Bug Smacker

 We made it to MYRTLE BEACH!!!

Simply Heavenly, need I say more?

The new Myrtle Beach Boardwalk downtown.

The now closed 1st  original Nascar Cafe building.

Today was still a wet traveling day. It is still raining a bit, but the wind is much milder. We made our way to Pocahontas State Park in Virginia.

 Just a few miles from our destination the GPS locked up on us. This has happened to me in the past, so I called Garmin and they were kind enough to send me a replacement unit. That one had a bad battery so this one is actually my third one. Now this one is locking up just like the first one was. After a while you become reliant on the devices. You could find yourself using it to go out to the road to get the mail out of the box.

Once we found Pocahontas State Park, we setup camp and hurried off for dinner. Today is our 25th Anniversary so I had made reservations at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. This place has one of the BEST steaks that I have ever had the pleasure of slicing into. The steak is cooked at 1800°. It is brought to your table sizzling on a 500° plate. That way every mouth watering bite is hot and juicy. The service is exceptional. You feel as if you are sitting around the family dinner table. They spend time with you and go the extra mile to provide you with a royal experience. Words can’t say enough about this place.

 Before we pulled out of the state park the next morning, we took some time to look around. The sites are very nice. Some are pull-though sites. All of them have electric and water. The park is mostly shaded and kept very clean. We would definitely go back if we were ever in the area.

We are finally on our way to Myrtle Beach. Our first stop is a Rest Area on the Ohio Turnpike. The name of the service plaza is Brady’s Leap. We arrived very tired and ready for a good nap. On the ride through Ohio we experienced an enormous amount of rain and wind. On one bridge in particular, I thought that I was going to be swept over the edge. A gust of wind coming through the channel had caused the 5th wheel to tip to the side with such force that I was certain I was going to lose it and be tossed into the brink. It was the most frightening time I can ever remember while towing the 5th wheel. It was a real white knuckle driving experience.

We found only one RV spot available when we arrived at the service plaza. The RV spots are away from the big truck parking spots which makes it less noisy at night. The sites have electrical hookups. There is a dump station and
fresh water fill station. Inside the plaza are showers which are available at no cost. Not a bad deal at all.

Campfire Cooking

Tim R. Enright

If you are even the least part hungry, you may want to turn away right now. I would like to take a moment to show you a couple of delicious menu items that can be whipped up over a simple campfire.

All you need is a Campfire Cooking Grate, a Cast Iron Frying Pan and, of course, a campfire. Here is a sample of the great campfire food that we enjoyed during our last camp-out.

Sausage-Egg-Cheese Breakfast Sandwich-

Campfire Pot Roast Dinner-

Bacon and Eggs Breakfast-

And don’t forget the SMORES!

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009

While we were in Kansas City we ate at several BBQ spots. The first night we went into town and stopped at a place in the historic city market called Winslow’s. We sat on the patio, listened to a live jazz band and enjoyed “The Famous Smokie”. I have eaten my fair share of BBQ and this sandwich is by far the best I have ever had. It was not saucy or too dry. It was perfect. The sandwich was made with tender and moist “Burnt Ends”. The smokey flavor is what pushed it to the top of my all-time favorites. I wish I had tried the ribs. I am beginning to salivate just writing about it. Two thumbs up for Winslow’s!

For our anniversary we chose to go back downtown to the Jack Stack Barbecue located in the old Freight House. I had a plate of ”Jack’s Best” while my wife enjoyed a ”Poor Russ”. While the pork wasn’t quite as good as the pork from Winslow’s, the Crown Prime Beef Rib was some of the best I have ever eaten.

Finally, before we left town I decided to try some of Arthur Bryant’s legendary Kansas City BBQ. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold a candle to the other two places we had been to.