Exploring the simple pleasures in life.
After many years of effort, I have found that the key to true happiness comes with learning to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. It’s in the awesome feeling that you have when the garden is full of beautiful banana peppers. It comes from spending time with the people you love and sharing fantastic adventures with them. This Uncomplicated Life is my way of sharing my journey into finding and enjoying the simple pleasures.
Bub & Pop’s Review
While in DC, we stopped at Bub & Pop's, a small sandwich shop featured twice on Diner's Drive-Ins, and Dives. They also recently appeared on Carnivorous. We walked down the stairs to get into the shop. Arlene greeted us with a friendly hello and pointed out menus. We sat down for a minute with the menu before going to the counter to order. Once we had our sandwiches, we decided to sit at one of the three tables outside to enjoy the excitement and rhythm of the city while we ate. We ordered the sandwiches featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The Hebrew Hammer, formerly called the Jewish Hoagie, has corned beef, turkey, and beef brisket with Swiss cheese, spicy mustard, Thousand Island, and slaw. The gargantuan sandwich was delicious and more than enough for both of us. Chris found the slaw a little too sweet for his taste, but I enjoyed the flavorful crunch it created on the sandwich. We also ordered Pop's Beef Brisket to take with us for later. The brisket is slow-braised in veal jus and then topped with five-year aged gouda and apple-horseradish cream. Unfortunately, we did not have a microwave in our hotel room so I was unable [...]
Kuba Kuba Review
We had tickets to a concert in D.C. so we decided to make a day of it. Our first stop would be for breakfast in Richmond, VA. I had a place that I found on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives picked out, but then Chris, who lived in Richmond for 11 years, suggested Kuba Kuba instead. We made our way through the streets of Richmond and found a parking spot about a block from the restaurant. I loved the architecture of the beautiful row houses we walked by on our way. I love that they were offset and at an angle to the street. As soon as we walked into Kuba Kuba, I felt a very distinct Cuban vibe. We arrived shortly after they opened so they were not busy yet. Pictures of the owner and his family adorn the walls. I have to think that the portraits painted on the walls are his family as well. I ordered a Cafe Con Leche, a delicious concoction of espresso and sweetened condensed milk. It was so good I ordered another to take with us. For breakfast, we both ordered Huevos California, a tasty combination of eggs, we had them over-medium, over red beans and Kuban bread, topped [...]
Another Imagine Festival Adventure
Imagine Festival Adventure Once again the time for Imagine Festival arrived. The week before the trip Chris smoked two pork butts and I finalized the shopping lists for the rest of the food. Three days before the trip I shopped for food and last-minute essentials and then we started to cook. We cooked for the better part of the three days to have everything ready to feed our crew of seven. Half of our group from last year went again this year and we added another couple. The plan was to come home from work Tuesday night, finish up a couple of food items, pack the car and get some sleep before leaving at five on Wednesday morning. When I anticipated the amount of time I needed to finish the deviled eggs, I neglected to consider how long it would take to peel two dozen eggs. After I finally finished with the eggs we started to pack the car. We added a portable kitchen and a third cooler to our festival gear this year. We also had the cot and two sleeping pads that we did not have last year. With the extra gear, we moved up to an SUV [...]
KingCamp Double Camping Cot and Sleeping Pads Review
When we first bought our camping equipment we purchased a double-height queen-sized air mattress. I am a novice camper and at my age have no wish to ruin my experience with the discomfort of sleeping on the ground. The air mattress was pretty comfortable. We did have a problem with it killing our portable power supplies but I am not sure if that was a problem with the inflating motor on the mattress or a problem with the power supplies. We used the mattress monthly for over a year and a half. Unfortunately, when we used it in April we woke up on top of each other in an air mattress taco. We had apparently developed a leak. The downside of an air mattress is getting the air back out once you finish using it. With this in mind, I looked at other sleeping options. After some research, I settled on a KingCamp Double Camping Cot. The cot, at just over seven feet by just over four and a half feet, is big enough for two people to sleep comfortably but folds up compactly enough (just under four feet by one foot by one foot) to pack. The cot is heavy [...]
