More North Carolina

Shane and Lynne

We stopped for 2 nights at Lil Taste of Eden where we met Shane, Lynne and their daughter Shelby. Very nice people and super helpful. Currently on the farm they have a pig and 1 surviving chicken, but Lynne hopes to gets goats soon. I know Mom misses her goats so it was nice for her to talk to someone about them. Lynne is a newbie and with Mom's extensive experience, she was able to give her some tips and pointers on the different breeds, health, feeding, care etc. She told Lynne to email her anytime with questions and reassured her that everyone starts as a newbie. It's a learning curve and it's nice to have a mentor. Something tells me Lynne and Mom will be talking again.

One of the things that's nice about boondocking is that you get to see places the average tourists don't know about. The locals tell you about all the wonderful places that are favorites to them. Case in point - Shane told Dad about this place called Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!) which is a hotdog joint in Ashebobo, NC. My folks decided to try it. 

Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!)

Upon entering Mom immediately noticed the nostalgic flavor of the place. The walls were painted red on the bottom and yellow on top. To the left were red tables with yellow chairs, and a long red counter to the right with red upholstered bar stools. The walls were decorated with Chicago Cubs memorabilia, as well as from other Chicago pro teams. Mom and Dad sat at the bar and were greeted by Cindy, who answered their questions about the different kinds of hot dogs they made. They decided to try a Chicago style dog which had toppings they had never thought. Inside the menu, however, they read this: "Please feel free to ask for any topping that we offer, BUT, in keeping with a Chicago tradition, please DO NOT ask us to add ketchup, unless you are under age 10. If you MUST have ketchup on your dog or sausage, we will gladly hand you a squeeze bottle and you can add your own. DEAL?" Mom thought it was so funny she decided she had to tell you about it.

Cindy, our server, and Mike

Mike's Chicago Dog (and more!) also sells other things. Mom got a Reuben and Dad got a sausage to go and they ate them later for supper. Mom's Reuben was absolutely stuffed with as much pastrami and sauerkraut as could fit into a sandwich and Dad said his sausage was about the best he's ever had. So if you're ever in the Asheboro, NC area, make sure you stop by Mike's. Tell him Cruz says "hello".

Next leg of the journey was to Supply, NC, which is along the coast, for a 3 night stay at Holden Beach Haven where we met Opal, Ryan, their 3 daughters, and their Labradoodle, Salem. Salem was very playful and kept rolling me over. I was a bit overwhelmed and spent some time hiding behind mom until I got used to her. She was certainly energetic! I know when that I'm a lot bigger I won't get so nervous when big dogs want to play. Mom says I get a pass on being a little scared since I'm not quite 4 months old.

Sharon

We visited Dad's sister-in-law, Sharon, in Bolivia, NC. She showed us around the area and one of the places we stopped was the beach on Oak Island where Sammy and I ran, and ran, and ran. It was an absolute blast! And I even went in the water. The waves didn't even scare me. I wanted Dad to let me off leash but he said he didn't want to chase me all the way down to the lighthouse! I bet I could have run that far too. The sand was soft and warm on my paws and I could have played in it all day. I guess I didn't realize how tired I was because when I got back to the truck I slept for hours. Sammy was pretty tired too, but being old, it doesn't take much for him.

--Cruz