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.
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.
Really, I wanted to title this piece “Do You Miss Times Square on NYE?” Because the two days we spent in Maine were so mobbed with people during the day that I began to question 1) my sanity about traveling there during August, and 2) where exactly did all these people come from? However, once these “day-trippers” left or retired early to their vacation homes or assorted inn/hotel accommodations, the town in question, that would be Camden, was totally dead at night.
I was a bit put off by the quiet, but let me start at the beginning. We hadn’t been to Camden, ME, in 33 years and thought we’d drive to Falmouth, MA, first, then Salem, MA, and head up Route 1. In theory, it was a good idea. We hit a minimal amount of traffic and had a late lunch at the Lobster Trap in Bourne, MA. I looked at the price of a lobster roll ($35!) and decided I would spring for the fresh cod ($14) instead. We had a view, a glass of wine, and the food was good. The lobster roll could wait.
We checked into our hotel in Falmouth that had made a really big deal about the “contactless” service they were offering. This became an annoying point since even 24 hours before our arrival they were bombarding me with text messages. “When will you arrive?” I was asked. Followed by, “please send us a copy of a photo ID (either driver’s license or passport).” I complied but thought it was a bit odd. When we finally got there, I texted them “we’ve arrived,” only to be told to “pick up your keys at the front desk.” So much for not being in contact with anyone!
On the map, the hotel looked like it wasn’t very far from town (15-20 minute walk tops). In reality, it was set in a residential neighborhood with a road I knew would be dark at night with a sidewalk on only one side. Walking into town for dinner I thought could be dangerous.
But first we drove down to the water, parked the car, and walked briefly on the beach. When we drove back through town, people were already eating dinner. It was only 5:30! In fairness, it was Sunday and I realized quite a few of the restaurants close early Sunday night. By the time we had showered and changed and decided where we were eating (a seafood place on the water), it was 7:50 p.m. A relatively normal eating time in our household but apparently very, very late for this part of the country. We had checked the restaurant’s website which said they were open until 9 p.m. When we walked in at the above mentioned hour, the hostess informed us they were closing early tonight, 8 p.m. to be precise, and were not seating any more customers. Lynn and I looked at each other.
“Sushi?” I asked him.
We had seen a sushi place in town and drove quite rapidly, I might add, to get there. Of course, it was packed. Obviously, we didn’t have a reservation. Fifteen minutes later we got a table and while I didn’t expect my first dinner in Cape Cod to be sushi, I thought well, why not?
Since we are pretty adventurous eaters, we didn’t limit ourselves to just sushi. To start we ordered mussels in a spicy red curry sauce with basil and lemon grass, followed by grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes. The octopus was a bit soggy but I appreciated the Jackson Pollock- inspired presentation on the plate. Only after we had devoured these did we move on to the sushi: crunchy tuna and spicy salmon rolls.
By the next morning, we decided we had seen enough of Cape Cod (and realized we had never stayed in Falmouth at all; it had been Hyannis!) and drove to Salem. I thought I remembered Salem. I didn’t. Since we had last visited, the Peabody Essex Museum had been renovated but unfortunately, the day we were visiting, it was closed. We had lunch – a lackluster overpriced lobster roll that I won’t even show here (it’s not worthy) which we ordered only because we had refrained from getting the overpriced lobster roll the day before. (Two lobster rolls and two beers with tax and a generous tip cost us $90.44!)
Besides walking down to the historic maritime area, the real reason for our visit was to see the House of the Seven Gables and the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Fun Julie fact: I had never read Hawthorne. Stupid Julie fact: I checked out the novel prior to our visit and couldn’t get through it. That said, I believe we had visited this historic house before but didn’t remember it. Maybe we just did a drive-by?
This time we opted for the self-guided garden tour which also gave us the history of the house after downloading the audio portion, too. Also on the property is the house Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in which was moved to the current site in 1958. Lynn felt the house lost some of its “authenticity” with its relocation. Here are some photos of the house and the beautiful gardens.
