Remembering Our Travel Through Food

Obviously, we love to travel and one of the interesting cultural experiences is trying the local foods.  I am not very adventurous, but I am trying to be more adventurous with foods so I can get the entire experience.  I had the idea that it would be cool to make dishes from the various places we have visited. Maybe I can recreate some of the fun of our travel for every day life.

We have been to many Caribbean Islands and there are many local dishes that have a unique taste. There is some commonality around the Caribbean region, but most islands or other Caribbean destinations have their own variation. Outside of the United States, we have traveled most in the Caribbean, so that is where I decided to start. I actually was thinking of Puerto Rican cuisine when I started.  

Jerked Chicken is pretty common in the Caribbean and  I found a recipe on www.food.com under “Puerto Rican Dinner Party Recipes.”   I also wanted a side dish or two. I was able to do the jerked chicken, baked plantain slices, and beans and rice. I would describe plantains as a cross between a banana and a potato. It looks just like a large banana, but it does not really have a fruit taste. They are served in many ways like potatoes with a salty season flavor, but they are also served sweet in other dishes. I found there are many spices that are needed to give the Caribbean flavor, but I was able to find most everything I needed in the world foods section of the grocery store.

These pictures are my first attempt of bringing the traveling memories to every day home life. The first is the plantains. These were just baked and salted with Caribbean season salt. The second is the traditional rice and beans dish. The third picture is the jerked chicken. There is a marinade that is created and the chicken has to sit for about six hours, then it is grilled. The last picture is the plate as an entire meal.

End of a Good Vacation

Well, all good things must come to an end.  We didn't do much Friday either.  We went to the pool again and Adri and I played more tennis, while Alex did things on his computer.  Our plan for Friday was to relax, pack, and head to Raleigh for the wedding.

We arrived in Raleigh about 7:30pm.  We needed to go up to Raleigh Friday night because we had tee times at 7:30am, Saturday.  Golf with the guys is always a good thing to do before a wedding!  So, Adam, Alan, Caleb, Aaron, Adam's friend Mark, and I went golfing.  We had a great time, but I don't have any pictures.  We all had some great shots and some we would rather forget, but it was great getting out.

We then went back to get ready for the wedding and went to the church.  It was a very nice service, and I am glad we were able to be there for Adam and Adrienne.  After the wedding we went to the reception where we had an excellent meal and a good time visiting and dancing.  By the time we were well into the night, a tremendous storm started up.  I know it was no hurricane, but it sure was violent.  At one point, the wind was blowing so hard the ceiling fans that were on the covered porch were spinning out of control.  The blades were spinning faster than if the fan was on high, and the three foot extension was swinging the entire thing so high that the blades were hitting the ceiling.  By the time the night was done, one fan was completely gone and the other only had three of the five blades remaining.  It rained very hard and there were flash floods all around.  This just gave people a reason to stay a little longer.

We drove the long drive home on Sunday.  We had another successful and enjoyable vacation! 

Can You Say Hot!

Today was a very hot day in New Bern.  The temperature was 95 degrees with the heat index between 105-110.  So, we started with a dip in the pool and then stayed inside!!!  Kristi and I did take short walk along the marina, but that didn't last long. We have definitely missed our boat while we have been gone! 

We also went to pick up a couple of groceries and found a movie for later.  The family got a little stir crazy by late afternoon and decided they wanted to go to Outback for dinner rather than have the lemon-pepper chicken I was planning to make.  Oh well, we can always have that tomorrow!  We are leaving a day early to go to Raleigh so that will have to be lunch. It was a quiet, relaxing day--just what we needed!

New Bern for Lunch and a Hair Cut

After a long day on Tuesday, we didn't plan much for Wednesday.  If any of you have played the timeshare game, you know that they often offer some free stuff to listen to what inevitably ends up being a sales pitch.  We have done this for sixteen years so we know how it works.  When we checked in, they presented this offer to take us to New Bern for lunch if we would be willing to take a survey and let them know more about our stay, etc.  I knew there was more to it when they said it.  I must admit that they were not as pushy as some who want to be able to give their spiel.  But, a free lunch!  We couldn't resist.  So, Kristi called and made the appointment for Wednesday.

We were led to Baker's Kitchen in down town New Bern by a member of their sales team .  First things first, we ordered lunch.  It was very good.  If we would have gone to this place on our own, it would have cost us over $50.  True to their word they asked us a bunch of questions about our timeshare experience.  However, I think each question was designed to set up the fact that the new "program" was so much better.  


To be honest, I don't really mind listening to all of the ways the industry is changing.  We have had a pretty good experience with our timeshare.  We have seen places we would not have seen and stayed in high quality accommodations that we would otherwise never spent the money on.  But, we are content and know our financial reality, which does not include more money on timeshare purchases.  The trouble is that with each new program or change, you have to buy more time to convert to the new system.  We have not been willing to do that.


