Day 2 in the South

We spent today in Atlanta as well but decided to get outside the city for the night. However, today was a big sight seeing day. We began at the World of Coca-Cola exhibition down near the Centennial Plaza, where the Olympic games were held a few years back. The World of Cole was a huge self-promotion tourist attraction which wasn't a surprise but it was amazing just how big a deal it was. Entering the exhibit you were introduced to the history of the product, the advertising and coin operated dispensers. Many were familiar and part of our growing up so that was fun. Then we wandered through one exhibit room after another. You could even get your photo taken with the Coca Cola polar bear. Other rooms had more advertising displays, art and historical artifacts. The tour ended (well of course before the gift shop) in a room filled spigots dispensing Coca Cola products literally from around the world. Each continent had its own kiosk with products you could try as part of the price of entry. By the end you were pretty bloated. We had brunch at the Silver Skillet. Here we found an authentic diner serving southern-style breakfast food. We had heard that we had to order the Lemon Ice Box Cake which is actually a pie but who cares. They only make one a day and it goes fast so we asked if they had any left. Our perfect waitress (see the previous log entry) called us hun and said they did still have some. We asked her to bring us a slice before we ordered our breakfast. It was wonderful. Much like key lime pie except it is covered with a meringue and has vanilla wafers incorporated into the crust (at least this one did). Next we ordered breakfast. The waitress actually moved us to a bigger table. She said you'll need it. So we moved and then our food came. Oh, lordy! I had two perfectly deep-fried pork chops, eggs, grits, and biscuits. Leslie had pretty much the same except she had a slice of ham that was to die for. We drove over to the Martin Luther King Jr. area of town where the National Park Service maintains the birth home of Dr. King, the Ebenezer Baptist Church is there, Dr. and Mrs. King's gravesite and a number of period homes are also there. After our visit with the Dr. King exhibits we headed out of town to stop part way to our next destination--Birmingham, Alabama.

On The Road Again

We have actually almost completed our road trip through the southern states. However, I will be posting a series of blog entries about the trip in the upcoming days. This trip took us through parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and North and South Carolina.

Only one more state left to visit for Leslie and five more for me!

Our trip began with a flight from Seattle to Atlanta, Georgia which would be our starting and ending point on a big loop through the listed states.

The first imperssion stepping off the plan in Atlanta was, "Gee, it sure is hot!" The, "Gee, it sure is humid!" It was nearly as hot OR as humid as it would get before we were done. We headed into the city and found our way over to the rental car store where we picked up our Honda Civic, then drove over to our first stop--Mary Mac's.

We were basing our trip at least in part on the research of Michael and Jane Stern's Road Food blog. They have been researching the best places to eat around the U.S. for years focusing on those local or regional places that best exemplify the cuisine of a particular place and that often can not be found anywhere else. Many of the dishes served in these obscure eateries are becoming more and more rare against the background of the blaring cacophany of the chain restaurant signs in every town of any size across America. We as a country have little to blame but ourselves. The sign that a community is no longer a hick town but really has really arrived is when their first McDonald's comes to town or when Starbuck's has arrived.

These mega-corporate giants often spell the end for the mom and pop locally owned diner. They just can't compete with the mass marketing and that as persuaded generations of kids that McDonald's is THE place to go.

We are looking for that quickly disappearing place here and there across America where the small town diner, the local cuisine, is still being supported by locals who appreciate what they have to offer--perhaps a childhood memory and a desire to relive how things used to be done.

Jane and Michael Stern have found many of these places and as a result some have found fans from the four corners of America descending on their doorsteps. The attention some have received has made them a victim of their own success. Long-time dives have suddenly found themselves so popular they have been able to remodel and turn the old frumpy rundown dining room into a comfortable, updated establishment, losing their original charm. Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta is one such example. We were looking for a small restaurant with deep southern charm, a waitress with a beehive hairdo, pencil firmly tucked into it, an order pad flipped open and a "what can I do for you, hun." Where was the pink dress with white apron. Instead what we got was a very friendly, 20-something gay college student. We got a Marie Calendar interior motif and so-so food.

Our search continues. . .

Day 2 was spent at the World of Coca-Cola where you can stuff yourself silly with coca-cola products from all over the world. A silly series of interactive exhibits, photo ops with the Coca-Cola polar bear, videos and realia from over a century of Coca-Cola advertising were all on display.

