Annual Road Trip South - Day One

The Hampton Inn Emporia Virginia

Okey dokey folks, here I am in a Hampton Inn hotel room in Emporia Virginia, calling the end to Day One of our Annual Road Trip South.

For the last several years Bill and I have been making this trek south to visit my father's birthplace in the mountains (Pigeon Roost - hillbilly county) of western North Carolina, my brother and his wife in Greenville, South Carolina and Bill's birthplace and where he grew up in Toccoa Georgia.  Yep, we make that big loop.  

We make the trip down the Delmarva Peninsula, through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (which both of us hate), then through that mess of roads that is Norfolk, Virginia then to open country.  The hardest part about the trip is always getting through Norfolk.  We messed up again today.  I always drive through Norfolk and have used my GPS and made it through.  Hairy and scary but I did make it through.  This time Bill "drew a map."  He says his maps are always better.  Uh huh.  Well, we "took the tour" today.  Nuff said.  Now at least he won't holler and scream at me when I make a wrong turn here and there whilst traffic is coming at me from all directions.

But let me back up a bit here.  We always rent a van from Enterprise.  This morning we show up at the door at 8:30 am.  They open at 9:00.  Well, it seems this morning there was a little problem.  The manager if the Enterprise store in Millsboro lost his/her keys and needed the manager of the Rehoboth Enterprise to open up for him/her.  Thus we stood out in the 50 degree temps with the wind whipping around us until about 9:20. Once the manager go there apologies spewed forth and promises of a discount (which we got).  

"Waiting for Godot" at Enterprise Rental in Rehoboth Beach this morning 

We lucked out this time.  Our van rental was a white Chrysler Towne and Country.  Only one "slight problem".......West Virginia license plate.  I don't think I've ever seen a West Virginia license plate in Gayberry Rehoboth Beach.  Oh well, we look like West Virginians anyway (look it up.) 

This year's chariot 

Just a note, if my narrative seems a little stilted on this post it's because I'm typing too high in my Hampton Inn hotel room.  My typing fingers aren't quite flying like they usually do.  I feel like a little kid reaching up on a high table for a cookie.

Back to the trip - we complete the paper work on our van and go back home to pack up.  Oh do we ever (me actually) take a lot of crap along.  I have my Macbook Pro, iPad, iPhone, chargers galore, underwear, toiletries, cameras including my SLR, Flip video, Find a Grave digital camera and those chargers, pads, and shirts and pants and socks and sneakers and loafers....oh well, you get the idea.

One big mistake I made so far this trip is I ate too much.  I had lunch (chicken parmesan hoagie with greasy fries) then dinner at Cracker Barrel and you know how they stuff you.  Of course our dining was accompanied by a screaming kid during more of our culinary repast.  This kid should have received an award, I think she cracked a couple of windows during two ear piercing screams.  Screaming kids and Cracker Barrel, sort of goes together like Republicans and government obstruction.  Just saying.

What next?  We arrived in Emporia, Virginia; our halfway point to Marion, North Carolina which we  plan to spend a few days in the "fatherland."  At the Hampton Inn in Marion I'm meeting up with my cousin Bob Tipton and his wife.  His father and my father were brothers.  Bob's never seen "the homeland."  I'm going to show him around (Pigeon Roost) and introduce him to one of our many cousins who still live up in them thar mountains.  Wanda is her name.  She is the granddaughter of the older sister of our grandfather.  Got that?  I've dug far enough and pretty well linked most of the folk up in those mountains to my family line one way or another.  Wanda and her husband live in our great-grandfather's house on Upper Pigeon Roost Road. His name was Ike Lewis and my father was named after him.  It's always a special treat to "soak up the mountains" when we visit.  Would love to live there but man oh man, nothing but nothing is going on up there except some spectacular scenery.  You won't see any Sea Witch Festivals or Polar Bear Plunges up there in those hollers.  Nice folk though and some fabulous family cemeteries which I hope to record with my camera and post to Find a Grave.com

Well, I have a terrific case of indigestion right now (those greasy fries and too much food).  Time to take a shower (I'm starting to stink) and make my journal entry and then to bed.  By the way, Bill and I get separate rooms.  Not that we don't love one another, we just can't sleep together.  He goes to bed about 7 and I go much later, sometimes around 11 or 12.  Plus, I like to watch TV (won't be doing that here, this is Fox News all the time territory) or read.

So there you go folks, the end of Day One of Ron and Bill's Fabulous Road Trip to the Homeland.  This will probably be our last annual trip.  We're losing it folks.  Not the confident youngsters we used to be.  Two slightly nervous and increasingly forgetful old men making the trek.  We're not making an appointment at the Brandywine Senior Living Center in Rehoboth yet (like our friends Bob and Jim) but I can see that in another ten years if we're here, just could be.  In the meantime, we're making the most of every day.  Now if I just would have remembered to bring that acid reflex medicine with me.

Me at Cracker Barrel enduring the screaming little darlings

Friday Night Dining Group

The Cracker Barrel Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

 I like to dine out.

My partner does not like to dine out.

My Partner Bill who DOES NOT like to dine out - we're at Zorba's in this picture

I do not like to dine out alone.

Dining Alone  -no two ways about it - it is awful

Thus, when my friend Bob C. asked me if I would like to join his "Friday Night Dining Group", I eagerly accepted.

Tonight was the first night I dined out with the group.  Our only criteria is that we dine at a cheap restaurant.  Good food, cheap food.  The Cracker Barrel fit the bill.

