March 26 Monday Day 29 nite in Bluffton by Hilton Head Island

Today we pick up where we left off yesterday, only today we go by tour trolley. We again used Old Town Trolley, they do a number of large town tours. Last year we used them in San Diego, this year Key West, St. Augustine and now Savannah, next Washington DC. We find this agency to do a good job.

As we got on and became settled into our seats, the driver asked where everyone was from. After everyone tried to outdo the others I said Mankato. He said hey I like that city and the Dunkin Donuts. He said when he was going to the seminary in Sioux Falls that he would speed over to Mankato pickup donuts and go back speedily. I mentioned that the owner lives next door and I would pass on the message.

We traveled the whole route and then got off at and grabbed the trolley at one of the first stops to get us where we wanted to go. Again the white, pink and red azalea’s; the yellow daffodil’s and multi-colored pansies dotted the landscape. A new flower was spotted, a purple viney lilac used in arch ways and on fencing. We also found out that the amount of iron, pronounced - arn, fencing and house decoration such as alongside the windows determined your wealth. We then went through the artsy area, a number of galleries, many nice pictures of moss covered oak limbs along row houses, or elegant two and three level luxury old homes. Others pull in the palm and sea setting with a egret or so in the picture. Mary tune in test to follow, the first artist had three paintings around her easel. The one on the floor was sold, the one on the easel was not, but a couple wanted to buy it and she said it was not yet done, they indicated they would buy it whe she was done. That prompted my question to her and Mary? How do you determine when a painting (or art piece) is done?? The picture on her easel was a large floral garden in the lower left quarter of the panel, she then had a tree over it in the background and an open upper right half. Even though the next element was not in the original she then put an old two story federal type home in that area partially covered by the garden and tree. It was not yet done because she needed to tone down the house color and needed something in the upper right corner. Unknown at this time. She in essence said I just get the feeling. Upstairs another artist was asked this question. He said he judged it complete when he thought it was ready to hang in his house.

We walked around the area and grabbed the trolley to exit close to our lunch spot. On the way we passed a number of spots where notable films had been spotlighted. Forrest Gump’s bench in the park, Julia Roberts looking through the window of “The Six Pence” restaurant where her husband was stepping out on her. A number of others but surprisingly I remembered these even though I know I have not seen either.

We arrived at our lunch spot, the end of a long line. The guy in front of us came back from the check in and was told 45 minutes to an hour. It was “the Wilkes House”, another family style well known eating spot. The owner had died three years ago and the guy next to us said it was one of the biggest funerals in town. On the first seating, 16 people to a table, she would have her husband say a prayer. Not sure if they do, we were not the first seating, we waited 60 minutes. People in front of us from Edina, behind us Ohio. There were so many bowls you could not taste or find a place to put the food on your plate. One guy counted 17 vegetables, all the southern ones, potatoes au-gratin, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, now the meats, beef stew, BBQ pork slices done just right and of course her southern fried chicken. This chicken was lightly coated with flour and again I passed up the dessert – banana pudding for more chicken. The biscuts were really good and flakey, Not bad for 15$ even, to drink they only had sweet or unsweetened ice tea. This is another place I had seen on Food Network but had forgotten about it until the tour driver mentioned it.

We went through a catholic church that had its windows made in Austria and the stations of the cross hand carved in Germany. They asked for donations as it cost them 600$ a day to run the church. Made me wonder how much the guy that had had his funeral that morning had to pay, almost like the government.

We hopped the trolley and went through the areas we had seen before but easier than walking that distance.

Our next location to visit wa about twenty miles onto the intercoastal area again, Tybee Island, home of the largest lighthouse and miles upon miles of white sand beaches. On our way back we could not resist stopping at Paula’s brother Bubba’s restaurant. We stopped at Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House, said to be one of the best for seafood. They did have a couple of Paula’s recipes, the chicken would take 25 minutes to prepare. Seeing we had just basically got off the table we grabbed a cabernet and an order of crab balls wit a smooth not spicy tarter sauce.

Off to Hilton Head we go. Not sure what’s there but we will find out and let you know. Anyone know where to eat their? We already got a heads up for Charleston – the Flight Deck. jerr