Beach Bums!

The husband, "Barbie" and I are going to the beach on November 21!!

Our first stop will be lunch in Shelby or Gastonia for some real barbeque.  That would be 'que without tomato sauce and prepared Eastern North Carolina style.  For those of you who don't understand the conflict of Eastern vs Western North Carolina BBQ, let me help you.  It is all a matter of taste, sauces and slow cookin'.  Even though the husband and I grew up in the mountains, we want that good ol' Eastern 'que.  Contests are held yearly to find the most perfect 'que in the state.  Magazines, like Our State, http://www.ourstate.com can't publish enough articles on "where to find the best".  Even books, one of the latest tomes, THE BEST TARHEEL BARBEQUE, cannot pinpoint but can only suggest. Wedding receptions are frequently held at local barbeque eateries.  One of Clyde Edgerton's most hiliarious books, RANEY, staged the rehearsal dinner with barbeque, checkered tablecloths and hay bales.But it is more what happened than what is served in this Eastern North Carolina town. www.clydeedgerton.com

Okay, got a little off course.  We will let you know all the places we eat and rate them on the zappo scale of service.

Our first night will be in the quaint town of Southport, North Carolina and we are staying at one of the bed and breakfast inns.  http://www.loisjanes.com  Southport is a very old community and mostly revolves around fishing. If you check the link, you can discover a lot more about Southport and the role Fort Fisher played in the War of Northern Aggression.

The remainder of our vacation will be spent in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This hotel with all oceanfront rooms is located in a quiet residential area of North Myrtle.  Sister and I found it years ago when the name was Sea Island Inn.  The privacy and the sounds of the ocean keep bringing us back.  There are no rides, shops, theaters or even other hotels for some distance.  The hotel has an excellent restaurant and does not permit sloppy beach attire or jeans for dinner dining.  One night we will be dressing for dinner, just like a date!  http://www.islandvista.com

An afternoon will be spent in Murrells Inlet, about an hour from our hotel, where we are dining on oyster roasts at Nance's.  www.nancescreekfrontrestaurant.com  Proper attire here would be jeans and a large bib.  The husband introduced me to this delicacy many years ago.  Murrells Inlet is an interesting area and a salt marsh nature preserve.  www.murrellsinletsc.com/history.html

It sounds like all we are going to do on this vacation is eat.  And there is a problem with that???  We will keep you updated.  Island Vista has a beachcam so you can see the ocean and the daily weather.  More as it happens...