The heart, above all else is deceitfully wicked.

Seems like it has been a long cold lonely winter...I truly understand what the Beatles were singing about in their HERE COMES THE SUN hit. We have been busy planning our next year. Mary is going into real estate appraisal and I am looking at options.
I am also looking at, no I am not looking--I am struggling with maintaining the Blue Road Blogger website. I had thought life was going to get slower. I was actually expecting large gaps in my obligations that would create the time for what I want to do.
But life always has a way of increasing its speed as we age. It doessn't feel 3 years has passed since we first started looking at the road as a lifestyle. As a means to an end of well regulated existence. We have been across the stste of North Carolina more than we have traveled any state. That inludes east to west and north to south. We have also been to Florida and discovered the beauty of Savannah Georgia. We have wandered into some real hole-in-the-wall places and were almost always impressed by the people we met there.
So I guess it is inevitible that we are now planning our return to Michigan. This will be our home base, as it has been our home since birth. We have been expatriates of a state we can no longer deny as ours. As much as I love North Carolina, I have always known this was just a lay over. As were Madison, Wisconsin; Bolder, Colorado; Honeybrook, Pennsylvania; and all the places I had the pleasure of seeing and sleeping in while I bicycled across America--all 5,000 miles--in 1982.
It is my hope that Michiagn will provide us with the time we need to organize our expectations. I also hope Michigan will also afford me the luxury of healing. I am sure Mary feels a similar pang, as we left so much undone when we jettisoned from Michigan in 2009. Mary believes it is family; but I firmly believe it is much more personal, something much deeper that draws us back. It is not as shallow as a matter of the heart. I have done this many times before, for Mary this exile is completely new, It has taken me all of 52 years to understand what it is that tugs at the soul. The heart really has little to do with our compass. The heart is incapable of finding its way as it is always influenced by the smallest notions and distracted by the weakest feelings. The soul can never be fooled. The soul stands unmoved by emotions, it is only concerned with destiny. And so 2012 begins with our destiny taking our heart back to the beginning, where we seek clarity.

Dinner in Fuquay Varina

We are starting to get out a bit more. The weekends here in North Carolina include an increasing amount of sunshine. So Mary and I decided to take a more in-depth look at our neighboring city of Fuquay Varina. We generally make our trip to Sanford for our Taste of the Wild dog food, but the Tractor Supply Store has yet to be rebuilt after the tornado of April 16, 2010. So we drive to Fuquay Varina once a month or so to pick up a 35 pound bag of goodies for Lola and Kramer. On several of our previous travel through F-V, we pass what look like an old train station on Broad Street just south of the railroad tracks. There is a large marquee atop the building with the words “Fuquay Varina Station.” The building houses the Aviator Brewing Company bar. Across the street is the Aviator Brewing Company Smokehouse. We were in the mood for some North Carolina BBQ. Walking into the Smokehouse, we were impressed with the openness and simplistic uncluttered décor. It is refreshing to find a place that doesn’t feel the need to compete with Appleby’s or Cracker Barrel by filling every inch of their walls with memorabilia.
Our server was quick, polite and very accommodating. The menu was reasonably priced with most appetizers under $7.99, burgers around $8.49 with a wide variety of goodies and entrees between $9.99 and $16.99 with the triple rack of ribs coming in at $39.99 and the offer to pin your picture to the wall should you consume the entire plate by yourself. I wondered if the man vs. food guy had been here before he retired.
We started with two varieties of the house beer, Mary had the Hot Shot, and I had a darker red Belgium version. Both were very well crafted. We also did onion rings as an appetizer. We enjoyed our beers and started in on the onion rings as we waited for our Cobb salad and pulled pork plate.
Did I mention the server was great? Other than our server and the beer the rest of the evening was far from great; actually it even missed the mark for being “good.”
The onion rings looked astounding sitting on the 8X12 aluminum pan. There were piled high and the batter was crying out for some of the southwest dip that came with. The rings were a bit greasier than we would have liked, and after 2-3 of the rings, they sat in the stomach like a lead sinker. The dip was different from other southwest dips we have had at other chain restaurants. The onion rings were a great reason to drink more beer. I still think over salted peanuts would accomplish the same and be cheaper. Our server was great and had our water refills and ketchup (which did NOTHIN for the onion rings) quickly and effortlessly. It wasn’t long before our dinners arrived—on those 8 X 12 aluminum pans covered with wax paper.
Mary’s Cobb salad was more like a wedge salad that was spread across the aluminum tray like a deck of cards. The components were draped across the top of the lettuce, not layered and were very cumbersome to eat. By the time we were ready to leave, the wax paper under the Cobb was deteriorating and created a very unappetizing image.
My pulled pork plate looked excellent. I had two traditional BBQ sides—greens and mac-n-cheese. I was ready to partake. The greens were sweet. Although cooked to perfection, I could not get past the overall sweetness of the collards. I found the BBQ to have a similar taste. Other than the “smoke” flavor of the pork, I had a difficult time distinguishing the meat from the greens. The pork had what I believe was the house red sauce that was rather bland and empty. In this part of North Carolina one expects a great vinegar base sauce on their pork. The mac-n-cheese was the best part of the meal. Again, it had a unique flavor, which is good for an eatery to have its own signature, and it was prepared really well. Over all the service was great. We would love to have another beer at the Aviator Brewing Company. As for the dining experience and the food, we would say it is a 4 out of 10 in the world of pork BBQ and if not for the saving grace of the service, the beer and the mac-n-cheese (in that order) it might not have been a 4.
Our thoughts are it is a great hang out for some fine micro brewed beer, but if we were hungry we would head over to real BBQ just up the road on NC 55 in Durham.

Breakfast in Smithfield, North Carolina

Mary and I have been thinking about some of our favorite places to eat. It is very difficult to find a good, let alone great restaurant here in North Carolina. There just aren’t the greasy spoons that there are in the north. So when we do fond a place that is worth returning to, we want to share it.
The Biscuit Stop in Smithfield is such a place. I saw the Biscuit Stop the first week I was in Smithfield in March 2009. The building isn’t much to look at—in fact I was on the cell phone with Mary who was still in Michigan and commented that it was too bad it was closed because it looked like it might have been a great place for breakfast. It looked like it was CLOSED, as in OUT OF BUSINESS. It was a year later before I realized the Biscuit Stop was indeed open. Seems I always drove by after 2:00 p.m. and the Biscuit Stop is only open 5:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.
So it was that I stopped at 6:00 A.M. and ordered two sausage egg biscuits. At that time they were $1.00 each (the price has increased slightly since) and headed to work.
I will say they were some of the best biscuits I have had. Everything about the biscuits is home made from scratch. The mixing of the batter, the adding of the soda and the beating of the eggs are all done like my grandmother used to do. I have been back for lunch several times. The Biscuit Stop has burgers, chicken and pork sandwiches all served with a side. It is a small place that is BIG on value and taste. But drive slowly down Brightleaf because the Biscuit Stop is EASY to miss, even when you are looking for it. They also have some pretty good coffee.

Recently Moved

Guest post from: Natalie Walter

I was moving recently and my sister asked if I was Looking for Oncor Electric in Hillister Texas? It turns out she’d found a good deal online that would work for me and my family’s new house. I was really excited about the move but I was stressed to the max about how much everything was going to cost – there are some things you shouldn’t have to think about but since I was moving because my boyfriend and I had a breakup I had to get a lot of new furniture because he had bought everything for our old house and was planning on keeping it. I can’t believe I let things go on for so long the way they were but I’m just happy that I’m finally moving on with life and getting into something new. I am excited to begin my independence and get settled in my new house so I can’t wait to get in there and get the place decorated. I’m just going to have to do it all really cheaply!

On the road closer to home

We are not straying to far from home these days. When we do, it is usually to a destination we have planned on visiting. Today we stopped by Peaden's Seafood in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Mary and I have driven past Peaden's several times, but we always came by before they open at 4:00 P.M. Last week we decided to plan a trip and try this seafood cafeteria.
Upon entering the resturant, we found it to be very comfortable and family friendly. LIke many eateries, there are photographs all over the walls. They have a long counter up front as a large paqrt of their business is carry-out. Wednesday and Thursday is $3.99 carry out special nights.
We started with the clam chowder and the complimentary hush puppies. The chowder was hot and very tasty. THe bowl was full and the chowder so thick I used a fork. The hush puppies are round, but very good. Mary and I shared the Captain's Platter between us--Flounder, Shrimp, chicken, BBQ, french fries and cole slaw.
The Shrimp was the best of the platter. Done in a light calabash style, it was extremely flavorful. The flounder was also very good, but the deep fried breading sort of took away from the flavor. The BBQ was good. I prefer mine a bit smokier, but the Peaden's vinegar based BBQ sauce was great. The chicken was a deep fried boneless piece. It was good, but it was your traditional fried 1/2 breast chicken. The cole slaw was a mayo base and we both enjoyed it.
Overall it was a very good experience and the service was worth the 20% tip. You can tell going in, Peaden's is NOT the Ritz or a high end establishment. It is a great family place and one of the best values we have found in a long time. The Captain's PLatter was $11.99 and the full bowl of clam chowder was $4.99. We both agree Peaden's is on our "We'll be back" list.

Christmas without Snow?

Mary and I finally took a day trip. It has been awhile as we have been around the stick building since returing from our maiden voyage in July.
We traveled to McAdenville North Carolina which is just west of Charlotte. Our destnation was Christmas Town USA. It waa a great trip. We left the 5er at home since it was a short trip. The town has something like 3 million bulbs and 500 decorated trees!
If you drive, beware it is a LONG line of cars. We entered from the I85 side of town. You can also come from the NC 74 side and the line can be equally as long. The road is a 2 mile drive into downtown McAdenville and winds past the "lake" and out through a newer development of homes. The elementary school is also decked out as the children have EVERY window facing the road decorated.
We had dinner at the Hillbilly BBQ in Lowell just the otherside of I 85 from McAdenville. They had some great prices and excdellent smoked pork with tomato / molasses sauce that is popular in western North Carolina.
Our advice is to walk Christmas Town USA, if nothing else than for the ambiance of the season.
But as good as Christmas Ton USA is, a little snow would have been nice...

Winterized and holed up

We have been doing the hibernation thing here in North Carolina. Though the temperatures have been above 50° most days and the overnight temps have stoppes at 35° or so, it hasn't really felt like winter.
Our transition to less is an ongoing operation. We have hauled nearly 8 boxes of stuff to the Western Harnett Thrift Store in Olivia, North Carolina. We will take another 5 boxes this Saturday. We thought of selling the stuff (books, knic-knacks and more books) but the chore of listing on Amazon, dealing with cheap shipping and packaging just wasn't worth the effort. And garage sales here are about as much fun as root canals.
Besides, there is a deeper cleansing to be found in donating a lifetime worth of stuff. It is a type of ultimate acceptance that the stuff is nothing more than that---stuff. Somethings you had for awhile, enjoyed them and finally set them free.