Nu-Way Restaurant & Lounge Review
Three years ago, while on vacation, we stopped for lunch at Nu-Way Restaurant & Lounge in Spartanburg, SC. It was a Food Network discovery (Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I think, but I can't find it on their website now). The Pabst Blue Ribbon sign on the front of the building delighted Chris and the food was absolutely delicious. The following year we stopped again on our way to our first Imagine Festival. On that visit, we had a great conversation with the owner. We found out that they were moving in the near future. Before we left she gave Chris a PBR wristband. On our way to Imagine Festival last week, we decided to visit Nu-Way again on the trip down. It surprised us when Maps took us to the same place as before. The "dive" bar looked pretty much the same as it did on our last visit, although I do have to say the bathrooms were better than I remembered. After I sat down at the bar I asked about the move that obviously had not happened. As it turns out, instead of moving the owner sold the restaurant. The new owners kept the menu and the place pretty much the same. [...]
A Day On the Lake
In May, the last of our boys moved away. We have been empty-nesters for a few years, but they were close. Our oldest, Joe, lived across the sidewalk from us so we could see him at any time. Nick has been away at college, but we would see him when he was on a break from school. Kevin lived about 15 minutes away and would generally stop in for a visit about once a week or so. Nick was the first to leave us, moving to Richmond last summer. Joe moved to Waynesboro temporarily in June and has since settled in Richmond. Kevin moved to Richmond about a week after Joe left. My nest feels very much more empty than it did before. Missing the boys, we decided we would go to Lake Anna for our camping trip and invite the boys to come out for the day. Joe had to work, but Nick and Kevin were able to enjoy the day with us. Kevin's girlfriend, Theresa and Nick's roommate Callie joined us as well. Lake Anna is not as far away as most of the trips we take, so we had a leisurely start to our day. After an [...]
Caverns and a River
Mid-July in Virginia is HOT. We decided to go easy for this trip and take a break from our usual hiking. Our plan was to go tubing on the Shenandoah River and visit Skyline Caverns. We ended up having a later start than originally anticipated. While having lunch at Soul Mountain Cafe & Grill, I called the tubing outfitter to let them know that we were running behind. They said that the last trip of the day would leave at 2. As it was already 1:30, we knew we wouldn't make it in time. We decided to flip-flop our plans, go to the caverns instead, and reschedule the tubing trip for the next morning. Before going to the caverns, we went to Shenandoah River State Park. They had a lovely LOVEWorks installation at the entrance made with kayaks, tubes, oars, and signs. We picked out a spot with a nice view of the mountains and set up camp quickly before driving back to Skyline Caverns. On our way, we saw a herd of goats on a hill. I laughed every time we drove by them. The caverns are open every day and have been since they opened in the 1930s, except for a [...]
The Alpine Chef Review
Passing through Fredericksburg, VA on our way home from our latest adventure, we stopped at The Alpine Chef for dinner. Parking is a little tricky. There is on-street parking available. There are two parking lots nearby, but both have parking restrictions. One of them does open up for restaurant parking in the evening. The building, formerly the train station, maintains all the character of its original use. It was a pleasure to watch the comings and goings of the trains and commuters as we enjoyed our dinner in the beautifully decorated dining room. The restaurant has an early bird special, which is available all night on Monday. It seemed like a great deal, but we opted to order from the regular menu. Chris started with a salad. I ordered the Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup. The soup, made with several different types of mushrooms, was creamy, rich and luscious. I am glad I only ordered the cup as the soup was hearty and filling. There was a bread basket on the table with delicious dinner rolls, sweet bread, and pumpernickel, as well as wonderful herb butter. We both ordered Jagerschnitzel, veal schnitzel with "hunter sauce" made from mushrooms, bacon, and cream. You can order [...]
