In between tons of painting, cleaning, and unpacking, we did
have some fun while my parents were here. We ate at super yummy local places
all week including Wade’s (good Southern home-style cooking), Monsoon
(Vietnamese noodle house), Nu Way (a 70 year old burger dive bar), and
Caribbean Sweetness (incredible Cuban food). We also tried chains not found in
Texas, such as Bojangles (fried chicken) and Hardees (burgers). Everything was
sooooo good.
Everyone is also super friendly, so we got great recommendations from “natives.” Following one of those suggestions, we headed to Tryon, NC for the Blue Ridge BBQ festival.
Everyone is also super friendly, so we got great recommendations from “natives.” Following one of those suggestions, we headed to Tryon, NC for the Blue Ridge BBQ festival.
(It's your truck Carrie!)
(This picture is for you Uncle Dan)
We had a great
time walking around, people watching, and listening to the awesome Southern
accents. We were very excited to try Eastern BBQ, which we have heard is
different from Texas BBQ. We selected the booth with the most award banners and
longest lines.
After a few bites, I made the comment that I didn’t think the
BBQ tasted different, which is when we realized the booth we selected was named
Texas Rib Rangers. Oops. Though we were proud that Texas style BBQ had the
biggest draw. Haha. We did try SC BBQ before my parents left. It was a little
different. First, the only meat they know is pork. Second, the BBQ sauce is
very vinegary. We liked it, but I think we are a little partial to our Texas
BBQ.
We also visited the Biltmore House.
It is known as the only
castle in the US. It is a ridiculously huge house with beautiful grounds. God
gave us a beautiful day to explore the house and gardens as well as the winery.
We had a great time.
(A sweet little muskrat on the grounds)
Chris also arranged for a tour of VCOM in order for my
parents and me to see the campus. I was so pumped since I hadn’t seen the
inside. It is a very impressive campus. Since the SC campus is only 4 years old,
it is super up-to-date and has incredible resources and materials. It made me
very thankful God selected this med school for Chris.
Finally, we drove to Greenville, Spartanburg’s much larger sister
city to drive by my new office and to see the gorgeous Falls Park on the Reedy (only 2 blocks from my office :) ).
Chris and I discovered the park when we visited for his VCOM interview in
January. The park is in downtown Greenville with a beautiful cable bridge that
spans a waterfall.
Greenville has one of the prettiest and cleanest downtowns that Chris and I
have ever seen.
The park has some pretty trails and is very peaceful.
Too quickly, the 19th arrived, and we dropped my
parents off at the airport. I must admit that I did great during the goodbyes
but did cry once we drove off. My parents leaving made everything very real. I
am super pumped to be in SC, but I do miss being near my parents. Chris and I
feel so blessed to have them. They spent 10 days helping us drive to SC, paint,
clean, and unpack. We can’t thank them enough for their help! Love you Mom
& Dad!!!