bkluvsNola

One point. The tomato style sauce in KC is more molasses based than tomato based with lots of brown sugar (think a brownish sauce). Even the KC sauce has variants, KC Masterpiece is very very sweet, Jack Stack is still sweet but not as much.

The TX style BBQ sauce is more tomato based with a slight vinegar tartness with lots of pepper (think about Stubbs, a very red spicy sauce). I prefer the TX based sauce although the KC sauce has merits.

I've never tasted the Western NC style sauce so I don't know if it fits the KC or TX version. Which one do you say it resembles backslunch?

jent103

In my experience, the western NC style sauce is probably closer to Texas sauce - not as sweet as KC or even Memphis, though probably not as spicy as most Texas sauce.

ChicagoDallasGirl

Brian, checked National but they were twice the price, $975. It seems so strang that one ways are this costly... It's truly putting a cramp in things. At this point I'm ready to just head to a friends beach house in Galveston and save our miles and cash. (sigh) We'll see.

Jen, Stubbs is my FAVE sauce! Yum!

Brian_in_Charlotte

I'd reconsider SF. As a relatively new father who used to travel with my wife often, I'll tell you that a new baby will make "adult" type trips (not just trips to a beach house) harder to do.

jent103

Just as a heads up - I found a one-way rental from RDU to Charlotte (CLT) for $269 via Kayak, over MLK weekend. Not sure if the flights would work out, but if they did, that might be an option. An extra two hours' drive but saving a chunk.

(hopefully this link works... http://www.kayak.com/r/dji6tr )

But regardless of where you go, I'm with Brian - my brother and sister-in-law have a two-year-old and have gone to the beach with him a couple times. But going somewhere to be "tourists" would be much harder, unless you can leave the baby with friends or family.

mclaurie

Haven't read all of this but what about Charleston/Savannah?

ChicagoDallasGirl

Good point, Brian. Def something to consider.

Also, thanks for the link, Jen!

I started playing around with flights and found an awesome option. Non-stop to RDU getting us in on a Satuday at 9:30 a.m. and then on the return non-stop from CLT around noon on a Wednesday. We could leave Asheville for CLT about 8 or 9 a.m. that morning and make it in plenty of time for the 12:30 departure. Picking up rental in RDU and dropping off in CLT is $$244.

Flight is on points and this itinerary actually uses 20K+ fewer points than the flights I previously searched, departing AVL. With those extra points, we can cover three of the four nights in a hotel. I had my heart set on the Inn at Biltmore, but oh well.

ChicagoDallasGirl

mclaurie, thought about Charleston/Savannah, but hubby isn't as excited about those destinations as he is about NC.

jent103

I'm so glad things seem to be working out! Yay!

One thing - I don't know if your goal is to go *inside* the Capitol or just to see it from the outside, but if it's the former, you might want to check that it's open on Saturdays before booking those flights. I have no idea if it is or not, but I'd hate for you to find out that it's closed on the weekends when that's the only reason you need to go to Raleigh!

ChicagoDallasGirl

Hey, Jen. Yes, def want to see capitol inside and out. I checked last night and it's open seven days a week. The exception is that Mon-Fri tours are self-guided and on weekends, at least on Saturday, there are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. guided tours. If all goes well, we could possibly make the afternoon tour. We'll see...

Brian_in_Charlotte

Lots of great restaurants downtown Asheville - no need to eat at Biltmore.

starrs

Asheville is GREAT!

jent103

Oh good! I figured you'd thought of that, but never hurts to make sure. RDU isn't a huge airport and it's not a terribly long drive downtown. Barring any unexpected events, I don't think you'd have any trouble making the 2pm tour if you get in at 9:30.

Y'all must be leaving DFW early!

bachslunch

bkluvsNola, sad to say I haven't tried any of the three NC style BBQ sauce types in their native region (have had what are labeled one or another type of these sauces in places outside of NC, but not sure if they're truly the same). Have never eaten BBQ at a Texas based location.

I have had the mustard style BBQ in SC at Bessenger's in Charleston, have had KC style BBQ at Bryant's in Kansas City, and have had Memphis style BBQ at several locations there. Have indeed heard that Bryant's sauce is more vinegar-heavy than that at other KC spots, but it's been long enough ago that I can't remember for sure.

So I'll have to answer your question "I've never tasted the Western NC style sauce so I don't know if it fits the KC or TX version. Which one do you say it resembles backslunch?" with an "I don't know for sure from tasting, only from what I've read the tendencies are." Here's hoping I'll be able to say more confidently at some point via some serious hands-on sampling.

ChicagoDallasGirl

Good news! Tix are booked! Nonstop to RDU and nonstop from CLT on the return. I cannot thank y'all enuff for traveling this planning journey with me. Now I'm on to building our itinerary... Looking at lodging options and trying to decide whether or not to use rest of points for rental car or three nights hotel in Asheville.