while it looked very appealing on the plate, it was a bit dry.
This location, like Burlington, has a wine list with lots of vintages you don’t see on other restaurant menus. We ordered an Austrian blend which was a nice accompaniment to the entree we split – a hanger steak with asparagus and grilled onions that looked like tiny trumpets on top of the steak. Heralding summer perhaps?
We weren’t going to get dessert, having already indulged in ice cream that afternoon, but they were offering a selection of Vermont cheeses. Perhaps I was expecting a cheese plate from days past. What we got was a wedge of cheese with some rhubarb-y purée and a few crackers. It was underwhelming.
After dinner we walked across the street to look at real estate listings since our table had been facing the window of a local real estate office. We aren’t looking for a house, but I always get a kick out of seeing how much people are asking for houses/land in the area. (Most of the homes were over $1 million.)
Back on the Roadin the Morning
We had some time to kill before our timed ticketed entry to visit the house, so after we had a halfway decent hotel breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, weak coffee, and even fresh fruit), we stopped to take a look at how Montpelier was doing. You may remember that the capital of Vermont sustained massive flooding last summer. The town was up and running but it looked like they were still trying to pave the road in front of the Vermont State House.
Finally, Naulakha
Here’s a photograph of Rudyard Kipling’s house as you walk up the driveway.
It was fascinating to walk inside the house and go through the rooms. While it’s now available for short term rentals (as a historic property through The Landmark Trust), I think they did a good job of trying to retain the authenticity of the house. The kitchen is equipped for modern day use (toaster, stove, fridge, etc.), but when you walk through the dining room and the guest bedrooms, I did get a sense of Kipling being there.
Couple of things I learned while walking through the house. I didn’t realize he was so incredibly prolific as a writer, or that he made a lot of money doing so. His wife, Caroline, kept a very detailed diary, not only of what their daily life was like up in Vermont, but of their finances. On December 31, 1894, Kipling wrote: “Carrie tots up the books and finds that I have this year earned $25,000. Not exactly a bad record.”
Here’s a picture of his desk and a bookcase filled with his work.
Besides the various small guest rooms (most with single beds), there were two rooms that were designated as “nurseries” for his three children. The plasterwork in the photograph was done by Kipling’s father who was also an illustrator/teacher and curator who spent most of his career in India. There was also an expansive loggia with lovely views of the garden and the mountains in the distance. I could imagine him sitting there during his residence. I could also imagine myself sitting there and writing…
The Attic
We went up to the third floor of the house to see the attic. In this part of the house, there was a pool table, but also a collection of Kipling’s golf clubs. Apparently, he enjoyed playing golf when Arthur Conan Doyle (author of the Sherlock Holmes books) came to visit him. Kipling, according to legend, is also credited with introducing “snow golf” in Vermont. (He painted the golf balls red so he could see them in the snow.)
The Rhododendrons
These were added by the subsequent owners, the Holbrooks, in 1903 but wow, they are amazing! They’ve gotten so large that the bushes have created tunnels where you walk underneath the flowers. I expected them to be intoxicatingly perfumy, but they weren’t at all. It was fun to walk through them and I would have gone back a second time, but there was a bit of a crowd. Lynn did manage to take a photograph of me, so you can see the size of the flowers after nearly 120+ years.
The Years in Vermont
Rudyard Kipling lived in Naulakha for only four years (1892-1896), but it proved to be fruitful. There, he wrote, The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous and also portions of Just So Stories. I still have my copy of the latter. Did I ever think when reading that book as a child that I would one day be able to visit the house where the book was penned? I did not.
Buffalo, New York, was the town we would always drive through to get to Canada. We rarely even stopped for lunch, knowing that once we got across the border, Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Niagara Wine Trail with its many wineries and good food, was less than an hour away.
This last week, the catalyst to not only stop in Buffalo, but stay a few days and explore everything the city had to offer, was because of a special Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition at the Martin House.
It was wonderful to be back in the car again. And our first road trip since our visit to New Hampshire and Maine last September! We got a late start because of a sump pump and a dehumidifier that were both misbehaving in the Red House. We almost made it to the Thruway when Lynn thought he might want to triple check that he had turned everything off. So, we drove back home and to insure a “better safe than sorry” philosophy, he simply unplugged the offending basement appliances.
Charlie the Butcher’s Kitchen
Have you ever had a “beef on weck?” We had stopped many years ago at Schwabl’s in West Seneca (about 10 minutes from Buffalo) to eat their famous hand-carved roast beef on a weck roll. If you don’t know what a weck is, well, it’s like a Kaiser roll but with salt and caraway sprinkled on top. (It’s also short for “kummelweck”; Kümmel means caraway in German.) Side note: I wrote about how amusing some German words are in my last Substack short story, “Dill with a Capital D” and Kümmel was mentioned in the story if you’d like to read it.
We walked into this particular Charlie the Butcher location (there are now several) and ordered two beefs on weck and split an order of onion rings. I slathered on a generous dollop of horseradish as well as mustard on mine, and yes, it was delicious.
Richardson Olmsted Campus
After lunch we headed over to the Richardson Olmsted Campus and discovered the Lipsey Architecture Center on the lower floor of the Richardson Hotel. The Center did a wonderful job of highlighting many of the historically important buildings in Buffalo which suddenly gave us that much more to see over the next few days. The campus, which opened in 1880, was once the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson (hence the current name), as well as the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed New York City’s Central Park), it is an astonishing complex. Many of the buildings are in ruin and if you walk around the grounds, the ones still standing kind of give off a Jack Nicholson’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest vibe. Much of the complex fell into disrepair in 1974, but luckily the property was saved from the wrecking ball and is now owned by a private developer. Here are a couple of photographs.