Truthfully, I also walked around the house and only counted SIX gables. So, if they lost one along the way, well, good luck finding it! Also in case you don’t know, here’s a fun fact about Hawthorne; he changed his name! Why is that? Because he was so embarrassed that one of his great-great-great-grandfathers (that would be John Hathorne) was one of the judges in the Salem witch trials that he decided to add a ‘w” to his name to lessen any association with this relative.
We decided to forgo buying any “witch” souvenirs or get a “spiritual reading” on the way back to the hotel. We also ignored the individuals hawking nightly “candlelit ghost tours,” preferring to spend our evening eating.
Finz, one of the few restaurants on the Salem waterfront, could have been hit or miss. It was a warm evening and everyone wanted to sit outside. The place was larger than I had anticipated but luckily, unlike other places we’ve encountered this summer, they seemed to have adequate staff.
Oysters to start? Yes, please. A bottle of Hitching Post Pinot Noir to wash it all down? Absolutely! (I won’t go into my utter surprise at seeing this particular bottle of wine on the menu, but if you have read my book, you will know that Sideways is one of my favorite films and this particular wine features prominently in the movie. ) Did I mention we also had a view? As the sun was setting? Of a schooner?
The following morning we drove to Maine. Someone once told me that Maine is like Long Island except Long Island has better bread and Maine has better blueberries. As I’ve mentioned before, we hadn’t been to Camden, Maine, in 33 years. Before i-phones and Instagram, I wrote down where we traveled, sites we visited, and (obviously) what we ate in “composition” books that are nearly the same price now as they were then! I have since gone back to writing this way since I often find that while a photograph will accurately capture a place, my notes tend to convey the spirit of the moment.
I was pregnant with our first child back in July 1988 and here are a few of my observations.
July 25, 1988: “Tried Ben and Jerry’s for the first time! The chocolate was very rich and the chocolate chunks were good.” (Since I still only occasionally eat ice cream but am a purist and dislike ice cream that has “stuff” in it, I can only attribute my pregnant state to the fact that I ordered something with “chunks” in it. )
July 26, 1988: “Drove to town [Camden] after breakfast and it was so foggy you couldn’t see anything. Decided to get back in the car and take Route 1 to Bar Harbor. Along the way we saw one lobster pound after another; many of them had big vats of water boiling that were heated with wood fires. We came back to the [Whitehall] Inn to have an early dinner because dinner hours are short – 6:00-8:30. There are also no TV’s or phones in the rooms. I did see lots of puzzles and games in the “parlor” along with a whole bunch of Edna St. Vincent Millay memorabilia. After dinner though, it seemed like us, people didn’t quite know what to do with themselves – maybe everyone just goes to bed early.”
July 27, 1988:“From Camden we headed up to Quebec. The smell of pine trees and fresh cut lumber was incredible. We saw quite a few lumber trucks carrying enormous logs and every so often a few mills, too. We realized we were running low on gas and wanted to fill up before we crossed the border, so stopped at the first no-name gas station we found. When I asked our gas station attendant (a young high school kid) where we were, he replied, “Jackman, Maine, which is 50 miles from nowhere!” ( Read on about how history repeats itself 33 years later in the pursuit of gasoline.)
Let me talk about Edna first. According to my “sources” (that would be wikipedia), Edna would recite poetry and play the piano at the Whitehall Inn in Camden, Maine, during the summer months. Lucky for her, a wealthy arts patron was so impressed with her talent that she offered to pay for her college education at Vassar! Four words: “Way to go girl!”
While we had in fact stayed at the Whitehall Inn back in 1988, this time there was no availability. In fact, we couldn’t get a hotel room for two consecutive nights in Camden so ended up staying at an inn one night and a hotel the second night. Unlike 1988 though, the weather was perfect – sunny and hot and hazy.
But let me get back to the point before we got to Camden. Before lunch, we went in pursuit of lighthouses. After all, isn’t that what Maine is known for? Besides lobster and blueberries? As previously noted, back in 1988, the fog was so intense there were no lighthouses we could see. This time would be different; we started by visiting Owls Head Lighthouse. The minute we walked up the steps to their gorgeous tower, there was a light breeze and you could smell the sea. Gosh, the view! Just like a postcard!
