We’re just back from a week of vacation. I decided to spend it free of internet connectivity and comics, and I have to say it was a lovely break. I thought I’d be twitching from withdrawal, but we were too busy for me to notice the absence.
Now, some random impressions:
- Staying in a hotel that used to be an observation facility for long-range missile testing during World War II isn’t as cool as you’d think it would be.
- Portion control is completely insane at your average family restaurant. It’s just about right at high-end eateries where, ironically, you’re paying more for considerably less food.
“White salsa” is an abomination, and it will visit my nightmares for years to come. It’s like Miracle Whip with taco mix or something, and it’s best handled by the Environmental Protection Agency, though I have no idea how they’d develop adequate disposal protocols. - When drinking with a former resident of New Orleans, don’t be foolish enough to try and keep pace. You can’t. But if you insist on trying, make sure and take some aspirin both before and after and drink lots of water.
- Sitting at the counter of a restaurant instead of at a table can result in interesting conversations. We sat next to the sommelier of the Queen Mary II during lunch one day in Charleston, S.C., and while we were unable to fully explain to him what grits are, he was happy to gossip about the gigantic ship.
- We started the trip at a randomly selected North Carolina beach, and when the name would come up later in the trip, everyone would refer to it as “very family oriented” in a slightly hushed, frightened tone. We could tell they were wondering how in the hell we wound up there and how we made it out with our sanity intact.
- Water conservation is all well and good, but I will find you completely moronic if you have a sign in the yard of your beach house espousing the virtues of water conservation right next to the automatic sprinklers that are running in the middle of a thunderstorm. And I will also wish you had a basement so it could flood.
- Wilmington, N.C., is a really pleasant little down and made for a great day trip to get away from the very family oriented beach. If you’re ever down in the historic district on the water and need lunch, go to the wine bar. They have great salads and little tapas-y type plates, but with a French feel.
- Charleston is one of the best locations we’ve found for gaping at houses we’ll never be able to afford but covet all the same.
- I’m shocked by the lack of interesting miniature golf courses in the Carolina coastal region.
- In the interest of following the “try something new during every vacation” rule, we stayed at a bed & breakfast while in Asheville, N.C. While it wasn’t a particularly unpleasant experience, it confirmed for us that we aren’t B&B people. We like big, anonymous hotels, preferably with no military history.
- Asheville is kind of charming, but it plays fast and loose with the terms “gallery,” “antique,” and “folk art.”