Civil War driving tour in North Carolina: A trip on the Blue-Gray Scenic Byway

by Jamie Rhein on

A month ago, I wrote about a Civil War driving tour in Tennessee. Here’s another one I found out about in an engaging article by Jodi Helmer in the November/December issue of AAA’s Home and Away magazine.

Helmer followed North Carolina’s Blue-Gray Scenic Byway on a quest to find historic sites connected to the Civil War. The journey was a hunt and ask venture that wound through small towns and tobacco fields. As she found out, even a nondescript field where a battle took place has significance. Such was the case when she went into the Harper House, the now museum, but once farmhouse that was turned into a hospital during the war in order to treat soldiers who were wounded.

Other points of interest along the way were the Cliffs of Neuse State Park, the remnants of CSS Neuse–a ship used by the Confederate Navy, and small towns like Dudley, Seven Springs and Deep Run.

People in these towns pointed Helmer in the direction of terrific barbecue. She suggests Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro.

Reading Helmer’s article reminded me of the importance of pulling off the road once in awhile to read those brown historic markers and asking the locals, “Where would you eat and what’s worth seeing here?”

For more information about the Blue-Gray Scenic Byway, click here. One thing to keep in mind, many places are closed on Sundays. Here is a down-loadable brochure of the Civil War Trail another tour option.

The sounds of travel 11: Liverpool

by Annie Scott on

Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs. Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the comments below and we’ll post it at the end of the series.

If you’re going to England, you really ought to make a stop in Liverpool. There’s a Tate Museum (with a terrific Auerbach I particularly like), Albert Dock, from whence The Titanic departed, and a music scene you’ll never forget.

The Beatles aren’t the only band to come out of Liverpool. Here’s a list of twelve Liverpool bands from the BBC, which even they confess is “by no means an exhaustive list.” Every one has played the famous Cavern Club, which is a great place to visit, even just for a pint in the afternoon.

If you’re into new music, you’re also in luck. Not only does Liverpool continue to encourage new artists through its music-rich history and welcoming clubs, but there’s also a school there called the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, which was started by Sir Paul McCartney in 1996. LIPA is farming out fresh talent to all over Europe and beyond. You can catch the students at their very own Paul McCartney Auditorium or at the local bars and clubs like The Magnet and Bar Hannah.

Beatles tourism in Liverpool is pretty commercialized, but don’t miss The Magical Mystery Tour, which is conducted by childhood friends of The Beatles themselves. They’ll have all kinds of tidbits for you, for example: Did you know that “Norweigan Wood” was originally titled “Knowing She Would,” and they changed it for the censors?

Have a listen above; it’s sure to give you a smile.

Click here for previous Sounds of Travel.

Turducken: Where Does It Come From?

by Brenda Yun on

The unnatural trio of turkey, duck, and chicken might initially make your stomach curl, but the supposed supernatural taste of the turducken might just appease the staunchest of food critics. This chicken in a duck in a turkey has become a nationwide phenomenon in the past decade – so much so that NFL commentator John Madden awards a turducken to the winning team of the Thanksgiving Day game (usually the Detroit Lions versus the Dallas Cowboys). Just this year, though, Madden announced he would be returning to the traditional turkey for Thanksgivings henceforth.

The unlikely combination of birds actually makes for a nice blend of dark and white, dry and juicy meats. Preparing and cooking the perfect turducken takes at least ten hours. Start by deboning all the birds and preparing a cornbread and sausage stuffing. Basically, the turkey is laid flat and spread with a layer of stuffing. The duck is placed on top of the turkey (add another layer of stuffing), and the chicken (with leftover stuffing inside) is placed on top of the duck. Carefully wrap the turkey as you normally would and cook as usual. The advantage of turducken is that everything is edible, and you don’t have to work around the bones. Just dig in and enjoy the mixture of tastes.

So, when did the turducken come to be? And where does it come from? Turducken is strictly American fare, as nowhere else in the world would someone even think to combine these three distinctly tasting birds into one Thanksgiving feast. This tri-bird can be traced back to the Deep South – likely somewhere in Louisiana – some time in the early to mid 1980’s. Despite not being able to deep fry it as you would chicken, duck, or turkey separately, the turducken seems to come from a Cajun tradition. Some people credit Cajun-creole fusion chef Paul Prudhomme with creating the dish as part of the Duvall Days Festival in Duvall, Washington in 1983. However, Calvin Trillin in the November 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine traces the turducken’s origins to Maurice, Louisiana, where “Hebert’s Specialty Meats” has been commercially producing turduckens since 1985. The company still prepares around 5,000 turduckens per week during the holiday season.

Tofurkey-loving vegetarians might just be appalled at the pounds of meat that make up the turducken, but families across the nation are still cheering for this great new holiday staple.

