Q: Best of Eastern Canada Road Trip

Bill and I love Road Trips. We plan them out so there’s a short-ish drive each day between places where we want to spend more time. On this trip, we began in Thunder Bay, Ontario and ended the Canadian part of our trip in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We planned on spending three or four nights in most places. We also like staying in the “old”, more historic part of cities. I’m talking originally walled areas. Links to posts about each place we stopped, inclding image/video galleries: Thunder Bay Sault Ste. Marie Toronto Old Montreal City Old Quebec City Prince Edward Island (includes Charlottetown) Halifax After Novia Scotia, we headed south through New England, stoped to visit family in Western MA, and then back to NC. This post has links to more detailed information about each location, most with two seperate Galleries: “See n Do” and “Eats n Drinks“. Links are found by clicking each Marker on the map. It’s been a job putting all of this together. I hope you enjoy exploring Eastern Canada as much as we did!

Q: Toronto

I’m SO glad we added another day and night to our Toronto stop. There are so many sights and activities. We squeezed as many in as possible, but we’ll need to go again some time. Being first time visitors, we did “all the usual tourist things”. Went up in CN Tower went to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada,(the BEST I’ve ever seen!), checked out the Museum of Illusions, Distillery Historic District, took a scenic cruise of the harbour and islands, and more. Pro Tip: We stayed at a hotel well out of downtown. They offered a free shuttle to the airport, which we took every day. From the airport, we took the train into the heart of downtown Toronto. Easy peasy and low cost! See n Do Eats n Drinks

Q: Old Montreal City

Old Montreal, aka “Vieux Montréal” is an easily walkable city! There are some streets/alleys that are closed to vehicles, so foot traffic only. Historic and modern buildings mix together seamlessly. Plenty of quality restaurants, bars, and coffee shops are throughout the city, but Place Jaques-Cartier is a gorgeous walkable “square” with government buildings and a large statue at one end and the St Lawrence Riverfront a few steps from the other. We loved the rooftop restaurants, historic buildings, and the fun Old Port on the waterfront. Pro Tip – If you’re into cool Speakeasys or Bars, find the Coldroom. It’s hidden entrance (Rue Saint-Amable x Rue Saint-Vincent – SHHHH!) and history are fascinating! Find the unmarked Black Door in a brick wall and ring the buzzer. Someone will come, open it, and walk you down into what was once a cold storage warehouse. Pro Tip – Parking in Old Town can be a nightmare. Valet your vehicle if possible and head out on foot. See n Do Eats n Drinks

Q: Thunder Bay

After our daughter’s northern Minnissota wedding, we drove into Canada mid-day and spent the rest of the day in Thunder Bay, leaving first thing the next morning. Even though our time was limited, we had a great time exploring the marina, Marina Park, and the International Tai Chi Park. Finding Lakehead Beer Co a couple blocks off the waterfront was a nice surprise. Both the food and brews were terrific.

Q: Do This Before International Travel

Planning International Travel? If you don’t have it already, apply for the Trusted Traveler Program “Global Entry“. Basically, Global Entry is TSA PreCheck on steroids and specifically for international travel. In fact, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, which runs $80 for 5 years. So why not when Global Entry is $100 for 5 years. WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN Basically, it’s a go-to-the-head-of-the-line pass for quick re-entry to the US after international travel. When I re-entered the US via Newark, I moved ahead of a couple of hundred people using Global Entry. BENEFITS No processing lines No paperwork Access to expedited entry benefits in other countries Available at major U.S. airports Reduced wait times TSA Pre✓® Eligibility The application process is done almost completely online. After you are “Conditionally Approved” online, you log back in to your account and schedule a 15 minute in-person interview. Interviews are usually in an office at an airport that services international flights. They ask you a few questions, take your picture for facial recognition, and fingerprints. IMPORTANT: Interviews are HARD TO GET, but doable, at this time. Plan WAY ahead and make your appointment online after finding a location, date, and time that works for you. If you can’t get an appointment, you can do it at the airport as you return from your first international flight after being “Conditionally Approved”. HELPFUL LINKS Global Entry Overview: https://www.cbp.gov/…/trusted-traveler…/global-entry Benefits: https://www.cbp.gov/…/trusted…/global-entry/benefits How to Apply: https://www.cbp.gov/…/trusted…/global-entry/how-apply

Question 1

Favorite Speakeasy to Date!