Wright Designed a Boathouse?
We have frequently driven on I-190 heading either towards Niagara Falls or the Peace Bridge when traveling to Toronto. Somehow, we missed the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright had designed a boathouse in 1905 which, however, wasn’t built until 2007. (The building is practically impossible to see from the highway even if you are leaning out of a car.) It reflects many Wright details (small square windows and a flat roof) and is now managed by a rowing club. Apparently, it can also be rented out for weddings, etc.
Then, Louis Sullivan & Dankmar Adler
Thanks again to the very thorough timeline of important Buffalo buildings at the Lipsey Architecture Center, we discovered that the Guaranty Building, designed by the aforementioned gentlemen, had been saved from the wrecking ball (yeah!), and was most recently renovated in 2008.
Currently owned by the law firm Hodgson Russ LLP, there is a wonderful (and free) exhibition in the lobby that details the history of the building when it was built in the late 1890’s. At the time it was the tallest building in Buffalo. What was really cool about this building is that it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There are many terra cotta blocks, circular windows on the top floor of the building that let in light, and numerous decorative features that hide the steel-frame construction.
A Drive-By of Two Other FLW Houses
We have been on other Frank Lloyd Wright house tours where people simply show up and try to finagle their way into the house. Or they pretend they were lost or late, and on one tour we were on, the couple was bold enough to park their car in the driveway! I’m very sensitive to people who are lucky enough to own Frank Lloyd Wright houses. I also have to assume they don’t want people photographing their properties or banging on their doors. Therefore, we did a quick drive-by of two other FLW houses near the sprawling Delaware Park which though I briefly photographed, I will not share. I will say that the houses were on the smaller side, but I think it might be kind of fun to live in one of his houses at least for a while.
Dinner – Bacchus Wine Bar
After checking into the hotel (Holiday Inn had the cheapest mid-week rate we could find in Buffalo), we headed for dinner. We hadn’t been out to dinner since Christmas (really!), so I was looking forward to having someone cook for me. I won’t go into how much it pains me to look at restaurant menu prices these days, but I do understand the struggles many restaurants are facing to simply stay afloat what with surging food costs and an ongoing labor shortage. However, if you are billing yourself as a “wine bar,” it would be nice to have a wine list that doesn’t make you crazy when you look at the mark-up. While I did find a bottle that wasn’t outrageous and it was drinkable, I was annoyed at having to spend that much time reading a menu to find something we could afford. That said, the food was very good. I hadn’t had foie gras in a long time and Bacchus’ version was delicious. (Yes, that’s a waffle cradling the duck liver. I’m not a big fan of waffles, but it did in fact pull the dish together.) They were also running a halibut special that night with an asparagus risotto that I couldn’t refuse. We skipped dessert, finished the wine, and walked around the area afterwards.
Did you know that Buffalo had a tram? Neither did I. It reminded me of Europe. (I think they actually call it a Light Rail.) And that there are so many interesting buildings to see? I didn’t either. (I did read that at one time Buffalo was considered to be second only to Chicago in its collection of architecturally significant buildings.)
Day Two
In the “old” days we would avoid hotel breakfasts like the plague. Today, with the cost of a bagel sandwich (egg/cheese/bacon) pushing $10, plus a cup of coffee another $3, I’m always looking for a hotel that includes some sort of breakfast with the rate. It wasn’t the worse breakfast we ever had. They had run out of anything that resembled bread by the time we got downstairs, but they had loads of cheese omelets and something that was pretending to be a miniature cinnamon bun. Neither killed us.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
We had time before we could get into see the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit, so we decided to visit the Ansley Wilcox House, also known as the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. Anyone ever wonder what the Pan-American Exposition was like? Well, I didn’t, but I now know a bunch of fun facts about what was happening back in 1901! There were parades! And music! And rides! There were even commemorative stamps issued! It was also where President William McKinley was shot. Theodore Roosevelt (VP at the time and vacationing up in the Adirondacks) had to high tail it to Buffalo to take the oath of office. Not an easy task in 1901 since this journey involved a wagon, a horse, and finally, a train. According to our tour guide (this is a National Park Service site), Roosevelt was standing right where the small round table is in the photo below when he was sworn in. Again, this was a house that was slated for demolition in the 1960’s, but a group of people got together to save it which is how it’s now a national historic site.
Finally, The Imperial Hotel At 100
Titled “Thought Built,” the show on view at the Barton House (as part of the Martin House complex), celebrates the short legacy of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. The exhibition succinctly detailed Wright’s creativity and sheer determination to be awarded the commission of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. After three years of sketching possible designs (1913), Wright was finally awarded the project in 1916. It took another seven years for the hotel to be built and while the hotel officially opened on September 1, 1923, it was also the very same day that a massive earthquake destroyed much of the capital as well as Yokohama. While the hotel managed to survive the earthquake with minimal damage (due to the way it was designed), by 1968 the hotel was demolished to make room for a high-rise.
Every time I see a Frank Lloyd Wright house, I discover something new. This time around it was learning of Wright’s love for Japanese woodblock prints and how he especially liked to bring back small gifts from Japan for many of his clients.
If you haven’t seen any photographs or renderings of the Imperial Hotel, I strongly encourage you to research it. The hotel complex is really amazing. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any photographs in the exhibit, but I did manage to get a photograph of the conservatory with a full-size replica of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. (I looked up who/what and why this sculpture is famous and discovered that the original has been at the Louvre since 1884.) We had visited the Martin House years ago, but it was nice to see it again.
When in Buffalo You Gotta Have Wings!
