West Virginia - Feb 2024

Our next stop on the East Coast trip was three nights in Lost River, WV.  We stayed at the Lost River B&B which is owned by Tim, someone Keith worked with during his ClubCorp days in DC.  Keith had wanted to visit him for several years and we never did make it so we finally did on this trip.  Tim also owns a motel, restaurant/bar and realtor business in this small town.  When we arrived, we checked into our room at the B&B which they no longer rent out to guests since Covid so was nice to have the place to ourselves.  Our room was nice, cozy and clean. And in the mornings, Tim set out some breakfast items for us to have along with fresh brewed coffee!

We had all of our evening meals at the restaurant (Lost River Grill) which is walking distance down the hill from the B&B.  The first night, we had dinner with Tim and his husband Kevin - we had a salad, French onion soup and scallops for dinner along with some nice wine that Tim brought.  The second night, we had burgers which were quite tasty and ate at the bar. And for the last night, Keith had Mexican while Shawna had the fried fish.

Dinner with Kevin and Tim at Lost River Grill

While here, we explored the following:

• Blackwater Falls State Park - It was raining so we only got out to hike down to the falls.  There are many trails in this park but we didn't get to do any since it was muddy after the rain.  We did drive around to see the lake and the lodge.

Blackwater Falls

• Towns of Davis and Thomas - These are near the park and are quite small towns.  Thomas is the cuter of the two.  We stopped in at the TipTop coffee shop to have a cocoa and pastry while waiting out the rain. 

• Luray Caverns - We took the self guided tour which took about an hour.  Truly impressive cavern with the largest 'organ' in the world, using the stalagmites as pipes.  

Luray Caverns

• Cooter's Place - We stopped in for about 15 minutes to check out the Dukes of Hazard memorabilia.  The museum was opened by Cooter himself who lived in the area.  

Cooter's Place

• Virginia Museum of the Civil War - Not an impressive museum - do not recommend going.  Exhibits are limited and not very informative and the film was very boring.

Virginia Museum of the Civil War

• Cave Ridge Vineyard - We stopped for a tasting and a cheese board. The cheese board exceeded our expectations but sadly the wine did not.

Cave Ridge Vineyard

Our trip continues as we head to Washington DC next.

North Carolina - Feb 2024

For our next leg of the East Coast road trip, we spent about three weeks in North Carolina.

Charlotte

Our first stop was one night at Lee and Judy's apartment in downtown Charlotte.  Keith worked with Lee at Aimco many years ago.  Before we met them, we visited the Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte where we quickly realized we know nothing about this sport!  After we arrived at Lee's place, we chatted for a bit and then went to dinner at 300 East where we shared a couple of apps for the table and then we split a fish dish for our entree - all very tasty.  After dinner, we watched the Super Bowl with them at their apartment and Judy made us some yummy chocolate chip cookies with ice cream.

Dinner with Lee and Judy at 300 East

The next morning, we worked out in their gym and then made the drive down to Wilmington.

Wilmington

We stayed at Stephanie and Todd's house in Hampstead which is about 20 minutes north of Wilmington.  We arrived late afternoon and caught up for a bit before heading out to dinner at Sweet n Savory where we shared the tuna poke and roasted Brussel sprouts apps for the table, the salmon for our entree and the cobbler and cheese cake desserts for the table.  The place was cute and the food was very good.

At Stephanie and Todd's house

The next day, we toured the Battleship NC in Wilmington which took us two hours.  It was really cool as we got to explore multiple levels of the ship including seeing the sleeping quarters, mess hall, kitchen, operating room, dentist office, etc - they had everything you could possibly need on this boat!  We had a bit of time to kill before dinner so we walked along the waterfront and had one beer at the Front Street Brewery.  For dinner, we met up with Juli (former colleague of Keith's) and Tom at Kipos which was a cute place with delicious Greek food.  We shared the spicy feta and grilled octopus for the table and lamb chops with a few of the sides for our entree.  After dinner, we had a glass of wine with Stephanie and Todd at their house before going to bed.

