KELLEY AND DAVE’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, WEEK 8 REHOBOTH, ANNAPOLIS, CHAPEL HILL-DURHAM, JEKYLL ISLAND


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Published: March 24th 2009
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KELLEY AND DAVE’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

The Big Trip West…Notes From the road:

WEEK EIGHT.
Thursday, July 10

. All was quiet on the Eastern front until the plumbers started drilling and banging on the pipes at 7am installing the Fire Department Connections. But the sun was shining and a cool breeze made it a very pleasant morning. Dave and I had our breakfast then joined the kids at the town Bakery Shoppe for a morning treat. I had a ginger and apricot scone while Dave had a chocolate glazed donut. We needed to walk off those calories so Dave and I walked the route of the house tour I had taken yesterday which gave him the opportunity to see another side of Rehoboth. By 11am it was too hot for town so we packed up and headed to the beach to join the kids. Jen and Amy had rented a large beach umbrella so we all sat in the shade watching Alex and Sarah on their boogie boards.

Thrashers French fry stands seemed to be every hundred feet along the boardwalk and as we sat under our umbrella we enjoyed the heady scents of ocean salt air and malted vinegar French Fries. The beach seemed to go on for miles with colorful umbrellas every few feet, providing much needed shade from the dangerous sun’s rays. It makes me wonder why there are no umbrella concessions on Siesta Key Beach. Hmmm.

The hazy skies turned to a more overcast sky so Dave and I headed back for a late afternoon lunch leaving the kids under the umbrella. We all met up for dinner around 7:30 at the legendary Nicola’s Pizza with its walls of photos and signed sports equipment from their impressive patrons. A little train circled the ceiling and as my eyes followed the train I checked out the memorabilia from likes of Dickie Vitale, Shaquille O’Neill, along with many local and national political figures. Joan and Nick Caggiano have operated this restaurant since 1971 and if their longevity were not enough, the restaurant awards attest to the satisfied patrons over the past 37 years. The hostess and wait staff must be treated well because everyone was relaxed as Joan walked around the restaurant checking to see if her diners were well satisfied. I know I was. I had a “healthy” mini pizza with spinach, onions, mushrooms, and an excellent sauce, so good I took a jar home. Well fed, we left to do some shopping. I bought a hot pink pair of madras shorts then moved on to Ibach’s for some dark chocolate hazelnut candies. If I don’t eat all the chocolates I might stay in the shorts. In both stores the sales clerks were from Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. Once again I was surprised to see that throughout the US young women from the former Soviet Union (I didn’t meet up with any men) were working as clerks, maids, bus persons and hostesses.

Back at the Inn, Dave and I attempted to make a come back in Hand and Foot but the Amy and Jen team were too good. At 11:45 on a major loosing streak, we were too tired to finish so it was Game Over.

Friday, July 11. We all got up early and packed up our gear preparing for a day at the water park. I was a little slower this morning since our “friends” next door did not fully retire until well after 2am, and of course that means I did not fully retire either. But I finally pulled it together and we headed to the Fractured Prune for coffee to clear my cobwebs and sample their freshly made donuts. Amy had been raving about this small franchise business and Dave hearing “donuts” was all over it. The friendly owners had recently moved here from North Carolina and showed their southern hospitality as soon as we entered the door. All newcomers are offered a free “first timer O.C. Sand Donut.” As they prepared the fresh donuts to order the owner asked if I would like to see the fryolater in operation. We all walked over to the donut machines watching dough plop into the hot oil from the metal funnel above. The newly plopped donuts sailed on their oily sea turning and frying like my body did at the beach. Their sample donut was mighty tasty but it did not compare to the memories of my childhood favorites, the cinnamon sugared French crullers with their crispy outsides and soft warm insides.

With our tummies full of donuts we entered Jungle Jim’s Water Park where we spent the entire day on one of three water slides, the floating river or the wave pool. The kids bolted for the slides so not to be left behind, Dave and I took our first ride down the tube slide. For the uninitiated: you carry an inflatable inner tube up the long ramp to the tube’s hole at the top. When it is your turn you put your tube on the platform, sit in it and push off. I sat in my tube attempting to race Dave in the adjacent slide but when we had the green light Dave shot off in a huge spray of water and I stayed stuck on my launching pad. With legs and arms too short to propel me down the slide I waited for assistance to send me careening down the dark, sharp curves of the steep fully enclosed slide. The first run was the best because I couldn’t see where I was going and had no idea what to expect. After shooting out of the tube into the pool I grabbed my tube and marched right back up for more. And so it went throughout the day on my belly on the open air slides (not as thrilling) to the two-man yellow raft down the waterslide equivalent to a roller coaster. Had Dave and I chosen to ride the two-man yellow boat first I doubt we would have continued. It was awesome but our fragile bones took a severe beating and even Rollercoaster Man was not ready for a second run. Our favorite run was the five-man yellow round raft. Amy, Dave, Megan, Sarah and I all squeezed into the raft, knees knocking in the middle (Alex had been so excited to get the “green light” on that run that he ran ahead jumping into the first available boat with another group). I have indelibly etched into my memory the bulging eyes and dropped jaws of Megan, Sarah, Dave and Amy as our raft hurled up one side and down the other nearly flipping over before we slammed into the pool below. It was awesome. We all stayed in the various water toys until we were shriveled, sun burned and waterlogged. Before showering we used our free coupons for the Bumper Boats just outside the park. We each climbed into our own boat and with a button for squirting and a button for propulsion laughed as we charged and doused each other for a brief five minutes. And then it was over. That’s all you get for free.

We decided to eat again at the octogenarian’s favorite restaurant, Jimmy’s Grille in Bridgeville, DE. The parking lot was full and the restaurant packed at 7pm but we pursued and found a table at the back of the restaurant. Chicken croquets were not offered as a special on the menu but I did have the lima bean soup again and it did not disappoint. Dave and I split an appetizer of 4 little fried oysters that sadly tasted like gooey fried balls. Megan had a good fried chicken while Amy ordered a nice looking broiled crab cake. Dave and I chose to have our crab cakes fried. I had thought that fried meant pan-fried but sadly it was deep fried and was not a huge improvement over the oysters. Amy’s turned out to be delicious (and healthier). As we waited for the main courses Amy’s and Megan’s attention turned to the table behind Dave and me. Apparently the elderly gentleman accompanied by his wife and a friend, had suffered a stroke. Poor Megan was observing the whole ordeal from his shaking hand, dropped spoon and ashen face. The friend quickly canvassed the restaurant of elderly guests looking in vain for a doctor. Someone called 911 and shortly after the ambulance arrived. Two elderly medics in full regalia came swiftly to his side and before long the gentleman was strapped onto the gurney and rolled out of the restaurant. I decided the fried food was enough for one day and passed on dessert.

We left the “Town of the Ancients” and followed the brilliant setting sun towards home with Amy at the wheel, Dave nodding off beside her, Megan plugged into her Ipod while I typed away on my laptop.

Saturday, July 12. More sunburned now than I ever was out west, Dave and I left Amy’s and headed to Annapolis on Route 50 across the Severn River to the weekend Amish Farmer’s Market. We lucked out again because, although the Farmer’s Market is a regular weekend event, the one we attended was their semi-annual festival that included free horse and buggy rides, a pig roast and home made ice cream.

The first thing that caught my eye was the huge pig roaster. A young Amish man stood at the metal hinged portable roaster with the largest pig I had ever seen laid out on the grill. I had to look twice to make sure that what I saw was indeed a curled tail on shiny charred black-brown skin that faced me. Sure enough, on the opposite end of that tail was a pig’s snout with his eyes staring vacantly under his big pig ears. The young man in charge of the roasters had been there since five that morning and had roasted five pigs to feed the large crowd. I watched him open the roaster and with rubber gloves pull handfuls of roasted moist pig meat from the animal’s belly. The meat was so tender it literally fell apart in his hands. He transferred piles of the freshly roasted meat to a big kettle where he took a large knife and fork and pulled the meat apart. The pork piled kettle was then handed over to the BBQ stand where Dave stood in line for our pulled pork barbeque sandwiches. It is a wholly different experience when you look into the face of the animal who gave up his life for your lunch.

