Decided to visit the Wal-Mart in Mt. Airy. There are some regional food specialties we love, and needed to get some supplies for my back problem.
In the parking lot....well, you know the "People of Wal-Mart" website? I wish I had my camera handy when a pickup roared through the lot, complete with a full sized Confederate Stars and Bars mounted in the bed.
Then there was the lady, quite obese, who sported what looked like a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on her upper arm. I didn't want to obviously stare so I gave up trying to figure her tattoo out.
The Wal-Mart cashier didn't blink an eye when we brought our cart to the register. Our haul included:
A box of Mint Crunch Moon Pies. (new flavor, and out of this world.)
Two jars of Dukes Mayonnaise. (Best. Mayonnaise. Ever.) OK, that isn't from North Carolina but don't know if they sell it further north than Mt. Airy.
A six pack of .5 liter Diet Cheerwine. (Cheerwine is not wine. It is a cherry flavored, caffinated soda, a North Carolina product.)
A bottle of Biltmore Estate wine, from Asheville, NC. (noting that in New York, wine can only be sold in liquor stores unless they are wine coolers, or under 5% alcohol, you do not find wine in Wal-Mart.)
Two bottles of a California wine, costing $2.97 each (!!!!!) and a couple of bottles of some other North Caorlina wine. One a scuppernong wine, the other a muscadine. Both are southern type grapes that you do not find in our dreary, cold climate. (some of this wine will be gifts).
And, last but not least, a six pack of North Carolina beer.
Also noting here that Wal-Mart is a native Southern chain, originating in Arkansas.
Yes, the South will rise again, no doubt financed by Northerners who come to the South to escape winter.
Showing posts with label NC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NC. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
If Spring is God's Postcard, He has Played a Joke on the North
If you live in a cold, snowy climate (like upstate NY) you know the feeling just about March.....total winter burnout. Hence, we were scheduled to leave the Binghamton area today for the sunny south.
But Binghamton wasn't going to let us go easily.
We got up about 5am. Dressed, made coffee, packed what wasn't already in the car. I was putting gloves in my coat pockets when.....
My back. Huge spasm. OUCHHHHHH
I spent the next 45 minutes trying to get to the point where I could leave the house and get to the car. Wondering if I should even try to travel. Trying to remember when my chiropractor opened on Mondays. But it wasn't near as bad as the back meltdown of a year and a half ago that lead to 4 months of physical therapy, various chiropractic visits and an MRI. So I decided to try it, I was so desperate to experience spring.
Not so fast. It was sleeting outside. It was crunchy and I was wearing sneakers. My wonderful spouse had put ice melt down and held my hand as I hobbled to the car. The next 60 miles or so of driving was sleet, some freezing drizzle, snow. As we got into Pennsylvania snow coated all the trees. The sleet crunched under the tires. It was still dark and a bit scary. Would we make it to Scranton?
We stopped at Dobbs in Great Bend for their wonderful blueberry pancakes. Spouse had an omelet.
Then, south. From Lenox to Scranton it was totally snow and sleet. Had to slow down to 40. Turns out the delay due to my bath was to our disadvantage.
Finally, south of Scranton, the slushy mix was changing over to rain. By the time we got to Hazleton, it was rain and....
Fog. Deep fog. And slush.
For the next 40 miles, fog. Finally we started exiting the mountains and the fog stopped.
And then my son called.
He told me "you are lucky you left." He left work about 7am and ended up driving home in freezing rain. He said he barely made it home.
So our drive to Mt. Airy and my back cost us a lot of time, but we did get here. No Andy Griffith tourism this time (we were too late - those stores close at 5) but there was the local Wal-Mart....which was another story.
Oh, about the title of this blog entry. The "spring is God's postcard" was on a billboard next to a Pentecostal church in southern Virginia.
As for Binghamton, that same deity gave us spring this past week....and then yanked it away.
Yanked it 546 miles away, to be exact.
But Binghamton wasn't going to let us go easily.
We got up about 5am. Dressed, made coffee, packed what wasn't already in the car. I was putting gloves in my coat pockets when.....