Dinner with Julie and Tom at Kipos

The following morning, we chatted over coffee and yogurt and then packed up the car to head to Raleigh.

Raleigh/Durham

We stayed for 12 nights at John and JoAnna's place in Raleigh - it was so nice to stay put for a while.  While here we did the following:

• Cooked dinner a few nights - one night making pasta and another making gumbo.

Cooked gumbo at John and JoAnna's house

• Played trivia at House of Hops - fun place near John and JoAnna's with good beer.

• Attended the Mardi Gras Supper Club at Phil and Joyce's house - had a great time seeing everyone.  Joyce made a jambalaya and a cajun pasta dish while others brought a few other sides and desserts.  Shawna brought a bread pudding for dessert.

Mardi Gras Party at Phil and Joyce's House

• Had dinner at Ken's house.  Ken was Shawna's boss when she worked at BCBSNC. Ken made some chicken with veggies.  It was nice to have a home cooked meal and catch up after all these years.

Dinner with Ken

• Went out with John and JoAnna to Drive Shack where we met up with Annie and Adam and the two boys to hit a few rounds of golf. We then all went back to John's place and ordered pizza and played a few games.

JoAnna, Annie and Eli at Drive Shack

• John cooked us dinner one night - a yummy salad and pasta.

And ate at the following places:

• Waraji - Met up with Keith for lunch and shared several rolls. We also ordered in from here one night. It is our favorite sushi spot in the area. 

• The Pit - Met up with Krissy (Keith worked with her at Steak and Ale many years ago) for dinner.  We shared a meat sampler platter - food was OK. 

Dinner at The Pit with Krissy

• Seraphine - Met up with Julie for dinner. This place is located near the ball park in downtown Durham.  It's a Louisiana themed place - really nice inside and food was yummy.  We shared a salad, a shrimp appetizer and blackened scallops for our entree.

Dinner with Julie at Seraphine

• Angus Barn - Had dinner with Ryan (Kim and Tom's son), John and JoAnna. We were shocked at how many people were there on a Tuesday night.  We all had steak with salad and potatoes.  Quite good given it's been around for such a long time.

Dinner with Ryan, John and JoAnna at Angus Barn

• Undercurrent Restaurant - Keith drove to Greensboro to meet up with a former colleague, Cindy, for lunch.  

• Buffalo Wild Wings - We all met up here for dinner to watch a Duke game, eating lots of fried food!  JoAnna, Keith, Kate and the Artin girls, Phil, Joyce and Jonathan met up.  The game was a blow out (meaning Duke won) so we didn't watch as much and chatted instead.

• Glenwood Grill - Had dinner with Beth and Lisa (former colleagues of Shawna's from BCBSNC) and Lisa's husband.  The restaurant was great with really good food. We shared a salad and fish dish.  It was so great to see them both.

Dinner with Beth and Lisa at Glenwood Grill

Georgia / South Carolina - Jan to Feb 2024

On to our next leg of our roadtrip, we spent two weeks in Georgia and South Carolina.

St Simons, GA

We stayed at Hotel Simone on St Simons Island for three nights - just the two of us.  The boutique hotel was great - nice large king sized bed with a separate sitting area/kitchen.  The hotel also had free breakfast and a small but decent gym.  There was a rooftop pool but it was too chilly to use it.

Bedroom at Hotel Simone

Both St Simons and neighboring Jekyll Islands are very serene and pretty with lots of marshland and beautiful mature trees with Spanish moss.  St Simons is more built up than Jekyll which is mostly a state park.  

While here, we did the following activities:

• Kayaking - We did a two hour kayak tour through the marshland waterways.  Saw some pelicans diving for fish and lots of oyster pods along the banks.