Accepted Answer

Four of us wrapped up our Colonial Williamsburg trip in the most wonderful way at The Study, a speakeasy dripping in warm, cozy ambiance and mixologist-level cocktails.
It&#8217;s reservation only for the limited seating space tucked away behind an unassuming, yet hinting at elegance, frosted-glass door in the back corner of Amber Ox Public House, 525 Prince George Street, Williamsburg, VA.
We called ahead to verify some details we&#8217;d read on The Study web page. It&#8217;s not completely current, so if you&#8217;re concerned about not making it to, or canceling your reservation, call to verify current rules.
What is accurate, at least when we went, is that there&#8217;s a dedicated Menu for The Study. You can&#8217;t order from the Amber Ox menu. We had quite a variety of food preferences in our group, so we chose to have dinner somewhere else and head to The Study afterwards for drinks. We would have ordered from the Amber Ox menu if it had been available.
Check in at Amber Ox&#8217;s front desk. You&#8217;ll be escorted to The Study&#8217;s door. It&#8217;ll be opened from the inside and you&#8217;ll be welcomed in.
We were each greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne. Such a nice touch! I&#8217;m not sure if everyone&#8217;s greeted this way, or it was a one-off? I asked and our server said, &#8220;It&#8217;s just for you&#8221;, but her tone could have been interpreted as serious or joking. We just went with it.
Of note was their bartender&#8217;s willingness to accept my &#8220;surprise me&#8221; cocktail request. What showed up was absolutely fantastic. So much so, another in our party ordered the same thing. It was made with Mexico City Extra Dry Gin &#8220;Condesa Gin Clásica&#8220;, a little lemon juice, other mystery ingredients, and a &#8220;Butterfly Drip&#8220;, garnished with a sprig of thyme, edible snapdragon bloom, and above & beyond detailed lemon peel (see gallery). Buterfly Drip refers to a color-changing effect caused by butterfly pea flower extract when it reacts with citrus, shifting from blue to purple.
Amazingly, we had the place to ourselves the entire evening. As time went on, we kept noticing playful design touches, one after the other. Just one of the things that made this such a fun time.
Service was impeccable. Based on what I observed, I&#8217;m confident service would be similar with more patrons on hand.

Question 2

Best of Eastern Canada Road Trip

Accepted Answer

Bill and I love Road Trips. We plan them out so there&#8217;s a short-ish drive each day between places where we want to spend more time. On this trip, we began in Thunder Bay, Ontario and ended the Canadian part of our trip in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We planned on spending three or four nights in most places. We also like staying in the &#8220;old&#8221;, more historic part of cities. I&#8217;m talking originally walled areas.
Links to posts about each place we stopped, inclding image/video galleries:
Thunder Bay
Sault Ste. Marie
Toronto
Old Montreal City
Old Quebec City
Prince Edward Island (includes Charlottetown)
Halifax
After Novia Scotia, we headed south through New England, stoped to visit family in Western MA, and then back to NC.
This post has links to more detailed information about each location, most with two seperate Galleries: &#8220;See n Do&#8221; and &#8220;Eats n Drinks&#8220;. Links are found by clicking each Marker on the map.
It&#8217;s been a job putting all of this together. I hope you enjoy exploring Eastern Canada as much as we did!

Question 3

Halifax

Accepted Answer

Boy, did we have fun in Halifax! Again, parked the car and walked everywhere. We found a favorite Pub, Coffee Shop, Beer Garden, and place to hang out on the terrific waterfront boardwalk. Loved the adirondack chairs and hammocks.
The Brown Hound Ironstone Public House had so much of the original character, if felt as if we&#8217;d stepped back in time.
Halifax was the one place we did a commercial tour, taking in the sights on land and sea from an amphibious Harbour Hopper. We&#8217;d done one of these tours eons ago with visiting friends in Seattle. Thoroughly enjoyed it and learned, among other things, about the incredible Halifax Explosion of 1917 that killed nearly 2,000 people, injured 9,000, and caused a tsunami. Damage was equivalent to a small nuclear bomb of today exploding.
See n Do

Eats n Drinks

Question 4

Prince Edward Island

Accepted Answer

The drive to Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Charlottetown, where we stayed at the Prince Street Suites, was full of gorgeous scenery. The 8 mile long Confederation Bridge felt like it went on forever, but we didn&#8217;t mind. It was actually fun.
We walked everywhere we wanted to go in Charlottetown: the Marina, restaurants, coffee shop, and a brewery.
The island is home to lots and lots of farmland,  (Ann of) Green Gables Visitor Centre and absolutely gorgeous, wild coastline.
See n Do

Eats n Drinks

Question 5

Toronto

Accepted Answer

I&#8217;m SO glad we added another day and night to our Toronto stop. There are so many sights and activities. We squeezed as many in as possible, but we&#8217;ll need to go again some time.
Being first time visitors, we did &#8220;all the usual tourist things&#8221;. Went up in CN Tower went to Ripley&#8217;s Aquarium of Canada,(the BEST I&#8217;ve ever seen!), checked out the Museum of Illusions, Distillery Historic District, took a scenic cruise of the harbour and islands, and more.
Pro Tip: We stayed at a hotel well out of downtown. They offered a free shuttle to the airport, which we took every day. From the airport, we took the train into the heart of downtown Toronto. Easy peasy and low cost!
See n Do

Eats n Drinks

Question 6

Old Quebec City

Accepted Answer

If I had to choose only one place to visit in Eastern Canada, it would be Quebec City. I mean the entire city (Old Quebed, Lower Town) oozes history and ambiance! We walked The Battlefields Park, climbed up the redoubt & checked out the stone wall that had protected the city and The Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site, rode the Funicular down to Lower Town for snacks & drinks, and then back up again.
Loved walking all the streets and checking out the shops. Especially enjoyed taking everything in when we went inside the Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec. On one nice day, we spent time on the Dufferin Terrace overlooking the river. It&#8217;s an absolutely gorgeous city with something special around every corner.
There were lots of great dining options. We particularly liked Restaurant Ophelia.
And we watched a pro pour a pint of Guiness the the official way. They say you should order your second when you&#8217;re part way through your first, depending on how fast you&#8217;re drinking, so you don&#8217;t have to wait. 🙂
See n Do

Eats n Drinks

Question 7

Old Montreal City

Accepted Answer

Old Montreal, aka &#8220;Vieux Montréal&#8221; is an easily walkable city! There are some streets/alleys that are closed to vehicles, so foot traffic only. Historic and modern buildings mix together seamlessly. Plenty of quality restaurants, bars, and coffee shops are throughout the city, but Place Jaques-Cartier is a gorgeous walkable &#8220;square&#8221; with government buildings and a large statue at one end and the St Lawrence Riverfront a few steps from the other.
We loved the rooftop restaurants, historic buildings, and the fun Old Port on the waterfront.
Pro Tip &#8211; If you&#8217;re into cool Speakeasys or Bars, find the Coldroom. It&#8217;s hidden entrance (Rue Saint-Amable x Rue Saint-Vincent &#8211; SHHHH!) and history are fascinating! Find the unmarked Black Door in a brick wall and ring the buzzer. Someone will come, open it, and walk you down into what was once a cold storage warehouse.
Pro Tip &#8211; Parking in Old Town can be a nightmare. Valet your vehicle if possible and head out on foot.
See n Do

Eats n Drinks

Question 8

Sault Ste. Marie

Accepted Answer

Another one night stop after Thunder Bay, in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, USA is right across the St Marys River.
We spent quite a bit of time exploring the Canal District, but before choosing a spot for drinks and another for dinner, we wanted to see if we could see the Sault Ste. Marie Canal and the Soo Locks on the US side.

So we walked across the Sault Ste. Marie Canal over what were non-operational locks, then hiked the Whitefish Island Indian Reserve trails until we finally reached the East Viewing Platform. Then we hiked on to two more viewing platforms and got as good a view of the US locks as possible. We been up close to them on the US side during a previous trip. Completely amazing how HUGE the ships are that go through those things!
A note of caution, I wouldn&#8217;t recommend walking around on the Whitefish Island Indian Reserve in the dark, expecially by yourself. No signs and a little creepy.
We had a late 9pm delicious dinner at the Mill Steakhouse and Wine Bar. After dinner drinks were at the Steamfitters Lounge.
https://vimeo.com/1160658576?fl=ip&#038;fe=ec

Question 9

Thunder Bay

Accepted Answer

After our daughter&#8217;s northern Minnissota wedding, we drove into Canada mid-day and spent the rest of the day in Thunder Bay, leaving first thing the next morning. Even though our time was limited, we had a great time exploring the marina, Marina Park, and the International Tai Chi Park.
Finding Lakehead Beer Co a couple blocks off the waterfront was a nice surprise. Both the food and brews were terrific.

