"the in between" pt. 1

shortly after crossing the georgia border, the rain subsided.  in need of some major leg stretching, we stopped at the tallulah gorge state park, on the south carolina border.  the visuals were stunning, even through the foggy mist, and the park was well-maintained.  walking through the recreation office offered a good laugh as it reminded us immensely of the show parks and recreation.

 

imagine using this...

 

to walk across the gorge 750 ft below

 

following another recommendation from foodie friend leah, we headed towards atlanta en route to dekalb market.  holy cannoli!  this massive market looks like a warehouse from the outside with meat, seafood, and produce departments, each the size of a convenient store.  the staff represents a rainbow of cultures and are at every corner ready to help.  completely overwhelmed with the possibilities, it was necessary to stick to a small list this time around.  (there are plans to return in the future for a full-fledge shopping spree!)  having success baking with chia flour over the holidays, we grabbed some in bulk along with chia seeds.  (learn more about the health benefits of chia.)  we were able to purchase 31 oz for a fair price.  a great wine selection offered a perfect hostess gift and the market-made, hot, Italian sausage for pete's mom and step-dad inspired a yummy dinner.  stopping there allowed for us to totally maneuver around the city and miss the rush hour traffic!

we cut through the state diagonally, heading southwest on I-23 towards ponte vedra, fla, just south of jacksonville for a last minute visit with one of pete's best friends, kris, and his fiancé, jenny.  arriving on the later side, we were so grateful for the clean, comfy space and were greeted with homemade chili.  escher made a new friend in their dog cash, and we look forward to celebrating with them in november at their wedding!

the next morning offered much better driving conditions!

hearing good things about st. Augustine and interested in something fresh, local, and yummy for lunch, it seemed like a perfect place to stop.  after a little restaurant research, the floridian cafe, a local farm to table joint, looked most appealing.

fried green tomatoes, pickled veggies, house-made pimento cheese spread and buttermilk ranch, served with artisan bread

 

oh yeah, that bite looks good!

arugula salad with roasted fennel, grapefruit segments, red pepper, goat cheese and a raspberry dijon vinaigrette

local fluke spicy melt

located in the northeast section of florida, st. augustine offers a beautiful blend of history with tourism and is easy to walk.  the city was founded in 1565 by pedro menéndez de aviles and  just happens to be the oldest continuously occupied european-established city and port in the continental u.s.

 

onward to pete's stomping grounds!