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| New bus signs! |
Although this trip began in Greensboro, we joined in West Raleigh at the same pickup point as last November. We noticed something new as the bus approached the parking lot! Bob and Ruthie found signs for the bus! We were happy to reunite with Bob and Ruthie Garner as well as Herb Poole, the same bus driver we had last trip. Herb's wife Carol came along this trip!
We loaded up and found empty seats near the back of the bus. Last trip there were only 22 participants. This time there were 34 making for a fuller bus. In addition, we loaded last this time. Last trip recognizing this, some of us from the front of the bus sat in back for the return trip. But, this time around everyone treated their seats as a birthright. The only people that moved seats were escaping behind us to not sit at the windows with the signs. Now the signs were see through and nicely done, but depending on how the light was shining through, sometimes you could see through and sometimes not. So, we can understand why those folks moved away from those seats.
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| A pretty full bus this time |
We were underway by 10:45am and as soon as we were on I-40, Bob and Ruthie started serving mimosas, orange juice or champagne. Weirdly enough no toast was offered this time.
We arrived at
Waynesborough Historical Village about 12:30pm. Bob had rented the Hatch House here at this park for our catered lunch. We used the restrooms in there and some people ate indoors. But, Bob invited us to use the picnic tables under trees near the Grady's pig cooker and buffet table since it was such beautiful weather, 70 degrees F and not a cloud in the sky, for February or any other time. We took him up on that offer and enjoyed the weather, food and the park.
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| Whole Hog! |
Lunch was catered by Grady's of Dudley, NC. It is a very small place with only a dozen or so seats and no website, sorry. They served us a wood barbequed whole hog served pig pickin' style! Sides were served right at the cooker and were green beans, boiled cabbage, cole slaw and hush puppies. It was all good. They asked us what we wanted and plated it for us. I don't like pig pickin's for obvious reasons. I don't really want to know where my food comes from! Anyway, when asked what part I wanted, I kind of gagged and said I didn't know. Clay turned and called out tenderloin over his shoulder and I got a chunk of nice lean meat. I asked for no slaw or cabbage and got about the equivalent of a full can of green beans! The hushpuppies were good too. Clay got some kind of meat as well as ribs. He loves ribs! I went off to find the place where Clay had placed our drinks on a picnic table and missed what he asked for. Clay had to go into the Hatch House and get us a cup of BBQ sauce for the meat. We shared.
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| Bob stares at Clay's pork ribs |
After lunch we skipped dessert. They were serving it inside the Hatch House. It looked like 3 kinds of sheet cakes. 2 with frosting and walnuts and 1 with whipped cream and strawberries. We refilled our drinks and went for a walk on the shortest of the trails on the trail map we had picked up on our way to the Hatch House. The map said it had a view point over the Neuse River and we found it. There was a long trail with a view point over the Little River as well and walking past the conjunction of the 2 rivers. But, we went back and went through most of the little historic buildings instead.
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| Clay and Little Bob appreciating the Neuse River view |
This was a really nice stop and it was nice to have plenty of time to visit the park. It was very interesting. I lived in Goldsboro for a while and did not know about this historical park. It turns out it began in 1986 so it was after I had left the area. We reboarded the buses and set off for
Beaufort. (prounounced Bo Furt). You might imagine that there was a lot of napping onboard our bus and you'd be right!
I will come back and continue this trip report after we arrive in Beaufort.
