thursday. november 8. 2012
saw beautiful sites, learned lots of new stuff, laughed out loud (a lot!), talked to interesting people, ate delicious food, admired sunsets across nine states and drove 6,157 miles......but the welcome site of the beautiful autumn color that we saw as we drove up the Indian Nations Turnpike had 'welcome home' written all over it.......thankful and blessed......... 'nuf said;)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
strollin' san antonio
tuesday. november 6. 2012
after a leisurely morning and a great skype video call with Laura and Kylee we set out on the Riverwalk to explore parts with which we were familiar, as well as the new additions the city has done since we were here 18 months ago. They're actually extending the man-made canal and, altho there are not shops or restaurants along the new portion, it is beautifully landscaped and inviting.
The back of the Wyndham La Cascada (where we stayed) after we'd crossed the river
after a leisurely morning and a great skype video call with Laura and Kylee we set out on the Riverwalk to explore parts with which we were familiar, as well as the new additions the city has done since we were here 18 months ago. They're actually extending the man-made canal and, altho there are not shops or restaurants along the new portion, it is beautifully landscaped and inviting.
The back of the Wyndham La Cascada (where we stayed) after we'd crossed the river
Noontime sun on the Riverwalk
A cathedral viewed from the Riverwalk
some new additions to the city's Riverwalk
Like so many other places, it's already Christmas on the Riverwalk.....not sure if we're ready for that!
Huge longhorn sculpture on the way to Tower of the Americas......
Briefly visited the Tower of the Americas and then came back Tuesday night after dark and enjoyed drinks, lights of the Riverwalk and the amazing view at the top.
And, yes, there are many great restaurants along the river, but since we both ate here, as kids, with our parents, we brought you guys (Laura, Allyson and Brian) here when you were kids, and so since the last time we had good 'down home' Tex-Mex was Gallup, N.M. on Oct. 4, this lovely spot was the natural choice.....perfect table by the river!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
miles to go before we sleep........
tuesday. november 6. 2012
well, we hadn't looked forward to the 560 mile drive from New Orleans to San Antonio yesterday(11.5.12), because, although we enjoy road trips, we enjoy them on OUR terms and that DOESN'T include 9-10 hour days on the road, but more like 5-6 hour days......yes, road trip 'wimps' are we....and proud of it!
But, it was much better than we thought and we were blessed with 'fair winds and following seas', Murphy USA gas stops any time we needed them and we'd packed enough healthy snackage that we didn't have to stop for a meal....so it was all very good. Plus we'd been to this resort in downtown San Antonio before so we had a good idea of where we were headed.
Rural southern Louisiana is really a picturesque area......fields of sugar cane and acres of oil refineries....would make a good setting for a movie and probably has......definitely 'gator' country.....swamps on both sides of the road at times, this one.......
well, we hadn't looked forward to the 560 mile drive from New Orleans to San Antonio yesterday(11.5.12), because, although we enjoy road trips, we enjoy them on OUR terms and that DOESN'T include 9-10 hour days on the road, but more like 5-6 hour days......yes, road trip 'wimps' are we....and proud of it!
But, it was much better than we thought and we were blessed with 'fair winds and following seas', Murphy USA gas stops any time we needed them and we'd packed enough healthy snackage that we didn't have to stop for a meal....so it was all very good. Plus we'd been to this resort in downtown San Antonio before so we had a good idea of where we were headed.
Rural southern Louisiana is really a picturesque area......fields of sugar cane and acres of oil refineries....would make a good setting for a movie and probably has......definitely 'gator' country.....swamps on both sides of the road at times, this one.......
Henderson Swamp, went on for miles.....wish it had been safe enough to pull over and stop to take the picture, but it was not......very surreal look to it. Very interesting kayaking possibilities....if it weren't for the 'gator' PROBABILITIES, that is.
Decided the only 'gator' I (mom/cathie) was willing to come in contact with was one that only a gardner could love......
