Day 1 road trip to Atlanta began late Tuesday afternoon after the ‘Ole Buckeye’s volunteer commitments. We had already decided to divide the 9 hour drive into segments. Because we have Bonvoy points accumulated after many years of being true to the Marriott brand, it makes travel easy and relatively inexpensive. It also allows us to make decisions on the road rather than making reservations in advance.
We do have reservations at the Residence Inn Downtown Atlanta from Wednesday to Saturday but will decide where we stop in route. (Advance reservations during market are a must.) I pack snacks and enough cold food to provide a few meals during our trip. On long trips when traveling with food, my first preference for lodging is the Residence Inn. It provides a well equipped kitchen with a full refrigerator/freezer, which is of prime importance for keeping ice packs frozen and refrigerated food at the proper temperature. Residence Inn also provides breakfast in the mornings and light meals with beer and wine on Monday through Wednesday evenings, although what is offered at each location can differ greatly. Sometimes we are quite impressed, while at other times underwhelmed.
Day 1 road trip to Atlanta found us nearing the 4 hour drive mark approaching Durham and getting tired and hungry. As we approached Durham I began investigating restaurants on line.
Almost all of our road trips are enhanced by finding good local restaurants. We tend to avoid chains unless there are no other options. As we approached Durham on Route 85 I discovered a great website that listed restaurants close to each exit that included reviews. There is nothing worse that choosing a restaurant and then driving miles and miles to get to the location. This website prevented just that. Foodio54.com.
The Bleu Olive
We discussed several options and decided on Greek, and I am sure glad that we did. The Bleu Olive, a Mediterranean Bistro just off of 85 on Hillsdale Road proved to have excellent food and service. The food came out quickly which is also well appreciated when we are on the road.
Since we were very hungry at 7:30 we shared the crispy fried calamari served with a spicy red pepper jam and smoked onion aioli
and split a Greek Salad (tomatoes, beets, peppers, cucumbers, onions, olives , feta, and a balsamic vinaigrette.)
Excellent. We decided to split an entree since the appetizers took the edge off our ravenous appetite. We ordered the Shrimp Tourkolimano (shrimp, tomatoes, olives, spinach, garlic, lemon, butter, feta, and orzo. Yes, I know…orzo is off plan (definitely not low carb), but when in Greece… I am very glad we split the entree, because there was plenty for the two of us. Excellent, yet again.
As an aside, we did peek at the desert menu.
Yum, very inviting. Oh well, maybe next time?
Well fed and tired, we decided to drive another hour and spend the night in Greensboro, NC. We reserved lodging on the Bonvoy App at the Residence Inn Greensboro Airport.
We arrived at 9:30 and after the long drive we were ready to stretch out and relax.
Another tip for Road Trip travel…pack one small bag for an overnight stay. The ‘Ole Buckeye and I pack together in his backpack which also holds his iPad and my computer. We take that, the refrigerator bag, dopp kits, and our wine and rum into the hotel rather than all of our luggage. After stashing the cold items in the refrigerator we are ready to relax with a nightcap.
Day 1 Road Trip to Atlanta…complete.
The food looks delicious! Makes my mouth water…