Sometimes even the most seasoned adventurer needs a potty break and a cold drink. This McDonalds was the first option we found at Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Oddly, this is one of my favorite random photos from this trip. I like anything with a reflection and the shapes and colors are eye catching. The world is what you make of it and you’ll see what you seek. I was looking for a picture and I found one.
What will you seek today?
You’ve likely heard the phrase “everything’s bigger in Texas.” Well, there’s a Texas based chain of gas stations that embodies this sentiment. Honestly, calling it a gas station is a gross understatement.
I encountered Buc-ee’s on our journey home from North Carolina last month. They just opened in Richmond, Kentucky this spring in one of their first ventures outside of Texas. While you may wonder why I’m telling you about a gas station, hear me out.
It’s a 53,000 square foot property with 120 gas pumps and a parking lot the size of one found at your average big box store. They employ about 230 people.
They claim to have the cleanest bathrooms in the world. I will give them that- the bathrooms are fabulous. The stall doors are real doors that go to the floor and everything is sparkling clean. The restroom is an oasis in an otherwise chaotic place.
Imagine Times Square with people in cowboy hats shouting about barbecue. Imagine a playground full of six year olds at recess with carts full of camping supplies, souvenir t-shirts and home decor in tow. Imagine a Madi Gras parade with a giant beaver mascot wandering past a wall of beef jerkey, refrigerators of assorted pudding parfaits, and an overwhelming variety of jams, baked goods and potato chips. There’s a burrito bar, fresh made sandwiches and nearly any kind of candy you could want.
It’s a sight to behold.
Vegetarians are not their target market but I was able to get a giant veggie burrito and a pretty little cup of banana pudding with real bananas cut up in it. And yes, I even found a couple of books that were signed by the author.
It’s one of those places everyone should experience at least once because it’s difficult to comprehend without seeing it for yourself. My introverted self was ready to go within fifteen minutes but I’m glad I went.
Also note that the construction of this gas station caused the State of Kentucky to create a new exit, install a traffic light and build a roundabout. A state had to alter its transportation plan for a gas station.
Buc-ees is located along I-75 near Richmond, Kentucky. Learn more about them at their website.
If you’re in Asheville, North Carolina and craving some really great Italian, check out Vinnie’s. This locally owned restaurant has an old school vibe with classic dishes in a fun environment.
Red leather booths, dim lighting, a fabulous bar, and great music (think Sinatra and “Mack the Knife”) make for a neighborhood vibe that makes you want to linger. I almost expected to see some gangsters at a booth in the corner.
The owner and chef grew up in New York City, patronizing neighborhood restaurants that were known for their family recipes and warm atmosphere. When he realized that Asheville was lacking old school Italian, he opened Vinnie’s, placing as much emphasis on atmosphere as on the food.
The result is fantastic. The service was great, the portions huge and delicious.
We ate inside but they have outdoor seating too. Want to see the menu or learn more? Click here!
If you’re lucky, once in a while you will be going about your business when something truly special steps into your path and begs for attention.
That happened to me this weekend while visiting cemeteries with my parents in Morgan County, Ohio. My uncle is buried in a cemetery that sits just below a little white church on a hill. It has been abandoned for as long as anyone can remember. From the cemetery you can just catch a glimpse of the top of the church through overgrown brush and trees.
This place has long captivated my imagination. It was a mystery waiting to be solved. Sadly, it was long unattainable because I wasn’t crazy enough to brave the snakes and poison ivy just to climb the hill for a look.
This time was a completely different experience because someone had cut back the brush on the bank, creating a rough trail all the way to the front door. It was like they knew I was coming.
You can bet I abandoned my parents at the cemetery and scurried right up to the top for a look. The clearing was small, the stone porch steps have shifted but the inside was eerily intact. It looks like the congregation of Pleasant Hill Methodist Church just closed the door and walked away.
Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust and the piano is in rough shape. The floor seems sturdy and most of the glass windows are intact. The light in there was breathtaking that afternoon. I was in awe of how the light played on those dusty old wood pews.
Describing the physical experience of seeing the old pews in the light of a late May Sunday is the easy part of this story. What’s a little harder to describe is the most important part of the experience.
Most history buffs will understand when I say that some places feel special. They feel like important things have gone on inside. They feel like there’s a layer of time as thick as the dust on those pews that can only be felt rather than seen. They feel alive.
I had the strangest sensation that I was not alone in that 1889 era church. It was as though there was some unseen event taking place just beyond my line of sight. I could feel the energy of a congregation. That piano sat silent for me but still seemed full of energy.
In another time, someone pounded those keys to the tune of an old hymn like “Mansion Over The Hilltop” while an elderly preacher gripped his Bible and studied the faces of his congregation as they sang along.
I felt like an intruder and yet, didn’t feel unwelcome. I simply didn’t belong. It was an odd sensation. Unsettling but special. If I could just turn my head fast enough, I was convinced there was a church full of people just behind me.
This is why I adventure, friends. This sort of thing happens so rarely but the promise of the opportunity to experience a place so unusual is one of the things that keeps me looking.