Question 10

Getaway to Charming Galena, Illinois

Accepted Answer

The time we spent on our recent getaway roadtrip to Galena, IL via Columbus, IN, flew by way too quickly! We broke the drive into two days there, two days back, spending a night at the Holiday Inn Columbus each way.
COLUMBUS
Wouldn&#8217;t normally mention the hotel, but it was exceptional. There&#8217;s a nice outdoor pool, decor was fresh and interesting, and the open-air, cozy mezzanine bar was terrific. We actually had dinner there both nights. Pizza both times,because it was good, but they have salads, burgers & more.
You can learn a lot talking to bartenders. For instance, among the fine lineup behind the bar were whiskeys and distilleries I&#8217;d never hear about: Heaven Hill Distillery, Hard Truth Distilling Co, Angels Envy Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery (named after Master Distiller Nearest Green, the first known African-American master distiller), and MGP Distillery. MGP dates from the early to mid 1800&#8217;s, is one of the biggest distilleries in the country, and is behind more than 50 whiskey brands that they don&#8217;t publicly discuss.
She also told us some interesting things about the town of Columbus and a couple of annual events held there that sounded great: Ethnic Expo and State Street Taco Tour. Both are food events.
GALENA
Charming, historic Galena, IL is a testament to maintaining the heart and soul of an idea that began in the early 1800&#8217;s, when in 1818 John Tyler Armstrong built a cabin on the east bank of the Fever River (now mostly known as the Galena River). It was the first recorded permanent settlement on the Fever River. Streets and lots were first laid out as early as 1826 by Lieutenant Thomas.
Interesting to note, the river used to be much bigger. By the 1850s, Galena was the busiest port between St. Paul and St. Louis often boasting as many as fifteen steamboats at a time docked along Water Street. Over time, the river&#8217;s gotten much smaller due to settling silt and sediment that flowed down reiver over time. During mining years, the river was dredged so larger boats could still reach the docks for loads of lead.
The Galena Chamber of Commerce was established in 1838, and the town was chartered as a city in 1841. During the civil war, the town was home to nine Generals, including General Ulysses S Grant. He, his wife and four children lived in what is now a historic site for about a year. Grant returned to live in Galena after the war.
History buff? Read more about Galena&#8217;s History:
This was our third visit to Galena. The last time we were in town was in 2020 during covid. Absolutely loved the way they handled the situation (see gallery below)! The charm and comfortable vibe of Galena and surrounding small towns & farmland make it a super relaxing place to spend time. There&#8217;s plenty to keep you busy: golf courses, shopping, good restaurants, wineries, breweries, a distillery, boating on the river, an 8 mile river trail for walking & biking, and more. Note: it helps if you know how to parallel park if you&#8217;re planning on parking on Main Street.
I&#8217;ll be following up with a post covering the culinary offerings in Galena.

Question 11

Good Eats - Some Off the Beaten Path - in Knoxville, TN

Accepted Answer

Any visit to Knoxville should include lots of Good Eats, maybe starting with, historic Market Square, where you&#8217;ll find shops, restaurants, and bars. Then work your way out. There are so many tasty spots we couldn&#8217;t get to on this visit. NOTE: there are a number of parking garages nearby that are free after 6pm.

Not Watson&#8217;s at Market Square
We didn&#8217;t have time to go back to Not Watson&#8217;s this time, but loved it when I went previously. See lots of food photos on their Facebook Page. I&#8217;ve never forgotten the owner&#8217;s story about how the name came to be:
&#8220;Growing up…my mom loved Watson’s Department Store…I mean loved it! It seemed as if every Saturday of my youth, was spent rummaging through the bargain-filled caverns of Watson’s Department Store on Market Square. We would all pile in the car and wait for the question…”Where are we headed?” We knew it was coming, and, as if we had any choice in the matter, our answer was invariably “Not Watson’s!” Then we’d all have a good laugh, and head straight downtown!&#8221; &#8211; Not Watson&#8217;s
The French Market Creperie
We totally lucked out with beautiful weather during our stay in Knoxville and took advantage of outdoor dining as often as possible, including at The French Market. Parking is easy, depending on day and time, at metered parking along the street in front of the restaurant.

Chesapeak&#8217;s
Good seafood inland in Knoxville, TN? I admit to being a little wary, but Chesapeak&#8217;s was recommended to us by a friend who&#8217;s a local and has been many times. So now, I say the answer is absolutely! Here&#8217;s their sourcing statement: &#8220;We source and cut the freshest seafood available daily from the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts.&#8221;
The four of us really enjoyed our meals and each couple shared a dessert. We both chose the Bread Pudding. It was made with donuts and topped with Lemon Sabayon Sauce.

Five Thirty Lounge on the Hyatt Place Downtown Knoxville Rooftop
Love this Knoxville rooftop bar!  It has a relaxed, but elevated adult vibe. To get to the rooftop, enter the front of the Hyatt Place hotel and continue towards the back until you see an elevator alcove on the left. Take it up to Five Thirty Lounge.
It&#8217;s been a while since we&#8217;ve been to Five Thirty, so we were surprised at the price increase over our last visit. Our bill included two Cocktails at $14 each, plus 9.25% Sales Tax of $2.59, AND a 15% LBD (Liquor By the Drink) tax of $4.20. So our Bill totalled $34.79 before tip and $40.79 with a $6 tip! Everything&#8217;s &#8220;gone up&#8221; to some extent or another, and Tennessee has no Income Tax. We figured the state has to fund itself somehow, and this must be a big earner. Maybe I&#8217;ll get a beer next time?
It&#8217;s still worth a visit. The view and ambiance are excellent.

First Watch (Bearden Hill/West of Downtown)
Two of us had some shopping to do in the Bearden Hill area, west of downtown Knoxville. We decided to start our day off with the most important meal, at least it used to be, at this First Watch. Neither of us had been to any of their multiple locations, including Biltmore Village south of downtown Asheville.
Both of us liked it so much, we had breakfast here twice on this trip!

