Pasted below is the text of the email we got in January inviting us to return for another Bob Garner Restaurant Road Trip. We booked! And we're back! As I get through the photos, I'll post more entries telling you all about it. In the meantime, here are the tour description and itinerary from Bob and Ruthie. Enjoy!
Our State Presents…Bob Garner’s Restaurant Road Trips
Next Trip: February 19-20 to Beaufort from the Triad and Triangle
Our State and I are inviting the next group of North Carolina ‘foodies’ to join us on an overnight restaurant and seafood tour to North Carolina’s Crystal Coast on Saturday and Sunday, February 19 and 20. Since 1983, Our State has been North Carolina’s premiere travel, history and culture publication.
We’ll leave by comfortable, deluxe motor coach from Greensboro on Saturday morning, February 19, headed for the charming Inlet Inn on Beaufort’s historic waterfront.
After stopping in Raleigh to pick up Triangle area travelers, we’ll and continue on to Goldsboro area, where we’ll stop at Waynesborough Historical Village for “some of the best hardwood cooked, whole hog barbecue in the Coastal Plain, if not the state or the entire nation,” prepared by Stephen and Gerry Grady of Grady’s Barbecue in Dudley (“Our Favorite Foods, Our State, November 2009). Our eastern-style barbecue feast will include all the trimmings, including Grady’s delectable country vegetables, crispy hush puppies, creamy coleslaw and a mouth-watering homemade dessert.
The Inlet Inn is located directly on the historic Beaufort waterfront, with terrific views overlooking Taylor’s Creek, the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve and Shackleford Banks. On some days you can wake up and watch the wild horses graze just across the water.
After getting settled into our waterfront-facing room, we’ll embark on a short coach ride to Harkers Island and the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center, where we’ll enjoy a traditional Down-East dinner, be entertained by humorous stories about the area and listen to local music with a historical flavor from the area’s famed “Menhaden Chanteymen.” (Part of the proceeds from the trip will go to benefit the Museum/Heritage Center.)
On Sunday morning, there will be plenty of time for a stroll along the Beaufort Waterfront and a continental breakfast (saving room for the big meal to come) before we depart for Farmville. There, we’ll feast on fried chicken with “firm-yet-yielding texture, exemplary juiciness and dreamy flavor,” (along with an impressive array of ‘fixins’) at a farm-style Sunday dinner lovingly cooked by Debra Strickland, formerly of famed Strickland-Dail Dining and Catering of Farmville and Snow Hill (“Our Favorite Foods,” Our State, November 2009). Debra now owns and operates Debu Cafe and Catering in Greenville, and she’s one of the best-known caterers in eastern North Carolina when it comes to home-style Southern cooking.
Saying goodbye to some of the group as we pass through Raleigh, we’ll continue on to Greensboro and journey’s end, arriving in late afternoon.
The all-inclusive price for this adventure is $350 per person, double occupancy, and $400 single occupancy. Alcohol will be available at dinner on Saturday, but will be on a cash basis.
Complete details and online registration are available at bobgarnerbbq.com.
Here’s the itinerary for our February 19-20 Restaurant Road Trip to Beaufort from Greensboro, Burlington and Raleigh to Beaufort. We are so excited you’re going to be joining us!
Saturday, February 19
8:15 a.m. Bus arrives at 800 Green Valley Drive, Greensboro (pick up point)*
8:45 a.m. Depart for pick up point in Burlington
9:15 a.m. Arrive at 2316 Maple Avenue, Burlington (pick up point)**
9:30 a.m. Depart for Raleigh pick-up point
10:30 a.m. Arrive at 1511 Sunday Drive, Raleigh (pick up point)***
10:45 a.m. Depart for Waynesborough Historical Village, Goldsboro
12:15 p.m. Arrive at 801 US Highway 117 Bypass S., Goldsboro (lunch stop)
2:00 p.m. Depart for Beaufort, NC (Inlet Inn)
4:30 p.m. Arrive at 601 Front Street, Beaufort
6:00 p.m. Depart for Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center, Harkers Island
6:45 p.m. Arrive at 1785 Island Road, Harkers Island (dinner and entertainment)
9:30 p.m. Depart to return to 601 Front Street, Beaufort (Inlet Inn)
Sunday, February 20
7:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast: Room 309 (Lounge) or delivered to room
10:00 a.m. Depart Inlet Inn for 2245 Knox School Road, Farmville
11:45 a.m. Arrive at 2245 Knox School Road, Farmville (lunch stop)
1:30 p.m. Depart Farmville for Raleigh
3:00 p.m. Arrive at 1511 Sunday Drive, Raleigh (drop-off point)
3:15 p.m. Depart for 2316 Maple Avenue, Burlington
4:15 p.m. Arrive at 2316 Maple Avenue, Burlington (drop off point)
4:20 p.m. Depart for 800 Green Valley Drive, Greensboro
5:10 p.m. Arrive at 800 Green Valley Drive, Greensboro (drop off point and end of trip)
*From Wendover Avenue, take exit for Benjamin Parkway and go northwest .4 mi. Turn right onto Green Valley Drive. Go .5 mi and bear rt. again to stay on Green Valley. 800 is 144 ft. on the right.
** App. ½ mile north of I-85/I-40 on Maple Avenue (exit 145) – large parking lot of Granddaddy’s Antique Mall. Park in the area closest to Maple Avenue, near Asian Market.
*** Take the Edwards Mill Road exit from Wade Avenue and go south to Trinity Drive, passing the RBC Center on your left and Cardinal Gibbons High School on your right. Turn right on Trinity Drive, then make the very first left turn (app. 100 yards) into “Trinity Place” office park, then the very first right turn into the parking lot. (You will see the number 1511 over the door of the office building on the right.)
Odd & Ends: We’ll have complimentary wine and cheese at the Inlet Inn at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday (before leaving for dinner at 6:00 p.m.), if time permits. Wine and beer will be available on a cash basis at dinner on Saturday. The cost of the trip covers everything else, including gratuities.
