Yesterday started out as a utility day--laundry and groceries. We did squeeze in a visit to Barber's Orchard and picked up some lovely Red Romes. Perfect for baked apples. The crowd at this place on a Friday morning was unbelievable. We had hoped to pick up some of the apple cider-cinnamon donuts our camping neighbors had told us about, but the line into the bakery side seemed like a message to me from my cholesterol fairy godmother and we gave it up. It wasn't easy--they pipe the aromas into the produce side.
We both stewed all day about apparel for our evening out. The dress code at the Grove Park Inn said 'resort casual' but we had not planned for a fancy dinner out and suspected that 'camping casual' wasn't quite the same thing. However, the forecast told us that we'd better dress warm for outdoor dining; thus the dilemma. So we concocted some layers and arrived on time for our reservation. We were seated right by the stone railing of the upper terrace. The view was outstanding, our waiter was gracious, and the sun was beating down on our table enough that I soon removed my jacket.
We began by splitting a roasted beet-pistachio salad that was out of this world. I opted for the North Carolina trout and roasted asparagus while Butch ordered the sea scallops--both delicious. Meanwhile, a couple was seated at the table next to us and we visited a little while waiting for our entrees. They were also celebrating an anniversary and were staying at the Inn for the weekend. When the husband grumbled that it was costing 'more than thirty days of camping,' we knew we had found soul mates. They lived in Raleigh although were originally from Canada and Massachusetts. He was a semi-professional photographer and took a couple of photos of us. Unfortunately, I had done something to the settings on my camera and was unable to get very good shots of the sunset. But we ended the evening with the creme brulee plus a plate of macaroons with a sweet message. By that time the sun was sinking behind the mountains and we headed back to camp.
We began by splitting a roasted beet-pistachio salad that was out of this world. I opted for the North Carolina trout and roasted asparagus while Butch ordered the sea scallops--both delicious. Meanwhile, a couple was seated at the table next to us and we visited a little while waiting for our entrees. They were also celebrating an anniversary and were staying at the Inn for the weekend. When the husband grumbled that it was costing 'more than thirty days of camping,' we knew we had found soul mates. They lived in Raleigh although were originally from Canada and Massachusetts. He was a semi-professional photographer and took a couple of photos of us. Unfortunately, I had done something to the settings on my camera and was unable to get very good shots of the sunset. But we ended the evening with the creme brulee plus a plate of macaroons with a sweet message. By that time the sun was sinking behind the mountains and we headed back to camp.
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