We thought about going to the famous Anchor Bar for wings, but since they’ve become a chain (12 locations and counting apparently), we decided to give our dollars to a more local establishment that specialized in burgers and wings. Were the wings good? Yep! How good? So good that we ate them all before I remembered I didn’t take a picture. We also sat outside, which was lovely, since the rain that had been forecast for the entire week never materialized. We drank a couple of beers and got extremely messy with the wings and a side order of fries. (Allen Burger Venture is the name of the establishment if anyone is interested.)
The Future of Parking
Going to segue here and talk about parking a bit. And apps. I love apps. And I love finding a parking spot right near where I want to be. What I don’t like is having to feed a parking meter three blocks away from where I am parking. And then having to go back to my car to put a flimsy piece of paper on the dashboard to show whoever is checking that I paid to park. If it’s windy the day you are doing this particular maneuver, all I can say is make sure that the little piece of paper you are probably clutching in one hand doesn’t fly out the window. (This happened to us once when we were in lower Manhattan and all I can say is “Ugh.”)
Buffalo has a system where you download their parking app, they charge your credit card, and when you are ready to park, you find out what zone you are in by looking at some of the street signs. Then you indicate on the app how long you want to park at that particular spot. At first, I was a little bit weirded out by this new gizmo (for me), but afterwards I thought it was brilliant. You can also add time via the app so no more running back to a car or feeding a meter!
Niagara Falls Next
I know it’s touristy, but I love going there! It’s not like we haven’t been to Niagara Falls before, we have. It’s just that I love seeing waterfalls and I justified going back up to the falls because I’m doing research for a new book. Also, Niagara Falls is less than 30 minutes from Buffalo and if you have the Empire Pass like we do, you can get into the state park for free.
The last time we had been to the falls it was very crowded. This particular Thursday in May it wasn’t too crowded, and we asked someone to take a photograph of us so we could compare it to the shot we took seven years ago! (Apparently, my hair was a different color then.) But I noticed that we were standing in nearly the same spot as the last time! (See the skyscrapers on the Canadian side?) Also, since 2017, the park service has changed the guardrails and added coin-operated binoculars.
After seeing the falls, taking some photographs, and even paying $1.25 each to walk onto the Observation Deck, as well as down to “Crow’s Nest,” (we didn’t see any crows just people), we drove back to Buffalo.
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Like the rest of the sites to see in Buffalo, we had never been to this museum. I was disappointed in how few people were visiting given that it was their late night (open until 8 p.m.!) But we walked through the galleries and admired the collection, and most importantly, the building. They’ve also built a terrific addition to the museum with ample light and walkways to make the visit enjoyable.
Here’s a money saving tip if you like to visit as many museums as we do. If you purchase a museum membership at a sustaining level or higher, you’ll usually get into a host of other museums for free if they are part of NARM (National American Reciprocal Museum Association). I shopped around for the cheapest sustaining membership I could find. And, now ironically, because we are members of the Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, people think we live in the Adirondacks. Which suits me just fine.
The Edward Hotel and Hutch’s for Dinner
Normally, I choose a hotel based on its proximity to where I want to eat dinner. The restaurant was Hutch’s. The boutique hotel, The Edward, was a mere five-minute walk away, so that’s where we stayed our second night. (I generally try to avoid driving after dinner if there are cocktails and wine involved.)
A few years ago, we experienced our very first contact-free check-in when we were traveling around Cape Cod. While I originally thought it was because of the pandemic, I’m finding that more and more hotels are adopting this method of getting into your room because it saves on labor costs. I realize this will probably be the wave of the future and eventually I will get used to someone texting me a code to the front door of the hotel as well as the room. The upside is you don’t have to see or talk to anyone. The downside is that if there’s a problem with the room, it may be impossible to fix. The Edward was reasonably priced, clean and very quiet. It also had on-site parking, which strangely the Holiday Inn we stayed at did not. If I stay there again though I would spend the extra $20 to upgrade to a suite because the room we chose (The Madison) was small. And one side of the bed was pushed against the wall. Guess which side of the bed was mine? Not the good side.
When we walked into Hutch’s, the place was bustling with activity. The menu was inventive, and the wine list was impressive in both its range of bottles as well as price points. Could we get three appetizers and just split an entree? Absolutely. There were oysters, then escargot, and because they had a soft-shell crab special, we had that too. We split a steak (it was very expensive), but they carved it perfectly for us to share. And yes, we even had a sticky toffee pudding for dessert!
Let me just mention that I have lost count of how many times I have to ask a server for a soup spoon or large serving spoon so that if we are splitting a dish, I can be ladylike about it. The fact that our server dropped a big spoon (and tongs!) at our table without even being asked, well, it just notched up the whole dining experience for me.
No Boat Ride, Alternate Plans – Day Three
Right before we had left for dinner the night before, I had gotten a phone call from someone at the boat company we had booked a tour with. Apparently, we were the only ones who had signed up for a 12:30 tour of the Buffalo River and she wanted to know if she could switch us to a later tour that day. Since there were a few other things in Buffalo that we still wanted to see, and I didn’t want to get home super late, we declined. Luckily, she was kind enough to refund our money.
That said, now with our morning free, we drove down to see “Silo City.” We didn’t get really close to any of these massive structures, but it was impressive to see many of these big grain elevators still standing.
Afterwards, we went on the hunt to find where the Larkin Building used to be. Designed for the Larkin Soap Company by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1903, at the time it was described as one of the largest office buildings in the world used by a single firm. And because the building was so unique, even in 1908, the company was giving tours to over 50,000 people a year. Unfortunately, in 1945 the property was foreclosed on for back taxes and by 1950 the entire building was demolished. Many architectural historians describe this destruction as “the most significant loss of an architectural icon in the history of North America.”
