Maintenance Day

Thursday in Panama City Beach was “Maintenance Day.” We awoke to cold (not for New York, but for Florida) temperatures (46 degrees) so did not take our morning beach walk. Bacon, eggs, and toast comprised our “civilized breakfast” this morning.
This had to be a “maintenance day” for several reasons. First, Donna and I had to catch up on laundry duty. Also my Prius had a “Maintenance Required” light shining. In my excited anticipation of our trip, I did not realize the mileage service time was so close. In my first-class worrier mode, I did not want to risk the rest of our driving mileage without having the Prius checked. I asked Ladd to try to get us an appointment for the service while in Panama City Beach, and he did. (Thanks, Ladd!) So Tommy and Ladd dropped Donna and me off in downtown Panama City to “cruise the strip” exploring the shops while they took the car in to be checked. Donna and I had fun browsing the shops and having tea and awesome cupcakes in “Sugar Boogers”! (Please don’t be repulsed by the name of the shoppe, just click on the link: best gourmet cupcakes and cakes!) While Donna and I had fun, we found out later that Tommy had even MORE fun at the Toyota dealership. He was learning all the facts about the newest Prius and even took a test drive. We thought perhaps Tommy would be driving Donna back to Texas in a new Prius instead of flying. “Close, but no cigar!”
On our way back to the condo we stopped for lunch at “Schlotskey’s”. Ladd and I had never heard of  “Schlotskey’s” since we don’t have them around us in New York, but Donna and Tommy knew of them and loved them from Texas. Everyone had great sandwiches there. Fortified by lunch, Donna and I were ready for more shopping <g>, so Ladd and Tommy dropped us off at “Jaws”, a “touristy” shop right across from our condo. Donna got some goodies for her grandchildren. I know you will find this close to impossible to believe, but I did not find anything to buy. Oh, well, I’m no quitter! I’ll just have to try harder tomorrow! LOL
Upon return to our condo, the sun was close to setting but was at last was shining. So we took our beach walk. There was actually a “rainbow” around the sun as it set over the ocean. Oh, what a beautiful place!
Now we will enjoy our “happy hour” before the leftovers of Ladd’s super lasagna for dinner! Mangia…and goodnight!

Rainy Days & Wednesdays

For our Wednesday in Florida let me start with a change to lyrics of a song: “Rainy days and Wednesdays NEVER get me down…” When you are on vacation and in a place as beautiful as this, rainy days just mean a chance to explore other attractions! I do admit I was sad having to pass on the morning walk on the beach, but I put my energy to work making onion, garlic, mushroom, cheese omelets with Ladd’s homemade meat sauce on top. In my humble opinion, brunch is a very civilized way to start the day.
Tommy, Donna, and I then headed “down the road apiece” to an attraction called “Wonder Works.” (Ladd decided to stay at the condo to catch up on posting pictures to our blog.) The building itself is a kick! It looks like a house that has been turned upside down by some natural disaster. There are lots of fake windows that are always lighted. It definitely grabs your attention as you drive by, so we went in to explore. There are four floors of optical-illusions, interactive exhibits, rides, games, etc. We spent two-plus hours there and only managed to “cover” three of the four floors! One of my favorite parts was a hologram picture of a baby. When you stood directly in front of it, you saw a smiling baby. Then when you moved just slightly from side-to-side, you would see the baby’s face change: a baby about to cry, a baby laughing, a baby looking surprised, etc. It is the best hologram I have ever seen and would LOVE to have something like that in my house. It just made me smile and smile. I also had fun in a “dance station” where the lighting of your movements created different patterns of many, many colors on the wall/canvas. Donna and I are not fans of rides that turn you around and upside down, did not want to “lose” our omelets <g>, so we passed on the stomach-challenging “rides.” Tommy, however, took them all on! He pedaled a bike that made over-the-top loops IF you pedaled correctly, backwards when you did not. Tommy also went on a flight simulator /space capsule. He said the most exciting one was the gyroscope! Donna and I just shook our heads and tried to take pictures of Tommy upside down! We all had fun creating a “Time Capsule” picture that will be emailed to us. This was a cool place with something for all ages.
We then headed back to the condo to get changed before driving to Fort Walton Beach to see our son, Dean. HOORAY! Fort Walton Beach is about an hour and a half drive from here. It was SO GREAT to see Dean again. (He is in such great shape! Wish some of that Dean-exercise-thing would “rub off” on his mother! LOL) He is living in a two-bedroom apartment that he has worked hard on setting up. It looked SUPER, and was organized and clean, too. (Your mom says, “Way to go, Dean!”  ) We then headed to dinner in a place people had recommended to Dean. It is named “Camille’s” and is located in Destin. We lucked out with another excellent restaurant choice. Ladd and I couldn’t decide between two entrees, so he got one (Seafood Gumbo) and I got the other one (Shrimp & scallops with peppers, rice, and a spicy pineapple sauce) and we shared! Tommy had rib-eye steak that he said was “absolutely perfect.” In fact, Tommy liked it so much he shook the chef’s hand! Donna had blackened chicken on pasta that she loved, and was too much to finish. (Leftovers! Yum!) Dean had filet mignon served on top of mashed potatoes with an incredible sauce. Fun conversations and an awesome meal! We drove back to the condo full and happy. Totally exhausted we “hit the hay” as soon as we got back.
(P.S. Now Ladd and I are looking forward to the weekend when Dean will visit us at the condo!)

