Mother Strong Tail

Sunday, May 17, 2026

How time flies. It was already the last day of our trip.

Since we were flying out of Raleigh-Durham the following morning, we decided to spend the day in Raleigh and stay near the airport that night.

After packing everything up and loading the car, we met our friends at Scrambled Southern Diner. We had eaten there before, and it was every bit as good as I remembered. I had the traditional eggs Benedict and loved it, while Sophon went with biscuits and gravy.

From there, we drove to the Fairfield Inn near RDU, where the girls met us before we all headed over to Dorothea Dix Park to see the giant wooden sculptures known as the Trolls. These larger-than-life figures are mythical guardians of the forest and were created from reclaimed materials, including pallets, fallen branches and old shipping materials. I loved the idea that things that might otherwise have been discarded could be transformed into art.

I enjoyed walking through the park and finding the different trolls, but I have to admit, I am not used to the humidity. It was hot and sticky, and I struggled with it more than I expected. Continue reading →

Lexington BBQ

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Our friends picked us up, and we headed to Lexington BBQ. When we arrived, it wasn’t too busy, but that changed quickly. Before long, the place had filled up.

I often think barbecue is underrated. Too often, we equate it with backyard grilling, but real barbecue is an art. It is meat smoked low and slow, and there is nothing better than really good barbecue.

North Carolina takes barbecue very seriously. While Texas focuses more on beef and dry rubs, pork and vinegar-based sauces take center stage in North Carolina. Even within the state, there are regional differences. Lexington-style barbecue, also known as Piedmont or Western-style barbecue, usually adds a little tomato to the vinegar-based sauce.

When it comes to barbecue, the sides are almost as important as the meat. At Lexington BBQ, they offer free refills on the hush puppies. Everything was delicious, and the hush puppies were the best I had ever had.

After lunch, we walked around downtown Lexington. We got a kick out of the artistically decorated pigs scattered throughout the city. We also stopped in a Southern grocery store that felt like a step back in time. They had old-school candy, including Bit-O-Honey, which I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. They also had refrigerators full of pimento cheese, which felt very appropriate for where we were.

Did I mention I love pimento cheese? Continue reading →

Friday, May 15, 2026

We checked out of our hotel and headed to Corner Kitchen for brunch. We had eaten there the other night and wanted to go back to try their brunch menu. Despite it being a weekday, we weren’t the only ones waiting for the restaurant to open.

They seated us upstairs, and after we ordered, I noticed that the table next to us had little brass plaques on the corners. I read the one closest to me, and it said “Michelle Obama, April 24, 2010.” Needless to say, the other plaque had Barack Obama’s name on it.

Brunch was awesome. We started with deviled eggs, I had the chicken sandwich, and Sophon had shrimp and grits. If I didn’t have to drive back to Greensboro, I would have ordered a Bloody Mary.

Before leaving Asheville, I wanted to make one final stop. Our GuideAlong app had highly recommended the Folk Art Center. Normally, this isn’t the kind of stop I would go out of my way for, but the app made it sound worthwhile. I am glad we stopped. There were definitely a few things I wanted to buy, but I kept reminding myself that I am supposed to be getting rid of stuff, not accumulating more of it.

Afterward, we headed back to Greensboro. It was about a two-and-a-half-hour drive. We arrived at our hotel around 2:00, but our room wasn’t ready yet, so we drove around the area for a bit. I also stopped at Costco to fill up the gas tank. Continue reading →

May 14th, 2026

After visiting the arboretum, we drove south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and once again, it was extremely enjoyable. There is something about that drive that makes you want to keep pulling over, slowing down, and taking it all in.

Eventually, we made our way to Brevard and stopped at Pisgah Bakehouse for a late lunch. It is an artisan bakery known for its gourmet pizzas and breads, and it turned out to be another great meal on a trip that had been full of them.

I wasn’t expecting a bakehouse in a small, rural town to have such good pizza and bread, but they absolutely did. Continue reading →

Thursday, May 14, 2026

We had considered taking the hop-on, hop-off Gray Line Trolley Tour in Asheville, but decided against it. Those tours can be a great way to get an overview of a city, but Asheville isn’t exactly huge, and we felt like we had already seen enough of it on our own.

Instead, we planned a morning at the North Carolina Arboretum, with a quick detour into Pisgah National Forest to see Looking Glass Falls. But first, breakfast.

We stopped at a place called Flour, known for its Southern biscuits. As I enjoyed every single bite of my breakfast biscuit sandwich, I found myself wondering: if I lived here, would I ever get tired of Southern food? Could I resist places like this — and Hot Fish — a few times a week? More importantly, how much weight would I gain?

After breakfast, we headed toward Pisgah National Forest. Looking Glass Falls was an easy stop, and we spent about half an hour there taking pictures and enjoying the scenery before continuing on to the North Carolina Arboretum.

We arrived around 9:00 AM, which meant the grounds were open, but the visitor center and gift shops were not. It was a chilly, somewhat windy morning as we started wandering through the gardens. At one point, a woman with a large dog stopped to chat with us and casually mentioned that she had just seen a bear behind the education center. I wasn’t sure if she was warning us or simply making conversation. Continue reading →

Thursday, May 13, 2026

In the morning, I got caught up on a few work-related items and then went to Good Hot Fish, an acclaimed local restaurant, where I had boiled peanuts as one of my sides. I had seen boiled peanuts at a few stops and had heard they were a regional specialty. As an avid fan of peanut butter, I figured I was either going to love them or despise them.

I loved the flavor, but getting the soft peanut out of the soggy shell was nothing short of a huge mess. I knew I was doing something wrong. They sell these at convenience stores and gas stations, and I certainly wouldn’t try eating them in my car. I wish I had watched a few YouTube videos first on how to eat them without looking like a Yankee.

After lunch, we decided to see the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile national parkway stretching along the Blue Ridge Mountains through North Carolina and Virginia.

We started at the visitor center and asked whether we should go north or south. We were told we would see more by going north. The ranger highlighted sections of the parkway that were closed due to Hurricane Helene, and then handed us the map and sent us on our way!  We went back to the car and turned on our GuideAlong app and headed out. Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

After driving through McDonald’s for our morning coffee, we spent the day sightseeing with a GuideAlong driving tour through the Smoky Mountains, eventually making our way into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The tour started in Cherokee, North Carolina, about an hour from our hotel and near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It felt like we saw everything that day: beautiful overlooks, waterfalls, deer, elk, and bears. What more can you ask for on a tour?

The Smoky Mountains were beautiful. Although there were some clouds, the weather cooperated. We hiked up to the highest summit and went to the top of the lookout tower. The GuideAlong tour guide said that on a clear day, you can see seven different states: Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. I’m not sure how many we could actually see, but the views were impressive.

On the other side of the national park are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where we stopped for lunch. The only thing I really knew about Pigeon Forge was that it was home to Dollywood. Continue reading →