About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2012)
PACE 8A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 201 3 Features THE BEST STORIES: Newsmakers of 20 12 A year of fun, sun — and desserts ■ ANGELA GARY ■ SHERRY LEWIS Top travel moments from the past year What makes a great trip for me is when I try something new and different and going on adventures that are unique and fun where I discover something about the place and myself. During 2012,1 encoun tered many new adventures as I traveled from the mountains to the beach to the city. With a new year under way I took a look back at my travels in 2012 and picked the top 10 travel moments, which are trips I would highly recommend. My top 10 list includes: • Visiting the charming town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, the inspiration for Mayberry, and stopping by the Andy Griffith Museum where a statue of Andy and Opie head ing to the fishing hole greets visitors out front. What made this trip even more special was visit ing at the museum with Betty Lynn, the actress who por trayed Thelma Lou, Barney’s girlfriend on “The Andy Griffith Show.” She’s delight ful and has found memories of her days as a Hollywood actress. She now lives in Mount Airy and is at the museum on the third Friday of each month to meet with visitors. • Getting a kiss from a Beluga whale at SeaWorld of San Antonio, Texas. I will always remember putting on a wetsuit (for the first time ever) and getting in the water for an up close personal experience with the Beluga whales at SeaWorld. I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time. I don’t know how to swim and was a little nervous about getting in the water but it was so exciting to see the beautiful whales up close that my fears were soon gone. We visited with two beautiful Beluga whales, Oliver and Luna. I even kissed Luna before leaving. She also jumped up beside me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. What fun this was! • Soaking in the natural beauty at Grandfather Mountain in Boone, N.C. Crossing over the Mile High Swinging Bride, will take you to the most scenic spot overlooking the North Carolina coun tryside. The Mile High Swinging Bridge is a 228- foot suspension foot bridge that connects two peaks at one mile above sea level. On the other side of the bridge, you get a spectacular 360-degree view. This is the highlight of your visit as you look out across amazing views of mountain ridges. • The Touch and Feed interactive tour at the historic Florida attraction, Marineland, which gives you an up close look at the amazing dolphins. A trainer will guide you as you pet and feed the dolphins. You are also likely to get splashed, so participants should be prepared to get a little wet. It’s a fun experience that adults and kids alike will enjoy. Casique is the dolphin that we were able to pet and feed. • While Lake Charles, Louisiana, makes a fun place to visit during Mardi Gras, you can experience a little bit of the celebra tion any time you visit by stopping by the Mardi Gras Museum. A highlight of my trip was being greeted by the 12th Knight Revelers, a welcoming committee for the Mardi Gras. They go to balls, hospitals, schools and other places to promote Mardi Gras. As we got off our bus, they put beads on us and grabbed us to dance into the museum. • I love a traditional tea and you don’t have to travel far to find a wonderful tea room. In Greensboro, visitors to The Potted Geranium tea parlor are greeted by owner Laura Kanitra, who makes you feel like a guest in her home. Traditional tea service and a light lunch are offered in a beautiful historic setting. We enjoyed The Victorian Lady, which includes a beautiful three-tiered tray with scones, served with strawberry preserves and clotted cream, as well as an assortment of delicate finger sandwiches and miniature desserts. • A relaxing weekend at the Dahlonega KISSING A DOLPHIN Angela Gary gives Luna a kiss after a Beluga Whale experience at SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas. AT MUSUEM MONTHLY Betty Lynn, the actress who por trayed Thelma Lou on “The Andy Griffith Show” is the museum in Mount Airy once each month to greet fans. She is shown with Angela Gary, editor of The Banks County News. Spa Resort is another highlight from the year. As you wind up the drive to the Dahlonega Spa Resort, you are surrounded by rolling countryside as you pass by a small pond and head to the white house on top of the hill. It’s such a beautiful spot. To make the weekend even more perfect, I had holistic massage that soothes and relaxes aching muscles and leaves you relaxed and refreshed. • Seeing Colin Chandler, an 11-year-old Commerce boy and former student of my sister, perform at Country Tonite in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. My family has gone to see this show for years and we always love it. It was even more special this past year to see a local face on the stage. Colin Chandler is a natural talent who is a featured vocal ist and fiddle player. He is also wonderful interacting with the audience and the cast. He has a long career ahead of him in the entertainment industry and will make the Commerce area proud of his accomplish ments. • While in East Tennessee, my nephew and I enjoyed exploring Coal Creek, which has over 300 miles of off-road adventure trails for the family. You will find beautiful views of the mountains and countryside of East Tennessee. It is here that you will find some of the most scenic views and natural beauty of the area. Visitors to Coal Creek can explore the trails on ATVs, motorcycles, mountains bikes, horses, jeeps and rail buggies. We loved check ing out the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Windmill farm, which has 18 huge, white windmills that are providing electricity to 3,000 homes. • The wonderful food festival, “Euphoria,” held in Greenville, South Carolina. Once a year, the community rolls out the red carpet for nationally renowned food experts. They are coupled with Greenville’s finest culinary artists to create a wonderful event for foodies. I loved try ing all of the dishes, as well as checking out the entertainment. Edwin McCain is one of the organizers of the event and he always performed. 2012 was a great year for travel, and I’m looking forward to all of the adventures that are coming up this year. Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers Inc. She can be reached at AngieEditor@aol. com. RED VELVET WAFFLE AT THE TERRACE CAFE The Terrace Cafe in Ballantyne, N.C., serves up a plate size Red Velvet Waffle that’s sure to please every appetite. Top food finds in 2012 From big cities to small towns, there is always delicious food to be found. I’ve traveled near and far, and I’ve never came home disappointed with the culinary options. I’ve learned to look online to see what patrons are saying. Sometimes I look for the crowds in the parking lots or streaming out the front doors. Last, but most importantly at times I ask the locals. They will give you details about the best of the best restaurants around. Here are some of my most fabulous food finds during 2012. While visiting Tallahassee, Florida I stopped in the Paisley Cafe and had a great time con versing with the owner, Kiersten Worrell. She left the banking industry to follow a dream instilled in her by her grandmoth er many years ago. You’ll find the scones that she learned to make in her grandmother’s kitchen, along with all kinds of delightful treats on the menu. While the scones were delightful, my top pick at Paisley’s is the Candied Grapefruit. Here grapefruit meets creme brulee. It’s baked at 250 degrees for 1 Vfe hours while covered with prosecco, honey, and brown sugar. This unpretentious dish is a creation sure to please. Now I’ll admit that I’m a fan of waffles and red velvet cake. When Terrace Cafe, Ballantyne, N.C., put those two together they developed an award winning creation. Some may call it breakfast, while others call it dessert. I call it absolutely magnificent, and the Red Velvet Waffle is definitely a gold nugget in my book. Chefs use waffle mix and red velvet cake mix to create a plate size waffle. Then, it’s topped off with cream cheese drizzle and a fresh strawberry. On a recent visit to La Grange I happened into a locally owned restaurant, Venucci. While the menu had so many choices my eyes were drawn to the chalk board with today’s specials. The Artichoke Franchaise piqued my interest and it was wonderful. Chefs battered and fried artichoke hearts before topping them off in a buttery, lemon, garlic sauce. During a summer trip to Atlantic Beach, I had the oppor tunity to dine at Azurea, located in the One Ocean Resort. I’ll con fess my meal was exquisite from start to finish. What I remember most from this meal was the Mayport Shrimp Gumbo. Imagine a blend of the freshest shrimp with just picked okra that was battered and fried in a cast iron skillet. Now couple that with a delicious creamy broth and there you have it, the best gumbo ever. BUCCA DE BECCO The Colossal Brownie Sundae is twelve decadent chunks of freshly-baked brownies layered with six scoops of vanilla bean and chocolate ice cream, topped with caramel and chocolate sauces then bur ied in mounds of whipped cream - and a cherry on top. During a visit to Louisiana’s Northshore, I was blown away with the culinary genius at La Provence in Lacombe. The restaurant is owned by Chef John Besh, proprieter of several well-known Louisiana restaurants. Even if you’ve never stepped into his restau rants, and you should, he’s recognizable from his appearances on The Food Network and “Next Top Chef” on Bravo. Now this is a tough decision with choices such as fresh seafood, venison, rabbit, and duckling. Still, my top pick at Besh’s restaurant is the Blue Crab Bisque. I’ve never had a bisque with such tantalizing flavor coupled with large chunks of blue crab. Now considering I had a melt in your mouth, cut it with a butter knife filet as an entree, that should tell you how just how deli cious the bisque was down to the last bite. Owners of Root & Vine, Morgantown, N.C., work with local growers to provide some of the freshest, made from scratch menu items possible. I tried a couple of their appetizers that were delicious, but my pick at this fine dining establishment is the Pan Seared Grouper. It is served with roasted red peppers, capers, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon and Israeli couscous. The marriage of these ingredients creates a unique and flavorful culinary creation. On a trip to New Orleans, I’ll admit Arnaud’s on Bienville Street made me feel like the queen. Couple that with a fantastic meal and it was one of my most memorable dining experiences ever. I could write about every item I ordered on this dining experience. Still, my choice is the Escargots en Casserole. Here, burgundy snails are baked individually in ceramic pots with garlic-herb butter, a dash of Pernod and capped with a flaked pastry. What a unique creation. It was spectacular. Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant, by award winning Chef Donald Link, is located on historic Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans. The menu features French and Italian inspired, yet distinctly Southern dishes. While the appe tizers and entrees were fantastic, one of my most memorable finds at Herbsaint was the des sert. I highly recommend the warm chocolate pudding cake with salted caramel, cashew ice cream, and cocoa nib caramel corn. While the presentation was beautiful, the sweet and salty fla vors blend together to make this a one of a kind dessert. Prejean’s Restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana, is a favorite of tourists and the locals as well. They hold the record for the most medals captured by any culinary team in the south. Chefs whip up gold medal specialties, such as fresh Gulf seafood and wild game, while patrons enjoy live Cajun music nightly. My pick for this award winning restaurant is the Alligator Grand Chenier. Chefs start with tender white tail meat, seasoned Cajun style, then it’s wrapped around their scrump tious crab and shrimp stuffing, then grilled and served with rice dressing and corn macque choux. On a weekend in Alpharetta, I had the opportunity to dine at Bucca de Becco, a family-style Italian restaurant. Here you’ll find the dishes enjoyed for genera tions in villages throughout Italy, along with new innovative menu items. In the spirit of Italian cul ture, the dishes are meant to be shared and they are perfect for passing around the table. While I enjoyed some mouth-watering Italian food here, I must say the Colossal Brownie Sundae is something I’ll never forget. Imagine twelve decadent chunks of freshly-baked brownies layered with six scoops of vanilla bean and chocolate ice cream, topped with caramel and chocolate sauces then buried in mounds of whipped cream - and a cherry on top. Those ingredients create a memorial experience for me. Sherry Lewis is a columnist who specializes in outdoor adventure and culinary writ ing. She can be reached at bcnscoop@aoI. com. sherry lewis