Interior of the Cracker Barrel restaurant

I have a good friend who also likes to dine out.  His name is Larry and he and his wife Lois like to "fine dine."  While I like fine dining too, I don't like the price that goes along with fine dining.  I ate with Larry and Lois once.  We at at The Buttery in Lewes and we did indeed have a fine dining experience.  We also had a fine dining bill for the three of us for $169, and that was before the tip.

The Buttery Restaurant, Lewes, Delaware

My friend Lar's goal is a bit different than mine.  Our dining experience is more about camaraderie and friendship than experiencing the latest cuisine.

Larry and Lois at Stripper Bites, Lewes, Delaware

Everyone in our Friday Night Dining Group are male and gay.  You don't have to be gay to belong to our group but that is the way it has worked out.  This group is a good way for single gay men to dine out with a group of friends instead of sitting at home or dining out alone.

Friday Night Dining Group at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant 

My friend Carole T. (a former high school classmate) in Pennsylvania belongs to a similar group called "hy Dine Alone?"  This group consists mainly of single older women.  It makes sense because most of these women like to dine out occasionally but they don't feel comfortable dining alone.  Carole asked me once to join the group for dinner one night.  I was all set to go but at the last minuted I asked how many women would be in the group.  She told me "about thirty."  I asked her how many men.  She told me "You would be the second one."  Ah ha.  I asked her about the other guy.  She said "He's 80 years old."  Hell, he was probably having the time of his life surrounding by all those widows and single women.  As a gay man, dining with thirty women who I'm sure are all delightful, wasn't particularly appealing to me.  What would be talk about?  Now, dining with thirty other gay men, talking would not be a problem.

My friend "Why Dine Alone" Carole

Tonight at the Cracker Barrel, there were eleven in our group.  It was a good mix.  Conversation was not a problem.  Hey, you get a group of gay guys together and conversation is rarely a problem.  It certainly wasn't tonight.

Good camaraderie  - I'm in the red in the middle with my mouth closed (for once)

Another plus is you meet new friends.  I did meet and make new friends tonight.  One can never have too many friend, especially in this cold and indifferent world of today.

I ordered meatloaf, steak fries, corn and string beans (which were cooked to a pulp.)  For dessert I had a concoction called Strawberry Icebox Cake.  The meatloaf was delicious and the dessert delightful.  Even better was the modest check.  No $28 prix fixe "special" dinner a la The Buttery.

But the best part of the night was meeting and making new friends.  Thank you Bob for inviting me to join your group.

Bob and friends Tim, Miles and David

Carrot Cake

“You haven’t made carrot cake in quite a while. The Cracker Barrel doesn’t serve it any more. I miss it.” by friend and neighbor Barbara says as we celebrated my birthday lunch at the Summerhouse in Rehoboth Beach on Monday.


“You’re right, I haven’t. I think I it is time to make one.” I replied to Barbara.

Yesterday I did my shopping to make sure I had all the ingredients for make the Cracker Barrel version of carrot cake, the best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten. I even shopped at Barbara’s favorite store, Safeway (instead of Food Lion where I usually shop. Barb hates that store.)


Last night, armed with all my ingredients and my TV turned on to my MSNBC rooster of early evening lefty political discussion TV shows ("Hardball" with Chris Matthews, "The Ed Show", "Countdown" with Keith Olberman" and "The Rachel Maddow Show"), I prepared and baked the Cracker Barrel carrot cake.

A look at the ingredients and you can see why this is such a scrumptious recipe. The cake recipe contains lots of sugar and oil (for moistness) and a panoply of spices in addition to the shredded carrots, raisins, walnuts, pecans, and crushed pineapple. The perfect topping is the cream cheese icing which consists of cream cheese, butter, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar. This is not a low calorie confection. Try it once and you will come back for more. Delicious!

After removing a sample of the completed carrot cake this morning (I had to make sure I didn’t miss anything in the long list of ingredients and it passed the Ron Taste Test), I delivered the cake to my neighbor Barbara. Now I don’t have a carrot cake in the house. Well……on this rainy Wednesday morning, I’m not about to go out shopping. I think I’ll stay in and MAKE ANOTHER ONE! Yum, yum.

Below is the recipe. I give all credit to Cracker Barrel it is their recipe. I only copied it. I’m good at copying. I’m also good at baking cakes. Enjoy!

Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake

Ingredients:


3/4 cup finely chopped English walnuts


2 cups finely shredded carrots


1 (8 oz. with juice) can crushed pineapple


1/2 cup coconut


1/2 cup raisins that have been soaked in water until plump and drained


1 1/4 cup vegetable oil


1 1/2 cup sugar


1/2 cup brown sugar


3 eggs


3 cups flour


2 teaspoons baking powder


2 teaspoons baking soda


2 teaspoons vanilla


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1/2 teaspoon ground cloves


1/2 teaspoon salt


***Cream Cheese Frosting:***


8 ozs. cream cheese,softened at room temperature


8 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature


1 teaspoon vanilla


2 cups powdered sugar


1/2 cup chopped pecans for garnish



Directions:


Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl mix with beater oil, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add pineapple, walnuts, coconut, carrots and raisins and blend well. Gradually add dry ingredients half at a time until blended through. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9"x13"" pan and bake at 350 F for about 40-50 minutes (do the toothpick test). When cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.



Cream Cheese Frosting:



Blend cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and a little powdered sugar at a time until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans.


This recipe from for Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake serves/makes 10