Approved!

Posted on March 6, 2014March 6, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Hurray It’s Approved! My boss approved my vacation time so it’s official, I can really count on heading to Tennessee in May.

So far I ‘ve got a at least 1 day in Dollywood with a ride on the Dollywood Express, a day exploring the trolley routes of downtown Gatlinburg and a day sampling moonshine and whiskey.

Along with the liquid treats my cousin recommended an restaurant called The Greenbrier Restaurant . http://www.greenbrierrestaurant.com/ It’s billed as a romantic, fine dining establishment.

Well since I’ll be alone we can skip the romance but I like the fine dining description and I loved the menu. Two of my very favorite things are on it. I could make a meal of just the appetizers, My favorite: Escargot Ala Bourguignon French selects served in mushroom caps and simmering garlic butter. I’ve never had them served in mushroom caps but I like mushrooms so should be yummy.

The main course is bound to be just as good : Lobster Tail

One Tail or Two ? Steamed and served with lemon wedges and drawn butter.

Who would think that someone from Massachusetts would always be on the lookout for lobster tails when I’m surrounded by Maine lobster all the time. Well, they are not the same and (I’ll probably have to hide out after this comment) I like the tails better than Maine Lobster. There I said it. My New England Yankee card will probably be revoked. I don’t dislike Maine Lobster I just prefer the Langoustines , those big , juicy tails usually served on the shell. They are a different animal and more common in the south. When I was growing up in upstate New York the frozen variety was more common than the live Maine lobsters. I imagine that’s changed now. Every high end restaurant seems to have a lobster tank.

Now I’m hungry and it isn’t even noon yet!

Anyway the same cousin that tipped me to the restaurant also gave me a link to a train ride out of Chattanooga. http://www.tvrail.com/pages/etowah-train-rides-train-excursions-in-Tennessee Known as the Hiwassee River rail Adventure it sounds perfect. The ride is described as the historic Hiwassee River Rail Adventure scenic rail excursion through the unspoiled Cherokee National Forest, along beautiful and scenic Hiwassee River, and through the secluded Hiwassee River Gorge. It leaves from Etowah. My only decision is do I do the short or long version?

I think I’m leaning toward the all day trip but I’m open to suggestions too.

Dreaming the Hawaiian Life

Posted on January 23, 2014January 23, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Since my 2 vacations in Hawaii the idea of living there is never far from my mind. Lately I’ve been missing Hawaii even more because there’s a great show about Hawaiian Real Estate on HGTV.

Hawaii is known to be an expensive place to live. As an island everything has to be brought in from the mainland. One of the largest and oldest cattle ranches in the United States is located on the Big Island. Known as the Parker Ranch is was founded in 1847, almost 30 years before most of the southwestern ranches on the mainland.

The ranch is a working cattle ranch even today and is now run by a charitable trust. The Ranch owns approximately 26,000 head of cattle, mostly Angus and Charolais breeds, with 17,000 pastured on the Ranch at any given time. The rest are in pasture or feedlots on the mainland. With about 300 breeding bulls, the cowherd is divided into two breeding seasons, winter and summer, with about 50% of the herd in each season.

When we visited the Big Island we drove past sections of the Parker Ranch but we didn’t take time for the tours.

One night we stopped at a local grocery and bought a steak to grill. Since we were on vacation I didn’t hesitate to buy it but I did notice it was expensive. It surprised me since we’d just heard about how big the Parker Ranch was and how much cattle was raised there.

Never being shy, we asked about the high price of beef and milk and were told that the Parker Ranch sends just about all of it’s beef cattle to the mainland for slaughter and then the butchered meat is shipped back. That extra step is the added cost but I will tell you it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. Well worth the extra money.

Back to the show, Hawaii Life, I was surprised that they show case many affordable homes less than $500,000. It looks like the real estate market is comparable to the Boston market. Of course , there are the million dollar homes too. 🙂

Anyway, in our meeting yesterday at work, our manager said the company is planning to expand into Hawaii. Of course that is on the drawing board and no one knows how soon it will actually happen, but maybe my dream of living there isn’t so far fetched after all!

