NC MeatUp Travel Pics

[Jfrosty27]

Well my end to the meet up was not good. I slipped and fell in the shower at the hotel this morning. I’m ok. Just a nasty shiner and a stiff neck. Could have been much worse. Oh well.

I’m in Charlotte now on the next leg of my trip. Savanna, GA, Atlanta, and St. Louis to follow and then home to Milwaukee.

[WayneT]

I hope you recover quickly and completely soon, Jim. Have fun and stay safe during the rest of your southern loop trip.

[mrteddyprincess]

I think people will just assume you were playing hockey.

[Richard Chrz]

Ouch! Heal up!

[Panhead John]

Not that this is interesting or anything, but I’m at another Hampton in south Atlanta right now. Walked next door to a Mexican Restaurant and got some shrimp tacos. Not too bad, came with some rice and chips and salsa. Sitting in a hotel room for hours on end sucks, pretty boring. Gonna check the phone book for escort services.


What a view out my window! 🙄

[gboss]

you of all people should know that they have moved on from the yellow pages.

[Jim White]

Oh, and about the incident at the bar across from the hotel. You, as the resident spelling police, should have realized it’s spelled Twin Peaks, not Peeks. I’m sure the bruise on your face will fade soon.

[Mosca]

Panhead John you do understand that if you skip bail and don't show up for trial we get charged, right?

[JCBBQ]

*Hotel

[Panhead John]

😂😂😉

[Bkhuna]

When I make the trip, I'll be retired so I won't have to worry about the time element. My wife and I always enjoy rambling off the Interstates whenever possible.

I plan on taking three days to get there from Central Florida with many stops along the way for historical sites/food. I'm really looking forward to next year.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Fingers crossed, away we go...

[WayneT]

Good luck Greg. Post up when you get home so we can breathe again.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

WayneT I did, and I made it home 24.5 hours after I shoulda yesterday

[DavidNorcross]

So glad you made it home!!!

[Jfrosty27]

As I continue on from the meet up, I stopped in Columbia, SC for lunch at Midwood Smokehouse. They have several locations in the Charlotte area that I frequently visited when I lived there. I stopped at this location two years ago while on a similar trip to this one. I posted about it at the time. It was excellent so I figured again it would be great. And it was. As you can see from the photos, I didn’t like it at all. 🙄🤣

[WayneT]

What are you talking about ItsAllGoneToTheDogs ? You ate as much as any of us and didn’t gain an ounce. I once had that metabolic rate decades ago.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I wear loose shirts, carry it all above the waist

[Smoked Transistors]

Impressive for sure!!

[Panhead John]

Left Atlanta this morning and just had lunch in Greenville, Alabama. Just happened upon a little place called The Shrimp Basket. Decided on an oyster po-boy…folks this was the real deal! Fresh Oysters fried to perfection on a French roll. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a great tasting tartar sauce. One of the best oyster po boys I’ve had. Even the French fries were really good! I asked the waitress what was sprinkled on them and she said a combination Cajun seasoning and blackened seasoning. Heading to Gulfport, Mississippi now….

[JCBBQ]

Jesus!! I miss the south. Oster po boy is best po boy. I’m having a visceral reaction. Thank you.

[Panhead John]

JCBBQ Thanks bro! If you miss the South so much, you could move in with me! We could be roomies….😂

[JCBBQ]

Hahahaha. Be right over.

[Panhead John]

Just a little tease of what’s coming later……….

[Jerod Broussard]

I could definitely meet you at a Buc-ee's. I figure the place is big enough for me to hide from you most of the time.

[WayneT]

ComfortablyNumb 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 There’s definitely a subliminal message in that post.

[DavidNorcross]

Stay safe John!

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

And... made it home. My 2 biggest worries is I didn't have a torque wrench and I thought there might be a fire from grease I couldn't get off close to the exhaust... this sign is just down the road from me... if any of y'all ever go give me a heads up and we can grab lunch or whatever...

[Jerod Broussard]

I think I have 3 torque wrenches in my truck. One is just because it fits just right to remove the tension from the belt tensioner. Congratulations on getting home!

[WayneT]

Thanks for letting us know you made it home safely and without further ado. Stay safe brother.

[JCBBQ]

Phew 😅

[Panhead John]

WillTravelForFood and many more members have been clamoring for more Buc-ee’s pics!… ok, well, just one person, but still. He wasn’t exactly clamoring, I’m lying about that.. On my way to Gulfport, Mississippi I stopped at this Buc-ee’s in Auburn, Alabama. It’s only been open 3 weeks according to an employee there. This one has…..120 gas pumps! It’s not the largest Buc-ee’s, that honor will go to the one they’re building in Tennessee…..but it’s one of the biggest right now for sure. Here’s a few pics.




120 Gas Pumps Y’all……

Got a spare $400. laying around?





Nice selection of Lodge CI




Nice selection of cookbooks. Meathead, maybe you could check into getting your books sold in their stores. I looked but didn’t see any here.

[WillTravelForFood]

how was the BBQ sandwich? How was the jerky?

[Panhead John]

I didn’t eat there today and I’ve never had their jerky, but it’s all supposed to be pretty darn good!

[Panhead John]

The videos give an idea of how large most of the stores are…..

Some of the cookers for sale here….








Buc-ee’s stores are one of the cleanest overall stores you’ll ever visit. The inside of the stores are always meticulously clean and all merchandise is always neatly displayed. As an example of their cleanliness, I happened to witness 2 employees wiping off the top of the outdoor ice freezers…when have you ever seen that happen? 😳

[JCBBQ]

Let me just say…Ho-Lee-Shi-Tah! It’s nirvana

[BKYDBBQ]

I have been to the Buc-ee's in SC and the two on the East side of FL...I went to Key West last month and stopping there was something I was looking forward to...

They are building one less than an hour from me. I am excited to have one close but also it will loose the charm of going there when I can easily get there anytime.

Also, if you go to one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Beaver Nuggets...

[RonB]

That's a neat place for sure. And I have wanted one of those deep fryers for a good while.

[Jim White]

Mexican Street Corn soup in the RDU Skyclub. Pretty darn good.

[captainlee]

You guys are killing me.

[WayneT]

Safe travels home, Jim.

[Panhead John]

Awesome Jimbo!

[WillTravelForFood]

Mexican Street Corn soup in the RDU Skyclub. Pretty darn good.

That, and the seasonal Thai chicken soup are our favorites. Sadly, the Campbells WICKED Thai Chicken Soup for home consumption is not quite the same as the Industrial bagged version that we believe they use in the Sky Club.

[Jim White]

Indeed. The Thai soup is a winner.

[WayneT]

Panhead John, did you grab a pizza while at Buc-ees? I hear they’re humongous too.

[Panhead John]

That’s actually the small pizza at Buc-ee’s. 🤓 [they don’t sell pizza]

[WayneT]

Don’t serve pizza!!?? What kind of low rent place is that?

[gboss]

Didn't take any photos of the drive, but the final stats were 1114mi on 29.84gal of fuel, trip average 37.3mpg. $3.859/gal in NC and $3.659/gal back in NJ.
Smooth ride on the way home.

[TxF]

We have a diesel Cruze with some exhaust mods, gets about 42mpg on road trips going 80. That seems to be its sweet spot, mpg goes down quickly when you go much faster. It’s been great, it’s been as far west as Vegas and as far east as Orlando.

[gboss]

TxF A coworker bought a diesel Cruze after he got tired of hearing about me getting 50+mpg in my old passat.

[Rfhd69]

Yesterday I paid $4.99 a gallon for diesel! I’m jealous!