After the building was torn down, the only indication that the Larkin was ever there is a commemorative sign and a brick pillar at one end. (The site was supposed to be a truck stop but now it’s just a parking lot.)
It seems that the general theme of this trip has been to gaze at historical plaques where buildings used to be and marvel at the ones that somehow were saved.
We had now run out of things to do in Buffalo. It was still too early to head home (really, barely noon), so we thought we’d drive further west to visit a couple of lighthouses on Lake Erie that I had always wanted to see. So we did – Dunkirk and Barcelona. Which do you think I liked better?
The sound of the cannons being fired over the fort wall were loud. It was a warm sunny day and we found ourselves very happy to be back on the road again. Just under 2.5 hours from our house, the long tree-lined drive up to Fort Ticonderoga reminded me of trips we had done in the south visiting historical homes. Overlooking Lake Champlain, this 18th century fort had barracks to explore, fortified walls to climb, and most importantly, an amazing garden to “ooh and aah” over.
Our guided interpreters weren’t using real cannon balls that afternoon but dressed as British soldiers and American “provincial soldiers,” they put on a good show in pretending to defend the fort during the French and Indian War. We also learned about shoemaking and tailoring in the 1760’s and as much as we tried to get our “soldiers” to fall out of character by suggesting they order their britches from Amazon rather than sewing them by hand, they didn’t take the bait.
After holding our hands over our ears after the cannon firing, we headed towards the greenery. Called the “King’s Garden,” there is a bountiful vegetable garden (much of which was used I was told to create salads in the fort’s cafe) as well as an astonishing array of colorful flower beds and herbs. The fort was nice but truthfully, I could have sat in the garden all day.
Look at the lettuce, the over-sized sunflower, and the orange and yellow marigolds!
Here are some details from the garden door entrances and a lovely fountain in a reflecting pool.
After we left the garden, we had one last thing to visit before we left the area – Mount Defiance. A short 10-minute drive from the fort, a token we were given when buying the tickets had to be inserted into what looked like a parking meter. The people in front of us were having a bit of a problem with this task. It turned out that the distance between the meter and the driver’s side of the vehicle was too far. This meant that someone had to get out of the car, insert the token, then quickly jump back in the car so you didn’t run the risk of having the barrier gate hit your windshield. Sigh. Was this the best (only?) idea someone could come up with to give visitor’s access to the road that led up to the Mount? Once we dealt with this annoyance, the view at the summit of Lake Champlain and the fort in the distance was pretty amazing. We stayed a bit longer than planned to hear our costumed interpreter talk about everything that was wrong with the fort. First of all, the walls surrounding the fort weren’t high enough to ward off invaders, and secondly, it was facing the wrong way. Today, however, when you look at the picture I took, it kind of looks like a halfway decent condo complex.
Lake George Revisited
After visiting the fort, we drove south to Lake George. Although we had driven through Lake George a few times coming back from someplace else (probably Canada), we hadn’t stayed in the area in 20+ years. Eschewing the more touristy Lake George main area, we settled on a family-run resort in Diamond Point.
The Juliana Resort was a quirky motel with ranch style accommodations. Before booking, the reservation site was very specific about your room amenities and views. Therefore, given the option of having a “parking lot view” or at least a glimpse of the lake, I chose the latter.
Well, it wasn’t the sprawling view of the lake I thought it would be and the “beach” aspect of the resort was probably the tiniest piece of sand I had ever seen, but there was a dock, and the mountains were pretty. Also, the room was clean, and the grounds were well-kempt with lots of grills and outdoor tables and even a wooden “Adirondack-style” swing that we did indeed swing in.
Dinner Options
If you remember my story from two years ago about our dearth of food options (and only a single food shot – BBQ in Richmond, VA), I was determined that was absolutely not going to happen on this trip. I planned hotel stays based around restaurants I wanted to dine in. In the Lake George area, I knew this would be a challenge since “red-sauce” and “wing-type” places outnumber any true culinary finds. Well, you probably know where this is going, right? The restaurant we ate in (which I will not name) on the first night of our road trip looked okay on their website. Right on the lake and only a short six-minute drive from the motel, it boasted not one but three outdoor decks, a no-reservation policy, and what they described as “stunning views.”
When we arrived for dinner, I didn’t see any food on anyone’s table. What I did see were half-eaten plates of nachos, bread baskets that appeared to have been untouched, and lots and lots of empty wine glasses. It’s not like we had the option of going anywhere else, right?
We ordered clam chowder (first mistake) that was mostly cream and potatoes. Lynn opted for a pork roast special that I have to assume no one else in the entire restaurant had ordered because they gave him what seemed like a family-sized portion. I had been craving a steak since the beginning of the summer and decided to order a tenderloin. The steak that came out was so overcooked it could only be described as “gray.” Even though it was actually fairly soft, it was tasteless. Hence, even more sighing on my part.
When I asked our server to take a picture of us that evening, briefly explaining to her that we hadn’t traveled in two years, nor had we been back to Lake George in over 20, she said, “Wow!”
I continued to tell her that I realized after working on a photo project this past summer that I had only found 72 photographs of us as a couple. When I showed her a photograph that was taken shortly after we first met, she said something very odd.
“You’re so small!”
I think she meant to say “young” but somehow “small” became her word of choice. Since Lynn is 5 foot 10 and I’m not much shorter (5 foot 8), I don’t think “small” is the way to describe us. But since we both have a sense of humor, we now like to ask each other in the morning, “How are you feeling?” Obviously, the answer is “I’m feeling small!”
In case anyone is curious. Do we look “small” in either of these photographs?
In the morning, I made the mistake of telling Lynn we would be having breakfast at a “flapjack-type of place” on the drive out of town. He seemed to misinterpret this as a breakfast spot that only serves pancakes. Consequently, I had to show him the menu since he’s really an egg-and-toast kind of guy. We actually had decent ham and cheddar omelets for breakfast and yes, I ordered a side of silver-dollar pancakes. Not only were they yummy, but I was happy they didn’t upcharge me for some real maple syrup to pour on top.
Destination: Lake Winnipesaukee
At some point during the pandemic, I had been getting emails from the Wolfeboro Inn in Wolfeboro, NH, on the above-mentioned lake. We hadn’t been to that part of New Hampshire, and it seemed like it might be scenic and fun. Luckily, there were also a couple of decent restaurants in town, so I thought why not? The hotel had seen better days, but it was also one of the few reasonably priced places to stay in Wolfeboro. Our room on the second floor looked out onto the central air conditioning unit of a lower building, and from what I could tell walking around the grounds, none of the rooms had a lake view. Luckily, dinner that night (not at the hotel) gave me faith that going forward quite a few good meals might be attainable.
Pavillon is a relatively new restaurant in Wolfeboro connected to a luxury boutique hotel. Focused primarily on small plates, we started with corn chowder and homemade parker house rolls. (I never order bread but couldn’t resist trying these.) Spätzle with roasted carrots and peas (shown below) was up next followed by a beet salad with watermelon, jalapeños and pepitas, and a scallop dish with pancetta, pea shoots, pea puree, and slices of peach that I really wanted to like. However, the peaches were tasteless and with a staggering price of over $40, I didn’t expect it to be oversalted. Nevertheless, we ended up getting dessert (a coffee crème brûlée) because I just happened to flip over the “after dinner” drink menu at the end of the evening. Having lived in Munich for nearly a decade, I was astonished to find a German brandy, Asbach Uralt, on the menu. Pours of this “Weinbrand” for a mere $10? I couldn’t resist ordering a glass.
A Gorgeous Day Visiting “Castle in the Clouds”
Wel, it wasn’t really a castle, but it was a very lovely historic house called the Lucknow Estate that was built in 1914 by Thomas and Olive Plant high up on a mountain overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. Much of the house was inspired by the arts and crafts movement and the house had a couple of interesting pieces of furniture, as well as state-of-the-art appliances for the time. Castle in the Clouds had not been on my “bucket list” but I like to look at maps and find things for us to do rather than just hiking or day-drinking. Plus, I love touring old houses, so this ended up being a worthwhile visit.
There were gorgeous reading nooks, fireplaces, and decorative window trimmings to behold. There was an enormous laundry room with a sink I would like to have and a pipe organ that someone on our tour decided to play. There were skylights and let’s not forget the views! You could look outside a window and see the lake, and since we were truly “in the clouds” on this blue-sky day, the view was stunning. Dare I mention a “needle shower ” in the owner’s bathroom? Apparently, women were “discouraged” from bathing during this time period, but I think being pelted with all the water emanating from those shower heads might have been fun.
Onto Holderness and Squam Lake
After our tour of the house (as well as the basement which we paid extra for just to get an idea of the inner-workings of this luxury estate), we went in search of lunch. A lobster roll to be precise. We hadn’t originally intended to end up near Squam Lake, but I was intrigued by the reviews of Walter’s Basin Restaurant and the outdoor deck.
Here’s our lobster roll! With outstanding onion rings (not greasy!). And yes, when our server asked how it was, I told her it was one of the top FIVE lobster rolls of all time. She actually blushed! We ate our lobster rolls and watched a couple of boats come in and out of the neighboring marina.
Weir’s Beach, Then Dinner
Driving through Meredith (not much to see except a strange waterfall in the middle of town), we headed over to Weir’s Beach. Much of the town (similar to Lake George) had already shut down for the season. Walking through the town, it reminded me a bit of the old Asbury Park without the boardwalk, but a decent promenade with a view of the lake. I detoured a bit just to take a shot of the Weir’s Beach sign. Campy but cool! (I realized they don’t use an ” ‘s ” on their sign so maybe my spelling is incorrect.)
We headed back to Wolfeboro and walked around town a bit only to discover that most of the shops were already closed. We had made a reservation for dinner that night at Wolfetrap, a seafood place near the hotel. When we arrived for dinner at 6:30 (the last reservation we could get since the restaurant closes at 8 p.m.), we were greeted by a grumpy hostess who practically yelled, “Do you even have a reservation?” We assured her we did and waited a few minutes to sit at a large and somewhat uncomfortable wooden table outside on the deck. We had oysters which were described as “local,” but were actually from Prince Edward Island. (Not that local!) Lynn, for reasons known only to Lynn, ordered swordfish tacos that had a few pieces of fish thrown into a soft flour taco. Luckily, I fared better with a decent swordfish steak. The fact that we were back at the hotel by 8:16 pm., with not much to do for the rest of the evening, was uneventful.
Frank Lloyd Wright In Manchester
The Zimmerman house in Manchester, New Hampshire, had been on my radar for a while. Described on the Currier Museum website as “the only art museum in the world with two Frank Lloyd Wright homes,” tour times and tickets are limited with access to the homes only via the museum’s van. I had read about the Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman house (1950) but was surprised to also have a tour (three houses down) of the recently acquired Kalil house. So when we ended up on the van with a bunch of FLW “groupies,” each offering detailed descriptions of other houses they had seen (mostly in Wisconsin), I felt right at home.
Zimmerman was a doctor who lived in Manchester but decided to “downsize” to a ranch. Luckily, he and his wife were fond of Wright’s aesthetic and the world of Usonian architecture. This house was smaller than other Wright houses we had seen, but the signature Wright details were still there – custom-designed furniture, a galley kitchen, and small glass windows. I was also intrigued by the new-fangled appliances of the 1950’s which included a top-loading dishwasher. Since there was no basement in the house, even the furnace was stuck in a corner of what Wright described as a “workspace” rather than a kitchen.
There was also an open living room with one wall assuming the role of “long couch” and a very unique music stand. I think the Zimmerman’s must have had many lovely musical evenings in this room. Wright even designed a unique mailbox for this house which is still there today.
Mildred and Toufic Kalil House
Built in 1955, the house is one of only seven “Usonian” houses Wright designed. I wanted to like this house and appreciated FLW’s built-in furniture, but the house both inside and outside was constructed with concrete blocks. Although we were encouraged by our tour guides to sit down in the living room, the space reminded me too much of drab concrete buildings that sprang up all over post-war Europe. Here’s a few photographs to give you an idea.
Louis Kahn in Exeter and Following the Remnants of Hurricane Lee in Rockport
Apparently, we had once driven by the Louis Kahn library on the campus of Phillips Exter Academy, but I didn’t remember it! This time, with the help of a student, we managed to get inside the building. The Librarian on duty was not particularly amused by our being inside when students were “on campus.” She then proceeded to scold us and said we needed to make an appointment to visit the library. Suddenly, we were told to leave the building, and when I asked to take some photographs, she said “only one.” I decided to ignore her and quickly took over a dozen shots, but I couldn’t get the photograph I wanted. Why? Because there was an art exhibition in the space and someone had placed what looked like a big ball of chewing gum right in the middle of the famous ceiling.
We had time to kill before lunch, so we decided to drive up to Rockport and look at the water. Hurricane Lee had passed through 24 hours prior, so we were hoping to see some big waves. We got them! Along with a photograph of the “most painted building in the world” also known as Motif No. 1. I remembered we had a magnet on our fridge of this red fishing shack, purchased I believe when the town of Rockport was still “dry” (no alcohol sold or served in restaurants!) I’m glad to report this was abolished a few years ago but the fact that it was a law for over 162 years is mind-boggling.
Salem, Again
We had visited Salem two years ago and thought it was well, interesting. This time around it was very crowded, parking was limited, and we seemed to be surrounded by groups of young women dressed in black and wearing pointy witch hats. We went back to have lunch at a place right on the water where dinner had been decent. This time around our lunch was just okay. We walked around town, avoiding most of the touristy “witch-hunt” sites, and went to see the Peabody Essex Museum.
I liked this museum. Lynn thought the floor plan was difficult to read, but we saw a couple of interesting exhibits. It seems I’m always drawn to the gardens wherever I go, and the Peabody Essex provided a lovely outdoor space with an interesting fountain.
Over the years, we’ve stopped staying at Inns, preferring the anonymity of a larger hotel chain. However, all the hotel rooms in Salem were sold out that weekend and only because of a cancelled reservation a few minutes before I tried to book a room online did I find us a room. We didn’t really have to visit Salem again, but I had wanted to try a fairly new restaurant, Settler, that I had been reading about. Thus, we ended up at the Salem Inn, in a decent-sized room in one of their old houses. Breakfast was included in the room rate, but not only did you have to make a reservation for this meal, but also choose what you wanted to eat when you checked in! I found this tremendously annoying but did as requested. (9:30 a.m. – cheese and mushroom omelets, wheat toast, fruit, coffee.)
Dinner at Settler turned out to be the best meal of the trip. The only disappointment was a Martini that was lack-luster, and the excessive mark-up on the wine list. We ate our way through some lovely meze: tuna crudo with thinly sliced radishes; homemade falafel; a cozy dish of lamb merguez which is usually a sausage, but this was transformed into a meatball; house-made spaghetti with spicy clams; and a perfectly cooked halibut. Finally, we finished off the meal with not one but two desserts – a burnt Basque cheesecake with vanilla gelato and a chocolate tart with pistachio gelato. Was it delicious? Absolutely.
Kennebunkport, Maine, and the Atlantic Ocean
Remember we lived on Long Island for over 30 years so stopping to eat some clams and seeing the Atlantic Ocean shouldn’t have been a big deal. Maybe it was just the unusually warm September day. Or the fact that we were looking forward to seeing the beach again. Whatever it was, we stopped for lunch at Bob’s Clam Hut. There we both had a basket of fried clams but truthfully, we could have split one. It was good, but there was just too much food.
After lunch we drove to Kennebunkport. We had driven through the area two years ago on the way to Camden and I remember seeing people shuffling through town because it was so crowded. Luckily, this time the sidewalks were less busy, and when we checked into our motel, the Seaside Inn, we even managed to get upgraded to an oceanfront room.
We walked on the beach and afterwards just sat on our hotel balcony watching a few boats go by and a “ship-ahoy” themed weathervane spin on the top of a cupola. Actually, now that I look at the exterior shot of the Seaside Inn, it reminded me a bit of a place we used to stay at on Hilton Head Island!