And being so close to the mighty Mississippi, there was no shortage of substantial tributaries to cross which meant an abundance of cool trellis bridges......but to have gotten a trellis bridge AND a train in one shot......we'll let's just say it's a good thing I (mom/cathie) was driving, because the 'camera guy' was pretty excited!
catching up!
tuesday. november 6. 2012
wow! since it's been a few days since I (cathie/mom) last took time to post, I'm hoping I can remember all (or most) that we've done. My pen&ink journal, which is up-to-date, is in the car but this is a valet parking resort (san antonio) so we didn't bring everything up....relying on memory here, so we'll see how I do;)
we left the lovely florida panhandle around 8:30 saturday (11.3.12) morning and just had a four hour drive to New Orleans, which was really nice because we'd so gotten into the relaxin' frame of mind that we were yawning the whole way, despite a great night's sleep the night before.
But wait......I forgot........we visited the Donut Hole on Thursday, one more time (this etched glass artwork panel was as amazing as the tasty pies and flaky pastries!) and I reflected on how proud my dad and Uncle Tommy would have been of us for 'scouting out the competition' recalling countless visits to donut shops and bakeries throughout the south on car trips when I was young. For many reasons, mostly financial and sentimental, Daylight Donuts will always have a fond place in my heart, but the Donut Hole will be a fun Destin memory.
wow! since it's been a few days since I (cathie/mom) last took time to post, I'm hoping I can remember all (or most) that we've done. My pen&ink journal, which is up-to-date, is in the car but this is a valet parking resort (san antonio) so we didn't bring everything up....relying on memory here, so we'll see how I do;)
But wait......I forgot........we visited the Donut Hole on Thursday, one more time (this etched glass artwork panel was as amazing as the tasty pies and flaky pastries!) and I reflected on how proud my dad and Uncle Tommy would have been of us for 'scouting out the competition' recalling countless visits to donut shops and bakeries throughout the south on car trips when I was young. For many reasons, mostly financial and sentimental, Daylight Donuts will always have a fond place in my heart, but the Donut Hole will be a fun Destin memory.
The Mississippi Welcome Center (back to the saturday road trip) boasted some beautiful carvings of indigenous birds......the carvings were done on the trees that had been ravaged by Katrina and would otherwise have been cut down.....
we got into The Big Easy in the early afternoon, too early to check in to the Avenue Plaza by a couple of hours, so we scouted out the surrounding Garden District neighborhood and had a great meal at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro before checking in and enjoying the resort for the rest of the day. We got some good information about the best way to use the following day (our only full day in New Orleans) and mapped it out. The St. Charles Streetcar is not running (track still being repaired following hurricane damage) so we revised our plans and secured route scehdules for the bus heading toward the French Quarter.
The next day (sunday) dawned lovely (40% chance of showers predicted for late afternoon) and we boarded the #12 St. Charles to Canal Street and then walked to the French Quarter, arriving early for our brunch reservations at Brennan's. Enjoyed mimosas in the sunny courtyard while waiting for our table.....
The three course breakfast at Brennan's (yes, appetizer, entree and dessert) did not disappoint! And you can bet there was plenty of showmanship to entertain the whole room when it was time for Bananas Foster!
When we ready to leave, the foyer of Brennan's was packed, not only with folks eager to dine, but those seeking refuge from the "40% chance of rain" I mentioned earlier which was now coming down in torrents! Rob/your dad didn't hesitate in insisting that I wait there while he head out to Walgreen's, a few blocks away, to secure ponchos or an umbrella. He didn't get any argument from me.....I'm so spoiled!
He returned in 15 minutes or so with enough gear to protect us, but he was soaked to the skin.....smiling, though and feeling very successful! We made our way to the Riverfront mall so we could dry out a bit and savor the memory of our wonderful brunch while we awaited the departure of our 2-hour SuperCity tour......the temperature had dropped with this rain and the thought of a comfy, warm bus was a happy thought.
The tour was outstanding! The guide, New Orleans native, was knowledgeable and witty and, as the tour progressed, the rain lessened such that by then end, we were able to walk about without the use of the umbrella and continue to enjoy the city. We learned as much in that two hours as we would have if we'd had a week here to do our own 'exploring' and 'investigating'...time and money well spent, for sure!
Although we thought we'd never need to eat again after the wonderful brunch at Brennan's, we couldn't leave without a stop by Cafe duMonde, which opened during the Civil War, is open 24/7 and has only closed during three 24 hour periods in its history (all due to hurricanes) for a taste of their famous beignets.....
and what about a cup of gumbo....yes, just a cup....."you try the chicken, I'll try the seafood"......The Gumbo Pot was right there on the Riverfront, so picturesque.....and boy, did that poor waiter need a listening ear!
