"Cracker Barrel!" That was Lady Adventurer. Just as I was beginning to nod off. Not only was I trying to get a few minutes' rest, but I also didn't want to lose a CB point here. The trip down to PCB is otherwise uneventful. In fact, although it did rain as we started out, the biggest event of the trip was the fog that rolled in, just as we arrived.
Said fog lasts a while, so it is humid and glum during much of our first couple of days. But we can't complain. It's Florida, and it's warm (er).
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| 1st sunset on the beach |
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| 1st sunset on the beach |
After spending some days doing the same 'ole stuff as usual, and enjoying the nice weather, we venture out on a road trip. We drive all the way (several hours) to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama. On the way, we also stop at Pensacola Beach. And you know what? They all look an awful lot like Panama City Beach - nice sandy shores and condos of all kinds, including high-rises. We might have been considering alternatives to this location for next year, but we'll most likely stay with what we have. It's all pretty much the same.
We spend another half-day at St. Andrews State Park. We've been here before, but it's a nifty place, with great scenery and wildlife galore.
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| St. Andrews Park |
We must be crazy. We say this many times in a variety of ways during this insane weekend. Grandson Vincent has his School of Rock Concert scheduled for a half-hour on the 22nd of January, and Grandma and Grandpa are up to making the pilgrimage to Strongsville in order to attend. We fly out of the Destin / Fort Walton Airport for the desired connections, but that's well over an hour away. The long drive is nothing compared to the rest of the stress of air travel. Air travel in January. Somehow, we make it into Cleveland, attend the concert (and also visit family and pay bills), and even return, flying out of a snowstorm. I am sure that we'll be very careful about ever doing this again.
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| The Rock Concert Group. Vincent is third from the left, with the hat |
First comes Inlet Beach. That's followed closely by Rosemary Beach and Seacrest. But that's just for starters. Of course, we're talking about 30A. Heading West from Beachside Resort, 30A is only a couple of miles but an entire world away. Like Front Beach Road here in Bay County, Walton County's 30A is easily avoided by staying on 98, the main highway. But when we want to see come new and often interesting sights, we take this scenic route.
Seacrest is followed by Alys Beach, Watersound Beach, Seagrove, Seaside, Watercolor (my favorite town name), Grayton Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Gulf Place, Dune Allen, and I think that's about it. There is an awful lot of building going on, especially in the not-quite-so-scenic Eastern parts. The amount of money that so many people have for these McMansions is astounding.
The Western part is more serene. And there are also several parks there. We stop at Point Washington State Forest for a nice little hike in the wilderness. We follow that up with a nice lunch at the Perfect Pig. Not a bad way to spend a day.
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| Long Leaf Pines on Point Washington Hike |
Most days, we just lay around and enjoy the beach, the pool, and the great weather. A Big Deal for Danny-Boy was running the Tallahassee Marathon. Afterward, more laying around and enjoying the beach, the pool, and the great weather. We do manage to walk a lot. Now that Iris and Mike Zielinski have joined us (they came for the month of February), Lady Adventurer, Iris, and Dan walk two to four miles nearly every day. Sometimes, we go to a park and other times we stay in the local neighborhood. Occasionally, we walk the beach. Other than that, the biggest decision is usually where to dine.
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| Lady Adventurer and Iris at Conservation Park, where we enjoy many of our walking miles, and where a storm is approaching |
Tonight, we're at Captain Anderson's with Mike and Iris. It's probably the best joint around, and it seems to have the freshest and best seafood. It's expensive, but it doesn't disappoint.
As the days pass, we also try Saltwater Grill (also outstanding), Goatfeathers, Chanticleer, Perfect Pig, Hunt's (great seafood but lousy ambiance), Salty Sue's, Hammerhead Fred's (for Valentine's), Dee's Hangout, (iconic) Pineapple Willy's (where they now accept American Express), Boondocs, and Schooners (twice), among others. The seafood is nearly always great: grouper, scamp, snapper, flounder, drum, mahi-mahi, not to mention shrimp, oysters, and scallops. The list goes on. In fact, it's all about as good as can be,
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| Goatfeathers with Iris and Mike |
The Schooners Protocol is good to know. Throughout the month of February, everything on the menu, including drinks, is half-off on weekdays between 3pm and 5pm. In order to get a table, you have to arrive by 2pm. We do this, get seated, order one full-priced drink each, and then wait until the magic 3pm hour arrives. Our waiter takes our order ahead of time and enters it in at exactly 3. And guess what? It works. We get out half-priced food and drinks, enjoy it right there on the beach, and the taste is positively fantastic.
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| Schooners on the beach |
Besides watching the sunsets, we spend many of our evenings like this one. We bring our chairs and some wine over to Cheri and Alan Schiellerd's patio, two doors down. Several of our other Snowbird friends join us for a wild night of crazy fun. Okay, perhaps I'm exaggerating just a bit, but just sitting around and talking is still a pretty darn good way to pass time here in paradise.
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| Some of us Snowbird friends at Beachside Resort |
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| One last sunset picture. They've all been spectacular, but this is one of the best. |
After staying overnight near the site of the Bowling Green Massacre, we drive on and make it home safe and sound.
You are also welcome to check out my running blog post about running in PCB.
