Last week, I took a road trip that was a continuation of a series of American Revolution Southern Campaign road trips that I’ve taken over the last year or so. On Monday, I left Savannah and drove up to Greensboro, NC, stopping at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC and the Richard Petty Museum in Level Cross, NC. On Tuesday, I visited the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC and Fort Dobbs in Statesville, NC. Before leaving Greensboro for Columbia, SC on Wednesday I visited the Greensboro Science Center and the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. On Thursday, I visited Historic Camden in Camden, SC; I curtailed afternoon activity due to severe weather that was on its way to central SC. On Friday morning I visited the Riverbanks Zoo and from there I was supposed to go back to Savannah, but I changed plans. On Thursday, I saw on Cowpens National Battlefield’s Twitter account that they were having a 242nd Anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens event on Saturday and Sunday, so I extended the trip and went up to Gaffney, SC so I could attend the event on Saturday (afterward, I went over to Kings Mountain National Military Park and saw the visitors center that was closed when I visited there about a year ago). On Sunday, I woke up early and made my way back to Savannah via Spartanburg, SC and Columbia, SC.

Unfortunately, my DSLR failed and corrupted the SD card that had all of the photos from this trip on it, so I lost a bunch of good photos. All of the photos in this post and in subsequent posts about the trip are from my phone. It was very disappointing, as I had some great photos from the North Carolina Zoo in particular that are lost.

Amateur Radio/GMRS

Last year, when I got a GMRS license (WRQJ423), I also bought an unlocked Anytone 878 handheld so that I could use both Amateur Radio and GMRS without having to carry two radios. It came in quite handy on this trip. I programmed in a group of open GMRS repeaters in the Greensboro, NC area into the radio along with Greensboro area amateur radio repeaters and was pleasantly surprised to hear two amateur radio operators having a conversation on an amateur radio repeater switch seamlessly over to one of the GMRS repeaters and have a conversation there. Later that afternoon, I had a conversation with a Greensboro area amateur radio operator on a DMR repeater and found out that he was one of the guys I’d heard earlier that day. Throughout my stay in Greensboro, I discovered that there was crossover between the Amateur Radio and GMRS communities and that’s not a good thing, it’s a great thing! While I was in Greensboro, I also checked into the Randolph Amateur Radio Club Net on the 145.1500 (PL 100.0) repeater in Greensboro and the Piedmont North Carolina GMRS Net on the 462.6000 (PL 141.3) Guilford repeater in Greensboro. This experience made me think that it might be a good idea for amateur radio clubs to put up a GMRS repeater in addition to their amateur radio repeater(s); it may not be popular with all amateur radio operators, but the GMRS repeater could be a gateway to amateur radio and attract GMRS users to the hobby.

While in Columbia, SC, I had another good Amateur Radio experience. While unloading the car at the hotel I was staying at, I heard a conversation on one of the area repeaters in which one amateur radio operator decided to take on the role of “repeater police” with a newly licensed amateur radio repeater. Two other amateur radio operators quickly jumped in to defend the new operator and encouraged rather than discouraged them. The “repeater police” operator possibly would have a valid point if they had knowledge of the new operator’s station (but didn’t) and could have handled the situation much better without potentially discouraging and embarrassing the new operator. That’s something we should all take into account when talking to those new to the hobby. Take a moment and think about how you would likely to be treated in those situations; be helpful and encouraging instead of talking down to them and discouraging them.

Here’s a list of repeaters that I heard active during the week, Amateur Radio and Open GMRS:

South Carolina
145.3300 (PL 156.7) - Bamberg, SC
145.4300 (PL 162.2) - Gaffney, SC
145.4900 (PL 123.0) - Cheraw, SC
146.6850 (PL 91.5) - Florence, SC
146.6700 (PL 156.7) - St. Matthews, SC
146.7150 (PL 91.5) - Columbia, SC
146.8500 (PL 123.0) - Florence, SC
146.8800 (CSQ) - Blacksburg, SC
146.8800 (PL 123.0) - Orangeburg, SC 
146.8950 (PL 123.0) - Pagelan, SC
147.0450 (PL 103.5) - St George, SC
147.0600 (DCS 315) - Wedgefield, SC
147.0900 (PL 162.2) - Spartanburg, SC
147.1650 (PL 107.2) - Greenwood, SC
147.2100 (PL 156.7) - Little Mountain, SC 
147.3150 (PL 123.0) - Spartanburg, SC
147.3300 (PL 156.7) - Columbia, SC
440.6500 (DMR CC1) - St George, SC (PRN Network)
440.6625 (DMR CC1) - Spartanburg, SC (PRN Network)
441.7250 (PL 91.5) - Columbia, SC
440.6125 (DMR CC1) - Columbia, SC Downtown (PRN Network)
442.0750 (PL 123.0) - Spartanburg, SC
442.3875 (DMR CC1) - Charleston, SC South (PRN Network)
442.5125 (DMR CC1) - Columbia, SC East (PRN Network)
442.6250 (PL 107.2) - Blacksburg, SC
442.8750 (DCS 315) - Columbia, SC
443.3000 (DCS 315) - Sumter, SC
443.6750 (DCS 315) - Clinton, SC
444.3750 (PL 91.5) - Cheraw, SC
444.7375 (DMR CC1) - Bluffton, SC (PRN Network)
444.8750 (PL 91.5) - Columbia, SC

