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.
Silver Skillet Restaurant Review
While planning our trip to Imagine Festival last year I found a breakfast spot in Atlanta called Silver Skillet Restaurant. For one reason or another, we did not manage to make it there. As we were leaving the Festival yesterday, the idea of stopping for breakfast popped up and I remembered the Triple D find. The diner is easily accessible from I-75 (which is a valid concern when looking for places to eat in Atlanta). Silver Skillet Restaurant has a counter service area as well as booths. Most of the booths seat two or four. There is one booth in the corner that was able to accommodate our group of eight. It was very close but we made it work. After we placed our order the last two of our group arrived. With no more room in the booth, they sat at the counter. The people in the booth next to us finished up and left. We asked our server if we would be able to overlap into that booth. She was kind enough to clean it immediately so that we could all sit in the same area. Chris ordered eggs with chicken fried steak. The eggs were perfectly cooked. [...]
My Bucket List
When I was much younger I could never figure out the point of a bucket list. Now that I have grown, let's say, a little wiser I get it. I started thinking about a bucket list after watching the Chef's Table episode featuring Grant Achatz and his restaurant, Alinea. I knew when I saw the show that I wanted to have that experience, but it was not something that I could readily do. I put it on my "maybe someday" list, also known officially as a bucket list. I didn't see going as a viable option any time in the forseeable future. A year or so later I received a random Facebook post indicating that Alinea had reservations available. We felt as if we had to take advantage of the opportunity and made the trip. It was an incredible experience. A few months later I happened on information about the Devil's Bathtub. It's a good distance away and I was not a camper then so it went on my list. After I started camping last year and found that I really enjoy it the thought of the Bathtub came back to the forefront of my mind. We planned the trip and [...]
Qwest Premium Instant Pop-Up Tent Review
When we purchased a tent for the festival last year we wanted something easy to use and very portable. We went with the Qwest Premium Instant Pop-Up Tent and have been very happy with it. The tent is a hexagon shape and is just over 10-feet wide from corner to corner. It is 5 1/2-feet tall. It folds down to 7 1/2-inches by 7 1/2-inches by 34-inches and effortlessly fits in the carry bag which has shoulder straps making it easy to carry like a backpack. I did create a small rip in the bag when I grabbed the handles near the middle of the bag instead of the top. The tent has fiberglass poles and water-resistant nylon walls. With four large windows and two doors, the Qwest is open and airy without the rain-fly. It features a lantern hook and a storage pocket. In addition to the carry bag and rain-fly the tent also comes with metal nail stakes and six ropes. The stakes that come with the tent are somewhat flimsy and bend easily, but we picked up new sturdier stakes for 99 cents each for an easy fix. The best thing about this tent is its ease [...]
A Bridge, a Lake and a Cemetery
We decided to change things up for our next trip and go for a bike ride instead of hiking. Our excursion started with breakfast at Blue Talon Bistro. I love the truffled eggs. We headed to Farmville and arrived at Sandy River Outdoor Adventures with time to spare. Unfortunately, we soon realized that we were in the wrong place. The bike rentals were at Sandy River Outdoor Adventures Store, which was about 20 minutes away. We put the address into Google Maps and headed out. After driving for a while, the voice on the phone said we had arrived, but instead of being at the bike rental shop we were at someone's house at the end of a long driveway. It didn't help that they had signs declaring that they were gun-carrying homeowners and trespassers would be shot. We made a very quick exit. Once we were back on the road we re-entered the address again. This time we made it to the right address. High Bridge Trail is a 31-mile long trail. The highlight of the trail is High Bridge, a 2,400-foot long bridge crossing 125 feet above the Appomattox River. We picked up the trail next to the [...]
Cumberland Restaurant Review
Our favorite places to eat are small, family-owned diners. Cumberland Restaurant is such a place. It is a small diner on the side of the road in Cumberland, VA. We sat at the counter for breakfast. Our server was either brand new or just completely clueless. She was a nice young woman but did not seem to understand customer service. When we arrived, I went to the restroom. Chris ordered coffee for both of us. She asked for his order before I returned or even saw a menu. She was also unable to tell us what type of potatoes come with the country fried steak. The redeeming factor on service was her obviously more experienced co-worker who was very friendly and made sure that our coffee stayed full and that our food was good. The food was very good. Chris opted for mashed potatoes with his country fried steak and they were some of the best mashed potatoes I've had in a restaurant. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with two over-medium eggs. The biscuits were light and fluffy. The gravy was creamy with a wonderful flavor. Once we finished with our meal, we waited 10 minutes while our server figured out how to [...]