On the way back to Canal and Bourbon Streets to catch the #12 back to the Avenue Plaza was saw New Orleans' answer to WalMart......
Thankful for the reliable public transport to take us back to our warm, dry bed....but if we'd had ol' Bessie there would have been places 'o plenty to tie her up during our day.....
and buskers with amazing talents to serenade us on our way.......
Thursday, November 1, 2012
warm enough to spend a day on the beach
thursday. november 1. 2012
well, the winds have died down enough and the temperature has risen to the point that this was a beautiful day to spend on the beach and tomorrow promises to be the same. Our REI low-rider recliner camp chairs, a shovel for planting our 26-yr-old beach umbrellas and some snackage and we were set......
well, the winds have died down enough and the temperature has risen to the point that this was a beautiful day to spend on the beach and tomorrow promises to be the same. Our REI low-rider recliner camp chairs, a shovel for planting our 26-yr-old beach umbrellas and some snackage and we were set......
pretty soon we had some visitors who were intent upon sharing our snackage, tho......
but at least ONE of us knew the hazards of tossing 'edibles' out there (not sayin' who).....soon there was a crowd of 'fine feathered friends' who were soon frustrated by our reluctance to share;)
the sand is truly like sugar, so soft, so moldable, very different from that which we experienced just two weeks ago in solana beach......
got some laundry done today so we can start fresh when we leave here for New Orleans on Saturday and we had a good workout at the gym, as well.......dinner in the condo tonite and getting ready to head out for walk under the stars in a while.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
more adventures on 30A
wednesday. october 31. 2012
one thing we can tell you after having spent several days in this area is that there's a reason that Hwy. 30A has its own website http://www.30a.com/ ........ it's cuz it's MAGIC! and it has nothing to do with halloween! It's full of what you think a 'florida beach community' should be.......so.......we got back on the road, this time to Rosemary Beach (once again on the recommendation of a friend~thank goodness I've (mom/cathie) got friends that get around, huh?) and this turned out to be a lovely place......
......and, altho we try to make a practice of not returning to the same restaurant twice on vacation, bud and alley's taco bar (seaside) was just 'up the road a bit' and we were having a real hard time shaking the memory of those fish tacos from yesterday, so........ off we went:)
and, because we'd mentioned how amazing the public restrooms at Seaside were (downright artistic, to tell you the truth!) we felt like those deserved a 'nod of documentation', as well.......
see what we mean? and, yes, no one else was in the restroom or my camera would not have come out of my bag! promise;)
Before we left Seaside, we just had to capture these Silver Stream food trailers (bbcue, hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese) on the main boardwalk all decked out for the festivities of the day/night.....
one thing we can tell you after having spent several days in this area is that there's a reason that Hwy. 30A has its own website http://www.30a.com/ ........ it's cuz it's MAGIC! and it has nothing to do with halloween! It's full of what you think a 'florida beach community' should be.......so.......we got back on the road, this time to Rosemary Beach (once again on the recommendation of a friend~thank goodness I've (mom/cathie) got friends that get around, huh?) and this turned out to be a lovely place......
altho I've (mom/cathie) never been to Europe, I read that this area has 'heavy European influences' (lifting heavily from travel brochure here) and it really looked like what we imagine a movie set would look like....the towne square was full of shops and restaurants and great cobblestone streets (tires of cars going by made the coolest sounds on these!)....and, in one shop, the proprietress's husband was from Tulsa so we had a good ole time talkin' about home.
And in another shop there were the greatest signs....now I (mom/cathie) would never buy any of these, but it just felt good to stop and read and enjoy the sentiments they expressed....whadoyathink?
......and, altho we try to make a practice of not returning to the same restaurant twice on vacation, bud and alley's taco bar (seaside) was just 'up the road a bit' and we were having a real hard time shaking the memory of those fish tacos from yesterday, so........ off we went:)
and, because we'd mentioned how amazing the public restrooms at Seaside were (downright artistic, to tell you the truth!) we felt like those deserved a 'nod of documentation', as well.......
see what we mean? and, yes, no one else was in the restroom or my camera would not have come out of my bag! promise;)
Before we left Seaside, we just had to capture these Silver Stream food trailers (bbcue, hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese) on the main boardwalk all decked out for the festivities of the day/night.....
picked up some postcards for our sweet 'grands' (haven't been as good about that on this 'leg' of the journey) and then headed back to destin.........