Afterwards we stopped at Hills Seafood Co. in Rockland, ME, and had really delicious clam chowder and lobster rolls with fries and slaw. While this lunch was just as expensive as the crappy one we had in Salem, the chowder and the lobster roll were both delicious and worth it. (Hint: it turned out to be the best lobster roll of the trip.)
After lunch, the Rockland Breakwater lighthouse beckoned. I had read about this “walk” and thought “no problem.” Still, I wasn’t really prepared for all the big gaps between each of the enormous granite boulders. A sign before one ventured down the nearly two mile “walk” to the “house” at the end indicated one should make sure one was capable of the journey. Also one was admonished that “accidents” happen when one is not paying attention and above all to “look at your feet.” I took that advice seriously. Lynn held my hand, we were careful, walked slowly, and made it safely there and back. I’m really glad we did that walk. And, most importantly, it was fun!
Yes, the “artistic” me did in fact have to capture the green shutters on this lighthouse (which look black in the photo) especially because there’s so much seawater damage to the building and platform it’s on.
And then it felt like it took us forever to get to Camden. Why? Because of the traffic! It took us nearly 15 minutes to simply get from one end of Camden to the other. It reminded me of the awful drive one has to endure on a certain part of Sunrise Highway to get to any of the towns named “Hampton” on the South Fork of Long Island. At least I knew where most of the people who were visiting the Hamptons were from (hint: NYC). But people who were visiting Camden, where did they all come from? (A few years back I caught up with an old Munich friend and he told me he had visited the Hamptons one summer with his family. My only reaction to this was “why?”)
We checked into our inn and were told we were actually not staying there but rather in a house a few blocks away. Lynn and I looked at each other, got back in the car, and simply pulled out into traffic hoping no one would cut us off or rear-end our car. Looking at this insane traffic and all the people in this town, I’m just glad we had actually found a place to stay. (Fun fact: our server for breakfast the next morning informed us that Camden is a small “hamlet” of 4,000 residents year-round. That number apparently quadruples in the summer months. But I’m convinced it had actually octupled the two days we were there! )
Luckily, dinner-wise we had planned ahead. We had reservations both nights at two of the few restaurants in town that were open mid-week. Lunch, however, would became more difficult. I will talk about that later. Our first dinner was at Nathalie’s at the Camden Harbor Inn, a Relais & Chateaux hotel. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Was it the menu? The service? The lovely amuse bouche? Maybe it was the funky decor? Wait, isn’t that the same Ikea table lamp we have at home except in a different color? Perhaps it was as simple as we hadn’t eaten out this “high end” in 18 months? Where should I start?
How about here: 1. Halibut ceviche. 2. A ring of cold poached shellfish with a bouillabaisse sauce in the middle. 3. Cod on a bed of quinoa and topped with crispy pork belly. 4. Raspberry sorbet “intermezzo” (not shown because I ate it before I remembered to take a picture). 5. Pork tenderloin with mushrooms and greens. And finally, since Lynn and Julie always prefer a cheese plate before the dessert, we did just that. If you are wondering if those are in fact beets on the “chocolate beet cake” with some raspberry sorbet, they are! (Full disclosure: the meal was a lot of money but it was the night before my birthday. I had wanted to stay at the hotel, too, but the rates were, to be honest, outrageous!) I’m just really happy we were privileged enough to eat dinner there and both the food and service were amazing.
Want to see the Ikea light I was talking about? And the Relais & Chateaux plaque? (Also focus on the mountain in the background which we’ll get to later.) I did ask our server if she had an extra Relais & Chateaux pin I could wear during the course of the meal. I started to go into a story about how when you were younger and got on an airplane, the “stewardesses” (yes they were always all women), would come around the cabin and hand out these little gold metal wings if you were a kid. I realized, however, she was very young and unless she had seen something like that in a movie (and remembered it), she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I didn’t get the pin but I still had a good time. And yes, the shellfish bouillabaisse was in fact my favorite dish. I mean, look at it; it was beautifully plated and tasted amazing.
