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.
Ichiban Review
A co-worker recently told us about an all-you-can-eat sushi deal at Ichiban here in Williamsburg so, of course, we had to check it out. When we walked in the hostess asked if we were there for all-you-can-eat or would we like menus. The hostess directed us to a table where there was a placard explaining our options. This is not a buffet. The food is cooked to order and served at the table, which is nice. We started with hot sake and appetizers. I felt as though we should already know what we wanted. Having never been here before, I would have liked to have had time to go over the options. The spring rolls were tasty. The calamari was very lightly breaded, allowing the taste of the calamari to shine through. They have a nice choice of appetizers, soups and salads, kitchen food, and 24 sushi rolls, as well as up to five pieces of bonus sushi to choose from. I was not impressed with the avocado roll as the avocado was slightly less than ripe. The Godzilla roll had potential, but the tuna had a somewhat fishy taste. I really enjoyed the honey roll and the tempura cheese roll, but the hands-down winner [...]
A Day In The Tulips
Many years ago, when I lived in Buzzard's Bay, MA, I wanted to go to the Daffodil Festival on Nantucket. I never made it. When I heard about a Tulip Festival I decided I had to go. The tulip farm is not quite 3 hours away, so I decided it would make a nice day trip. Our oldest, Joe and his girlfriend, Bridget, came along for the ride. We knew ahead of time that it was not a great year for the tulips. The tulip fields had flooded in January. It had been a very cold spring, so the tulips that had survived the flooding got a very late start. Then, when it finally warmed up and they started popping up, it got very hot, very quickly. This shortened the usual month-long season to about a week. Despite the problems, we were not disappointed by the journey. There was still a beautiful field full of gorgeous blooms. There was a bounce mat and a bounce slide. It was a joy to see Joe, 25, behaving like a small child for a few minutes. We wandered through the many tulips, enjoying the scenery, and taking beautiful photos. Joe purchased a small [...]
Oasis at the Beach
When I think of Virginia Beach I think of a city that has a hotel laden shoreline. At the north end are houses upon houses upon houses. I was very happy to find First Landing State Park, a lovely wilderness spot right in the middle of it all. The park is at the north end of the beach just past Fort Story where the Chesapeake Bay empties into the Atlantic. The campsites are sandy and have beautiful trees. Before setting up camp we went for a walk on one of the many trails. We heard a large woodpecker and were very happy when we spotted him. Further up the trail, Chris spotted a squirrel peeking out of a hole in a tree. We hit the beach around sunset. I misconstrued my directions and did not get the sun setting behind the bridge that I was hoping for, but did still see some nice sky coloring as the clouds were starting to roll in. After we set up camp, we enjoyed a quiet evening by the fire with sloppy joes for dinner. The trees were quite captivating as the flames reflected off of them. Just as the fire subsided came a light mist, [...]
Ponies and Solitude
I have always been fascinated by the wild ponies of Chincoteague, so I decided we should go to see them. There are no campgrounds open in that area in February so we chose to drive up to Assateague National Seashore, which allows camping all year. As we neared the park we drove by an entire skeleton on the side of the road. After we passed it we both asked: "did you see that?" It looked like the remains of a large animal, possibly a deer. Upon entering the park, we came across our first pony sighting. It was delightful to find them wandering around in the wild. We set up camp in a spot next to the water. The beauty of camping in February is we had the entire place to ourselves. There were plenty of horse droppings in the area and it was exciting to think that the horses could show up at our campsite at any time. We headed for the sunset and were not disappointed. The sky was full of amazing color as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed our steaks under the blanket of stars. The downside of [...]
OBX Lighthouses
On a chilly, January morning we set out for the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We were in for a quiet, desolate beach experience. We stopped first at Outer Banks Brewing Station where we had a lovely brunch. We took home a set of the beer sampler glasses to add to our collection. We next headed to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw a variety of birdlife hanging out in the water. We ventured across the road and over the sand dune for a little beach time. There was a dusting of snow, making the beach even more beautiful with the winter setting. After we found our camping spot, making sure that we were not right on the water, we headed for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. We arrived late in the afternoon and quite enjoyed being able to wander around without the crowds. We stopped for a snack and then set up camp. It was cold, with snow on the ground, but comfortable by the roaring fire. It was a playoff weekend. Fortunately, the campground had wi-fi, so we broke our own rule on phone use to watch the game. The next morning we had to search out a [...]
Windy Waterfront Camping
Our next adventure took us across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to discover the Eastern Shore. I should have known something was up when the girl in the office called me a brave soul. We spent the afternoon at Kiptopeke State Park hiking trails that ran along the Chesapeake Bay. There was a nice view of the bridge and plenty of birds to see. We found a wonderful line of mushrooms along the trail and spotted a beautiful deer. After we finished the hike, we headed to Cherrystone Campground. We set up camp behind a small pond, but with a full view of the bay. The sunset over the water was amazing. It was a bit windy so Chris chose to dig a hole for our campfire. We also turned a picnic table over to buffet the wind as well and were able to build a nice fire. I had prepared chili for dinner so had it warming on the camp stove as we enjoyed the warmth of the fire. It was taking a very long time to heat. I think the wind was sapping all the heat from the flame before it could really warm the pot. Not to worry, [...]
Baja Bean – Staunton Review
As we were driving up Interstate 81 we were suddenly hungry. Chris looked up food near us and found a Baja Bean off of an upcoming exit so we went. The restaurant is on a city street, so we parked in the first available spot and walked up the block. Baja Bean decor is in a very Mexican style, with vibrant turquoise walls displaying masks, artwork and sugar skulls. We walked in to a friendly greeting and started off with house margaritas. We were also served chips with a beautifully fresh pico de gallo. The margaritas were the best I've had in a restaurant...flavorful without being syrupy sweet. I ordered Enchiladas Monterey, a simple Monterey jack filled enchilada with a poblano sauce, lettuce, sour cream, rice and beans. They had a wonderful texture, not at all mushy. Chris ordered a chimichanga and chile relleno. The chile relleno was crispy with a lovely cornmeal crust. The overall theme of the meal was fresh. Nothing felt heavy as is often the case with Mexican food. For dessert I picked one of the specials Hold the Cobbler, vanilla ice cream topped with a raspberry and peach sauce with sugared tortilla chips. Yum! Cost for two margaritas, meal [...]
The Pink Cadillac Diner Review
We found a fantastic and fun spot for a delicious breakfast at The Pink Cadillac Diner, complete with a pink Cadillac out front.
Mac’s Country Store Review
I saw an article on Facebook touting Mac's Country Store as the best fried chicken in Virginia so, of course, we had to check it out. It is a little off the beaten path, but if you are near Lovingston, it is worth a stop. This is a gas station on the side of the road that also serves fried chicken and burgers in the store. There are a few tables in the back of the store so you can eat there if you like. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. It was not the typical heavy breading that you find in most places. Instead, it was lightly breaded and fried to perfection. It reminded me of the chicken I had at family reunions as a child. Cost of a 2-piece (breast and thigh) with potato wedges and dinner roll $3.70