Savelli&#8217;s Italian Restaurant
Our local friends, Jamey and Heather, took us to one of their favorite spots, Savelli&#8217;s. It ranks up there with many small local neighborhood restaurants in US and European cities I love. Inside it&#8217;s down right tiny inside, but feels intimate and private rather than crowded. Amazing what some ceiling to floor drapes will do when they&#8217;re used as space dividers.
Chef Savelli serves up classic Italian comfort food in generous portions. Her traditional sauce/gravy is very good. It&#8217;s a BYOW (bring your own wine) restaurant. If you&#8217;re looking for excellent homestyle Italian, go here!
&#8220;We specialize in traditional Italian fare, gas brick oven hand-tossed New York style pizza, sub sandwiches, and our very popular coastal seafood favorites such as Maryland-style crab cakes and Grouper Piccata.&#8221; &#8211; Chef Liz Savelli

We stayed at a sweet 2BR 2BA AirBnB in South Knoxville, across the river from downtown. It was super easy to get into the heart of downtown from the AirBnB, taking about 9 minutes. This area is also known as &#8220;Knoxville&#8217;s Urban Wilderness&#8221;.
There were two great spots to grab a bite within a one block walk. One of them was visible across a parking lot from the BnB.
71 South Restaurant & Bar
71 South has only been open a few months as of this article. It&#8217;s definitely off the beaten path for non-mountain bikers, but not so for the biking crowd. It&#8217;s located on the edge of the Baker Creek Preserve, a MTB&#8217;ers (mountain bikers) heaven. Multiple trails, some specifically downhill built.
&#8220;Baker Creek Preserve acts as the gateway to Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. With 5 multi-use trails and 3 purpose built bicycle specific downhill trails the park has a trail for everyone!&#8221; &#8211; Appalachian Mountain Bike Club
Kinda sad &#8211; kinda great, 71 South is in an almost century old church that was no longer being used. The vibe is open, fresh, and friendly. We stopped in for appetizers and drinks. It was one of those times that I didn&#8217;t pause to take food/drink pics.
They offer daily specials at pretty good prices and a menu that&#8217;s not huge, but has quite a variety of diet-specific options.
Housed in another church building that&#8217;s attached to 71 South is Crafty Bastard Brewery. I admit to flinching just a teensy bit at the name, seeing it&#8217;s in what was once a religeous building. Could be wrong, but it looked like there were both tanks and a taproom on site. Don&#8217;t think this location is on their website yet?

SoKno Taco Cantina
Whether you&#8217;re chillin&#8217; at the fire pit, dining inside or out on the patio or under the big tent in back, SoKno is a cool spot. It felt a little like it had &#8220;party town&#8221; potential even though we were there for lunch during the week. Business lunches were happening at other tables, so it was quiet when we were there.
It&#8217;s been called &#8220;industrial chic with an urban neo-garage feel&#8221; by Dennis Perkins in his 2017 Knoxville Mercury article. It still has that feel six years later. Good food. Good portions. Good staff.

Question 12

Nashville's Gulch - perfect for a weekend getaway!

Accepted Answer

Looking for a weekend getaway? An escape to Nashville is the answer! It&#8217;s only a 4 1/2 to 5 hour straight shot on I-40 West from Asheville. Four of us &#8211; two couples &#8211; did just that in mid-December.
We found the perfect AirBnB in The Gulch, for a three night stay. It&#8217;s quieter than staying downtown near all the action on Broadway, yet has lots of excellent restaurants, shops, and a Hop On &#8211; Off Old Town Trolley stop, all within easy walking distance. Of course, sometimes you want to be where the action is. Just not this time.

Just south of downtown lies this once-abandoned industrial area that&#8217;s undergone an urban revitalization in recent years sparking an intoxicating new energy. The exceedingly walkable LEED-certified community is teeming with boutique hotels, high-rise condos, instagrammable murals, shops, live music venues, breweries, and diverse culinary offerings spanning everything from biscuits and Nashville Hot Chicken to Detroit-style pizza, traditional ramen, and Indian food. VisitMusicCity.com

An overview and image galleries (see captions) of our favorite places to Eat, Play, and Stay in Nashville&#8217;s Gulch and beyond are below the map. Use the Open/Close Icon   top left for flyout map location details.
 