We walked around the Centennial Olympic Park and visited the birth home of Martin Luther King, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Civil Rights museum on the park grounds. The grave sites of Dr. King and his wife Coretta was a moving spot though the beautiful flowing fountain normally running around the grave site was dry. I asked about it and the Foundation is currently taking bids to fix the leaking fountain.

Our next stop is Birmingham, Alabama and more on the Civil Rights movement.

Front Yard Project Finally Underway

Starting about 10 years ago we began thinking of what we wanted the front garden to look like. It was a mass of English Ivy in an L-shaped swath that ran along the driveway, then made a sharp left (as you look down the drive) and ran along the sidewalk. Altogether, about 15 feet wide, 50 feet long and growing as deep as 4 feet in places. It was difficult to keep under control despite hacking away at its border with a heavy pair of electric shears.

There was some lawn as well and we had planted a few shrubs over the years which had done moderately well considering the quality of the soil.

Finally, about two years ago, with the rest of the house remodeled and back garden about done, we began looking seriously at doing something about the mess out front. We started by drawing up a plan and then adjusting it until it looked like our dream. Then we called a few landscape designers to have them come by and offer a bid for what we wanted done.

As the bids came in we found we needed to back off from parts of our original plan. It was just way to0 expensive. Our plans for this house have often initially been much more grandiose considering the value of the home. I mean you really do need to consider just how fancy you want things to be inside and out. If the value of the house is $300,000, will a $75,000 kitchen remodel ever be justifiable? Probably not no matter how long you live in that home. Besides, if you have that kind of money, wouldn't you be be better off buying a more expensive home?

So we adjusted our thinking, got rid of a few hardscape elements we had thought about and eventually wound up with our current plan. We're very happy with the plan and it will most definitely make a vastly improved look out front. Our neighbors will love it as it will not only improve the look of our home but increase the value of everyone else's property.

We hired Tim Singer to build the first phase of the project. He is a natural rock wall specialist. We looked at some of his projects, finished and in progress, and loved the work. His clients seemed happy with his work and best of all, his price was right.

So for the past 2 weeks Tim has been preparing the ground for his project. Moving lots of dirt, carefully checking for power, cable, phone and gas lines before going too deep with the backhoe, he is now pouring in lots of gravel, installing a 6-inch drain field and beginning to build the first rock wall. There have been a few bumps in the road like dealing with over-zealous city employees. We'd call the permit office to find out whether we needed a permit to do the project and be told that we did not. Then a guy from the permit office came out looking at where our new water meter box would go and he insisted we DID need a permit. Then Qwest came by and complained that we had cut the phone line even though no one had called them to complain about it. Turned out that we hadn't cut it and they backed off. All a little disconcerting but in the end we had some guys out from the city who were really helpful and have largely smoothed the way for us.

We are using Lummi Island stone for our walls. It is quarried from a hillside out on Lummi Island and barged over to Bellingham. A commonly used stone for walls here in the community, it is attractive and isn't real expensive. The walls should be done in the next couple of weeks. Note I said "walls." A second much shorter one will be built up higher on the hill. You can see the trench where it will be built in some of these photos. When finished there will be two terraced levels. Each will offer a brand new palette for landscaping which will begin in the Fall when the weather is cooler and plants have less tendency to go into shock as a result of the heat. Then a new lawn will be planted which will be surrounded by a decorative concrete border that will serpentine around the yard to define the lawn space and separate it from the planting beds. A low voltage lighting and drip system will run through a conduit running under the hardscape. Every plant will get just the water it needs and no water will be wasted in places where water is not needed.

So, finally, we are underway. Our home's final major project. I'll keep posting the progress as it happens.

Chef Justin Neidermeyer's Amazing Dinner

My wife and I decided to make one of our occasional trips out to Lummi Island and our favorite getaway. The Willows, a B & B and one of the best restaurants in the Pacific Northwest was our destination.

I have spoken often on this blog about the wonderful meals and relaxing stays we have had while at The Willows. But for the next few months a very special and gifted chef will be cooking up his own form of magic in the Willow's kitchen and we wanted to check him out early on in his stay. And are we glad we did!