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
some hidden 'gems'
tuesday. october 30. 2012
before we left we asked a couple of friends (Amy Moore and Wanda Gooden) who had been down here quite often about places/areas they'd recommend we explore and, today especially, that turned out to have been the ingredient to a wonderful day. After we left the gym (no that wasn't their recommendation) we did play a scored ping pong game while we 'cooled down'.........
......let's just call it a 'love match'......I (mom/cathie) LET him win because I love him? No. He (your dad/rob) triumphed with a significant margin, but was so darned encouraging about my pitiful (although enthusiastic) efforts, that I was reminded yet again of how much I love him.....so, yes, LOVE match;)
After we cleaned up we headed about 25 miles southeast to the side-by-side communities of Watercolor and Seaside and it was as if we'd been transported to the perfect, small absolutely magical beach community. Destin is very commercialized (picture Branson on the water) and these lovely villages were simple and simply breath-taking. We parked the car and walked and walked (and you know how we love that!). Even the public restrooms were the most beautiful we'd ever seen.....I'm not just talkin' 'clean'....I'm talkin' marble walls and floors, heavy green glass doors, ultra-modern stainless steel fixtures......those cool dryers that you stick your hands down in.....he (your dad/rob) said we need to put those in our bathrooms, but I reminded him of how Silas loves to play with our remote control devices on the lamps, SO....yeah, we won't be doin' that;)
The speed limit down the main street drops you to a crawl....which is good...because there's so much to look around and see. We'd read about Bud & Alley's Taco Bar and since we could eat fish tacos every day of the week, this was a no-brainer and it did not disappoint!
before we left we asked a couple of friends (Amy Moore and Wanda Gooden) who had been down here quite often about places/areas they'd recommend we explore and, today especially, that turned out to have been the ingredient to a wonderful day. After we left the gym (no that wasn't their recommendation) we did play a scored ping pong game while we 'cooled down'.........
......let's just call it a 'love match'......I (mom/cathie) LET him win because I love him? No. He (your dad/rob) triumphed with a significant margin, but was so darned encouraging about my pitiful (although enthusiastic) efforts, that I was reminded yet again of how much I love him.....so, yes, LOVE match;)
After we cleaned up we headed about 25 miles southeast to the side-by-side communities of Watercolor and Seaside and it was as if we'd been transported to the perfect, small absolutely magical beach community. Destin is very commercialized (picture Branson on the water) and these lovely villages were simple and simply breath-taking. We parked the car and walked and walked (and you know how we love that!). Even the public restrooms were the most beautiful we'd ever seen.....I'm not just talkin' 'clean'....I'm talkin' marble walls and floors, heavy green glass doors, ultra-modern stainless steel fixtures......those cool dryers that you stick your hands down in.....he (your dad/rob) said we need to put those in our bathrooms, but I reminded him of how Silas loves to play with our remote control devices on the lamps, SO....yeah, we won't be doin' that;)
The speed limit down the main street drops you to a crawl....which is good...because there's so much to look around and see. We'd read about Bud & Alley's Taco Bar and since we could eat fish tacos every day of the week, this was a no-brainer and it did not disappoint!
green~red~yellow~blue~purple.....my eyes were smilin' all day (mom/cathie, here)
After that great meal (and telling 'Bud & Alley's' that we were sampling fish tacos from coast to coast and his were 'right up there') we stepped out back of Bud & Alley's and savored the first really warm sand that we've walked in since we've been here. Happy toes, indeed! Enjoyed a good walk on the beach and then admired the offerings of some local merchants.....
art market....
uh, yeah......we quite agree;)
loved the sign....laughed out loud, as a matter of fact......but we respect our sweet kiddos too much to ever usurp their 'jurisdiction', regardless of what 'zone' we're in (love you guys!)
this made us laugh, too....no kids, your dad's (rob's) not wearing this home, but I feel awfully blessed to be with him~and the feeling's mutual, so says he:)
When we got back to Destin we tried out another place that Amy had recommended, The Donut Hole, a place famous for your dad's (Rob's) favorite~key lime pie!
and the only thing sweeter than the look on his face after he tasted that pie was the time we spent enjoying yet another splendid sunset on the beach tonight!
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