Kayaking on St Simons

• Trolley Tour - We did a one hour trolley tour of the historic part of Jekyll Island, learning about the history of the private club/hotel that was built in the early 1900s.  We then walked around a bit, seeing a few of the sights such as the Mosaic Museum and Faith Chapel.

Hotel on Jekyll 

• Ranger Walk - We also did a one hour rager walk on Jekyll where we learned about the plants and trees and saw a bald eagle in the nest with two young ones.

• Driftwood Beach - Located on Jekyll Island, we walked here for a few minutes to see the large driftwood trees.

Driftwood Beach

• We were supposed to do a trolley tour on St Simons but it was canceled so instead we toured the following sights:

• WWII Home Front Museum - Built in 1936, this is a coast guard station that is now a museum featuring the role that the Golden Isles played during WWII.

WWII Home Front Museum

• St Simons Island Lighthouse Museum - Built in late 1800s, you can climb to the top of the lighthouse.

St Simons Lighthouse Museum

• Fort Frederica National Monument - Build in 1700s and used to defeat the Spanish which then made St Simons a British colony.  It was also a town with houses (now you can only see where the houses once stood).  It is set on a beautiful property with lots of live oak trees with moss.

Fort Frederica National Monument

• Christ Church - The church was closed so we only walked around the grounds.

And ate at the following places:

• The Half Shell - We had dinner here on St Simons close to the wharf.  We shared some sautéed oysters in garlic sauce and a crab encrusted redfish.  Very tasty.
• Crabdaddy's - We had dinner here on St Simons across the street from our hotel.  We had mussels for an appetizer and blackened redfish with crawfish for our entree - both were very good.
• Georgia Sea Grill - We had dinner here on St Simons.  Nice restaurant.  We shared the mussels and a fish dish - both very tasty.

Greenville, SC

We drove five hours to Greenville where we stayed two nights at Todd and Denise's lovely Tudor home.  Keith worked with Todd at Aimco.  On Friday evening, Denise made a yummy pot roast with mashed potatoes and mini apple crisps for dessert.  

On Saturday, Shawna went for a run with Todd around downtown and then we went kayaking on Lake Jocassee.  We first stopped at a Jersey Mike's to grab some subs and then drove about 45 minute to the lake.  Their daughter, Nan, joined us as we kayaked 10 miles for about 4 hours.  It was a beautiful day on the lake. Which is fortunate because Keith was a moron and flipped the kayak, resulting in him getting drenched in the cold water!  He was holding Todd's phone to take a picture and dropped that in the lake - but fortunately in the shallow so Todd was able to rescue it.  Shawna was going to cook that evening but we got home too late so instead, we got takeout pizza from Pizza City and also ice cream from the grocery store.  Back at the house, we ate that and played a few rounds of Monopoly Deal - getting yet another family hooked on the game.  The next morning, we left after having coffee as we needed to get to our next location. 

Kayaking on Lake Jocossee

Charleston, SC

We drove three house to Charleston where we stayed two nights at the Courtyard Marriott.  Our room was small but it was clean and you can't beat free (we used points).  While here, we did the following activities:

• Horse Carriage Tour - We did a one hour tour of the city with Old South Carriage Company, learning mostly about the beautiful homes in the area.  Our guide was really good and entertaining.

Carriage Tour - It was chilly

• Nathaniel Russell House - Built in 1700s and owned by one of the wealthiest men in Charleston who was active in the slave trade. House is decorated with furniture to represent that time period.  We did the self guided audio tour.

Nathaniel Russell House

• Food Walking Tour - We did a 2.5 hour tour with Charleston Culinary Tours.  Our tour guide was informative about the history of Charleston but we both wished she shared more about the food history.  We stopped at four places - all great:
• Rudy Royale - tasted fried chicken slider, roasted brussel sprouts and smashed potatoes
• Charleston Crab House - tasted the shrimp and sausage boil with corn and potatoes
• Well Hung - tasted the short ribs with mashed potatoes at this city winery
• Benne's Dessert Bar - tasted the famous coconut cake  

Coconut cake at Benne's Dessert Bar

And ate at the following places:

• Prohibition - We had a cocktail and a beer here before dinner.  Really nice bar.