Queen Street Diner Review
While in the Front Royal, VA area, we popped over to Strasburg to have breakfast at Queen Street Diner. It is a small restaurant in a small strip mall. Being a fan of eggs Benedict, of course, that is what I ordered. The eggs were perfectly poached and the dish was good. My only complaint was with the tomatoes served with the dish. They were flavorful, but there was a tomato butt on the plate. A tomato butt is what I call that slice of tomato that has the stem in it. I understand that restaurants want to cut down on waste, but this is something that I am not going to eat and I certainly do not want it on my plate. It is a huge pet-peeve of mine. Chris ordered eggs with bacon and grits. The eggs were nicely cooked. The grits had a nice texture but tasted as if they came from a box. The staff was friendly but once our food arrived did not return to check on us or offer coffee refills until we had finished with our meal. I enjoyed the inspirational quotes framed on the bathroom wall. Cost for two cups of coffee and two meals [...]
The Blue Door Kitchen Review
A while ago, our friend Chris told us about a nice dinner spot he discovered in Flint Hill, Virginia (near Front Royal), The Blue Door Kitchen. I made a note to check it out if we were ever in that area. Many months later, we were able to check the place out. We were on a camping trip and had not planned to go out for dinner so we did not have "proper" attire for a nice restaurant. We called to check on the dress code and found out that it was a casual atmosphere and shorts are fine. The restaurant is beautiful, with great attention to detail. Distressed farm-style furnishings serve as tables. A local artist creates beautiful, unique dishware exclusively for The Blue Door. A mirror covers one entire wall, giving the impression that the cozy dining room is larger than it actually is. I enjoyed the very old air vents adorning a second wall. Chris really enjoyed the sculpture with a chicken sitting on a pig sitting on a cow. We worked at Blue Talon Bistro, adorned with chickens, for nearly eight years, and had recently started a new job at Cochon on 2nd, adorned with pigs. Based on the sculpture, [...]
Soul Mountain Cafe & Grill Review
While in Front Royal, VA, we stopped at Soul Mountain Cafe & Grill for lunch. The restaurant is on Main Street with on-street parking. If you turn right on Chester Street, just before you reach the restaurant, there are two parking lots available with just a short walk to the restaurant. When we walked in, the staff gave us a very friendly greeting. The restaurant has vibrant blue walls with a funky, bohemian feel. We both ordered the Shaved Brisket Wrap with blue cheese, horseradish dressing, lettuce, and tomato. Chris ordered collard greens for a side and I ordered a small Spring Mix salad with roasted tomatoes, applewood bacon, and crumbled gorgonzola dressing. We had asked if there were peppers in the wrap and our server, Michael, was attentive enough to ask if I wanted the peppers left out of the salad. As I had not noticed that they were in the salad, I was very happy that he mentioned it. The wraps were delicious, especially when Michael brought us their signature barbecue sauce for dipping. We liked the sauce so much that we bought a bottle to take home with us. The wraps were big enough that we could have shared [...]
When Life Gives You Lemons…
After almost a year of planning, the day of our middle son, Nick's, wedding to his college sweetheart approached when suddenly, six days before the wedding, she canceled it. Nick was completely traumatized, feeling that his world had just fallen apart. I had the task of calling our friends and family to let them know what was going on, as well as canceling tuxedos and the rehearsal dinner. We were able to cancel the dinner, but not the picnic shelter. The rooms at the wedding venue were only refundable with at least a four-week notice of cancellation. In March we lost our wedding photographer, so asked Chris's mother if she would be willing to do it for us. She is a wonderful nature photographer, with photos published in multiple magazines, including National Geographic (Check out her blog http://www.onthewingphotography.com.), so we were comfortable that she would do an incredible job and bought a plane ticket to get her here. We also had family flying in from both California and Massachusetts. When I called my sister-in-law to let her know what was going on, she said that they were going to come for a visit anyway. We had not seen each other in [...]