Port City-Big City

The Fuzz and His Sweetie had decided to have a bit of Big City time, just for fun.

Wilmington, N.C. is not far from Topsail Island, and in comparison to Topsail Beach, certainly qualifies as a Big City.

But it is a bit of a "you can't get there from here" situation.

The Fuzz does realize that this simply means that one must first get someplace else from here, and from thence, to there.

Topsail Beach is of course located on Topsail Island.

And Topsail Island is of course, an island!

Whereas the "Port City" is in fact, not.

So  this will require either a ferry, or a bridge.

The closest actual bridge is located up the island at Surf City.

And so we have this situation.

First a drive up to Surf City and across the drawbridge over the ICW.  Then out to the highway and south towards the Big City.

The first stop was the "Goodwill" store, and then, while The Fuzz still had a bit of his sanity left, downtown.

 

The traffic in Wilmington can get a little unpleasant at times.  But The Fuzz's Sweetie grew up in a Big City and handles it pretty well.

Finding a parking spot on Front St. can be a problem.  So they just decided to bite the bullet and pay for a spot on a parking deck...

With a view.

There are a lot of shops and all in this area.  In fact it's sort of the Tourist Destination while at the various beaches.

The Fuzz's plans called for a stop at

"Old Books on Front St."

The Fuzz highly recommends a stop here if one is inclined towards these things-

But be prepared to spend some time!

The Fuzz and His Sweetie were not particularly interested in the other shops, as they had been through here during summer beach trips before.

But a bit of lunch was called for.

So they walked up the street to the Front Street Brewery, and had some lunch and a pint.

It was very good.

Besides the beer, they seem to have quite a bar going on.

The Fuzz was tempted to use this for a Mystery Pix, but managed to get over it.

After taking care of the hungries, it was time to go down to the Riverwalk for some fun.

Whilst His Sweetie amused herself with her sketching, The Fuzz got out his camera and took a walk.

Here's a look at a bit of the waterfront.

And since this is the "Port City"...

Here's a look down river toward the "port."

Wilmington is also home to the Battleship North Carolina -

Which is right across the river.

The Fuzz could have stopped here...

But didn't!

If the reader is inclined so...

They may continue for a bit below

☟

Big Tree

Well, it's been a while again.

So what's the Old Fuzz been up to?

Well, he & His Sweetie took a trip over toward the State Capital.  There are kinfolk in the area that were willing to put them up for a few days.

One of the days they went in to the Big City itself.

The Fuzz got a shot of this street artist by a parking lot.

And this is what she was trying to capture on paper.

This thing covered the whole side of the building, which was huge itself.

At first The Fuzz thought it was just a huge tree - impressive enough.  But then he backed off a bit and realized the thing was moving!

Maybe you can see it here better.

Wow.

ALS Walk

This past weekend The Fuzz and family participated in the Walk to Defeat ALS.  The Fuzz's Brother is unfortunately a victim of this awful decease.

The festivities started with some music and a bit of dancing.

There was quite a crowd there.

The walk made a circuit downtown, around the State Capital, and then back to the starting place.

Then it was back to His Brother's place, to celebrate His Birthday with snacks and beer.

Day in the Real BIg City

With the furry little kitty safely delivered at the Kitty Klinic, and coffee and donuts in the tummies, The Fuzz and His Sweetie continued on into the Real Big City.

(Kinda looks like it's collapsing on itself)

The first stop was, of course, the Goodwill Outlet Store.  They found a few cool things there, and the price is always right.

Then it was over to Luna's Living Kitchen (recommended by a schoolteacher) for an unusual lunch.

"Gaia's Treasure" for His Sweetie

And for The Fuzz, "Lunasagna".

The weather was pretty nice.  So after lunch, they had a glass of wine and watched the Blue Line light rail pass by a few times.

With a bit of time to kill, they moseyed around a bit and stumbled into the Savory Spice Shop.  It was a trap.  They didn't leave empty handed.

Although it was still a bit early, they decided to clear out before they got sucked into any place else.  Then it was back to the Sorta Big City to rescue the kitty, and head back to the woods.  And so arrived home safe and sound.

Day in the Sorta Big City

It is no secret that there are a lot of cats out here in the woods.  One might even say too many cats!  In an effort to get things under a bit of control, The Fuzz's Sweetie made arrangements for one more of the potential mama kitties to visit a clinic.  This clinic was in a neighboring Sorta Big City.
After making the early morning drop off, The Fuzz and His Sweetie headed for a coffee house they had visited on a previous expedition- only to find new hours posted.

But Our Fuzz had a Plan B.  He had gone on line previously, searching for coffee shops in the area.  And there were supposed to be 2 more, located just around the corner!  But when the corner was turned there were no coffee shops there.  But there was this interesting building.  
So while The Fuzz was off questioning a police officer about coffee shops (figuring he would know) His Sweetie took the opportunity to make a few sketches of the cool architecture.
They ended up at a Dunkin' Donuts !
But since they would have to wait all day to take their little kitty home, The Fuzz and His Sweetie moved on to their next adventure, the real Big City.