I will only briefly mention dinner that night and our reason for being there in the first place. We had a nearly five-year-old gift certificate to the White Barn Inn that we were determined to use. We were the youngest couple at the restaurant and while the menu looked inspiring, the food that came out (regardless of what we ordered) had too much salt or cream or crunchy things. We opted for a cheese plate for dessert and were brought out a dish that looked like something a toddler might have cobbled together after standing on a stool to reach the fridge. To assure my readers that I’m not exaggerating, here it is:
Time to Go Home
Inevitably, it’s time to go home. Even when we were both working, we would try to delay the drive back by seeing one more sight and even having one more lunch. This time we decided to avoid I-95 for a while and travel down Route 1 through the towns of Wells, Oqunquit, and York. Along the way we found a roadside bakery and picked up some croissants. Then we found a road sign pointing us to Nubble Lighthouse. Who doesn’t like to see a lighthouse? Apparently, a lot of other people had the same idea that cloudy, gray day. After a mere 10-minute detour, we were awarded with a picturesque shot of this beauty. You actually can’t get to the lighthouse (it’s on a tiny island), but you do get a lovely view from the parking lot.
We drove home in the rain (and yes, stopped for one last lobster roll), hit annoying traffic until we got to Albany, and already started planning our next road trip.
Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.
If you missed my new collection of short stories, The Camp People, it’s available on Amazon.
We are latecomers to the world of hiking. Since our new “forever” home is a mere 30 minutes south of the Adirondack Park, we have a plethora of lakes, ponds, rivers and mountains to climb over, under and through. Consequently, there is absolutely no excuse not to go outside and explore the area. In fairness, this “activity” came about primarily because of COVID. We were “those” people during the pandemic who took up walking as much as we could because we couldn’t travel!
We hiked all last summer and into the late fall only stopping once the snow came. But even then, we would hop in the car and stop to watch the snowmobilers who would often cross our path. Sometimes we’d even clear off a picnic table that was covered in snow or ice just to have lunch. A new thermos was purchased to carry hot soup during the winter as well as an insulated backpack for water and sandwiches in the summer.
We already had enough casual clothes hanging in our closet that we could layer on but decided a set of hiking poles (for me) were a good investment. Since then we have met many types of people on a “trail” with us. There are quite a few couples who look at least 10+ years older than we are, and most of them I think are what could be considered “casual” hikers. Looking at their attire though, they often look as if they should be at the beach. Are you seriously walking in sandals? And wait, is that woman really carrying a purse?
Then there is the requisite young family, toting the kids along, and sometimes even a stroller in tow. (I’m not quite sure how that works when hiking.) While Mom might be a “serious” hiker and properly outfitted, the kids are usually barely keeping up and often would walk behind the parents with a frown on their face and flip-flops on their feet. Then there are the 20-year-olds! I don’t ever want to sleep on the ground unless I have to. But these “true” campers thought ahead. Foam sleeping pads are strapped to the top of their backpacks, water bottles or hydration packs are visible, and unlike the others as noted above, they always have proper gear – particularly decent boots and heavy socks.
This past week we upgraded our footwear to lightweight trail “runners” (after walking in ankle deep mud the week before and ruining our shoes), and then decided to try them out on a trip further upstate as well as Vermont and New Hampshire. There were two bucket list hikes we failed to accomplish last summer so we figured this last week before Labor Day would be a good time!
First Stop: Ausable Chasm
Located in the town of the same name in upstate New York, I was afraid there would be so many visitors that we’d want to turn around. I was wrong; it was fairly empty and we had most of the trail to ourselves. I thought the paths around the rim of the chasm were easy; the walkways not too narrow. We got some really nice views and although it was pushing 90 degrees that day, we were okay.
I have to assume the reason it was so empty where we were walking is that most of the visitors were there for the river rafting, rock climbing, and all sorts of other activities that we weren’t interested in. I mean, do I really want to walk over this narrow “board” they call a bridge just to get to the other side? I think not.
There weren’t a lot of places to stay near Ausable Chasm; there were tons of chain hotels near Plattsburgh (only 20 minutes away), but I couldn’t find a decent restaurant for dinner. The rule is we find the restaurant first, then the hotel. Ideally, in Julie’s “perfect” world, I like both to be within walking distance of each other so there’s no imbibing and driving.
Onward to Vermont
Which is how we ended up in St. Albans City, Vermont. The town looked bigger on the map, but there was a Hilton Garden Inn that was less than two years old, right smack in the middle of town and a restaurant a block away. It was a Tuesday night; we had made a reservation but the restaurant was packed and the hostess, unfortunately, kept turning people away who walked in without one. We had mussels and fish, an attentive server, but ultimately, it was just an okay meal. Hence, no food photos – a first for me!
New Hampshire Next!
Our next destination: Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch State Park in Lincoln. We had booked timed tickets ahead of our visit – again worrying about crowds. Luckily, it wasn’t too busy, and the park made sure that the current two mile hike is one-way only. So if there are people on a trail with you at least they are all going in the same direction. I thought this park and the gorge vistas were much more impressive than Ausable Chasm. The hike was fairly easy but lots and lots of stairs!
Besides the walkways, there were covered bridges to walk through and gorgeous pools of water deep in the bottom of the gorge.
And then we checked into our “Inn.” I only have two words for this place: don’t go. I will not name this very popular Inn and Brewery but will talk about the room and the mediocre food. In the 50+ years I’ve been traveling (42 of them with Lynn), I’ve never actually pulled down the bed covers to reveal torn sheets.* Not once.
Since the fitted sheet was the culprit, I have to ask how the housekeeping staff could possibly have stretched the sheet over the bed and not seen the rip? Since the Inn in question was packed with visitors and reduced staff, we decided to just ignore this issue and sleep on top of the flat sheet. (* On checkout we were given a small credit towards our stay for this “sheet inconvenience,” since I did mention it.)
