History, hidden tacos and Detroit-style pizza in Raleigh-Durham

Raleigh – part of the Triangle area of North Carolina – seemed far away for us. For quite some time, my husband and I would say we’d go, but each time, something else would come up.

WRAL azalea garden
WRAL Azalea Garden

However, history, the promise of a taco crawl and North Carolina’s azalea season were calling.

In April 2022, we made the short trek (3 hours from Myrtle Beach) to Raleigh for spring break.

The space between Myrtle Beach and North Carolina is full of history. Don’t be surprised if driving down a side highway you stumble upon a Civil War site or upon an old church or cemetery that’s been around since Pre-Civil War times. One of those pre-war sites was our first stop at the Old Bluff Presbyterian Church, a historic church founded in 1758 and built in 1855 near Godwin, N.C. The grounds even have an old spring that “quenched the thirst of the Highlanders, both Patriot and Loyalist,” according to the church history website.

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Sister trip to Nashville

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2016 sister trip to Nashville

I don’t get to see my sister often. Sometimes, we can go a year without seeing each other, but we try not to make that happen. You see, we live about 1,780 miles apart. I am in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and she is in Bismarck, N.D. Growing up, we did the sisterly fighting, as usual, but we have gotten a lot closer as we have gotten older. Continue reading

Foodie finds in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is a tourist destination. People come from all around to enjoy the beach, sun and fun.Farm Fresh produce

In a tourist town, it is sometimes hard to find a restaurant doing something different or a place where you can get items actually grown/made with love and care instead of for the masses.

When we first moved here in 2008, there were only a few places that really took pride in locally-sourced foods and homemade recipes. Continue reading

Traveling to Austria/Germany without leaving Myrtle Beach

**EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is from 2015. The restaurant quality and its dishes may have changed.**

The Sauerbraten is one of my favorite dishes at Cafe Old Vienna.

With red hair and a name like Heather Gale, most people would think I am Irish. It makes sense. I have the pasty white skin, my first name is an Irish flower and my last name is an Irish wind. Continue reading

Eatin’ some seafood and enjoyin’ some beer

The oysters at Dirty Don’s Oyster Bar on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk are HUGE. I have never eaten oysters that big. They were kind of hard to open, but thanks to our handy dandy server they were all devoured. (Photo by Heather Gale)

It is not a regular occurrence for me to go out on a Friday night. Usually, by that time I am exhausted from a busy week and would rather just chill at home with my husband, dogs and a bottle of wine. Continue reading