Tofurkey: Where Did It Come From?

by Brenda Yun on

I knew about tofurkey about seven years ago, when Sam, my hippie next door neighbor in Boulder, needed a vegetarian alternative to turkey and went so far as to prepare our friends a tofurkey feast for Thanksgiving. Aside from the smooth slices this mock-turkey has opposed to the sometimes dry and stringy quality some Thanksgiving birds have possessed, my rather bland taste buds were not able to tell the difference at all. I never bothered to ask where Sam purchased this honking piece of pseudo-bird. It really did look, smell, and taste like a turkey fresh from the oven.

Since then, I discovered a brand of manufactured tofurkey in stores called “Tofurky” (trademarked without the “e”), which is owned by Turtle Island Foods and can be found at essentially every Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe’s. The Tofurky brand carries all kinds of vegan delights, but specializes in its Tofurky Jurky, Franks, and Holiday Products.Yes, it is possible to buy a turkey-sized Tofurky with stuffing – and maybe your guests won’t even know the difference! I was also quite surprised to discover that turkey and tofurkey have shockingly similar nutritional value, which therefore leaves me slightly compelled to pop a Tofurky in the oven tomorrow!

The question remains: Where did this ingenious concoction called tofurkey come from? Did the masterminds at Turtle Island Foods in Hood River, Oregon create this new vegan staple back in 1980, or did some Chinese-American with a lot of time on his/her hands decide to take all that Chinatown tofu and make it taste like turkey one Thanksgiving, long long ago? The investigation continues and right now your guess is as good as mine. I’m selfishly rooting for the Chinese-American to claim his/her recipe, but Seth Tibbott over at Turtle Island Foods certainly made tofurkey a commercial product worth gobbling for every November!

Oh, and if you’re head over heels in love with Tofurky, why not order a custom (and classic) Tofurky lunchbox for just $20? All your friends will be jealous! Or, in the spirit of travel, Turtle Island Foods has an annual Travels with Tofurky Contest. Tofurky lovers just need to snap a photo with their Tofurky box of choice and submit it every fall for a chance to win a styling Tofurky Care Kit including a Tofurky t-shirt, a case of Tofurky Jurky and other cool stuff.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another Thanksgiving special about “Turducken: Where Did It Come From?”

Trouble in Hawaiian Paradise: A Realist’s Point of View

by Brenda Yun on

My initial post on “Trouble in Hawaiian Paradise” might have painted an unrealistic picture of my island home. I think it’s worth clarifying the real picture versus what my idealistic traveler self sees in Hawaii. So, being “real” for a moment, I must admit that Hawaii, just like other expensive and desirable travel destinations on the globe, certainly feels the effects of a decline in tourism. One particular Gadling reader brought specific issues to my attention that I’d like to discuss in greater detail in order to illustrate Hawaii’s predicament more accurately and clearly.

Newer, more exotic, less expensive destinations are changing the landscape of options for travelers. These new destinations (like Laos, Slovenia, and Mongolia) have changed people’s approach to travel. In most cases, it is not only more cost effective but also better to go elsewhere. Hawaii has always been expensive. That has not changed. What has is that tourists who don’t necessarily want or have to come to Hawaii choose other destinations with similar climate, like Mexico and Costa Rica. These places are certainly more affordable, but the cultural experience is quite different. Many travelers will still pay the extra cost so they can experience “Hawaii.” Others will not.Hawaii is also slow to update touristic sites and accommodate for modern tourists’ needs. Waikiki and most tourist-related buildings were built between about 1950 and 1975, and most of these buildings still stand today with just minor renovations to the exterior or interior. Updates take a lot of time, of course, and there is progress being made — primarily toward the western end of Waikiki with a new Trump hotel and new condos being built where older, smaller apartments once existed.

While Hawaii’s appeal still exists, the condition of the ocean and diversity of life have worsened significantly. Fishing, diving, and snorkeling are simply not as rewarding as they used to be. I know this because my free diving experiences in Fiji starkly contrasted to diving here in Hawaii. It made me realize how other waters are far better preserved — partly because fewer people explore them, but also because there are specific efforts to preserve the biodiversity that we do not have in place here or do not enforce.

Which brings me to the heart of the matter: a realistic solution. There is much that needs to be done to supply the islands with a healthy economy led by tourism. Residents and visitors must be more proactive about preserving the Hawaiian brand and the state’s unique ecosystem. Making local sites more accessible is a step in the direction and, with the addition of the Superferry and the rail system that was just passed, locals and tourists can travel with greater ease.

I am an idealist. I always have been. There is no realist in me, so I will likely never admit this beautiful state is suffering even if we’re right in the thick of a recession. I would rather not feed the negative view of Hawaii, as the WSJ article does.