Justin Neidermeyer, a northwest native has been spending a lot of time in Italy recently. He even owns his own home and farm in the Piemonte region. But Justin has a deep connection to the northwest restaurant scene having worked for Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita fame, and owning his own restaurant, Spinasse in Seattle. Spinasse was honored as the top new restaurant in 2009 by Seattle Magazine and was on the short list for the James Beard Award for best restaurant in America!

Surprised? Well, you shouldn't be. The Willows owner Riley Starks has always sought out top chefs to run his inn's kitchen and has had great success over the years, garnering the attention of Sunset Magazine and Gourmet Magazine with feature articles about the food and hospitality of this wonderful inn.

When we arrived Riley took us into the kitchen and introduced us to the chef. We spent a few minutes chatting and Riley even popped open a bottle of Prosecco. We toasted the new chef and to a wonderful dinner, then retired to the spacious great room overlooking the Strait of Georgia where whales play and boats of all sizes splash through the white caps and swells. It is a stunning view that changes as the day progresses and the whims of the weather dictate. We sat enjoying our glass of wine and the view until we were called to dinner.

Our table had an equally stunning view out to sea. Riley brought a basket of fresh out of the oven bread and a plate of very fine olive oil for dipping.

The first of our three courses was a platter of the last of season asparagus from Riley's Nettle's Farm up the the hill from the inn. It was served up family style as is Chef Neidermeyer's way. The asparagus was seasoned with chive flowers, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Justin's philosophy seems to be fresh, high quality foods prepared simply, a philosophy we couldn't agree with more. Along with the asparagus was an accompanying platter of thin slices of 2 year old prosciutto from one of Riley's own Mangalitsa pigs. These wonderful creatures produce a fat that is poly-unsaturated--making it actually good for you! A bit of the prosciutto on the fork and a bit of asparagus spear. Bring it slowly up to your mouth, close your eyes and let the flavors mingle. Slowly! slowly! Oh, my. This is far from a new combination of foods, but when foods of this quality, produced with such love and care come together, a whole new level of gustatory enjoyment is the result.

The second course was salmon medallions topped with a pesto sauce. Riley explained that this special salmon was a variety caught near Neah Bay that is especially high in the good fats salmon are famous for. The medallions were pan seared caramelizing the bottom of each piece which added a bit of crunch and sweetness. In the pan only for a minute, the flavor and texture was superb. Topping the fish was a simple parsley pesto made with a wonderful olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Again, the chef kept it simple and let the food speak for itself.

Along with the salmon came a side of chick peas and endive braised in a garlic and olive oil sauce. This was actually my favorite dish of the night. I like chick peas. They are great on salads or to make a hummus. But this combination of flavors kept me taking little second and third helpings. Absolutely delicious.

Our dessert course was a simple, creamy smooth panna cotta topped with a tangy fresh lemon curd. Light, cleansing--the perfect end of a perfect meal. Topped off with a cup of after dinner coffee, we watched the stunning sunset form over the Strait and chatted away with our host, catching up on his plans for the upcoming season and about our families before reluctantly taking our leave to catch the ferry home.

Don't let the summer pass without taking the short ride across Hale Passage aboard the little ferry, Whatcom Chief and the ten-minute scenic drive to The Willows. If you do you will miss an opportunity for a wonderful host, a truly gifted chef and the stunning scenery to create an absolutely unforgettable evening just for you.
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The Ship's Clock

The coolest maritime store in Bellingham is Pacific Marine down on Holly Street. It is two floors of used boating artifacts from life preservers, to fishing gear to railings to old electronics, fittings, dinghies, crab pots and on and on--you name it and you can probably find it in some form or another somewhere in this shop.

I wander through it often as the merchandise is always changing, but especially this time of year as boaters begin thinking about working on their boats or ready them for a cruise somewhere. Out with the old and in with the new. The old often finds its way to Mike's place down on Holly.

Saturday I was on my way down to work on the Key of Sea when I decided to pull over at Pacific Marine and look for a fitting that would attach my new teak flag pole to the center stanchion on the aft end of the upper deck above my cockpit. I didn't find what I was looking for right away and so I wandered up front to ask for some help.

As I walked past a glass case piled high with new arrivals, I spied the brass case shape of a ship's clock. I stopped dead in my tracks and hefted the object carefully. It had to weigh 3 or 4 pounds. Solid brass and beautiful though with much tarnish and blemishes! A passing staff person stopped and asked if they could be of help. I casually asked it the clock was for sale knowing whether or not it was it would be very expensive!