The kids went with us. We told them before we went in that there was an angle, and we just had to figure out what it was.  We were able to first hand show the kids there is "no such thing as a free lunch", literally, and if it is "too good to be true", it probably isn't true.  But, we went in knowing this and after we received our lunch and talked "time share industry" with the representative, Kristi said, "We get all of this, but there is NO WAY we are buying anything."  I think what caught him off guard was when she said, "We have ridden this rodeo for sixteen years, so there is NO WAY we are buying anything!"  He started to say something like there is no rodeo, and I could see he was struggling with how to respond.  Shortly thereafter, he said, "I tell you what.  You are supposed to get trolley tickets for a tour of New Bern.  If you don't want those, why don't I just tell them back in the office that you left and weren't coming back for the final sales pitch."  We said "cool" because we didn't want the trolley tickets anyway.  We wanted to stay in town and get hair cuts.  Oh, another timeshare ploy is to have the initial sales representative talk to you and share all of the wonderful things about the "program" and then they bring in the "boss" who can really make you a great deal.  So, we were supposed to go back to the resort after lunch to just take a look at some numbers.


The guy we worked with was pretty good about the whole deal.  He didn't sell us on the timeshare, but he did sell us on some fudge that was at a store he recommended across the street and a salon where we got our hair cut.  After a great lunch, time share conversation, fudge purchase, and stopping at a few shops, we got our hair cut and went back to the condo for swimming and tennis.


It was a pretty good day.  There is "no such thing as a free lunch," but it didn't cost us much, especially when we have "ridden this rodeo" for so many years.

Day Trip To The Outer Banks

It is Wednesday morning (7/25/12), and I am writing this about our trip yesterday.  It was a long day, but we had a good time.  Our plan was to see the Outer Banks and see some of what we saw when we were here in 2004.  During that trip the kids were four and six so there wasn't too much they could remember.

The day had to be planned around a couple of ferry boat schedules.  We needed to take a ferry from the main land to Ocracoke Island and then from Ocracoke Island to Cape Hatteras.  To hit the ferry schedules and have enough time to fit in all we wanted and make it back to the condo before midnight, we had to leave about 7:45 a.m.  (The map shows the overall route, but you would have to tighten it down to get a better perspective.  We from just above Havelock, where the green and the yellow road from Kinston meet.)

We wanted to stop for a short time in Beaufort, NC, which was on the way.  This is where Blackbeard, the pirate, spent considerable time and where he ran his ship, the Queen Ann's Revenge, aground.  There was a lot of pirate activity in the Caribbean and south eastern sea board of what was then the British colonies in America.  This was in the years surrounding 1700.  Beaufort has many tourist-type things to do, but we were just passing through.  We did take time to go to the North Carolina Maritime Museum.  Actually, there are three of them, but one is in Beaufort.  There were many sea-related exhibits, but they were noted for their exhibits regarding Blackbeard.  In 1996, a commercial salvage company found remains of what they believe is Black Beard's ship. It had been undiscovered for 300 years.  Archeologists and historian are still working on the site but many believe this really is the remains of Queen Ann's Revenge.  The museum is worth a stop.  It is free, but there is a suggested donation to see the exhibits. 

 

For more information about the museums you can go to http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com/.  If you want more information about the one in Beaufort specifically, there is a link to it on the main page.  I would also really recommend visiting http://www.qaronline.org/.   This site has specific information about Blackbeard, the Queen Ann's Revenge and the archeological work that is being done on the site.  We also saw the house where Blackbeard spent a lot of his time.  He came and went from the this area so it is unclear if he really owned the property or just stayed there when he was in the area.  This house is now called the Hammock House.     

We had just short of an hour drive to Beaufort, and to keep our day on schedule, we needed to catch the 11:00 Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke Island.  We planned it out well and arrived with ten minutes to spare.  This brought back memories of when we were here in 2004.  We remembered the pictures we had taken of the kids back then.  It was much the same, but we were much different!  We look forward to going through the pictures when we get home so we can compare.  We know we have one of Adri that is similar to the one posted here.  The ferry trip was about two and half hours, start to finish.  There is a ferry schedule for this area if you are ever planning a trip.  You will want to make sure you check that out or it can mess up your plans.  This link (http://www.ncdot.gov/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf) gets you to the schedule for 2012, but they probably just update the contents each year. 

There is not a lot on Ocracoke Island.  It is only about 14 miles long and has a road that runs the length of it with very little land on either side.  There is a lot of beach areas and a few business that provide water sport activities.  There are a few places to stay and there are several restaurants.  It is definitely a place for tourists.  We arrived shortly after 1:00 so it was time for some food.  Kristi was able to find some recommendations online.  One place that was recommended was the Flying Melon. About the time we were running through the list of possibilities, there it was. So, we stopped for lunch.  