Our weekend getaway was full of great food, drinks, and entertainment.
If you&#8217;re new to Nashville, definitely get a one-day ticket for the Hop On &#8211; Hop Off Old Town Trolley. That way you can get a good overview, making note of where you want to go back to and explore more thoroughly.
We took in the Christmas Show at the Grand Ole Opry. None of us had been before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Even the one of, who shall remain nameless, that isn&#8217;t a country music fan, had a good time.
The Musician&#8217;s Hall of Fame and Museum was amazing. Displays that included country musicians, as well as others like Jimi Hendrix and Elvis, sound equipment, instruments, and costumes worn during iconic performences went on and on. Live music and private events are also held here.
Finally, don&#8217;t miss the live music, neon, and partying on Lower Broadway, the city&#8217;s main drag, also known as Honky Tonk Highway downtown, and Printers Alley. I&#8217;d recommend going to both during the day, and again at night for the full effect.
MILK & HONEY &#8211; The Gulch
We try to go to Milk and Honey whenever we&#8217;re in town, especially for breakfast and espresso. There&#8217;s a light, fun vibe, which may or may not involve the energetic full bar. A long wait isn&#8217;t uncommon in peak season, so plan ahead and get there early if it&#8217;s breakfast you&#8217;re after.

THE PUB &#8211; The Gulch
Good food! Good drinks! If you&#8217;re looking for excellent execution of traditional British dishes, order Scotch Eggs and Fish & Chips. Check out their whiskey and beer offerings, also. Cozy atmosphere, which was ramped way up with holiday decorations, and nice, attentive staff.

BISCUIT LOVE &#8211; The Gulch
Best biscuit I&#8217;ve had to date. Crisp/crunchy outside &#8211; light, fluffy inside. Not embarassed to say I could easily make of meal of their biscuits with jam. If I did that, I&#8217;d mis out of the very tasty sausage gravy, though. Feeling adventurous? Check out their &#8220;Brunch favorites with a twist&#8221;.  They serve up very good espresso drinks and take the time to top them off with a rosetta.

PEG LEG PORKER &#8211; The Gulch
Open since 2013, serving up award winning BBQ. They &#8220;cook fresh every day and serve until items run out.&#8221; Everything was very good, but we were especially impressed with the juiciness of the 1/2 rack of dry rubbed ribs! Expect a line, but don&#8217;t worry, they move everyone through pretty quickly.

ADELE&#8217;S &#8211; The Gulch
Adele&#8217;s &#8211; not the singer &#8211; was our choice for our final dinner in Nashville. We wanted to wrap up our weekend getaway with a special evening and excellent food. We experienced elevated, as opposed to fine (although it was fine), dining. They refer to their dishes as &#8220;comfort food&#8221;, which I&#8217;d definitely agree with. We were seated with a good view of where the magic happens &#8211; their very open kitchen. Prep, plating, garnishing, a wood-fired oven, and a wood-fired grill. Our meal and evening were deliciously perfect. Note that they change their menu regularly, so items here may not be available when you go to Adele&#8217;s.
Love that the building used to be a garage and that they&#8217;ve kept just enough of that &#8220;feel&#8221; to make it fun.

Question 13

Do This Before International Travel

Accepted Answer

Planning International Travel? If you don&#8217;t have it already, apply for the Trusted Traveler Program &#8220;Global Entry&#8220;. Basically, Global Entry is TSA PreCheck on steroids and specifically for international travel. In fact, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, which runs $80 for 5 years. So why not when Global Entry is $100 for 5 years.
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN
Basically, it&#8217;s a go-to-the-head-of-the-line pass for quick re-entry to the US after international travel. When I re-entered the US via Newark, I moved ahead of a couple of hundred people using Global Entry.
BENEFITS

No processing lines
No paperwork
Access to expedited entry benefits in other countries
Available at major U.S. airports
Reduced wait times
TSA Pre✓® Eligibility

The application process is done almost completely online. After you are &#8220;Conditionally Approved&#8221; online, you log back in to your account and schedule a 15 minute in-person interview. Interviews are usually in an office at an airport that services international flights. They ask you a few questions, take your picture for facial recognition, and fingerprints.
IMPORTANT: Interviews are HARD TO GET, but doable, at this time. Plan WAY ahead and make your appointment online after finding a location, date, and time that works for you. If you can&#8217;t get an appointment, you can do it at the airport as you return from your first international flight after being &#8220;Conditionally Approved&#8221;.
HELPFUL LINKS
Global Entry Overview: https://www.cbp.gov/&#8230;/trusted-traveler&#8230;/global-entry
Benefits: https://www.cbp.gov/&#8230;/trusted&#8230;/global-entry/benefits
How to Apply: https://www.cbp.gov/&#8230;/trusted&#8230;/global-entry/how-apply