My back. Huge spasm. OUCHHHHHH
I spent the next 45 minutes trying to get to the point where I could leave the house and get to the car. Wondering if I should even try to travel. Trying to remember when my chiropractor opened on Mondays. But it wasn't near as bad as the back meltdown of a year and a half ago that lead to 4 months of physical therapy, various chiropractic visits and an MRI. So I decided to try it, I was so desperate to experience spring.
Not so fast. It was sleeting outside. It was crunchy and I was wearing sneakers. My wonderful spouse had put ice melt down and held my hand as I hobbled to the car. The next 60 miles or so of driving was sleet, some freezing drizzle, snow. As we got into Pennsylvania snow coated all the trees. The sleet crunched under the tires. It was still dark and a bit scary. Would we make it to Scranton?
We stopped at Dobbs in Great Bend for their wonderful blueberry pancakes. Spouse had an omelet.
Then, south. From Lenox to Scranton it was totally snow and sleet. Had to slow down to 40. Turns out the delay due to my bath was to our disadvantage.
Finally, south of Scranton, the slushy mix was changing over to rain. By the time we got to Hazleton, it was rain and....
Fog. Deep fog. And slush.
For the next 40 miles, fog. Finally we started exiting the mountains and the fog stopped.
And then my son called.
He told me "you are lucky you left." He left work about 7am and ended up driving home in freezing rain. He said he barely made it home.
So our drive to Mt. Airy and my back cost us a lot of time, but we did get here. No Andy Griffith tourism this time (we were too late - those stores close at 5) but there was the local Wal-Mart....which was another story.
Oh, about the title of this blog entry. The "spring is God's postcard" was on a billboard next to a Pentecostal church in southern Virginia.
As for Binghamton, that same deity gave us spring this past week....and then yanked it away.
Yanked it 546 miles away, to be exact.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The City the Great Depression Saved
Herewith are some more pictures of downtown Asheville, NC. Enjoy!
This first picture is one of the many artworks along Asheville's Urban Trail. I wish we had more time to explore this-if there is ever a next time for Asheville, we will return to this. I have no idea how I visited Asheville without investigating the Urban Trail. It is almost like my mind was in the same Mobius strip as I wrote about in my last post.
The second picture is the old S and W Cafeteria building.
This is a gem of Art Deco decorations, built in 1929. Actually one of the few styles I have some knowledge of.
This next one is a plaque on the S and W building.
This is Pack Square over on the left. The obelisk is the Vance Memorial.
This sign is part of a written "tour" detailing the history of the Jewish people in Asheville. The role of Jewish merchants in 19th and 20th century mercantile life is mocked in certain quarters, but Asheville is proud of it.
Here is one more picture; unfortunately I can't remember what I took a picture of.
The reason why Asheville has so many old buildings in its downtown is quite fascinating.
I'll let the link above tell the story. But, in a way, you can say Asheville is the city that was saved by the Great Depression. Of course, it never would have happened without city fathers who believed in paying their debts back. Even if it took until 1976 to pay them all off.
Just think of that, in our era of instant gratification, and instant (or else) problem resolution.
And all of us tourists, and the locals, can be thankful for that. Due to this intregrity, we get to enjoy some 170 historic buildings in downtown Asheville.
You can't talk about Asheville, of course, without talking about the Vanderbilt family. More on them in another post.
This first picture is one of the many artworks along Asheville's Urban Trail. I wish we had more time to explore this-if there is ever a next time for Asheville, we will return to this. I have no idea how I visited Asheville without investigating the Urban Trail. It is almost like my mind was in the same Mobius strip as I wrote about in my last post.
The second picture is the old S and W Cafeteria building.
This is a gem of Art Deco decorations, built in 1929. Actually one of the few styles I have some knowledge of.
This next one is a plaque on the S and W building.
This is Pack Square over on the left. The obelisk is the Vance Memorial.
This sign is part of a written "tour" detailing the history of the Jewish people in Asheville. The role of Jewish merchants in 19th and 20th century mercantile life is mocked in certain quarters, but Asheville is proud of it.
Here is one more picture; unfortunately I can't remember what I took a picture of.
