En Route To The Old North State
The Command Staff General College will have a graduation ceremony later this week, turning out yet another batch of well-trained officers. Among them will be my friend’s boyfriend, who just drew the lucky card. He’ll be PCSing back to his home state of North Carolina, where folks believe it is more important To Be, Rather Than To Seem. (It’s their motto.)
My friend Sarah, who has lived most of her life in Leavenworth, Kansas, will be moving with him. It’s a big move, and a big change, going from a landlocked state like Kansas to one with so much coastline. Of course, we folks in Kansas tend to look skeptically at coastal dwellers: the beach-scene does have a tendency to produce rather liberal attitudes. That’s certainly not something I’d think of when it comes to North Carolina, however. Heck, if it’s good enough for Libby Dole — a famous Kansan — it’s good enough for my friend.
North Carolina, as I’ve since learned, actually has quite a bit going for it. Enough that I envy her just a little. She’s going to end up somewhere around Asheville, I believe, and that in itself is a huge step up from our town. With tailgate farmer’s markets and an abundance of concerts and historical museums, it’s a town that offers a feast for all of the senses. Best of all, it’s not only shadowed by craggy, beautiful mountains but also has amazing rafting, canoing and fishing. Not that she’s into such things, but I am, and if I ever do manage to get out to visit her I might just decide to stay for a while.
Then again, surround me with mountains and water in a temperate, non-tropical setting and I might never come back to Kansas.
*never tease someone who is dieting* *never tease someone who is dieting* *never tease...
Asheville is a beautiful area, with lots of things to do and see. The closest liberal bastion they’ll have is Boone, about 100 miles away. Really it isn’t too bad. Boone is inhabited mainly by old hippies and college students and they have some great pottery / hand-made-goods shops there.
I’d recommend the outer banks (Nags Head / Hatteras / Ocracoke island) for their first beach trip. Its a more laid back atmosphere than the more tourist geared beaches. The wife and I normally go to the outer banks when we make our trips to the beach.
Hell, if they’re headed down here towards the coast have her shoot me an e-mail and I’ll get her a list of restaurants and things to see / do.
For the liberals, we do seem to have our share, but we try to keep them penned in between Charlotte and Raleigh, with all the Yankees.
I really had no idea it was such a gorgeous state!
It is gorgeous, of course, I’m kind of biased being a NC native. To me one of the greatest things about where I am. I’m an hour and a half from the outer banks and four from the mountains. Not to mention our barbecue is the greatest.
Them’s fighting words to someone who knows what barbecue is supposed to taste like.
You know the words part about the barbecue wars? Some poor knucklehead in Texas thinks barbecue is actually made from beef.
Don’t get me wrong, I like just about every form of cooked pig there is. Really we’re not that far off on cooking methods. Low temps, long cook times over hickory or apple wood. Its just that pure pigmortial bliss measuring orgasmic on the pleasure scale, can’t be achieved with a sauce that covers up the flavor of the meat.
Heck, I’ll even share a seekrit family recipe for sauce with you. ENC barbecue done right, is guaranteed to 100% to leave you satisfied, without the awkward cuddling and pillow talk afterwards.