A wonderful night's sleep felt great after these past few full days and we wake to the start of another pretty day. As this place is so comfortable and the folks so nice, we've decided to stay another night. This lets us have a morning of beach time, a little exploring and just some good old R & R this afternoon. Sounds really good!
While the sun is still shining, I head out for a morning hike on the wide beach. I virtually have this whole heaven to myself! I stroll down the beach to the pier and plan on walking out to its lengthy end. Alas, there is a $1 charge for this little excursion. Really?!? I mumble something about not realizing a charge is involved for this outing and will need to return later. I am now in a quandry. I want to see the end of this pier but to pay or not to pay? That seems to be the question....
The walk is beautiful. Heading north, the homes get grander, aah!!!, the life! I extend this hike for a bit longer before returning to home base. The sun is ducking behind clouds by now and the grayness of the day seems to be settling in for awhile.
I find Celeste back at the resort, she's had her morning of a little workout and answering e-mails and is ready to join me in finding some lunch! The Trolley Stop is the destination today, famous for its hot dogs, because what's the beach without a dog? The front desk points us in the right direction and we have a little over a mile walk to the little place. It's like being in Pass-a-grille, Florida (home of our dear friends, the Turners). Walking this narrow street, we have the Atlantic on one side and the intercoastal on the other. Water abounds.
The Trolley Stop welcomes us and as we are a bit early, we are the sole customers at this time. We order the nuclear (melted cheese and jalapenos), the German (sauerkraut and mustard), and the Wrightsville Beach (special sauce, onions and tomatoes). A bag of chips and large pickle finish the delicious breakfast/lunch as we sit outside (yes, a bit chilly) under the umbrellas and enjoy this lazy morning.
A return hike up the beach (working off those chips) finds us back at the pier. We've decided to pay. A great view awaits and even dolphin are a reward at the end. Although the gray weather prevails, it's still a very pretty sight. We linger awhile, watching the only two other occupants on the pier fishing. They don't seem to care if they catch anything or not, it's just the spot to be and they, too, are watching the dolphin entertain below.
We stumble upon a lone surfer as we are exiting the pier. A sign calls out from above that surfing within 500 feet can result in an arrest, but this does not seem to be causing much concern for our surfer. As he catches a few waves, we giddily watch and document a few of his rides on the camera. He's quite good. We guess he has ignored this sign a few times before.
The afternoon brings time for curling up with a good book and just relaxing. Feels really nice. Celeste does manage a little swim before we head out for dinner. A cocktail in the lounge overlooking the Atlantic is a fun start before we head down the street to 22 North. A little local fare is in order and we've read the chef here is quite creative. All blackboard items, no menu, as he waits to see what's fresh that day.
Once again, we have very friendly service and choose to start with the special fried green tomatoes. Out of this world good! Served with a sauce that includes lima beans, corn and tomatoes, it disappears quickly. A basket of freshly baked breads is brought out and includes a carrot cake sweet bread that has to be the best bread I've ever eaten - I am not a bread eater. The garlic biscuit and cornbread are also good, but that sweet bread, oh my! We have to have more! A romaine wedge with blue cheese is the salad tonight and is crisp and tasty. After this beginning, we can only imagine what the entrees will bring!
The Thai shrimp and grits, which I couldn't wait to savor, were a little too rich, as was the chicken pastry dish. They like their sauces in the south. Stopping after the salad would probably have been ideal! But, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone.
As we settle back in our rooms, readying for another adventure tomorrow, we reflect on this little lazy day. Sometimes those can really be the best.
What is it with "shrimp and grits" everywhere you go?!
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