While Dave was in line for our barbeque I got in line for the coffee floats with the freshly made chocolate ice cream. (I know, but it is Amish Country after all…) Opposite the pig roaster was the gas operated ice cream machine run by an Amish man and his eleven and five year old boys. The five-year-old boy with his dark hair in a bowl cut was in charge of pre-shaking the two gallon box of ice cream milk. (I didn’t find out how they made the vanilla, chocolate and raspberry flavors.) The young boy was earnest in his job but he struggled because the box of milk was almost bigger than he was. His older brother brought over the bags of ice and rock salt helping his dad with the ice cream can. I guess a gas operated machine is acceptable if it is stationary.

After our lunch we walked over to the indoor market past long stands of cheese, salads, cold cuts, freshly made pretzels, corn dogs, vegetable stands and candy shops until we finally reached the meat department. Along the way I had looked for white-bearded men who might be old enough to answer my questions about the disappearing hex signs. The first person I talked to had no idea but he said Aaron in the candy shop would know. I introduced myself to Aaron telling him I was told he was the “man in the know”. Aaron laughed and said he didn’t have a clue but he thought the hex signs were just for fun. He told me that it was probably like the stars. When I asked him what he meant he said his neighbor had a star on his barn and Aaron thought the star would look good on his barn so Aaron bought a star like his neighbor’s and put it on his own barn. Aaron’s cousin saw the star and decided to get one too. And that was his theory about the hex signs. He was probably right. We chatted for awhile and I told him I was from Sarasota. He said “Do you know Pinecraft?” I told him I used to live next door. We became instant buddies. Dave asked him how the older Amish people were allowed to have motorized scooters in Florida. Aaron replied “What goes on in Florida, stays in Florida.” After I bought some of Aaron’s candy I told him we needed to buy a large filet of beef but we needed to have someone keep it until we could pick it up later. Aaron said “Go talk to Steve and tell him I sent you”. Steve cut the filet and held if for us until we came back to pick it up on our way home.

We left for a tour of Bay Ridge Drive along the Severn River, one of Dave’s favorite places in Annapolis. The beautiful homes lining the river had lovely views of the sailboats as they lazily graced the wide blue waters. Dozens of orange tiger and day lilies lined the shores and I could easily understand the attraction here.
We returned before 3pm to collect our filet. I bought some apple dumplings for dessert and Dave picked up half a Shoofly Pie which I still think is the worst dessert on the planet, but he was happy. I had been lusting after one of their fresh pretzels and since the long lines were gone I bought one. I was surprised when I bit into it. Butter squirted out from every salty soft pretzel pore! Not at all the crispy low fat pretzel I had imagined.

Back at Amy’s, Leo prepared the grill while Amy labored in the kitchen preparing our evening meal. The kids played ball outside until we all came out to compete in the Corn Bag Toss. Very simply constructed out of 2x3 sloped plywood with a 6” hole on the flat top, the object is to get one of your four square bags stuffed with “corn kernels” to land in the hole (3 points) or on the angled box top (1 point). We all got pretty competitive but Leo and Paul (Jen’s husband) were the final victors. Amy and I came in a close second.
Our family dinner was perfect with filet on the grill, my annual taste of my favorite sweet and tender Silver Queen corn on the cob, fresh salad and green beans. Dave had his nasty Shoofly Pie, I had my Amish apple dumpling (ala mode) and the kids enjoyed fresh sweet watermelon. All in all a perfect family summer get together.

Dave was desperate for a hair cut and although I brought my scissors, he never let me take the time to give him a trim. I appealed to the crowd and they all insisted it was time so I gave Dave his trim and Leo, getting into the spirit of things, brought out his shears and gave Alex a Mohawk for Creative Hair Day at camp the following week.

We ended the night with a game of Twister and I changed partners, getting Leo, the Card Shark for Hand and Foot. It looked like we were going to walk away with it but when the final cards were laid down around midnight; it ended up a pretty close game. Still, just for the record, Leo and I won.