They do not seem to have a website, but you can look at the menu at the following link, http://www.ocracokeisland.com/flying_melon.htm.   It was very good, and everyone was satisfied!  We drove the length of the island to get to the other end for the 3:00 ferry to Cape Hatteras.  We did visit the beach for a few minutes to dip our toes in the water and see the beautiful sea and beach.

The ferry to Cape Hatteras was only about 40 minutes so we were there by 4:00.  The kids were immediately struck by the size and design of the homes/condos, etc.  We have discovered that many of these houses can be rented for periods of time and can hold 12 to 20 people.  Alex said this is something we should definitely do.  

We stopped at the Cape Hatteras Light House.  The kids and I walked the 12 stories worth of steps to get to the top.  The heat index was in the upper 90s, but it was worth it to feel the breeze and see the sites at the top.  I have seen so many beautiful landscapes.  There are so many that take your breath away, and this was one of them.  After a hot walk around and up the Cape Hatteras Light House, we needed ice cream - of course!  So, we looked for an ice cream shop.  There were lots, but we settled on a place with hand-dipped, real ice cream, no whippy dip.  We traveled  from the south end of Cape Hatteras and worked our way north to where a bridge takes you west to Roanoke Island and another takes you back to the main land.  Along the way, we found the KOA campground we stayed at in 2004.  This KAO is right on the beach, of course, because there isn't much room between the road and the beach.  We drove to the back of the campground and the kids and I recreated walking over the sand hill that led to the beach that we had visited eight years earlier.  Adri and I went to the beach so she could write her name in the sand like she had done when she was four.

From there, we just drove and watched the scenery.  We knew we had a long drive home.  Just as we were heading back to the main land and to our home for the week, there was a tremendous storm.  There have been thunderstorms almost daily since we have been here, but none have interfered with our plans.  There was a time when I thought the wind would blow us off the road.  The trees swayed more than I have ever seen.  We drove through the storm, but saw the effects and actually had to be detoured at one point.  A tree had blown over and pulled power lines down over the road we were traveling.  We arrived back at the condo about 9:00 p.m., so it was a long day, but it was a good day!

A Day in New Bern, NC

We started the day slow again today.  I guess that is why they call it vacation!  I was able to sit out on the deck, overlooking the sailboats, while everyone continued to sleep.  I took out a cup of coffee and my laptop so I could plan out our day trip to the Outer Banks.


After a late breakfast, we spent some time at the pool.  It was very hot and humid.  After an hour or so, we went back to the unit to shower up. We then headed out to historic New Bern, NC.  Our Condo is just a short drive from this town, which is the second oldest in North Carolina.  New Bern was the site of the pre-colonial governor's residence and ended up being the site of the colonial governor's residence until the "palace" was destroyed by fire in 1798.  This is a very quaint town that boarders the Trent River that leads to the Atlantic.  We only made a couple of stops while visiting.  


We first went to see the "Birth Place of Pepsi Cola."  A New Bern pharmacist created the drink that became famous.  It was cool to see the old "pharmacy" and all of the Pepsi paraphernalia.  We were able to get some fountain draft Pepsi and learn a little about how Pepsi was created.  Unfortunately for him, Caleb Bradham, the pharmacist, was never able to know the success of Pepsi, but he did get it started.

We then saw the beautiful Episcopal Church.  We walked the grounds with our fountain draft Pepsi and then went inside to see the architecture.  We also decided to get some seafood at a local and highly recommended restaurant.  As you can see from the pictures, it was good food and lived up to the recommendations.

The evening was slow with a some computer work, brownies, and a little tennis.

Our 2012 Summer Family Vacation took us to New Bern, North Carolina.  Actually, the destination was chosen due its proximity to Raleigh where Adam and Adrienne will be married.  We are spending the week here before the wedding next weekend.

We are staying at the Fairfield Harbor Resort.  It is a resort community, but there are also many private units, much like Crystal Mountain in Michigan.  Our unit is large, but it is dated.  When we checked in, they said this was an old unit, but they are working to upgrade all of the units.  Our unit has a balcony that overlooks the marina.  There are a lot of sail boats.  Though I know we wouldn't want to haul the boat down here, it would have been a great place to have it!

We all slept in this morning and went to Walmart for groceries after we all got ready.  We didn't have any plans for today other than getting organized and relaxing.  They have a nice pool area that includes an indoor and outdoor pool and a hot tub.  We did some swimming today and took some time for the whirlpool and the sauna.  We went back to the unit for dinner and then Adri and I went out to play tennis while Alex took a few pictures.

The weather has been rough down here.  There was evidence of storms yesterday and today we were under severe thunderstorm warnings.  We seemed to dodge the brunt of it here at our resort, but we spent the afternoon hanging around the condo and watching the dark clouds, rain, lighting and thunder go by.