Barbecue Road Trip

Did I tell you that Nancy is going to Vietnam in June?  It’s another Operation Smile Trip.  She’s been to Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Dominican Republic (twice), Honduras, Morocco, Ethiopia, India, the Philippines, and Cambodia — I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple of places.  On each mission, they repair cleft palates, split lips and other facial problems for about 125 children and adults, and in the process they utterly transform the lives of the patients — and their relatives.  It is grueling work in very difficult conditions.  Nancy manages the patients’ medical records and occasionally performs surgery.  Well, I’m sure she could if called upon.  I don’t go with her because they don’t need election lawyers.

So what can I do, how can I use my talents to provide a comparable boon to humanity while she’s away?  Why, take a barbecue road trip, of course.  The tough question is,  where?  I was facing the daunting prospect of long hours of research.  My cousin, Sinclair Griffin Lee of the Bill’s-favoring Wilson Griffins, has come to my rescue with a list from Southern Living.  You need a cousin like Sinclair.

http://www.southernliving.com/travel/bbq-restaurants?iid=newsletter-sl-05192016

Faithful readers will know that I’ve been to and reviewed a number of the places on the Southern Living list, and the more discerning will know that B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue is in a new location.  The pictured site burned down.  The high quality of the places I’ve reviewed give confidence that the rest are really good, too.

Right now I’m thinking of a trip to Tennessee, which I’ve neglected.  I’ll have to limit it to eastern and central Tennessee.  Memphis is a project, and will have to wait.

Guatemala!  I forgot Guatemala.  You should donate to Operation Smile.