Sunday, July 13. Dave and Leo played golf, Amy, Megan and I met Jen and Sarah for crab cakes in Edgewater then we toured the regional garden center. On our way home we drove past the beautiful Annapolis Academy reflecting its stately buildings on the Severn River. When we got home we finally saw Sean who came home with his fish stories from his week in the Outer Banks. We enjoyed chicken and steak on the grill and a final game of hand and foot on our last night at Amy’s.

Monday, July 14. We said our goodbyes then drove south on I 95 to I 85 on an overcast and rainy day towards Chapel Hill, NC listening to Dire Straits, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, some of my newly acquired music from Leo. After a long rainy day drive, we pulled into the parking lot of the Sarah P. Duke Botanical Gardens and the sun miraculously came out. Again I say, we have lived a charmed life on this trip. The gardens often referred to as the "Crown Jewel of Duke University," covers 55 acres in the heart of the University's West Campus. Adjacent to the Duke University Medical Center, with its free entry, and convenient location this park is certainly an asset to the entire community. I know if I lived there I would likely spend a good portion of my time in those gardens. (Most likely volunteering.)

It was extremely hot and muggy once the sun came out. Once we walked past the opening gates it was decision time at the rose gardens with its center of red penstemon grasses, gingers and portulaca. You can go right to the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum or left to the colorful Terrace Gardens leading to the lotus ponds. Either way you can’t go wrong. We started with the cooler Japanese and woodland gardens. I was surprised to see so many tropical plants in central North Carolina. Gingers, lotus, banana trees, gardenias and bamboo were prominent throughout while many bright cannas and day lilies added brilliant splashes of color throughout the gardens. A beautiful Japanese garden wrapped around the large pond but my favorite space was along the cool shaded stone paths among the tall bamboos and natural stone basins. Large stone paths edged with bamboo hoops led through cool ferns, hostas, green perennials and late spring ephemerals to inviting large stone seats with leafy green plants anchoring them to their woodland glen. Nearby, tall bamboo forests contrasted nicely with the heavier leaved rhodies and azaleas. A wonderful place to be on a hot summer day.

Although the temperature was only in the 80s, after the rain the humidity ramped up and it felt 10 degrees warmer. The heat and humidity soon subsided and settled into a comfortably cool evening that invited open windows to capture the sounds of the cicadas and other night creatures.

We left the gardens and drove to Chapel Hill to have dinner with Dave’s high school classmate, Helen and her husband John. I accepted the challenge of driving down their very steep driveway to their lovely contemporary home nestled in the woods. Helen and John graciously entertained us on their deck. As we sat over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, John told us we had just missed their resident owl and red-tailed hawk. Herds of deer roam through these neighborhoods as in many urbanized woodland areas that have been populated by humans. Helen echoed my sister’s laments about restricted landscape options due to these voracious feeders. But with a natural woodland backdrop it is not a bad trade-off, plus the native landscape means less maintenance and more time for travel. Dave and Helen reminisced about their high school friends while we enjoyed a tasty meal facing a lovely rock waterfall that Helen designed. When Helen told us she had her annual evaluation at work the next morning we decided it was time to take our leave to let Helen prepare.

Tuesday, July 15. After a really good hotel breakfast, we decided to tour Duke’s beautiful campus before leaving Durham. Dave had been accepted at Duke with a partial scholarship but Virginia Tech had offered him a full scholarship and the rest is history. We walked the campus and went inside the Duke University Chapel where they were in the middle of a month-long process of tuning the original 5200 pipe Flentrop organ. The impressive Gothic 1930 chapel stands 210 feet tall looking more like a cathedral than a chapel. With a 50 bell carillon, high ceilings and retuned organ I can only imagine the amazing music that must resound within its walls. The receptionist told us we could go online to hear the music at any of their non-denominational services. Another reason to get good speakers for my computer.
The Neo-Gothic (west campus) and Neo-Georgian (east campus) buildings gave the former Trinity College an Ivy League appearance, and at once reminiscent of some of the quads at Virginia Tech. I listened to some wonderful choral music being practiced in one of the quads then went to the bookstore where I saw listings of several upcoming concerts. I miss my choral singing and I know if I lived there I would be very active in this community. With so much left to see and do, Dave and I promised to stop here again on one of our drives north.

The skies were overcast making the ride home much cooler and easier driving. We listened to sounds from Motown while Dave drove and I continued to write in my journal. Squeezing out the last drop of our vacation hours at 5:30pm we stopped in Brunswick, GA for the night. Now I know Dave and I live a charmed life, or at the very least we are really lucky. Once again we drove through rain all day but when we arrived in Brunswick, remarkably (again) the sun came out. After we checked into our hotel (with the palmetto leaf stamped concrete entrance) we crossed I 95 onto Route 17 over the long bridge to Brunswick passing my favorite view of the yellow and green salt marshes with the deep blue rivers of the sea. I seem to make a habit of getting lost here and I did it again. It took us over half an hour to find the Brunswick Historic District and when we did it was mostly closed up tight. Dave was starving so I was determined to get him fed and soon. I found a cute little restaurant in a building on the National Register of Historic Places that suited us just fine. Pranzo Portside was a contemporary styled bistro serving a wide variety of hot and cold foods. Dave ordered a Panini and I had a crustless ham quiche with a cup of bruschetta tomato basil soup. After dinner we walked around town listening to the great horned owls hoot at each other in the park, then drove across the long bridge with its turtle caution signs to explore Jekyll Island.

The barrier island was first colonized by the English in 1735. Soon after French land owners began to privatize the island. During the gilded age the island took on another appearance with huge “cottage” estates. Many of these historical buildings still stand but the charm of the island goes way beyond its history. There are wild horses, nesting loggerhead turtles, miles of sandy beaches, fishing piers, horse and bike riding trails, tennis courts and three 18-hole golf courses. A good portion of the island is now a state park and there is a $3 daily parking fee if you bring your car on the island.

We walked the long sandy beaches, down to the fishing pier and the driftwood beach, watching the fishermen and the black skimmers, the horseback riders and hikers. I met a woman who excitedly told us she took her children to watch the loggerhead turtles nest last week on the south end of the island. We stayed for the beautiful sunset on the north side of the island, then drove south past the historical district and the restored beach “cottages” to the Rah Bar on the bay for a peach daiquiri. While we listened to the folk singers on the dock of the outdoor café Dave and I made plans to return with our rackets, clubs, bicycles and kayaks to rent a cottage on this wonderful island. With the reflection on the water from a nearly full moon I sipped my daiquiri and listened to “If I Had a Boat” (Lyle Lovett,) when suddenly fireworks started on the other side of the small island sprinkling the sky with their colorful stars. On a Tuesday night! I couldn’t think of a better way to end a remarkable vacation.

Wednesday, July 16. Homeward bound. After that wonderful evening last night I woke up crabby and grumpy. I admit it. My good luck on the trip does not include finding quiet rooms. At midnight a whole troop of teenagers blasted into the four rooms
Rah Bar, Jekyll IslandRah Bar, Jekyll IslandRah Bar, Jekyll Island

Fireworks surprise on a Tuesday night, our last night on the road.
totally surrounding ours. Slamming doors and drawers, calling down the hall, running from room to room; I thought I would give them half an hour to settle down. Actually I thought that was pretty generous. Half an hour turned into an hour and after twice nicely requesting their consideration, I finally told them to “Shut the Hell Up!” My head was hopelessly stuck under my pillow as unpleasant memories of my nights in Rehoboth raced through my mind. I don’t know if I fell asleep by 2:30am or they stopped making noise but that is the last time I looked at the clock that I was tempted to throw at them.

The hotel breakfast was up there with the some of worst on the trip with its white bread and nasty orange juice. As I grabbed the dry cereal a baby cockroach walked down the container which surprised me because the hotel was brand new and appeared very clean. Oh well. I had lost my internet connection last night and wanted to fire off some quick emails in the morning but Destination Dave had a long hair that twitched (and he had a good night’s sleep!) so after ending our vacation with a very special evening last night we grumpily got in the car at 8:13am and hit the road for home.