Another Wordless Wednesday

Posted on November 27, 2013November 27, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Wisconsin

Posted on November 2, 2013November 2, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Land of the Cheese. I’m going to say yes but I probably should say no. I didn’t get much sight seeing done as I was only there a few days. I think I may have touched on the visit when talking about Illinois and Chicago O’hare International Airport. So rather than repeat myself; let’s just say it’s the journey, not the destination!

My brother retired from the Navy at the base in Wisconsin. He was stationed there and living in Kenosha so I had the chance to fly in for the ceremony and visit his home and that was about it. I’m sure there’s so much more to the state so let’s see what I can dig up.

Wisconsin shares it’s shores with Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, 2 of the largest of the 5 great lakes. In size Lake Superior is #1, Lake Michigan is #3, right behind Lake Heron.

Seems to me Lake Superior deserves a visit. It’s the largest freshwater body in the world and a great place to visit would be The Apostle Islands. 22 islands strewn over 450 square miles, they range from tiny Gull island (3 acres) to 10,000 acre Stockton Island.

Heading south from the Great Lakes you’ll find the famous cheese country from Monroe to Mineral Point. Here the rolling hills and river valleys attracted dairy farmers starting in the 1800’s. Today it is the heartland of Wisconsin’s dairyland where cheese making remains a generations-old fine art.

In Ontario, Wisconsin you can explore the “Driftless area” all serpentine valleys, crooked rivers, craggy bluffs and limestone. The Kickapoo River best characterizes this geology. Sometimes called the “crookedest river in the nation”. One of the oldest river systems in the world, the Kickapoo winds for 120 miles to cover a 65 mile distance. It’s a lazy spring-fed river of easy paddling except during the spring run off.

Running from Prairie du Chien to Prescott is the Great River Road or at least part of it. The 250 miles is only a fraction of the whole byway running the length of the Mississippi River. This stretch slaloms between the Mississippi and it’s towering bluffs. The road will take you through sleepy river towns, past busy barge traffic, braided backwaters, wildlife preserves and birds, birds, birds. This is part of the Mississippi Flyway. More than 40% of the Nation’s waterfowl and shorebirds pass this way.

In the southern end of the state, not far from Chicago, Illinois is Lake Geneva. The area has a resort-like feel and attracts vacationers from all over. The lake is a pristine spring-fed lake 22 miles in circumference. Being only 10 miles from the state line you can see how it would attract city weary residents of Chicago.

There’s more, from the North Country to Circus World, Amish settlements to Madison’s Dane County Farmers’ Market but I’ll leave some of that for another time.

The count is now 21/ 28. Only one more state to go.

It’s Apple Pickin’ Season

Posted on September 29, 2013September 29, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As you know I am not a food blogger. I can cook but I like basic , home style cooking. I’m happy with meatloaf and mashed potatoes instead of chicken cordon bleu. That said I felt I had to share this recipe. Although you can certainly make it all year round, I tend to think of it when the fresh apples abound. So here it is. Enjoy

Apple Pancake

1/2 cup flower (I like Bisquick but any all purpose flower will work)
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 large or 2 medium size apples (Granny smith, Macintosh are great…cortlands tend to get a bit mushy)
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside

Whisk flour, milk and eggs together until smooth. Melt butter in cast iron skillet (this is essential). Remove from heat. Pour mixture into skillet. Peal and thinly slice the apples. Place on top of mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of that. Bake 20 minutes.

Enjoy.

Additional Tips and comments:

You can serve with syrup but I don’t think it needs it. I don’t peel the apples either as I like the skins. If you use a stick margarine or butter you get a crispier crust than with a whipped margarine. That’s also the theory behind the cast iron pan. You could use a pie plate but you won’t get as much “crisp.”