And home again

Yesterday was the return to New York.  We filled our last morning with my Dad with a trip to the Natural Science Center, which afforded unexpected opportunities to see lemurs, tigers, and a very fashionable giant anteater.  Jane will have to post those pictures since she was more patient about staking out the best shots.  Waiting for our flight at RDU, I was overcome by the end-of-vacation melancholy and nostalgia for the vacation.  I do love my home state and it was fun driving all over it. I especially loved being there with Jane and finding out there there  things that we want to come back again to do.  (Nantahala, Penland, More time in Asheville, and the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro are all on the list.) The return home is always bumpy. 

Here is a shot of the jellies and sauces that we acquired.  Left to right, we have fig jam made by Katy, cinnamon flavored syrup, black bear jelly, bread and butter pickles from a farm stand outside Blowing Rock, lemon tahini from a market in Boylan Heights, Raleigh, frog jam and blackberry jelly from the farm stand.

Savoring the final moments

The Greenville Drive beat the Greensboro Grasshopper 8-4.  It was sad to watch the home team lose, but it was a great game with lots of exciting moments.  The night we were there was Eighties Music Night AND Fireworks Night, which meant a dramatic presentation to a soundtrack that included several Huey Lewis and the News tracks.  Jane declared Guilford the Grasshopper the best mascot we had seen and I had to agree. He was accommodating to grown ups who like ball park mascots, flirtatious with the fans without being creepy, and businesslike about fan encounters without seeming jaded.  If you can say that about a person in a giant grasshopper suit.

Game changer

The barbecue at the Hoppers Stadium features both the Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. And they ship. How did we not know about this?

Last game of the vacation

After stopping in Lexington to sample the BBQ Center we are watching the Greensboro Grasshoppers play the Greenville Drive. The Drive is ahead 4-2 but the Hoppers are holding their own.

BBQ Center, Lexington

Anyone who talks about North Carolina barbecue for more than 30 seconds will reference the Lexington style, and anyone mentioning Lexington will make note of BBQ Center, a pork valhalla with red vinyl booths.

The pork comes finely or coarsely chopped or sliced, presauced only. This leads to a differential from the top to bottom of your tray, with the top lightly spritzed with a vinegar/pepper/tomato dip but the underpieces simply smokey and moist. My coarse chopped tray was downright juicy.

The slaw is red, which means mixed with ketchup. I'm not a fan but it's a little healthier than mayo and it matches the pork well. This actually is the only place we had hushpuppies and not cornbread. They were oblong, crispy and a little sweet but of medium density.

If one had the stamina, the place offered hardcore milkshakes and banana splits.

Local color

The vegetarian won the hot wing eating contest.

If only it were true

Jane is writing a post about going to 12 Bones today. I will just add this detail about the sign hanging in the bathroom... right next to a fun house mirror that makes everyone look remarkably svelte.