I continue to be surprised at the cool mornings in the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Florida. It is mid July and the morning temperature is in the high 70s but seems to lack the high humidity. Temperatures slowly creep up to the mid 80s and of course by the end of the day the heat is pretty intense whereas it was pretty hot out west, but seemed more tolerable without the humidity. One thing I noticed was in the humid heat I am less likely to drink water. Out west my mouth was really dry and I drank gallons and felt better as a result.

Driving through rural goat country in northern Florida we stopped for a train then got hung up in traffic watching the antics of the local road crew trying to extricate the large asphalt truck that had gotten stuck in the mud at the side of the road. As the traffic built up for miles behind us they furtively pulled at the wrong angle digging the truck’s axel deeper into the mud. If Dave had not been more Destination Oriented he might have done more than chuckle at the ridiculous efforts of these two bozos.

When we arrived home I soon found out I needed a machete in the back yard. I spent the next five hours pruning and weeding the neglected garden back into shape. Dave went inside and found we had no phone, TV or internet and immediately went into action to sort that out.

Thursday, July 17. Sarasota, FL. It is good to be home and I am finally relaxing with a cup of coffee and the mail (it took me 3 hours just to sort it!) I am reflecting on our amazing trip and enjoying my newly manicured landscape.

Notes for future road trips:
Turn off the hotel alarm clock before retiring unless you want to wake up at 4:30am.
Bring your own breakfast backup.
Make sure the bug spray is not buried in the trunk somewhere. Ditto the sun screen.
Remember to re-ice the cooler.
Bring PLENTY of water. Everywhere!
Keep your camera’s backup battery charged. Always. Ditto the Ipod.
Bring a back up drive for the computer for the 10,000 photos you take.
Keep those plastic zippered bags from your new pillow cases and sheets. They make great packing organizers for maps and other junk.
Bring moisturizer. Bring gallons of it.
Keep the Cool Ties iced and wear a big hat.
Invest in good ear plugs.
Bring lots of Kleenex and allergy medicines.
Make sure your sleeping bag will be warm enough.
Always keep an extra can of peanuts for food emergencies. (Chocolate melts.)

REFLECTIONS or TRIP TAKE AWAYS:

Out west there is Sun. Plenty of it. The dry air makes you recognize your thirst more than humid conditions; I need to remember to drink more at home. Wide open spaces seem to stretch out forever. And in fact they do. With more opportunities for hiking out west, even in hot conditions, it seemed more doable than in our heavy humidity. Or maybe it’s the insistent urging to explore the incredible canyons and mountains.
There are more clouds in the east than the west. Unlike the few white puffs in the dry blue New Mexico skies, the eastern mountains and oceans seem to collect enormous thunderheads that hover like an udder waiting for release.
The air just smells richer, cleaner, better out west.
Native Americans have an oral tradition because (I’m told) they don’t like to have their language permanently “fixed” on paper. They need to try a word processor. After 60 days of typing I learned to change my words on a regular basis.
There are so many great things we saw and so many things to return to, explore again or see for the first time. And I took notes!
Texas Cowboys. Austin. Bandera. San Antonio. Guard lamas on patrol on western ranches. Nostalgic Route 66. Train rides. Mule rides. History! Museums. Art. Windmills in Texas, Utah, Colorado, Kansas and PA. Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch. Albuquerque. Santa Fe. Taos. Pueblos. Hot Springs. Hot Air Balloon rides. The Grand Canyon! Zion. Bryce. Camping with elk, coyote and bears, Oh My! Red Rock Canyons. Coral Sand Dunes. Dude ranches. Boat Rides. Slot canyons to explore. Mountains to climb. Mesa Verde. Telluride. Rafting the Animus. Magnificent Mountains. Scary mountain roads. St Louis. Amish Country. Water slides. Glorious gardens. Too much fabulous food. Would I do it again? I’d jump right back in the car and start over. Would Dave? He needs a long nap. Plus he was out of peanuts.

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