The Annual May Pilgrimage

The Monday back after a fabulous time at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The whole trip was wonderful and full of good surprises and adventures.  The recurring theme seemed to be timing, more specifically God's timing.  Dena and I were so aware of this from the tiniest details to the grand big picture.  We also made the trip differently in route and timing which in hindsight added so much.

Dena and I have come to the realization that it is better to do a two night drive going to Biltmore.  This time we divided the days into 8-9 hours increments.  Our first stop for the night was in Brookhaven, MS.  We had time to drive around the picturesque downtown.  We paid homage to the First Baptist Church and the St Francis of Assi Catholic church.  Both beautiful buildings in their own respects.  We asked about a steak and seafood place just down the way from the hotel but it had closed down.  Thus we had CB for the second time that day.  It turned out really to be a good dinner.  We both ordered the pot roast and we had the cutest college waitress that we visited with throughout dinner.  At the time we hadn't realized by dividing up our trip we finally after so many attempts, could stop at Dreamland BBQ in Birmingham for a late lunch on our way to Chattanooga.  Siri got us there and back onto the correct freeway. 

Roy used to eat at Dreamland in Tuscaloosa back in the day.  No, he didn't go to the University of Alabama and he would be upset if he knew his name and Alabama were being used so close together in sentences but he went there quite often on business.  He would bring back one gallon size containers of sauce from Dreamland. We'd have friends over for BBQ when he brought back the sauce.  I so want to go to SNL, "do you lika the sauce?  The sauce is good."  Ok, I went there.  Hands down, their BBQ sauce is about the best there is...maybe even beating Goode Company.  The sauce was as good as I remembered.  Dena has a better picture of the remnants of our meal.  It reminded us of the time we went with Lisa P to New Orleans.  The remains of that day are quite legendary and we have the pictures to prove it. 

Back on the highway and ever so thankful to see that the construction on I 59 going toward Chattanooga has concluded because that road surface felt like a roller coaster.  We checked into our usual hotel and walked over to El Matador for dinner, believe me it was a light dinner.  Guac and queso.  Going there is just part of our trip. 

I will stop here and will continue on later.  I don't want to give the impression that all we did was eat...no we did stuff inbetween meals.