North Carolina
145.1500 (PL 100.0) - Greensboro, NC
145.2500 (PL 88.5) - Level Cross, NC
145.4100 (PL 136.5) - China Grove, NC
146.7600 (PL 156.7) - Browns Summit, NC
147.0600 (CSQ) - Charlotte, NC
147.1650 (PL 67.0) - High Point, NC
147.2550 (PL 82.5) - Randleman, NC
147.3000 (PL 136.5) - Kannapolis, NC
439.1000 (+10 MHz, PL 100.0) - St. Pauls, NC
441.8000 (PL 127.3) - Thomasville, NC
441.8625 (DMR CC11) - Greenesboro
442.1250 (DCS 315) - Charlotte, NC
442.3875 (DMR CC7) - Greensboro, NC (Stand-alone repeater)
442.4250 (PL 77.0) - Carthage, NC
443.2500 (PL 136.5) - China Grove, NC
443.3500 (PL 136.5) - Concord, NC
443.4000 (PL 127.3) - Denton, NC
443.6250 (PL 123.0) - Greensboro, NC
443.8000 (PL 100.0) - Randleman, NC
444.2250 (DMR CC1) - Browns Summit, NC (Greensboro area, PRN Network)
444.6250 (PL 107.2) - High Point, NC
444.6750 (CSQ) - Charlotte, NC
444.9500 (PL 136.5) - Charlotte, NC
444.9750 (PL 107.2) - High Point, NC

GMRS
462.6000 (PL 141.3) - Guilford, NC
462.6250 (PL 107.2) - Randleman, NC North
462.6500 (PL 100.0) - High Point, NC
462.6500 (DCS 116) - Asheboro, NC
462.6750 (PL 141.3) - Greensboro, NC

Amateur Radio Notes:

• If you visit the Greensboro, NC area and you don’t have a GMRS license, get one. As I mentioned above, there is crossover between the Amateur Radio and GMRS community there and you can enjoy conversations and nets on both services. It’s worth mentioning that the GMRS repeaters listed above for the Greensboro area are open repeaters and you don’t have to be a member of a group to use them.
• If you’re using a radio with zones like the Anytone 578 mobile, it wouldn’t hurt to program the Orangeburg PRN Network DMR repeater in both your Columbia, SC and Orangeburg, SC zones and scan lists if you organize things that way. The Orangeburg repeater coverage area overlaps the two and you’ll be able to use it from parts of the Columbia area as well as the Orangeburg area.
• Likewise with the Charleston and Lowcountry, SC areas, the Charleston South PRN Network DMR repeater covers part of the Lowcountry area (Beaufort, Ridgeland, Hardeeville areas) as well as the Charleston area. If you program it in your Charleston and Lowcountry zones and scan lists, you’ll be able to use it from parts of the Lowcountry (particularly around Ridgeland) area as well as the Charleston area.

Aviation/MilCom

On this road trip, I didn’t hear as much MilCom as I would like to have, but there was a lot of civilian aviation traffic due to being around the major airport at Charlotte, NC. I could hear traffic going into Charlotte with Charlotte TRACON, Atlanta Center, and Washington Center. While in North Carolina, I did catch some North Carolina Army National Guard traffic on VHF airband and the North Carolina VIPER P25 trunked system. In South Carolina, I heard some of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s new AH-64E Apache Guardians as well as some of South Carolina Air National Guard’s F-16CMs (which are still operating out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport due to the ongoing runway work at McEntire JNGB. Other MilCom activity came from the KC-46As and F-15Es at Seymour Johnson AFB and various aircraft transiting through the areas I was in. Several times during the trip I was within range of the Shaw AFB TRS, and I noticed that the talkgroups that I heard from it previously were no longer being heard and that I was hearing some that I’d never heard before. I didn’t have a chance to dig into it deeper, but I’m wondering if the system hasn’t been absorbed into the USAF 57C or 157C systems? The next time I visit Columbia, I’ll try to make some time to try to get the site ID and look into it deeper.

Here’s what I heard on Aviation and MilCom frequencies and radio systems during the trip:

Columbia, SC
119.500/257.800 - Columbia Metropolitan Tower
124.150 - Columbia TRACON
133.400 - Columbia TRACON
285.600 - Columbia TRACON
253.500 - McEntire JNGB Tower
298.300 - 169th FW/157th FS Ops  "SWAMP FOX OPS"
141.825 - 169th FW/157th FS V14
140.125 - 169th FW/157th FS V15

US Army TRS (Fort Jackson sites)
 TG 576 - Fort Jackson Unknown; enc
 TG 631 - Fort Jackson Unknown; unenc
 TG 638 - Fort Jackson Unknown; unenc

173.5125 ($A70) - McCrady Training Center FD

236.125 - 55th FS Air-to-Air
314.100 - 77th FS Air-to-Air

Shaw AFB TRS
 TG 5754 - 79th FS
 TG 5755 - 79th FS

Palmetto 800 P25 TRS Military 
 TG 27871 - SC National Guard Ops


Spartanburg, SC
120.100 - Greenville-Spartanburg IAP Tower
118.800 - Greer TRACON
119.400 - Greer TRACON
270.275 - Greer TRACON


Greensboro, NC
119.100 - Piedmont Triad Tower
124.350 - Greensboro TRACON
126.600 - Greensboro TRACON
327.075 - Greensboro TRACON

NC VIPER P25 TRS Military
 TG 52010 - NC HART Ops
 TG 52031 - NC ARNG Air Boss


Raleigh Durham, NC
124.950 - Raleigh-Durham TRACON
125.300 - Raleigh-Durham TRACON
127.675 - Raleigh-Durham TRACON
132.350 - Raleigh-Durham TRACON


Charlotte, NC
118.100 - Charlotte-Douglas Tower Rwy 5/23, 18L/36R
126.400 - Charlotte-Douglas Tower Rwy 18C/36C
133.350 - Charlotte-Douglas Tower Rwy 18R/36L
120.500 - Charlotte TRACON
125.350 - Charlotte TRACON
126.150 - Charlotte TRACON
128.325 - Charlotte TRACON
134.375 - Charlotte TRACON


ARTCC
124.700/269.550 - Jacksonville Center Columbia Low
127.875 - Jacksonville Center Aiken High
132.925 - Jax Center Allendale/Savannah Low
133.450 - Jacksonville Center Florence Low
133.625 - Jacksonville Center Georgetown Ultra High
134.975 - Jacksonville Center Ridgeway Ultra High
121.350 - Atlanta Center Logen Low
124.325 - Atlanta Center Clark Hill Ultra High
124.375 - Atlanta Center Lanier High
124.425/323.025 - Atlanta Center Charlotte High
125.025/291.750 - Atlanta Center High Rock Ultra High
125.625 - Atlanta Center Spartanburg High
126.425 - Atlanta Center Dublin High
128.100/322.325 - Atlanta Center Augusta High
128.800 - Atlanta Center Leeon Low
132.625 - Atlanta Center Shine Low
132.975/307.350 - Atlanta Center Pulaski High
133.150/251.100 - Atlanta Center Locas Low
134.075 - Atlanta Center Blue Ridge Ultra High
134.550 - Atlanta Center Moped Low
135.350/263.125 - Atlanta Center Unarm Low
118.925 - Washington Center Raleigh High
123.850 - Washington Center Rocky Mount Low
125.150 - Washington Center Wilkes Ultra Low
132.225 - Washington Center Tar River High
135.200/348.650 - Washington Center Liberty Low
135.300/285.500 - Washington Center Sampson Low


Ranges/MOAs
264.700 - Poinsett Range Control
343.750 - Bulldog MOA


Misc MilCom
327.600 - AR-202
343.250 - AR-207 Secondary
283.900 - AR-600





Callsigns Heard
ARMY ##### (Various US Army helicopters)
BACKY ## (KC-46A, 916th ARW)
BROAD(?) ## (F-15E?, 4th FW?)
CHAOS ## (AH-64E, 1-151 AVN SC ARNG)
COAST GUARD #### (Various USCG aircraft)
DEMON ## (F-16CM, 157th FS)
FORGE ## (Various, USAPAT)
LUNAR ## (UH-72B, 2-151 AVN NC ARNG)
MACE ## (F-16CM, 157th FS)
OTIS ## (KC-130J, VMGR-252)
PAT ### (Various, US Army Transport)
REACH #### (Various, AMC Airlift)
RUST(?) ## (F-15E?, 4th FW?)
SODA ## (KC-135R, 134th ARW)
VENUS ## (Various, 89th AW)
VIPER ## (F-16CM, 157th FS)

FedCom

This was a good trip from the FedCom perspective as well. I’ve visited Cowpens National Battlefield several times, but I’ve never heard any radio traffic from it. With the event that they had this past weekend, the park staff was active on the radio, and I was able find their VHF P25 frequency: 169.775 ($293). From Greensboro, NC I could hear the NPS Blue Ridge Parkway Fishers Peak repeater and from Gaffney, SC I could the NSP Blue Parkway Mount Mitchell and Mount Pisgah repeaters. While in Greensboro, I also heard some DMR repeaters in use by the US Postal Service Greensboro distribution Center.

169.7750 ($293) - Cowpens National Battlefield; unenc
172.4500 ($140) - NPS Blue Ridge Parkway, Fishers Peak Rptr; unenc
172.7250 ($120) - NPS Blue Ridge Pkwy, Mount Mitchell Digital; unenc
172.7500 ($110) - NPS Blue Ridge Pkwy, Mount Pisgah Digital; unenc

407.5375 (DMR CC1 S1 TG 1) - USPS Greensboro NDC Supervisors
407.5375 (DMR CC1 S2 TG 2) - USPS Greensboro NDC Maintenance
409.7375 (DMR CC1 S1 TG 5) - USPS Greensboro NDC Yard

Public Safety

In South Carolina, most public safety communications I heard were on the statewide Palmetto 800 P25 TRS, although a few counties used conventional VHF or the FleetTalk Carolinas NXDN TRS. In North Carolina, most traffic was on trunking systems, with smaller counties using the NC VIPER TRS and larger municipal areas having their own systems. As in South Carolina, there are still some counties using conventional VHF in North Carolina.

While not Public Safety, I’m including the North Carolina Zoo and Riverbanks Zoo in this section of the post. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC uses conventional VHF and while there, I heard three of their frequencies in use. While visiting the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC I noticed immediately that their conventional UHF frequencies weren’t in use. I noticed that zoo staff were carrying what looked like FleetTalk Carolinas branded Kenwood handheld radios, so they’ve apparently moved to that system. I had the BCD436HP on my hip with the FleetTalk Carolinas system programmed in it, but it wasn’t tracking the system very well. On my next visit, I’ll carry the TRX-1 instead and see what it hears.

Here’s what I was able to hear on public safety communications systems during the trip:

South Carolina
154.4000 (PL 123.0) - Cherokee County FD Dispatch
155.0325 (DCS 51) - Cherokee County EMS Dispatch
154.2050 (PL 192.8) - Laurens Co FD Dispatch
155.5350 (DCS 305) - Marlboro Co, SC EMS Dispatch
154.3100 (PL 85.4) - Spartanburg Co FD Dispatch
154.0250 (PL 85.4) - Spartanburg County FD Ops 1
155.8200 (PL 127.3) - Union County FD Dispatch

159.2250 (DCS 306) - SC Forestry Draytonville (Cherokee Co)
159.3300 (DCS 271) - SC Forestry Lake Murray (Lexington Co)
159.3750 (DCS 205) - SC Forestry Florence (Florence Co)
159.3900 (DCS 311) - SC Forestry Silverstreet (Newberry Co)

