Hello All,
This is my first attempt to write down a recantation of a journey, so it will be ackward and probably full of useless information. I hope it will not be a total waste of a reader's time.
Purpose-to take my 82 yr. old mother to my nephew's wedding reception in Va. Beach. No one in the family thought it could be done, but the Force is mighty in the old woman.
We started out at Wal-Mart Super Store in Harrisonburg, Va. to get gas. We had a Wal-Mart gift card and by using it was able to get a 3 cent discount per gallon. A penny saved can be used for a beer later.
Mom is on meds that make her need a restroom often, so after being on the road for 1 hour and a half she was in a desperate state. We stopped at a gas station in Oilville, Va. After reading a thread
about using restrooms without buying anything, I made sure I bought $5.00 of gas, 2 lottery tickets, and a bag of peanuts while Mom found relief. The clerks at the station watched me cautiously as
I waited, and waited, and waited for Mom to do her business.
Picked up my daughter at Wm & Mary and made our way to the Colonial Inn. Upon check-in, was delighted that my nephew had given all his guests a small bucket, the type children play with on the beach, full of treats: cookies, cheese and peanut butter crackers, moon-pies, various candies, etc.. Good late night snacking materials.
Once settled in the room, we discovered how hungry we were and went to the hotel restaurant, Angelo's by the Ocean.
There was only 3 or 4 other groups in the restaurant, which is one reason I love the beach in the winter, not crazy and more intimate.
It is a wonderful restaurant, ocean front, so you can see the waves outside, but with a lightly-lit, cozy atmosphere inside. My mom uses a cane, sometimes a walker, and they had plenty of tables with chairs, that she prefers, as well as booths.
The service was very warm and accomadating. I asked if they had a smoking section,(as I smoke) and the hostess said, "I'll make one."
The waiter went the nine yards for us. My mom's order included fries, which she didn't want, while I wanted fries. The waiter said that I could have her fries rather order my own. Plus, he came back often enough to be of help without being a pain.
Mom ordered chicken tenders, which she thought would be like nuggets.
Hey, she's 82. They were chicken filets, and mighty tasty. She also ordered mixed veggies. Uncooked for her "cook veggies until they are mush" tastes. And she asked for a baked potato which was very good.
Jen, my daughter, order angel-hair pasta with meat sauce which smelled so delicious that wish I had ordered the same. Huge portion.
I ordered a garden salad and ate mom's fries. The fries were great, but the salad was...out of season, so I was only able to eat half of it. Cost about $40 for all us.
The next morning I slept in while Jen and Mom breakfasted at Angelo's. They just had toast and juice, but the next morning
I breakfasted with Mom at the same place. They have a great breakfast bar that has anything you could want for $6.99. Waffles, eggs, ham, bacon, various fruits, etc.. But mom got toast and juice, and I ordered a scrambled egg, homefries, and toast. They gave us plenty of jams, jellies, and butter for toast. The scrambled egg turned out to be a fried egg, and the homefries were
red-potato slices and quarters. It tasted excellent to my hungry belly. Cost about $7.
We ate lunch at the Puple Cow. This is a great place, a self-described, "Soda Fountain, Diner, Burger Joint." It is a retro-50's-60's restaurant, with a juke-box and soda fountain bar as well table seating. Even in Feb. it was busy. To see their menu, and it is worth seeing, go to (sorry, I don't know how to create links)
http://ns1.vgnet.com/vb/menus/purplecow.pdf Mom has the chicken salad sandwich which was okay, and colesaw, which she didn't like due to a heavy herb in it she said. She said she wished she'd order the North Carolina BBQ.
Jen had the Chicken Fingers Platter, which she said was great.
I had the Classic Hamburger. It was very good, the beef was fresh and hand-pattied made, not a frozen slab. The fries, good, but some had skins on them, which I don't really like.
Cost about $30.
Will stop now. If interested in the rest, I'll add a Part 2 thread.
It really was a great trip, especially for my Mom. She's been coop-ed up inside all winter and this was a treat for her. It was a gift for me to share the time and experiences with her and my daughter.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle
