Magnanimous Burgaw, NC

April 12 - Burgaw, NC

We stopped at Burgaw, NC (off I 40 between Wilmington and Raleigh) because a billboard advertised Antiques and the CW Café. It seems like a sweet little town with dogwood in bloom, wisteria climbing up pines over 40 feet in the air, azalea every where, and neat modest old homes. On Main St., the local real estate guy, Vernon directed us to the old depot where we could park The Schooner. Actually, he ran down the main street ahead of us sweeping his arms motioning us to follow him to a good big parking spot. He nixed CW Café and instead sent us to the West End Tavern & Deli. Starched white linens seemed a little over the top for the cozy WETD. The décor and format are familiar - a comfy old bar with booths along the side as the dining room. We noticed ashtrays and since Vernon (whose father we already knew was a tobacco farmer) had told us that tobacco is the main cash crop, we kept quiet about smoking vs non sections of the restaurant. No one happened to be smoking anyway. After we had ordered, Vernon reappeared for lunch with a business associate, he came over to our table and gave us a local newspaper and several brochures about Burgaw and surrounding Pender County. Mid-lunch the mayor and his wife happened in and Vernon introduced us. Hizonor and spouce raved about the Burgaw Blueberry Festival - June 24, the antique shops, and the arts council gallery (housed in the oldest remaining depot in these parts). We found a white ginger jar with birds on it for our ginger jar collection and waved bye bye. “Ya’ll come back,” said Vernon and friends. I surely hope we will. You can’t have this kind of experience traveling by air.

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