Palmetto 800 P25 TRS
 TG 552 - Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue Tac 1
 TG 704 - Beaufort County FD Dispatch 1
 TG 3085 - Darlington County FD
 TG 3477 - Hartsville FD Dispatch (Darlington Co)
 TG 6542 - Jasper County FD Tac 1
 TG 20022 - SC Regional Government 1
 TG 20026 - SC Regional Government 10
 TG 22066 - Medshore EMS Barnwell
 TG 20565 - Aiken County EMS Ch 1 Dispatch
 TG 24041 - Lee County FD/EMS Dispatch
 TG 23541 - Kershaw County FD Dispatch
 TG 23565 - Kershaw County EMS Dispatch
 TG 23641 - Kershaw County Air Ops
 TG 23881 - Camden FD (Kershaw Co)
 TG 25053 - Orangeburg County FD Dispatch
 TG 25057 - Orangeburg County FD Page
 TG 24542 - Lexington County FS Dispatch
 TG 24531 - Lexington County FS Ops 1
 TG 24532 - Lexington County FS Ops 2
 TG 24536 - Lexington County FS Ops 6
 TG 24566 - Lexington County EMS Dispatch
 TG 24567 - Lexington County EMS Admin
 TG 25053 - Orangeburg County FD Dispatch
 TG 25552 - Columbia FD Dispatch (Richland Co)
 TG 25553 - Columbia FD Ops 1 (Richland Co)
 TG 25556 - Columbia FD Ops 4 (Richland Co)
 TG 25557 - Columbia FD Ops 5 (Richland Co)
 TG 25565 - Richland County EMS 1 Dispatch
 TG 25569 - Richland County ESD 5 Hazmat/Fire Marshal/Coroner
 TG 26101 - Sumter County FD 1
 TG 27505 - DHEC Hospital Net Main
 TG 28609 - SC LifeNet (Medevac Helicopters)
 TG 32065 - Hampton County FD
 TG 40011 - SC Regional Government 3
 TG 46541 - Newberry County FD Dispatch
 TG 46565 - Newberry County EMS Dispatch
 TG 48565 - Spartanburg County EMS Dispatch
 TG 48571 - Spartanburg County EMS Page
 TG 49066 - Union County EMS Dispatch
 TG 51704 - MedTrans SC Helicopters
 TG 51705 - MedCenter Air (Medevac Helicopters)
 
Fleet Talk Carolinas NXDN TRS
 TG 378 - Chester County EMS Dispatch 
 TG 451 - Fairfield County FD Dispatch
 TG 453 - Fairfield County EMS Dispatch


North Carolina
158.7600 (PL 167.9) - Cleveland County NC FD
151.4000 (PL 156.7) - Gaston County NC FD
155.0850 (PL 151.4) - Montgomery Co, NC FD Dispatch
158.7450 (PL 151.4) - Montgomery Co, NC EMS Dispatch
154.4150 (PL 151.4) - Randolph Co, NC FD Dispatch
155.8950 (PL 151.4) - Randolph Co, NC FD Talk
158.8950 (PL 136.5) - Richmond Co, NC EMS Dispatch

151.4450 (PL 77.0) - NC Forestry District 10 Ops

NC VIPER P25 TRS
 TG 4166 - Alamance County EMS Dispatch
 TG 4167 - Alamance County FD 1
 TG 15001 - Davidson County EMS Dispatch
 TG 15002 - Davidson County FD Dispatch
 TG 15016 - Davidson County FD Tac 1
 TG 15018 - Davidson County FD Tac 3
 TG 15057 - Lexington FD Dispatch (Davidson Co)
 TG 15504 - Davie County FD Dispatch
 TG 25005 - Iredell County FD Dispatch
 TG 25025 - Iredell Tac 7
 TG 31508 - Montgomery County FD Dispatch
 TG 32005 - Moore County FD Admin
 TG 32006 - Moore County FD Dispatch
 TG 32007 - Moore County Law
 TG 38506 - Randolph County EMS Dispatch
 TG 38508 - Randolph County FD Admin
 TG 38509 - Randolph County FD Dispatch
 TG 38500 - Climax FD Tac (Randolph Co)
 TG 38517 - Level Cross FD Tac (Randolph Co)
 TG 38521 - Westside FD Tac (Randolph Co)
 TG 38586 - Liberty/Staley FD Tac
 TG 38596 - Guilford-Randolph Fire Tac (Randolph Co)
 TG 38613 - Asheboro FD Tac (Randolph Co)
 TG 51521 - Wake Forest Baptist Air Dispatch
 TG 51523 - Wake Forest Baptist Ground Dispatch
 TG 51579 - LZ Central 1 (Medical Helicopters)'
 TG 51943 - Emergency Operations Center 
 TG 51955 - Air Ops 1
 TG 52340 - UNC AirCare Air Dispatch
 