We finished dinner and walked back to the Inn. How about a walk through town? How about a nightcap? Ha, Ha, Ha. Turns out like many resort towns we’ve been to, this one closes up at night. There wasn’t a bar or pub that was open. There were no cars or even people on the street! Seems that even 33 years later, (at least at night) not much has changed.
In the morning we checked out of the Inn and attempted to do some hiking. I specifically say “attempt” because once again I got sidetracked by people writing reviews of how “easy” the trail was to walk. But yet, when we got to the Maiden Cliff Trailhead, it proved too steep for my comfort level. We walked nearly half the way but found the roots were just insane. I mean, really, look at them!
I was more than happy when I saw a few signs that had been stapled to a couple of trees indicating that the trail ahead had eroded. This enabled me in good conscience to turn around. After all it was time for lunch!
I need to divert a bit and talk about the state of the restaurant industry. I read daily about the struggle to find workers and how to cope with the enormous demands “guests” are putting on these restaurants. I’ve seen restaurants post on social media that they can’t open because they are short-staffed, employees haven’t shown up, or worse, they’ve quit all together. But more and more I also read about guests who are hostile to those working in the industry. This saddens me deeply.
Case in point: in Camden, Maine, there is one particular restaurant that is on the water. We tried to go there for lunch only to hear the hostess say over and over again that the wait was 2+ hours and a table outside couldn’t be guaranteed. There were a lot of angry people raising their voices at this poor woman, yelling that they had a reservation, why weren’t they seated, and they had already been waiting nearly 45 minutes! I also noted that the parties who had been able to snag a coveted table didn’t have a single plate of food in front of them. I felt sorry for the staff but more importantly angry at the customers who hadn’t thought of a plan B.
We always have a plan B. We got in the car, drove six miles up the coast, and found a local lobster place. We ordered half a dozen oysters to start that were so large I almost thought we were on the Pacific not the Atlantic coast! Two lobster rolls, some onion rings, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc rounded out our lunch. It wasn’t the best lobster roll we had on the trip (which I’ve already revealed) but it came in a close second.) Plus, we were right on the water! And the lobsters we had just eaten were in the “holding” cages right in front of us.
Did I mention we realized half way to our Plan B that we were almost out of gas? Just like 33 years ago, we found a no-name gas station about eight miles away after eating lunch before heading back to Camden. But wait, first there was a state park that was demanding our attention. You could drive rather than hike up to the top of Mount Battie?
Isn’t the view of Penobscot Bay pretty? And there’s even a tower you can climb to truly feel “on top of the world.” And then I realized the night we had eaten at Natalie’s, we had been staring at Mount Battie all along!
And then, on the drive down Mount Battie, Lynn said, “Look, an owl!” I pulled over to the side of the road and proceeded to take about 100 pictures of this lovely animal. He/she was a bit shy but luckily, I got the shot I wanted. And, yes, I had never seen an owl before which is why I’m posting this picture three times!
After the adventures of our wonderful day and checking into the second hotel of our stay (run-of-the-mill with no amenities or staff) – a sign of the the future perhaps – we went to Franny’s for dinner. A first for us: a sign outside the restaurant saying “we are fully booked and even if you want to sit at the bar, a reservation was required.” I felt a tinge of guilt as I saw many couples approach the restaurant, look at the sign, shake their heads and walk away.
The restaurant is in a residential neighborhood in Camden, so your view (especially when sitting outside like we were) is limited to looking at houses across the street. It didn’t bother us though since our attention was on the food! Shrimp dumplings with a cucumber slaw; mussels in a cream and mushroom sauce; swordfish with grilled peaches and a yogurt drizzle; lamb chops with salsa verde, and finally, a delicious almond cake with strawberries and cream for dessert. After all this food, we walked around Camden, found a waterfall, but got a bit spooked that the town was so dark and deserted!
On our drive home from Maine, we decided it had been a good trip and resolved to come back in the fall when it will hopefully be less crowded. And I did in fact stop at a roadside stand to pick up some fresh blueberries. These, with the help of Marisa McClellan’s wonderful cookbook, Food in Jars, became my first attempt at making blueberry jam. I have to say, it turned out pretty darn good.
