Fresh From the Urban Garden
We were thrilled to be staying with our cousins, Christy and Brian, after their lovely wedding in Minneapolis, Minnesota especially because they have an incredible backyard garden! With their bountiful harvests, they are always looking for ways to utilize their delicious fresh fruit and vegetables. This is especially apparent since many of their wedding presents […]
Let’s Go to Mr. Freeze!
“Let’s go to Mr. Freeze!” I have been saying these words for as long as I can remember. This has always been a difficult proposition for my parents to disagree with because they love the wonderful soft serve cones, shakes, and sundaes as much as I always have. On a hot summer night, you can […]
Good Times in Greensboro
Our next stop in North Carolina, after the beach, was to Greensboro and nearby Sea Grove to visit my Aunt Nancy and cousin Karen. During our stay in Greensboro, Karen and Aunt Nancy took Amanda and I to a popular downtown brewpub and to my aunt’s beautiful community dining room to eat. Karen also took […]
Down-Home Hibachi
A down-home hibachi is not really a hibachi at all. It is actually a Weber Grill without any legs that is propped up on cinder blocks in the backyard. Uncle Mike from Saluda, North Carolina proclaimed that his beloved old grill was a hibachi when the legs fell off, lowering it significantly to the ground. […]
Appreciating Asheville
You do not have be a millionaire to experience grand mansions, delicious food, unique culture, and beautiful scenery in Asheville, North Carolina. Amanda and I visited the Biltmore Estate and the Grove Park Inn, ate at restaurants Tupelo Honey and The Mellow Mushroom, enjoyed talking with the friendly people of the town and appreciated beautiful […]
Tryon BBQ Festival
Nothing says summer like barbeque and here in North Carolina, they know how to do it right. People come from all over to attend the Tryon BBQ festival and luckily we were able to be there to sample delicious ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, coleslaw, beans, and hush puppies along with plenty of bands and […]
Hippie Town Ohio
“This place has true beauty, and I am from Montana, so I know what beauty is,” said a woman who was hiking with her young son in Glen Helen Park in Yellow Springs, Ohio. We waited for her to pass as she stepped off a wooden bridge spanning a rocky stream that twisted around overgrown […]
A Restaurant in Columbus, Among Us
Columbus, Ohio is a city of large, fast-paced chain restaurants. I had the pleasure of “cutting my teeth” at the Columbus Fish Market as a first job after high school. I was often in over my head as I worked the sauté station, helping to churn out 400 plus covers a night. We knew of […]
Thrills in Hocking Hills
Being an Eagle Scout, I have had some truly wondrous encounters with nature, as well as many experiences with camp food, not all of which have been great! On long hiking or canoeing trips into remote locations the scenes of nature could be stunning, but the freeze dried food left my friends and I dreaming […]
Mancy’s Toledo
“Once places like this are gone, there is no replacing them.” said my mom after another memorable meal at Mancy’s steakhouse in Toledo, Ohio. Classic restaurants such as this truly are irreplaceable and have become fixtures in the community by offering simple, well prepared food with great service and atmosphere. Stained glass, portraits of lounging […]