Yes, came the answer but they were not sure how much they were selling it for. Mike, the owner of the shop happened by and said, "oh, yeah, its $75."

My jaw dropped. "What's the matter with it?"

Mike explained as he began unscrewing the face of the clock to show me the innards, that the original works of the clock had been removed and replaced with a modern quartz movement, greatly diminishing its value. But the original face and hands were still in tact and it kept perfect time. Just needed a new battery. He guaranteed it would work. If it were in mint condition with the original works it might have been worth several hundred dollars.

Sold! My biggest concern was that the heavily tarnished brass case would not clean up. Back to the boat with my new found treasure. I removed the clock works and then rummaged around in the locker where I keep cleaning materials to find my brass polish. I settled into a chair in the cock pit and began methodically rubbing out the blemishes and tarnish covering the clock. After only a few minutes of cleaning I realized it was going to clean up beautifully. Above is a photo of the clock about half way through the process.

Late afternoon I went to the hardware store, bought the three screws needed to mount the clock to the bulkhead and a new "C" cell battery. I will update this entry with the finished photo when I get it mounted to the bulkhead later this week.

No it isn't perfect and it doesn't have the original wind up innards, but what a beauty just the same and no one will ever know unless I tell them. I was planning to eventually buy a new brass ship's clock with the new quartz type works because I knew I could never afford one of the heavy brass wind up type. So I got the best of the old and the new and I'm perfectly happy.

Pleasant Bay Hideaway

Today we headed southeast out across Bellingham Bay toward Chuckanut Bay and the tiny harbor of Pleasant Bay. Under way about an hour brought us to the lee of Governor's Point.

I first noticed this little spot a few years ago, long before purchasing the Key of Sea. We were visiting friends who were house sitting in a home along Chuckanut Bay. The home sat right on the water and had a sweeping 180 degree view of Chuckanut Bay. Sitting out on the deck, I noticed boats rounding a peninsula to the west and dropping anchor in a quiet little bay on the lee side of the peninsula. I just looked perfect!

So today we headed there with our friends Ken and Vicky. We slowed to enter the tiny harbor and began looking for a spot to tuck in between the other two boats currently at anchor and drop our own. We passed a power boat on our right and received a friendly wave from those aboard. We gave them a wide berth for no other reason than to gave them their privacy.

On our left a 40 foot sailboat was anchored and someone was relaxing in a hammock which was slung across the deck. A curious head raised up over the top of the hammock for a moment and then disappeared. We slowly idled past, tucked into a spot nearer shore and turned into the wind. Leslie and Ken walked out on the bow and slowly lowered the anchor off the bowsprit. The anchor hit bottom in 50 feet of water. I reversed engines attempting to get the anchor to bite into the muddy bottom. Our first attempt failed, so they brought the anchor to the surface and we tried again.

On the second attempt I felt the anchor bite and the bowsprit dip slightly. We were in. Engines were cut. For the next hour or so we continued to keep a nervous eye on our location and I set the anchor alarm on the GPS for a little insurance. Any movement more than a hundredth of a nautical mile and an alarm would sound. Eventually though, we all began to relax and enjoy the afternoon.

We fixed lunch and had a nice visit before pulling up anchor and heading north toward home. On the away in we spotted the tall ships, Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain were out having a mock cannon battle with each other. We detoured and circled the ships to get a good look.

Back in harbor I made a picture perfect landing, washed down the boat and headed home. Another great day at sea, sir! ________________________________

Torn!

So, the problem is how to sort out my time so that I am giving equally to the garden and to the boat. Tough to have so many hobbies that you just run out of time to act on them all.

This weekend was no different. The lawn needed to be mowed and the weather was perfect for doing it. But perfect weather also meant it was great for boating. Well, the boat won out this weekend definitely. In fact we spent two beautiful days on the water.

Saturday started out with a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Wepprecht's home. Great food by chef Fred and his sous chef Peggy. When the party ended we all hustled down to the harbor and aboard Key of Sea for an afternoon romp around the bay. Got back into harbor in time to wash down the boat and head home.

Mother's Day Sunday, we had reservations aboard the Victoria Star for a cruise out to Victoria, BC. Had a marvelous time and got back to B'ham about 8 pm and home with only enough time to get a load of laundry going and watch a Masterpiece Theater mystery.

The lawn is yet to be mowed. Maybe today!