Question 14

One Bag Travel Tips with Tom Bihn

Accepted Answer

TOM BIHN: haven&#8217;t met the man, but love his company! Read the inspiring story about how the company got its start.
Tom Sewing In His Garage Workshop, Circa 1983. Image: TomBihn.com
Looking for the perfect backpack for &#8220;minimal&#8221; (one carry on bag only) international travel took research. The last time I did this kind of travel was decades ago as a college student abroad.
Things have changed. Materials are as tough or tougher, but lighter. People carry different things now &#8211; phones, tablets, laptops, chargers, cords, etc.
After settling on Tom Bihn, a Seattle company that designs gear based on personal knowledge and user feedback, orders fabric, cuts it, and sews it on site, I ordered the Synik 30(Liter). If you don&#8217;t know, like I didn&#8217;t, backpacks are sized in Liters.
They have a loyal following, which I joined after ordering a backpack with the wrong interior fabric. When you order your bag, you choose from multiple exterior and interior fabric weights and colors. I was going for the lightest bag possible with tough exterior fabric that would hide dirt, and a light colored interior fabric that would make it easier to find things.
I contacted the company, told them it was entirely my fault, but could I possibly return the bag and re-order? The combination I wanted was not in stock, but they managed to find me one and ship it out immediately, without charge, before I&#8217;d returned the original!
To top that off, they offered to send a new backpack they were in the process of designing, the Techonaut 30(Liter), to my daughter for this trip. It was only available for Pre-Order at that point and eagerly anticipated, so it was a big deal. They asked only that she give honest feedback on the bag. She even got to choose the fabrics and colors. The kicker was getting it to her before our departure date. I was a little concerned, so offered to pay expedited shipping to be sure she&#8217;d have it in time. Next thing I knew, they had shipped it 2 Day Air! It made it just in time!
Techonaut 30 in Red Blend
Tom Bihn backpacks and gear aren&#8217;t cheap, but you get more than you pay for, in my opinion. It&#8217;s not just about excellent fabrics at various weights/toughness, it&#8217;s about things like top of the line, YKK waterproof zippers sized for easy handling. These zippers are a little harder to open and close because of the rubberized backing. I liked that because &#8211; waterproof if it rains. But that also means they&#8217;re harder for pickpockets to slip open.
I just carried the Synik 30 around for two weeks to, all over, and back from Croatia. I&#8217;m talking multiple flights, hanging out in airports, a hotel when a flight was cancelled, five AirB&Bs in five different cities, ubers, taxis, taxi boats, and ferries. The thing looks and works like new! The same is true for the Techonaut 30 Audrey carried.
Because they&#8217;re constantly selling out, backpacks & accessories are listed as &#8220;In Stock&#8221; or &#8220;In Production&#8221;. They post Restock dates and times, and believe me, people are waiting to hit those Add to Basket/Checkout Now buttons as soon as restocked items go live!
PACKING A BACKPACK

To Cube or Not to Cube
Packing cubes have been around a long time. You can use them in standard suitcases, totes, backpacks, whatever. People that use them love them and wouldn&#8217;t pack any other way.
Tom Bihn backpacks are built with compression straps, &#8220;O&#8221; rings, pockets, etc., so cubes aren&#8217;t necessary, but rather an additional option.
I picked up a variety of shapes & sizes by two brands &#8211; REI and Eagle Creek. All of them are &#8220;compression cubes&#8221;. That means there&#8217;s two sets of zippers. Pack the cube, zip it up, and then close the compression zipper, taking the cube down to about half the size. Believe it or not, the right travel clothes do not wrinkle, even under this pressure.
My three cubes were used for; 1) underwear & socks, 2) capris & slacks, and 3) tops.
One cube I didn&#8217;t think I needed, but WILL be adding for the next trip is a Clean/Dirty cube. They usually have a flexible/moveable center divider. Some are rectangular, some are stuff bags. As you use your clothes, move them to the sealed &#8220;dirty&#8221; side of the cube.
Count me a packing cube convert!
Accessories
After shopping around for a new smaller, lighter toiletry bag, I ended up getting a Tom Bihn Standard Spiff Kit in Island 210 Ballistic. Other brands are less expensive, but they just can&#8217;t compete when it comes to construction quality and life expectancy. It held everything I needed for a 2 week trip and fit perfectly inside the very top of the backpack.
Finally, just so everyone knows, I would have written about the Tom Bihn company and their products with or without the Techonaut given to Audrey, an avid outdoors-woman, for field testing. I&#8217;m that impressed with the company, their philosophy, and the folks that work there.

Question 15

Romantic Couples Getaway to Greeneville, TN

Accepted Answer

Greeneville, TN is a great destination for a quick getaway road trip for couples, friends, and families from WNC. Lots of history and beautiful scenery. First published August 14, 2019. 
Four of us &#8211; two couples &#8211; share an interest in history, exploring new places, taking in scenery from the road, excellent food & music, great spots to stay, and unexpected discoveries, so when an opportunity came our way to put a new 2019 Chevy Blazer through its paces, Heidi, Tom, my husband, and I hit the road on a three-night Romantic Couples Getaway.
We left Hendersonville, NC early on a Sunday morning for Greeneville, TN, stopping in Marshall, NC for a late breakfast.

Don&#8217;t judge when I tell you we got to Greeneville just in time for a fabulous, and I mean fabulous, Brunch (served Saturdays and Sundays) at Brumley&#8217;s Restaurant & Lounge at the historic General Morgan Inn & Conference Center.

We took back roads that were full of curves, hills, and scenery &#8211; much of it along rivers. The scenery was great and we hugged the road in both 2 and 4 Wheel Drive.
We wanted to see how the Blazer&#8217;s OnStar® 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, advertised as able to handle up to 7 devises at a time, worked on country roads through the mountains. It also has up to a 50-foot range from the vehicle, which might come in handy in a few different scenarios. Not only was the network easy to connect to, not once did the signal drop throughout this entire trip.
See that paper map? We always have paper maps in the car just in case, just for fun, and for when we want to get a broader view in a bigger format.
Another bit of tech I tried was connecting my phone to the car using the Android Auto App. Every time I got in the car, the App activated automatically. All I had to do was plug my phone in to a USB jack and I could use voice to get to everything on my phone: other Apps like Waze, my calendar, make and receive calls (contact list accessable without uploading it to the car), get to my play lists, audio books, basically whatever&#8217;s on my phone. If you have an iPhone, use Apple CarPlay.
When I didn&#8217;t need to get to specific things on my phone, voice commands worked great with the car&#8217;s dash-mounted screen: maps, music, downloaded Apps, and calls via my Blue Tooth-paired phone.

Greeneville, and Greene County for that matter, are full of history. We toured the President Andrew Johnson National Historic Site: Visitor Center, Homestead, National Cemetery, Birthplace Replica, and Statue of Andrew Johnson. The Early Home was closed for roof replacement by a specialist company brought in from out of state. Greeneville&#8217;s also full of surprises like booming manufacturing and schools ranked #1 in the state! Tusculum University, home of Andrew Johnson&#8217;s Library, is close to opening the pioneering Niswonger College of Optometry with a full compliment of faculty and staff.
Later in the afternoon, we took some very cool, meandering back roads. Like, &#8220;Hi! We&#8217;re here for dinner at your front porch because it&#8217;s so close to the road&#8221;, kind of back roads from Greeneville to the David Crockett Birthplace State Historic Park in Limestone, TN, not far from Greeneville. It&#8217;s a pretty amazing park with lots of RV parking, a rec area (including an outdoor pool), living history type cabin, green areas & facilities, and an interesting Visitor Center. A really nice, wide river, the Nolichucky, runs along much of the park, also. P.S. He preferred to be called &#8220;David&#8221;, not Davy, after getting in to politics.
It was such a beautiful day, we set a romantic picnic table next to the river for dinner: Ploughman&#8217;s Fruit & Cheese Board and Biscuit/Scone leftovers, cheeses, crackers, and a variety of small boxed wines we brought from home.

It was pushing dusk, closing time at the park, so we packed up and headed back to the historic General Morgan Inn for the night. Two romantic rooms had been booked for us and we were looking forward to a little &#8220;down time&#8221; on our own.
Inn General Manager Michael Brown welcomed us early in our visit and filled us in on some of the Inn&#8217;s history. Hospitality has been happening on this spot since the late 1790s when The DeWoody Tavern was welcoming travelers and offering locals a meeting space. They were in business for almost a century. An interesting note about the General Morgan Inn, which stands on the same spot as the Tavern, is that it&#8217;s actually three different railroad hotels that were combined in to one.
I loved the hotel and our room. Our room was perfect for relaxing and cooling off after a long, warm afternoon outside. As my thoughts wandered, they settled on one way I&#8217;d describe the Inn &#8211; as the home of a much loved, favorite Great Aunt. Beautifully decorated, extremely clean, and well lived in.
In the picture of the hotel below, the front corner is a good coffee shop, Catalyst Coffee Co, accessible through the Inn&#8217;s lobby or from Main Street. Each hotel guest gets a $7 Catalyst voucher in their check in package. We all took full advantage in the morning. Yes, I did my standard Latte test and they passed with flying colors.
Image: General Morgan Inn Facebook Page

Cooler temps the following morning were just the thing for a historic downtown walking tour called &#8220;A Walk With the President&#8221;. Our Guide, Wilhelmina Clemmer Williams, met us in the Inn&#8217;s lobby for a pre-walk conversation about Greeneville history. She&#8217;s a Guide rather than a Docent because all walking tour Guides are highly trained by the National Park Service. She was friendly, professional, and definitely knew her stuff!

Our Romantic Couples Getaway was Sponsored by Chevrolet and Visit Greeneville TN.

Category: Wanderlust

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