The reason why Asheville has so many old buildings in its downtown is quite fascinating.
I'll let the link above tell the story. But, in a way, you can say Asheville is the city that was saved by the Great Depression. Of course, it never would have happened without city fathers who believed in paying their debts back. Even if it took until 1976 to pay them all off.
Just think of that, in our era of instant gratification, and instant (or else) problem resolution.
And all of us tourists, and the locals, can be thankful for that. Due to this intregrity, we get to enjoy some 170 historic buildings in downtown Asheville.
You can't talk about Asheville, of course, without talking about the Vanderbilt family. More on them in another post.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Asheville NC-the Living Mobius Strip
We have found a living Mobius strip.
It is called Asheville, NC.
Asheville is famous for a lot of things, including its...shall we say, "New Age" population. Some of these people believe that Asheville has special energy fields. Upon feeling these fields, people have been known to move to Asheville immediately, and never leave.
The really strange thing about visiting Asheville, for my spouse, was that normally he can find his way around nearly anywhere. He drives somewhere once and (even years later) can find his way around thereafter. Not Asheville. He was so scrambled up (and of course wouldn't ask for directions) that he kept getting lost. And even I felt somewhat disoriented, and I have no sense of direction at all.
Spouse kept saying his ability to tell direction was totally not working, and was it ever frustrating.
At one point, trying to navigate I-40, I-240 and I-26 in a vain attempt to find a Wal-Mart we never did find (to check out a Wal-Mart that sold wine: unknown here in NY), he said that Asheville was one huge Mobius strip. If you don't remember these from science class, check them out on the Internet.
I am a firm believer in a quote attributed to the late Mayor Wagner of New York City, to the effect that "New York is a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there." In other words, places you fall in love with when visiting are great for visiting..and that's it. But I don't think Mayor Wagner ever met a city that somehow you could never find anything in, as if what you were trying to find was hiding in a different dimension.
We still don't know why that is, but we have never experienced that before. And maybe never will again. (Cue music from "The Twilight Zone"...and we can do this, living in Binghamton.)
Another fact: When spouse and I visited Asheville last month, we had no way of knowing that Asheville, according to at least one authority, tops the list of popular cities in which to retire. And, in the 2010 list, one place that left the list was my vacation spot of last year, Sanibel Island, Florida. (that's a story for another day. I'd move to Sanibel immediately if I ever won the lottery.) We kept meeting people from New York in Asheville. Maybe they were lost, too. Maybe Asheville is full of lost souls who gave up trying to find their way, and decided to retire there.
So, what is so great about Asheville? Many things. Great shops, great food, the greatest Farmers Market ever (see last post) and....a city that cares very much about its history.
That's what makes a city great.
To me the coolest thing I saw in downtown Asheville were the Woolworths and the Kress's. Huh? Didn't these go out of business years ago? Well maybe they did worldwide, but not in Asheville. There is that "other dimension" again for you. Here is some proof: (actually, I am joking - there are businesses in there, but not the original ones - and the "Woolworth's" even has a soda fountain.)
Woolworths and Kress's are fixtures of my childhood, living forever in my memory on Fordham Road in the Bronx. And now, in Asheville, NC.
More later.
It is called Asheville, NC.
Asheville is famous for a lot of things, including its...shall we say, "New Age" population. Some of these people believe that Asheville has special energy fields. Upon feeling these fields, people have been known to move to Asheville immediately, and never leave.
The really strange thing about visiting Asheville, for my spouse, was that normally he can find his way around nearly anywhere. He drives somewhere once and (even years later) can find his way around thereafter. Not Asheville. He was so scrambled up (and of course wouldn't ask for directions) that he kept getting lost. And even I felt somewhat disoriented, and I have no sense of direction at all.
Spouse kept saying his ability to tell direction was totally not working, and was it ever frustrating.
At one point, trying to navigate I-40, I-240 and I-26 in a vain attempt to find a Wal-Mart we never did find (to check out a Wal-Mart that sold wine: unknown here in NY), he said that Asheville was one huge Mobius strip. If you don't remember these from science class, check them out on the Internet.
