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Photography Contest Still Open, Ends Feb. 29th
Posted by admin in Best Drives, Photography on February 5, 2012
We’ve had some beautiful pictures submitted for the Blue Ridge Travel Guide photography contest. The example below is by Dave Allen in Hendersonville, North Carolina…
Dave entitled his photo ”The Great Blue Yonder” and described it as ”a stunning sunset from the Blue Ridge Parkway on a gorgeous summer evening.” (We agree with his description!) It was taken at the Cowee Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can see more of Dave’s work at DaveAllenPhotography.com.
The Cowee Mountain overlook is near milepost 430 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Its 5,960-ft.-high elevation exposes numerous mountains in the distance.
To participate in our photo contest, please review our contest rules here.
STP Sandwich at Groucho’s Deli in Greenville
We met two of our sons yesterday for a quick lunch at Groucho’s Deli in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Both of our boys insisted we get the STP Dipper. It was huge…
…and they were right. The STP Dipper was delicious. Packed with roast beef, turkey, and bacon bits, and covered with melted swiss cheese. But the tastiest part was the Formula 45 sauce. It was amazing. (I’d tell you what’s in it, but then I’d have to…)
Ok, seriously, it was fantastic. And the service was great — and fast!
There was one small thing that seemed a bit odd, and it left a bad taste in our mouths. We each had a 25-cent charge on our tickets for a cup of water. (We also bought coffee.) The last time I was charged for water was about 30 years ago at a restaurant in California during a three-year drought. (I haven’t heard about a water shortage in Greenville, SC, have you?)
Take a look at the Groucho’s Deli menu by clicking here. The address is 20 East Coffee Street in Greenville, SC. For an interactive Google map click here. It’s worth finding. (Just don’t drink the water.)
New Directory of Asheville-Area Golf Courses
Posted by admin in Attractions on January 30, 2012
In the right column you’ll find a link to our new directory of Golf Courses in WNC. It covers these five western North Carolina counties surrounding Asheville: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Rutherford and Transylvania. The courses we’ve listed are in the following cities, towns and counties: Asheville, Black Mountain, Flat Rock, Hendersonville, Lake Junaluska, Lake Lure, Maggie Valley, Swannanoa Valley, and Waynesville.
I realize things are changing fast in our area so this list may not be complete. Let me know if I left out a course, or if one has changed from private to semi-private, etc. You can use our Contact Us form or call me at 828-697-2466.
Awesome Dinner at Square Root in Brevard, NC
We took a little ride last night over to Brevard for dinner at the Square Root restaurant. We started our meal with fried calamari that had been marinated in buttermilk. Our waitress suggested we get it half and half, with both Asian sauce and spicy Fra Diavolo…
She was right. That’s the best way to get it. Delicious. Then we had a fresh salad, followed by a special entrée. Chef Adam Wilson told me he had “flown in some fish” from Hawaii. It sounded interesting, but I had no idea what was coming…
It was a perfectly grilled, short billed marlin with califlower mash, topped with pineapple chutney and a coconut beurre blanc sauce. The picture doesn’t do it justice, and I simply cannot describe it. The meal was off the charts. Fantastic.
Afterward, Chef Adam prepared a nice lemon sorbet to cleanse our palate, and then we had our favorite. I don’t think it’s on the menu, but I believe the three layers include a raspberry mousse on top, a light lemon cake in the middle and a delicious cheesecake on the bottom…
Special thanks to Chef Adam and Manager Rick… and their staff… for making our date night so amazing. We’ll be back again soon.
For a wonderful meal with great service, visit Square Root in Brevard, NC. Our special entrée, flown all the way from Hawaii, was only $20. For an interactive Google map to Square Root click here. To look over the Square Root menus and web site click here.
Pop’s Diner Now Open for Dinner On Weekends
When we drove by Pop’s Diner after dinner this evening we realized they were open so we stopped in for dessert. Before the re-opening and renovation the diner closed daily after lunch. Their new schedule is obviously a huge success. They were sold out of all their pies and desserts, so we had a root beer float with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. We sat at the opposite end of the counter from the pink pay phone…
Carolina Diner Reopened Today As Pop’s Diner
Posted by admin in Attractions, Dining on January 23, 2012
I read that the old Carolina Diner in Hendersonville, North Carolina, was renovated and is re-opening today as Pop’s Diner. It sounded like a pretty cool place, so I got up before the sun to see for myself…
It hadn’t opened yet, and staff members were still busy preparing for the 6:30 a.m. opening, but they let me in anyway so I could take some pictures. Leigh Kelley, a writer for the local Times-News, did an excellent job of describing it in her article over the weekend. Here are a couple of pictures inside the “new” 1950s-style Pop’s Diner…
There’s even a gas pump at one end of the dining area. I wondered if it wasn’t put there to inspire crusin’ again on Main Street. By the time the weather warms up I’ll bet the parking lot will be full of 1950s and 60s street rods and muscle cars…
Pop’s Diner used to be called the Carolina Diner. It’s located at 5 Points in Hendersonville, across from Hendersonville High School and Boyd Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick. The address is 860 North Main Street. For an interactive Google map to Pop’s Diner click here. To read the menu click here or on the picture below…
Biltmore Village McDonald’s Is Not Ordinary
I got a treat yesterday when I stopped by McDonald’s at Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC.
It started when I realized this McDonald’s restaurant was directly across the street from the entrance to the grand Biltmore Estate in one direction and the spectacular Grand Bohemian Hotel in the other direction…
Then I went from the grand Biltmore Estate and the Grand Bohemian Hotel outside to the baby grand piano inside McDonald’s…
The dining area was pretty grand, too, with its stamped, copper ceiling…
…and a pretty grand fireplace. It’s almost hard to believe this is really a McDonald’s…
…but I got some proof. Although times may have changed since you could buy a burger or Coke for 15 cents and French fries for a dime, some things never change…
Brevard White Squirrel Moved to Hendersonville
Posted by admin in Photography on January 10, 2012
We have a new friend living with us up here on the hill. He’s pretty unusual looking to those who are new to the area and aren’t accustomed to seeing white squirrels…
According to legends around here, two white squirrels first came to Brevard, NC, about 60 years ago when they escaped from a circus. Since then these little guys have become so loved that the Brevard City Council established a sanctuary for them, making it ”unlawful for any person to hunt, kill, trap, or otherwise take any protected squirrels within the city.”
Brevard even holds an annual music festival for them. The White Squirrel Festival follows the Memorial Day Parade and includes a Squirrel Box Derby, guided tours, exhibits, photo contests, food courts and street vendors. You can read more about this unique event on the Brevard-Transylvania tourism web site here.
We haven’t decided to create a new holiday for them, but I did buy a new “tree ornament” for my sweetheart this Christmas so we can feed them. I nicknamed him Big Mouth…
The only problem is that these guys are so fast I haven’t caught them emptying the peanuts each day. But I will, eventually.