My Burger Dilemma
Time to talk about the food. I understand the desire for pub/bar fare or whatever you might call it. I refer to such menus as “usual suspects.” That would be burgers, sandwiches, wings, french fries, maybe a salad if you are lucky. When we arrived at the Inn, we grabbed a quick beer and watched platters filled with the above-mentioned food items come out from the kitchen. Many people took home “doggie” bags. I hate that. Many people just ate some of the food and left the rest. I hate that even more. I kept staring at people’s plates (which Lynn hates) trying to see what others were ordering so that I wouldn’t go that route. (Tacos in particular seemed the thing not to order.)
By the time we were ready for dinner (nearly three hours later), I tried to order carefully – a Caprese salad might be okay, I thought. It wasn’t. Out came some greens with no dressing, slices of rubbery mozzarella topped with tasteless tomatoes. Our entrees you might ask? I ordered a cheeseburger (no bun) and onion rings. Lynn ordered the same but got the bun. Both burgers were over cooked and the onion rings, while large and fried, were tasteless. I felt sorry for my fellow diners but then realized most of them were there only to drink and probably didn’t even care if they had something to eat or not.
I’m not opposed to a good hamburger now and then. But it has to be really, really good. Back in the “old” days when we were living on Long Island (and close to NYC), even the “fanciest” of restaurants would invariably have a burger on the menu. The great late chef Joël Robuchon even offered a burger at his famous New York City restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon located in the Four Seasons Hotel. In my 2007 review at the time, I describe tasty little beef and foie gras burgers crowned with lightly caramelized bell peppers sandwiched between lovely little buns. (Why when I’m describing that dish does it sound well, incredibly sexual?) Now, give me one of those celebrity chef-inspired burgers, and I, too, will enjoy it immensely! I understand that even the finest restaurant will sometimes offer a burger on their menu to appease those individuals who are less adventurous eaters. I would like to see this trend disappear. That and kid’s meals. When our kids were young, they ordered what we ordered or we shared our dinners with them. And believe me, it’s a no-brainer to figure out why children have eating disorders or more than average food aversions; it’s because of their parents! But I’m diverting from the story.
Back to Vermont
Before we left New Hampshire, we hiked on the Lincoln Woods Trailhead following a branch of the Pemigewwaset River. Unlike upstate New York, where our rivers and creeks have been overflowing, this river was bone dry with huge boulders lining the river bed. The trail was also the site of an old logging camp so in addition to stepping over old railroad ties that were left, we walked quite a bit through the forest, ducking a few fallen oak trees.
With all this hiking, nearly six miles that day, we would look at all the mountains surrounding us but couldn’t really see their vastness. Although it was hazy, after we finished our hike, we drove up to the Hancock Overlook on Kancamagus Highway and got the view of the mountains we were looking for! Yes, it really is a hairpin turn up to the top!
And then we drove to the capital of Vermont. On the way we stopped to see the Martin Covered Bridge. Yes, there are many, many covered bridges in Vermont. This one, however, is special because it was built by a neighbor of farmer William Martin to connect two fields spanning the Winooski River. It’s a small bridge in a very small park (if you blink you will miss it) but historically significant. (And the only “farm” bridge left in Vermont.) Once in Montpelier, we stopped to look at the State House with its gorgeous Greek Revival building and shiny gold dome.
I would have been perplexed if we had not been able find a good restaurant in the capital of Vermont. In reality, the reason we were in Montpelier was to eat one very specific dish at Oakes & Evelyn right on State Street. Fun Julie fact: I read restaurant menus like other people read novels. Furthermore, I will travel long distances (by car or plane but not by boat) to eat at a restaurant that I think might be particularly worthy. Our dinner at Oakes & Evelyn that night hit all the right notes.
A Really Cool Menu
First let me do a special shout out to chef Justin Dain who not only cooked for us that night (with help from his crew) but brought out every single dish to the table we were sitting at outside. We had a lot of fun talking to him about the dishes he created. I think the photographs posted here should give you an idea of the talent in the kitchen, but just to be sure, I’ll give you a brief description as well.
Center photo: the dish that I specifically came to eat – seared foie gras and ahi tuna with fresh strawberries, a pistachio crumble and yuzu gastrique. (See the reason why I visited this place? I’ve never seen this combo before and it exceeded my expectations.) On the left of this amazing dish were a dozen oysters on the half shell from Massachusetts with some neat dipping sauces. On the right, silky smooth homemade gnocchi with corn and Parmesan all tossed together with some mushrooms that tasted like they had just been picked from a forest that morning. (Are you getting hungry yet?)
Then we hit the heavy hitters: Halibut on a bed of creamy polenta with some vegetables and finally for dessert: roasted blueberry and peach shortcake with brown sugar biscuits and vanilla cream. (We’re not total gluttons; we split the last two dishes.)
I once worked with a colleague who used to say that every town has ONE good restaurant. I have discovered that is actually not true. Oakes & Evelyn is not only a find but a top notch restaurant. If you are hiking or skiing in the area, I highly recommend a visit!
Since all good things do have to come to an end, the next day we drove home but not before stopping to see “Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard” on a hill overlooking their factory in Waterbury, Vermont. I will say this: funny but dumb. It’s not that I don’t like ice cream, I do. It’s just that I don’t like “stuff” in my ice cream. Being a purist, I normally stick with basic flavors like vanilla or chocolate. Lynn thought the “Schweddy Balls” flavor that had been retired was pretty comical though. (And yes, we both like the SNL skit, too.)
In less than a week we will be traveling again. On the agenda: a Frank Lloyd Wright house (Kentuck Knob) in Pennsylvania and then driving further south to Virginia and the Outer Banks. And between the sites to see, we’ve already planned for quite a few hikes along the way.