I am a firm believer in a quote attributed to the late Mayor Wagner of New York City, to the effect that "New York is a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there." In other words, places you fall in love with when visiting are great for visiting..and that's it. But I don't think Mayor Wagner ever met a city that somehow you could never find anything in, as if what you were trying to find was hiding in a different dimension.
We still don't know why that is, but we have never experienced that before. And maybe never will again. (Cue music from "The Twilight Zone"...and we can do this, living in Binghamton.)
Another fact: When spouse and I visited Asheville last month, we had no way of knowing that Asheville, according to at least one authority, tops the list of popular cities in which to retire. And, in the 2010 list, one place that left the list was my vacation spot of last year, Sanibel Island, Florida. (that's a story for another day. I'd move to Sanibel immediately if I ever won the lottery.) We kept meeting people from New York in Asheville. Maybe they were lost, too. Maybe Asheville is full of lost souls who gave up trying to find their way, and decided to retire there.
So, what is so great about Asheville? Many things. Great shops, great food, the greatest Farmers Market ever (see last post) and....a city that cares very much about its history.
That's what makes a city great.
To me the coolest thing I saw in downtown Asheville were the Woolworths and the Kress's. Huh? Didn't these go out of business years ago? Well maybe they did worldwide, but not in Asheville. There is that "other dimension" again for you. Here is some proof: (actually, I am joking - there are businesses in there, but not the original ones - and the "Woolworth's" even has a soda fountain.)
Woolworths and Kress's are fixtures of my childhood, living forever in my memory on Fordham Road in the Bronx. And now, in Asheville, NC.
More later.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Lake Norman
Part of the joy of traveling is finding things you never knew existed.
Traveling in North Carolina, right before we crossed over the border into South Carolina, we found a gorgeous man made lake called Lake Norman.
Based on what was around it I think a lot of well off people found it first. A lot of condos, golf courses, and fancy boats lined the lake.
Still, I would like to go back one day to check it out further. I don't know that the 3rd week of March would be the best time. Yesterday it probably was near 80 degrees but today it was raining and a cold front has now come through. Not exactly boating weather. Still, when we came through today the flowering trees were in bloom, and I saw a lot of people walking around enjoying the morning before the rains came.
Lake Norman will join my list of lakes I hope to return to one day. Another one is Lake Powell, a story for another day.....
Traveling in North Carolina, right before we crossed over the border into South Carolina, we found a gorgeous man made lake called Lake Norman.
Based on what was around it I think a lot of well off people found it first. A lot of condos, golf courses, and fancy boats lined the lake.
Still, I would like to go back one day to check it out further. I don't know that the 3rd week of March would be the best time. Yesterday it probably was near 80 degrees but today it was raining and a cold front has now come through. Not exactly boating weather. Still, when we came through today the flowering trees were in bloom, and I saw a lot of people walking around enjoying the morning before the rains came.
Lake Norman will join my list of lakes I hope to return to one day. Another one is Lake Powell, a story for another day.....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Senior Breakfast-Southern Cooking
Had breakfast in a truck stop in Mt. Airy, NC: the SENIOR breakfast bar. Oh my gosh. Another milestone has been reached.
The breakfast was true South: Grits, biscuits and gravy, country ham, kielbasa, corn beef hash, fried apples, and a mystery casserole in addition to the usual scrambled eggs, french toast, pancakes, etc. Didn't have the fried bolongna.
Every time I am in the south I head right to the grits and biscuits and gravy and nourish my inner southerner. Hopefully I won't pay the price later when all that fat and grease catches up with me.
Today, onward, hopefully, to Georgia.
Goodbye, Mayberry.
The breakfast was true South: Grits, biscuits and gravy, country ham, kielbasa, corn beef hash, fried apples, and a mystery casserole in addition to the usual scrambled eggs, french toast, pancakes, etc. Didn't have the fried bolongna.
Every time I am in the south I head right to the grits and biscuits and gravy and nourish my inner southerner. Hopefully I won't pay the price later when all that fat and grease catches up with me.
Today, onward, hopefully, to Georgia.
Goodbye, Mayberry.
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