North Carolina

A year ago John and I booked an Alaskan Cruise with Jane and Rod, Amy and Jerry.  A really big deal.  We were supposed to travel during late summer this year.  But then 2020 happened.  And the cruise -- and everything else in the world -- was canceled.

As a consolation trip we six spent several days in the Asheville, North Carolina, vicinity.  We rented a spacious house on a farm.  Not like a farm in east-central Illinois.  But one in the forested Smoky Mountains.  They had cows, chickens, and honey.

Sunday, September 13
   -  traveled with Amy & Jerry
   -  supper: Jane had pre-prepared a ziti casserole, accompanying salad, and purchased key lime pie

Monday, September 14
   -  driving tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway
   -  got a stamp for my National Park Service passport
   -  lunch: Pisgah Inn on the Parkway - reuben sandwich
   -  continued on the Parkway towards Smoky Mountain National Park - several tunnels - turned around due to fog and rain
   -  supper: charcuterie board - crackers, cheese, venison sausage - Dairy Queen ice cream cake for Jerry’s 62nd birthday

Tuesday, September 15
   -  Biltmore Estate with Amy and Jerry
   -  lunch: Cedric’s Tavern on the Estate - open-faced meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes and green beans
   -  supper: grilled brats, baked beans, Saybrook tomatoes
   -  game: Mille Bornes card game

Wednesday, September 16
   -  breakfast: oatmeal
   -  went into Asheville - Trader Joe’s, Mast General Store, Old Europe bakery
   -  lunch: Wicked Weed Brewing Pub - Rosemary Chicken Salad Wrap
   -  Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (got another NPS stamp)
   -  supper: Whistle Hop Brewing Company - John and I shared Wienerschnitzel from a food truck (pork cutlet with a warm potato salad and red cabbage)

Thursday, September 17
   -  rained all day due to Hurricane Sally
   -  breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, English muffin with homemade blackberry jam
   -  a bear walked on the driveway around the house then lumbered into the woods
   -  lunch: “fend for yourself” - I had leftover oatmeal
   -  Jane showed me her Ancestry family tree information
   -  supper: ordered carryout from Smokey & the Pig - beef brisket sandwich and chips
   -  7 p.m.: electricity went out because a tree fell across power line due to saturated ground - power back on around 1 a.m.
   -  game: Trivial Pursuit--Jeopardy style

Friday, September 18
   -  travel home
   -  lunch - Culvers in Richmond, KY

Miles:  going -            605
            returning -       609

Sad Covid Humor

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The News-Gazette     09/13/20

Who Made It Best?

Last week I was prompted to purchase a Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, a seasonal product, before they “went away.” J and I shared and enjoyed it for supper.

It reminded me of the McAlister’s Pecanberry Salad (which is also seasonal), so we shared and enjoyed that the next night.

Panera Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad $10.59	Grilled chicken, fresh strawberries and blueberries, fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, crunchy pecan with fat-free poppyseed dressing on mixed greens including romaine
McAlister’s Pecanberry Salad $9.69	Grilled chicken, fresh strawberries and blueberries, candied pecans with fat-free raspberry pecan vinaigrette on mixed greens

Both salads were tasty. I liked the additional fruits in the Panera salad. And the mixed greens were slightly better. I enjoyed both the dressings. I especially liked the candied pecans in the McAlister’s salad. Overall, these two salads rated about the same.

I’ll look forward to these salads next summer.

Left: Panera
Right: McAlister's

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Who Made It Best is a take-off of Us Weekly's Who Wore It Best