Tough Duty... but "somebody" has to do it

Bright and early Tuesday morning Donna and I were up and went out to walk the beach. (The two husbands had been up TOO late Monday night sitting on the balcony “debating” life’s problems. They needed to sleep in to recharge their batteries for the new day.) It was another GORGEOUS day in Panama City Beach…sunny and already warm! Every single person we met while walking on the beach was friendly and as happy as we are to be here!
Upon return to the condo the gentlemen were awake, and we all had coffee on our fantastic balcony. We decided to go out for breakfast to a waffle place across the street. Once again we ate way too much and chatted nonstop, too.
We then headed to a Winn Dixie grocery store to get supplies and groceries for the condo for our week. After unpacking the groceries we headed down to the pool to enjoy the gorgeous weather. (It was sunny and 78 degrees today!) It was a “full house” by the heated pool! We swam in the bath-water temperature pool, talked with people from many different states, relaxed in the sun, and read our books/kindles. Then we went down to the beach, about twenty steps from the pool. There were para-gliders, motor-driven para-gliders, and beautiful kites to watch. We waded into the ocean, but it was just too cold to swim in. (The kiddos didn’t seem to mind the cold and were having a blast in the ocean…brrr!) Tommy and Donna went back to sit by the pool, and Ladd and I did a long walk along the beach. Ladd went back up to the condo to start the sauce for dinner, Tommy went back up to rest, and Donna went back up to read. I was not yet willing to give up on the “sun time” and stayed by the pool to read my kindle. What a gorgeous day!
We had our “happy hour” out on the balcony, as did many other “residents” of the “Dunes of Panama”. For dinner Ladd made an excellent lasagna and garlic bread. (He actually made enough for twelve people instead of four. Anyone want to come over for lasagna? LOL)
Our dishes are done, so I’m heading out now to read on the balcony before bedtime. Day two in Panama City Beach was just as much fun as day one. Our time here is going too quickly, but I am enjoying every single minute! Night!

Click HERE for our view of the beach live webcam.

Panama City Beach and MORE New Friends

Bright and early Monday morning we left New Orleans and headed to Panama City Beach, Florida. Ladd rented a condo for us for a week at “Dunes of Panama”. We arrived earlier than anticipated and were allowed to check in early.
“Dunes of Panama” is absolutely GORGEOUS! Our condo has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, dining room, kitchen, and a great balcony that spans both the living room and master bedroom. The balcony overlooks two beautiful pools, a white-sand beach, and crystal blue ocean. I LOVE it! May we move in, please?
After we unpacked and settled in, I sat on the balcony in sunny, 79 degree temperatures and called my parents to tell them that this was heaven! (I wish I had won the lottery so I could fly my parents here!) Ladd and I then walked the beach and drove around a little to explore the area.
At 5:00 we went to the airport to pick up Tommy and Donna, who flew in from Texas to join us for the week. We had only met Tommy and Donna “on line”, (our “Ecuador Connection”), but we immediately felt at ease with them and knew they would be great friends! We brought Tommy and Donna back to the condo to get settled and then headed out to dinner. We went to a local restaurant called “Dee’s Hang Out”. Ladd had the catfish special, Tommy had an oyster plate, Donna had a shrimp plate, and I had crab cakes. Lots of delicious food and fun conversation!
Back at the condo we sat on our great balcony for a nightcap to finish the day. I love this part of Florida and this dream retirement/40th anniversary trip!
P.S. Tomorrow we get to see and spend time with our son, Dean…a SUPER-DUPER SPECIAL TREAT! We can’t wait!