Greensboro P25 TRS
 TG 555 - Guilford County EMS Dispatch
 TG 557 - Guilford County EMS Common
 TG 597 - Moses Cone Carelink Transport
 TG 639 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Dispatch
 TG 649 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Tac A-4
 TG 653 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Tac A-6
 TG 853 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Tac A-8
 TG 287 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Tac A-10
 TG 867 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Ops
 TG 895 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Support
 TG 315 - Guilford/Greensboro FD Training 5
 TG 905 - Fire District 13 Tac
 TG 941 - Mt Hope FD Tac
 TG 2097 - Greensboro Citywide Conference
 TG 2261 - Burlington FD Dispatch
 TG 2265 - Burlington FD Tac 3 
 TG 2267 - Burlington FD Tac 4
 TG 2411 - Graham FD Dispatch
 TG 2591 - High Point FD Dispatch
 TG 2593 - High Point FD 2
 TG 15213 - Thomasville FD Dispatch
 TG 15225 - Thomasville FD Training 1
 
Winston-Salem TRS
 TG 32784 - Forsyth County FD F1 Dispatch
 TG 32816 - Forsyth County FD C2 Fireground
 TG 33072 - Forsyth County FD Training 1
 TG 36496 - Winston-Salem FD Dispatch 1
 TG 36880 - Winston-Salem FD Tac 4
 TG 36944 - Winston-Salem FD Tac 6
 TG 33648 - Forsyth County EMS Dispatch 1
 
Rowan County P25 TRS
 TG 40521 - Salisbury Fire Dispatch
 TG 40523 - Salisbury Fire Ops 2
 TG 40524 - Salisbury Fire Ops 3
 TG 40800 - Salisbury Fire Ops 10
 TG 40801 - Salisbury Fire Ops 11
 TG 40538 - Rowan County Fire Dispatch

Charlotte UASI P25 TRS
 TG 453 - Mecklenburg County Fire/EMS Dispatch
 TG 457 - Mecklenburg County Fire/EMS Ops 3
 TG 459 - Mecklenburg County Fire/EMS Ops 4
 TG 413 - Mecklenburg County Fire/EMS Ops 6
 TG 1027 - Charlotte FD Alarm 
 TG 1029 - Charlotte FD 1B
 TG 1033 - Charlotte FD 1D
 TG 1035 - Charlotte FD 1E
 TG 7047 - Concord FD Dispatch
 TG 7069 - Kannapolis FD 5
 TG 7154 - Concord-Padgett Regional Airport Ops

159.2400 (PL 141.3) - North Carolina Transportation Museum

159.4050 (PL 141.3) - North Carolina Zoo "Zoo Comm"
158.7750 (PL 141.3) - North Carolina Zoo Ch 1 - Keepers
155.1450 (PL 141.3) - North Carolina Zoo Ch 2 - Secondary

Food

No good road trip is complete without good food, and I certainly had some good food on this trip. The good food started in Greensboro, NC at Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi, Country BBQ, and Herbie’s Diner. In Camden, SC it continued with Sam Kendall’s. Daddy Joe’s Beach House BBQ and Grill in Gaffney, SC rounded things out.

I had some delicious Seafood Yaki Udon at Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi. The Udon was served with fish cake, crab, shrimp, and various vegetables and it was excellent! The service was quick and friendly as well, I couldn’t have asked for a better meal to start off my stay in Greensboro.

I love all forms of BBQ, but I have to admit that I’m partial to Lexington style BBQ. The Lexington style BBQ at Country BBQ in Greensboro, NC did not disappoint. I ordered it with fries and their simple regular cole slaw and it was outstanding. Their meals come with small hush puppies and once again, I’m convinced that small hush puppies cook better and are tastier than big ones. I also tried some of their seasonal Brunswick Stew which wasn’t bad either.

In between visiting the Greensboro Science Center and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, I went to the nearby Herbies Place for lunch. A 24 Hour Diner, the parking lot was full, and the diner was packed, but it was a sign that Herbies Place serves great food. I had an excellent diner bacon cheeseburger and even though they were very busy, the service as still friendly and unhurried. I also got a kick out of Herbie the Love Bug on the wall outside of Herbies Place.

After vising Historic Camden near Camden, SC I stopped for lunch at Sam Kendall’s in downtown Camden. I’m glad I stopped, I had a good meal and it somewhat reminded me of Company Supply in downtown Dublin, GA. I ordered the Shrimp Pasta in White Wine Garlic Cream Sauce, and it was excellent. It looked a bit small when it first came out, but it turned out to be plenty of food for lunch.

I had more good BBQ and quite possibly the best kielbasa I’ve ever eaten at Daddy Joe’s Beach House BBQ and Grill in Gaffney, SC. The BBQ was great and I already mentioned the kielbasa, but the cole slaw deserves a mention as well. If any of my Savannah readers remember the slaw at Williams Seafood restaurant, it’s a simple delicious slaw that reminded me of Williams’ slaw.