Charley’s Waterfront Cafe Review
We found a spot in Farmville across the street from the High Bridge Trail State Park for lunch. Charley's Waterfront Cafe has a large patio overlooking the Appomattox River. We went right after our 10-mile bike ride so opted to sit inside as it was hot outside. Our server, Morgan, was friendly. Chris started with a glass of Jam Jar wine, which was lovely. I had a Malibu Sunset, which was very good as well. We ordered the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer. The nicely seared tuna had great flavor and a tasty soy glaze. Our sandwiches took a long time to arrive. Morgan told us our order had gone in behind a large party, which is understandable as it was Longwood move-in weekend, but I did not see any large parties in the restaurant. I guess it is possible that there may have been another room that we could not see. Chris ordered The Waterfront, a burger with caramelized onions, bacon, white cheddar, brie, and sea salt and black pepper mayo on an artisan potato roll. The burger was very good, though the meat could have used more seasoning. I ordered the Smithfield Ham & Pimento Grilled Cheese. I am [...]
How Do We Travel So Much?
We love to travel and explore. We do not have a large disposable income. So how are we able to have monthly adventures on what we make as servers? First of all, we choose to live within our means. We'll discuss how we do this another time. Today is all about our wonderful adventures and how anyone can enjoy our lifestyle. Most of our adventures involve camping and enjoying the lovely outdoors. There are some costs to camping. Of course, you need a tent and sleeping bags. For me, an air mattress and power supply are a necessity (but some would call me more of a glamper than a camper). After the first basic purchases, you can add things a little at a time. I keep a running list of items I would like to add to our gear and when I have extra money I buy an item from the list. The result is we now have a great collection of gear to make our camping experiences even more enjoyable. Once you have your gear, camping allows for an inexpensive mini-vacation anytime. Camping at state parks is between $25 and $35 a night. There are entrance fees for some activities, [...]
Waterfalls, a Cave and a Bridge
I have lived most of my life in Virginia, but somehow until recently have not been to see all the great places in the state. We visited Natural Tunnel, so logically we also needed to go to Natural Bridge. What a wonderful trip we had. As we planned the trip, we noticed that one of the eateries on our list of places to explore was on the route we would be traveling. We stopped at Mac's Country Store for tasty fried chicken. From there we made our way through the backcountry roads until we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway, which we followed south to the parking area for Apple Orchard Falls. (Be warned if you ever make this trip...the GPS will send you down a small gravel road to get to the falls. It does not get you to the falls. Park in the lot and use the trail.) Chris did spot a large owl while we detoured down the gravel road, so our extra trek was not a waste of time. The trail is a beautiful walk a little over a mile along the creek. It is a very downhill walk. There are several small waterfalls along the way. At [...]
Bugs, Bugs and More Bugs
Once again I found a spot to visit on Facebook (such a wonderful resource for potential trip ideas). I saw a post about Hughlett Point Natural Preserve Trail. With the trail only an hour away and a state park nearby, we decided to make a weekend of it. Belle Isle State Park is on the Rappahannock River. After we set up camp we headed out to explore the trails that wind through the woods and along the water. As we walked into the woods we noticed that this is a very marshy area. As I followed him down the trail, Chris looked like Pig Pen from The Peanuts. There was a swarm of mosquitoes circling his head and they were biting. We stopped at a clearing by the water to re-up the bug spray, which seemed to work as long as we kept moving. As we rounded a bend we caught sight of a beautiful blue heron just as it was taking flight. It was magical. The trail then turned, leading us around a soybean field. At this point, the bothersome mosquitoes had turned into monsters. They were larger than a quarter, so big they actually had discernible weight. We soon [...]
Flip Flops Review
One of the ways we find new spots for food is Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (the Food Network show with Guy Fieri featuring cool places to eat). Flip Flops in Virginia Beach is one of those finds. Flip Flops is a casual eatery with a very island feel (they even have a Bushwacker on the cocktail menu-hands down my favorite drink in the islands). On our recent visit, we started with the fried calamari. It was very lightly breaded, allowing the full flavor of the calamari to shine. We asked for lemon and that made the dish even better. I ordered the BBQ Fish Tacos. They were tasty with a hint of heat. The tuna quesadillas were full of tuna. The rice and pico de gallo served with them are spicy so it is pretty easy to get your desired level of heat. Chris ordered a Cali Burger (with guacamole, salsa Fresca, and pepper jack), which was a perfect medium-rare and full of flavor. Cost for a cocktail, appetizer and three meals $59.
A Tunnel and a Bathtub
A few years ago I came across a Facebook post about The Devil's Bathtub. I looked up where it is (about 7 hours from us) and filed it away in the "maybe someday" file. Someday finally came and we set out for our newest adventure. As I planned the trip I realized that we would be near a restaurant that we wanted to check out, so we stopped at The Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba. The restaurant was about 9 miles from the interstate. We went up and over the mountain. I happily discovered a small waterfall right next to the road. Unfortunately, there was not a safe place to stop to take a photo. After we crossed the Appalachian Trail we arrived at our destination, a lovely large plantation-style house with a long driveway. They served the meal family style. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We drove all the way to Tennessee and then turned right and came back into Virginia finally arriving at Natural Tunnel State Park. We set up camp next to a beautiful wildflower field, did a preliminary exploration of the park and settled in for the evening. Bright and early the next [...]