I’ve been absent for too long.  I don’t always write as much as I like even when I’m reminded that I don’t necessarily have to roam far to notice something.  Several months ago, I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite artists was coming to one of my favorite cities.  The chance to see Michael Franti on the banks of the Cape Fear River was too good to pass.  I bought the tickets and made reservations and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Lest you think I wish my life away looking forward to things; don’t.  I think that many of us need some type of light at the end of the tunnel to keep us going in the day to day.  For me, the concert was that light as we dealt with the end of the school year, the completion of soccer, and the many other transitions that are a part of living.

Finally, the final weekend of July was upon us and it was time to head to Wilmington.  We dropped Ethel off at camp while Lucy spent a bit of time with her grandfather.  They had their own plans to tend to (a trip to Appomattox) while we headed toward the coast.  A short ride later we had made it to town and set about the first order of business-food.  A quick check of my gluten-free app sent us toward the Blue Surf Cafe.  This place is awesome!  Omission beer on hand and a wonderful Cuban sandwich pressed in foil to avoid cross-contamination.  The boss enjoyed her Mahi sandwich and we both agreed that we should return.  It is conveniently located on the way to Wrightsville Beach so it would make a great stop on the way home from a day on the sand.  Also-a shout out to the well-informed staff who promised to take care of me.

Typically, when we go to Wilmington we stay at the Camellia Cottage on Fourth St.  We had some friends joining us at the B&B so we settled in and visited for a time with the same folks who have owned the place for 12 years.  This time we stayed in the Crane Suite which is the old music room in the house.  The room is nice, though the location by the front door does limit the amount of privacy a bit.  A definite bonus is the oversized bathroom that was once the sun room.  A slightly larger tub/shower would be great in here.  As it is I think we’ll stay upstairs next time.  Once one set of friends arrived we headed out for pre-dinner drinks and to visit.  After joining up with our second set of friends, we had dinner.  Oh my.  I can’t recommend Delphina Dos enough.  Our waiter was highly knowledgeable about gluten issues and celiac and took great care of the whole party.  The burrito bowl I had was great with chicken and steak, though the Boss’s shrimp and fish one was the clear winner on the evening.  The margarita pitcher was perfect to split and we all left feeling full and ready for a show.

I don’t want to get into a full-on concert review here.  A few things bear mentioning though-parking and shuttling over wasn’t awful.  The beer line was though.  Our friend and the boss waited in line for well over an hour.  Brett Dennen is a talented musician.  But Michael Franti, just wow.  For two hours, I was truly and completely happy.  I danced, I sang, I reveled.  It is definitely listening to live music that does this to me.  His concerts are so incredibly happy and upbeat, you can’t help but dance.  A large container ship passed by on the river and one of the crew was so moved by the feeling-he dropped trou and danced like there was no tomorrow.  If he comes near you-go see him.  And call me, I’ll go with you.  By the time the show was over, we were all tired and ready for bed.

Saturday brought a happy morning with a wonderful breakfast, made with gluten free ingredients and vegetables from their garden.  When you finish breakfast with homemade mint ice cream, the day is off to a great start.  The six of us spent some time knocking around town with nothing specific in mind.  A little shopping, a few drinks, and lots of laughing.  For lunch we hit up Dock Street Oyster Bar.  It is a funky little place (emphasis on little) with good music, good food, and weak drinks.  I had the raw oysters and steamed shrimp and had no problems.  The fish tacos enjoyed by the Boss looked good but were on flour tortillas.  You can eat here, but it requires diligence.  We ventured back to the B&B for a quick rest before dinner.

One set of friends went to visit family, so it was the four of us this evening.  Before our dinner reservations we ducked into 9 Bakery and Lounge for drinks.  This lounge has higher-end cocktails with a slightly elevated sense of self-worth.  However the bartender was nice and good.  Celiac folks can not eat here in my opinion, but stop in and enjoy a drink.  The beverages are creative and a nice change from the normal.  Dinner found us at the Black Sea Grill.  We went here with high hopes.  Sadly, my hopes were not fulfilled.  Our service was very inattentive, my concerns over gluten were dismissed, and the food was pedestrian at best.  The highlight was the corn meal breaded calamari.  I suppose it was good.  The mahi I ordered was bland, with no seasoning, and the vegetable of the day was some type of hot cabbage/slaw thing.  Some of our party enjoyed their meal, so I guess I may have gotten the raw end at dinner.  Also, 8 hours later, I confirmed that the place is not entirely safe.  Even without the sickness, I don’t think I’d go back.  There are too many great places to eat in Wilmington to go here.

After some bar hopping, more laughter than I can explain, so many now inside-jokes shared, and three candy bars later we made it back to the B&B.  It was an early night.  We had great difficulty in getting service at most places we went-it’s like they didn’t want our money.  Maybe we’re too old for the places we went.  Maybe they couldn’t handle our awesomeness.

After a restless night (thanks dinner), it was time to get up, pack up, and have one final breakfast.  This one was on the sweet side, but again I was looked after.  By 10:30 we had all loaded up, said our goodbyes, and headed back to the world.  Live music is fantastic.  At its best it can be life-altering.  At its base level it can be mood-altering.  Michael put me in a great mood that carried through the weekend.  Good friends, good music, good times, and a great town make for the perfect quick getaway.