Danger In the City

The Fuzz and His Sweetie went over to the Big City over the weekend to watch the Dangerous Daughter in action. 
 

This was a first for them.  The event was held at the Big University in that Big City.
They got to see a lot of T'ai chi action.
The Fuzz admits that he is not very knowledgeable about this discipline, but he did enjoy seeing it.
One of the things he enjoyed most was the Pushing Hands.   Watching this was like watching a dance.
The Fuzz is happy to report that that Dangerous Daughter collected a number of 1st & 2nd place medals.  


In other news, Time is getting short for the Old Fuzz on the job.  In one more day, there will only be one week remaining.  He has been training a replacement now for a couple of weeks.  Of course we know that no one could actually replace The Fuzz.  But we are confident that they will manage somehow, and the world will go on.

Secret Greek Grocery

The Fuzz and His Sweetie made a foray into the Big City once again. This sometimes happens at this time of year. There are some things that just aren't available near our Home in the Woods. Some of the things they were in search of might be found at some sort of Greek/Mediterranean type grocer.
In this 21st Century, we have the internet, even out here. A search reveled a couple of promising leads. The 1st investigated led them to an upscale shopping area as large as a small town. This ended up as a washout. So they went in search of their next option. After a bit of driving (Sweetie at the wheel, Fuzz on the map*) they arrived. There was a sign at the street. But no market. But then, behind some other buildings, they came upon this mysterious door.

And there, in tiny letters, written with a marker, they read-
"Minos"

This was the place!
Minos Imported Foods got it's start as a wholesale grocery. But fortunately for The Fuzz, as Serafim Makas explained**-

"We deliver to restaurants across the Carolinas. That's our real business. But since I'm here anyway, I thought, 'Why not open to the public, retail?"

Once The Fuzz and His Sweetie found the secretive little doorway, they were welcomed inside. And truly welcomed. They were asked to sample delicious bits of feta, cut right from huge hunks floating in wooden barrels. There were casks of olives, also sampled.
Needless to say, they did not leave empty handed.
If anyone has the opportunity to visit this place, do it. It is located at 11016 Monroe Rd Matthews, NC. But you'll have to look hard. The Fuzz promises, it will be worth it.

*The Fuzz is a small town boy, and does not handle Big City driving very well. His Sweetie, however, grew up in a major metropolitan area. It is best for her to be under the wheel in these situations.

**Quoted from charlotteobserver.com- "Greek grocery in Matthews is a well-kept secret"

Another Trip

The Fuzz, His Sweetie, and Young Daughter caught the Train up to Washington DC for a visit with that Academical Son, and a bit of sightseeing. They caught the Amtrak here in NC in the Big City. Then they were off to the Capital of this Great Nation. Here, The Fuzz presents for you, a night shot of this Famous Patriotic Landmark.

The train ride was interesting. Here, they were leaving the station early that morning. But The Fuzz thinks we still have a ways to go to catch up to the Germans in that department.
The Fuzz and company avoided the Capital building itself. With all those congressmen (and women) there, it seemed like nothing but trouble.

To The City 2

From that Big Bonhof, we had to catch the train that goes down in tunnels under the city.

It was a quick ride.

A-Maze-Ing

The Fuzz and His Sweetie had to take care of some business regarding the government. Since this could only be done between 9 am and 3 pm (with an hour off for lunch), and in another city, The Fuzz found it necessary to take a day off from work. So he and His Sweetie dropped the young'un off at the School House, and headed out of town.
They located the location, and since they were still a good bit early, headed over to a local Bojangles for a Hobbit style "Second Breakfast". The good news is that this business was concluded with out any unnecessary ugliness, and they could move on to bigger and better things.
One of those said things, involved dropping a tire off in another city. To get there, they had to pass though that other city, The Big City. One of the many attractions of this other Big City, is a brand new IKEA Store!
Now neither The Fuzz, nor His Sweetie, had ever had the IKEA Experience. So, being in an adventurous mood, they pulled into the parking lot, looking for an adventure. And there it was. A maze of amazing furniture with that Scandinavian touch. It is nice stuff. But this is where the "maze" comes into "amazing". There seemed to be No Way Out! And The Poor Fuzz and His Sweetie wandered though that amazing maze of home furnishings for what seemed like forever. Of course it wasn't, or else we wouldn't be writing this, would we.
But in preparing this post, The Fuzz took a quick look at Wikipedia. And having recently read "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", let's just say, he found it interesting*.
Well the rest of the trip went well. The tire was dropped where required, and The Fuzz and His Sweetie stopped for a great Chinese dinner on the way back to their own little town.

*Click on IKEA above for a ride into Wikipedia land.