Drinks at Prohibition

• The Ordinary - Located in an old bank building, we had dinner here.  Really cool place and the food was amazing.  We shared several small plates - the best being the chicory salad, roasted squash and roasted sweet potatoes.
• See food tour above.
• The Gin Joint - We stopped here for a drink and a charcuterie board.  Cool place.  You can provide the bartender with two words (like refreshing and fruit) and they will make a drink based on that. 

Savannah, GA

Since we had not spent much time in Savannah in the past, we decided to spend three nights here - we got a room for free at the Courtyard Marriott - room was great and hotel was convenient to all the major sights and historic district.  While here, we did the following:

• Prohibition Museum - Kitschy but fun one hour tour about prohibition that ended with a cocktail in their speakeasy.  

Prohibition Museum

• Food Tour - We did a three hour Port City Tour with Savannah Taste Experience that stopped at six locations.  This tour was not as good as the one in Charleston but still fun.  We tasted food at the following places:
• Zunzi's - This restaurant is known for their Conquistador sandwich - pretty good.
• Parker's Market - This place is a gourmet market and gas station.  We tried the fried pork chop - very tasty.
• Capital Bee Honey Boutique - We got to try several different types of honey - all good.
• Java Burrito Company - We tried the taco with beef, corn, potato and peach salsa - it was OK.
• 22 Square Restaurant - This is located in the Andaz hotel.  We tried the shrimp and grits which was the best dish of the tour.
• Savannah Taste Experience office - Last stop was the tour operators office where we had Leopold's ice cream - it was just OK.

• Land and Sea Combo Tour - We started with a 90 minute trolley tour and then did a 90 minute boat tour on the river with Grey Line Savannah.  Both tours were OK - we learned a bit and got to see most of the sights but the guides were not very engaging.  

Boat Tour

And ate at the following places:

• Common Thread - Really cool restaurant located in an old home.  We had dinner here and everything was really good.  We shared a salad, Carolina gold rice and swordfish.
• Rocks on the Roof - Rooftop bar located at the Bohemian Hotel right on the river.  We stopped for a drink.
• Husk - Great restaurant located in an old home.  Everything was very good. We shared the charcuterie and pork with rice. 

Dinner at Husk

Atlanta, GA

Our last part of this leg of the trip was two nights in Sugar Hill which is about an hour north of Atlanta - we stayed at JP and Lara's house.  Keith worked with JP at Livcor.  Before we arrived at their house, we stopped in Atlanta and toured the Coke and Civil Rights Museums both located next to each other.  The Civil Rights Museum was very interesting and we wished we had more time there.

Coke Museum

We arrived at JP's house around 6pm and after we unloaded and chatted for a bit, we went to dinner with them and Eric (another colleague of Keith's) at Frontera Mexican near their house. We shared some chips and salsa for the table and then we split a chicken enchilada for our entree.

The next day was testosterone day.  We first stopped at a Waffle House for breakfast - we each got a biscuit with egg and bacon and split a hash brown.  With our veins appropriately filled with cholesterol, we then went to the River Bend Gun Club where JP and Eric taught us how to shoot.  We started out with some pistols and then Keith tried some of the larger guns which were too heavy for Shawna.  It was a lot of fun but we won't be running out to buy our own!!  That afternoon, we did axe throwing at Freedom Mill - Lara and Beth (JP and Eric's wives) joined us.  We had a few beers here as well.  On our way to dinner, we stopped by to see Eric's house which is located on a lake.  We then all had dinner at Tacomac where we celebrated the day with yummy wings and several apps.

Axe throwing with JP, Lara, Eric and Beth

The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast with JP and Lara at Reveille Cafe and then said our goodbyes before we headed to the next leg of our journey - North Carolina.