So, we drove for nearly an hour over land, and over water, to the end of the road at what we were told was the south end of Harkers Island. It was some kind of dark out there! The building looked like it would be an amazing sight in daylight. It was pretty impressive and wildly detailed in moonlight! Loved the high tower and I will tell you up front that after dinner we went up there and walked around the outside to look at the full moon and to see the Cape Lookout Light go around. Again, it must be amazing in daylight.
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| Famous Scallop Fritters |
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| Oysters Rockefeller du Nord |
The gift shop was open as we entered and that is where we went first to make sure to get Clay a T-shirt. It was a nice one and he let me hold it back to be a gift later. Then we went to the great hall and got at the back of the line for bread, cheese, fruit and the honor bar of wine and beer. There were servers wandering around with trays of Oysters Rockefeller du Nord and the Scallop Fritters for which they are famous. Clay liked both, but he couldn't get enough of the oysters. He was praying they would serve some of those oysters just raw on the half shell, but had to content himself with several as served. Shortly after we obtained our beverages, they announced that we should find seats.
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| Bob with my bread, cheese and Pinot Grigio |
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| Stewed Duck, Duck, Goose & Rutabagas |
So we did and they soon started filling table glasses with ice for either iced tea or water. We happily wound up sitting with our bus driver Herb Poole and his wife Carol (I think that is right!) as well as Rodney, our evening's storyteller (or "fish house liar" in the local vernacular) and his friend as well as 2 of the Menhaden Chanteymen and their family. It was a very interesting and enjoyable evening. For some reason, we had missed or forgotten the information about the evening's entertainment and we were completely surprised and delighted by it. I had never heard of the word "chanteyman" before and I asked the first local who sat with us what it meant. She told me to ask the guy 2 seats down from her since he was the leader of the Menhaden Chanteymen. He was starting to describe a time before electric net winches and keeping the workers in sync by song when I realized we had seen that in India. I went OH, I know what you're talking about, we've seen that but didn't know it had a word. He was sure I had never seen it, because I don't believe he had ever actually seen it... I mean he is a part-time chanteyman now and had performed at Carnegie Hall, and he had learned the songs from his father and uncles, but they had stopped fishing like that by the time he came along. There is no longer a menhaden fishery on the NC coast! I assured him we had seen a fishing operation doing exactly what he was describing just off the coast of Cochin, India. We heard them before we saw them and though we couldn't understand the words and we sailed on by so it only lasted for less than 15 minutes, it was the same as tonight's performance.
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| "Pastry" I think with beef and carrots... |
But, first we all had dinner. It was a self-serve buffet line with dessert table service and self-serve coffee. I want to say upfront that it was all good! I will let the photos/captions serve as our menu.
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| Grilled Country Style Pork Ribs |
After dinner, Rodney got up and told what were basically folk tales with locally detailed embellishments. In fact, my Grandpa used to tell the first one he told about "sitting up" with the dead but Grandpa's version had no electricity! So, I was ready for Rodney's punchline. He was a good storyteller. Then it was time for the Menhaden Chanteymen. They were really great too. It was a special evening.
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| Baked Flounder w/potatoes and onions |
We were turned loose to tour the museum at our leisure after dessert and we loaded the bus sometime after 10pm. It made for a long day, but an enjoyable one. We collapsed into bed at the Inlet Inn about 11:25pm and really appreciated the very comfortable bed. It was very quiet all night long and we slept like the dead until the sky lightened through the window blinds I had left open for some light in the room. I will stop here and pick up the rest of the trip report in the morning with a new entry.
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| The weekend's only Collard Greens |
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| Shrimp Stew |
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| Sweet puppies w/ice cream & lemon cream pie |
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| Full moon over Beaufort, Taylors Creek & Carrot Island |