Tour de Big Cities- continued

After all the excitement in this Big City (which is also a State Capital!) we headed off to visit School Teacher Daughter and her Literary Husband. After some more time on the highway, we made it to the next Big City, the current home of this happy couple. There we cooked those fishes, drank beer and just had a pleasant visit. As we were leaving town the next day, The Fuzz's Sweetie pointed out this Cool Hippie Van.
It was too good to resist a shot of it, so now you get to see it too.
Then it was back to the Big University to deliver the Care Package that somehow had been left in the car. But this was on the way to our next visit to the home of Famous Artist Daughter.
There we enjoyed a refreshing visit over a leisurely meal.
And once again, it was time to hit the road.
The trip home was thankfully, uneventful. The one noteworthy thing was that we got to avoid the last Big City by using the New Beltway. Thing like that are always nice.
And for one last picture, we present, Famous Artist Daughter's Kitty Cat.
This unfortunate Kitty used to be an Inside Kitty, but due to some bad habits now resides "inside" this cat carrier on the back porch. So Kitties take note, our Patience has it's limits.

Tour de Big Cities

First, let's congratulate "vi" for correctly identifying that troublesome Mystery Pix.
It is in fact, only a lowly Lego.

But many thanks to all who used the imagination and came up with so many great guesses. We must admit, we did not intend for it to be easy. And so it is time to move on.

On the road again

It seemed like a good time for some visiting. So we loaded up the car and hit the road. We knew this trip would involve Big Cities and that sort of thing, but we can take it. We hit the first Big City, not for a visit, but a stop at the Overseas Market there for some fresh fish and other overseas stuff. Then with our fish on ice in the cooler, it was back on the road.

The Big City has lots of big buildings. This building was across from the Bookstore.
This was where we met up with College Student Son, School Teacher Daughter and that Dangerous Daughter with the battle ax in her bedroom.
They also got to meet that Silly New Puppy.
But note here in this picture, the little sign that caught The Fuzz's Sweetie's eye. That's right, a whole bunch of 10 cent Books. This is the sort of thing that can not be passed up! So we did spend some time here. But it was OK cause they did have "facilities" there. (And since that subject came up, The Fuzz wanted me to mention that this was the only "bathroom" he had ever seen where the walls were covered with books.)
After the bookstore, we headed down the street for some lunch. Said Son had participated in some sort of insane "Doughnut Challenge" where they run 2 miles, eat an even dozen doughnuts and then run the 2 miles back. Fortunately, he had gotten his apatite back by now.
After a tasty snack (although not without complications) we took a stroll around the campus and narrowly avoided being run over by these weirdos hurdling down the hill on some sort of strange contraptions.

We'll have more on this exciting trip later.

Little Cannibal Critters

It was time to go out of town again. On this trip we spent some time at one of those Big Cities, this one the Home of a Famous University. Whenever we're there, Young Daughter and The Fuzz's Sweetie have to slip into town for some of these little critters.
The Fuzz tells me this has something to do with cannibalism, or something. He doesn't really understand it all, but as soon as they hit town, they were off in search of these Funfairs.

Big City Craft Attack

It was off to the Big City again.

We had a couple things in mind. One was to check out the Canvas Monkey, a gallery, that was closing down.
This was an opportunity to find great stuff, cheap (we hoped).
The other thing was to visit the "Craft Attack". The Fuzz and His Sweetie had heard about this on a visit to a local Tattoo Parlor, or should I say "Studio".
It was a bit of a drive down there, and this is not what one likes to find at the end of a long drive.
There are a lot of things to see there in the Big City. Especially- Confusing, One Way Streets! This is why The Fuzz usually has His Sweetie drive in these situations. She does have more Big City Experience.
The Big City was really booming until a couple weeks ago. Here's something they were working on. They have a lot of Big Banks there in the Big City, but it seems that somehow, the Big Money, has vanished. The Fuzz is not convinced that the Big Money was really there to begin with, but then he doesn't have much to do with Big Money anyway, so what does he know.
But we were there for the Craft Attack, and it was still there. This is sort of an overview of things.

Here's a couple examples of the stuff we saw there. This lady made a bunch of stuff like this. We were impressed with the detail. This is all different types of wood all fitted together.

The Fuzz could not really get pictures of everything there of course. And to be honest, some of it did not impress him. But there was a lot of nice stuff there. And The Fuzz's Sweetie and Young Daughter picked up a few items.
There was a good bit of jewelry as might be expected, and a lot of beads. The Fuzz was impressed with this little Tree Necklace.
It was time to move on and we slipped across town to the Monkey Place. It had been pretty well cleaned out before we got there, but there was still some cool stuff left. The guys who were running it are moving over the mountains to Tennessee. Young Daughter and The Sweetie picked up a few more things. The Fuzz got a Tiny Little Keyring Flask for half price. It only holds a thimble full though.

After this, we headed back to the Sticks. We spent the evening at home and watched a couple of flicks. We had "American Splendor" from the Netflix. It is pretty interesting, and we'll probably watch it again before we send it back. The Fuzz recommends it.