NOLA is all about making New Friends

Sunday, our last day in New Orleans, started meeting new friends at another super breakfast courtesy of Kevin, “House of the RisingSun.” (Awesome Sunday breakfast consisted of juice, world’s best fruit salad, fresh croissants, and coffee or tea.) Our new friends, Dianne and Stewart, are from Scotland. 

Dianne and Stewart were in New Orleans for their daughter’s college golf-tournament sessions, which got cancelled due to the first rainy day we had in New Orleans. We were sorry about that, but glad they could join us for some fun before they met up with their daughter. There was heavy fog this morning, but the ferry still ran and took us across the Mississippi from Algiers to the bottom of Canal Street. We then took the streetcar and walked to the French Market. Who do you think was the only one to buy something in the French Market? (If you guessed that was I, Marilyn, you are RIGHT! Of course, in Dianne’s defense, she DID have a whole week ahead of her to shop!)

We then walked in the rain to Jackson Square to visit St. Louis Cathedral. This beautiful, old cathedral was impressive! In distinct contrast to the serious history of the cathedral, we walked out the door to the street-performance of a young magician. Fun!

Next we were off to the French Quarter to the Louisiana State Museum and the “Katrina” exhibit. Wow! The recurring theme: How could this disaster happen in the United States? Why, oh, why in this great country did it take SO LONG to respond and begin to rescue the Americans struggling and dying in Katrina? There were very thought-provoking video testimonies from survivors, artifacts, etc. that made us question and reflect.

Now the rain started to really come down, yet that does NOT stop the parades in New Orleans, so we could not let it us stop from watching and participating. We saw two more awesome parades, (Krewe of Carrollton, “Two by Two”), and caught more beads! 

Then Diane and Stewart left us to join their daughter. (Diane and Stewart, we LOVED our conversations with you and enjoyed our short time together!) Ladd and I headed to “Johnny’s Po Boy” for lunch. Unfortunately, they were out of their oyster Po Boy, so Ladd had a shrimp Po Boy and a cup of Gumbo. I had a blackened chicken Po Boy. (Yikes, we have been eating a lot! The only “saving grace” is all the walking we’ve been doing!)

After our short respite, we headed to another fantastic historic church: Our Lady of Guadalupe. This small church with its old, beautiful statues, stained-glass windows, shrine with Our Lady of Guadalupe depicted in a cave surrounded by many, many “Thank you” plaques, etc. was awe inspiring. (Ladd took the pictures and I said some prayers and lighted candles for my parents, Ladd’s mother, and our son, Dean.)

Exhausted, we headed a little early to the ferry to return to our B & B. A “surprise” greeted us at the ferry station: CLOSED…too early! We asked what was going on, and the woman at the ticket booth really didn’t know, but told us not only was the ferry closed down, but the boat tours were cancelled, too. (We later heard on the radio that an oil spill had been the cause. Another: when will we learn?) Plan B: we took a cab back to the B & B, put our gear in our room, said our good-byes to our awesome hosts, Wendy and Kevin, and headed down to our favorite “local” bar/restaurant, “Dry Dock”, and with a night cap and “Ragin’-Cajun Nachos” bid a fond farewell to New Orleans!

A "Mari-Walk A Thon"

Saturday turned into another “Mari-walkathon” in New Orleans! We did sleep in a little later and had another super breakfast a la Kevin, our B & B host. Then we were further delayed when we missed the ferry departure by literally two minutes. But it is impossible to be upset when you are standing out in the sunshine watching the Mississippi River as you wait for the ferry’s return.

We went first to “The National World War II Museum.” At the museum we started at the Solomon Victory Theater to see the   4-D movie “Beyond All Boundaries” narrated by Tom Hanks. It was SO POWERFUL that I left the theater crying. We took a short “happy hour” break in the restaurant in the museum called “The American Front.” We had heard from a fellow-tourist about the ½ price drinks and specials during their “happy hour.” Ladd had their signature “sliders” and “meat pie.”  I had chicken/sausage gumbo. We both loved our choices. Thus fortified, we went on to see the exhibits in the museum. We spent four hours in the W.W.II Museum and still could not “do it justice” and see it all. We’d love to go back again. It is an impressive collection and museum, and we’d highly recommend a visit there if you ever get the chance.

What would a day in New Orleans be without seeing a Mardi Gras parade? After the museum we walked and walked and once again “ran into” more Mardi Gras parades. We saw parts of several parades, and both Ladd and I got more Mardi Gras beads! We actually have more beads than we know what to do with now…LOL! One girl on a float looked right at me, pointed at me, and then threw something that I knew was more than another pair of beads. I got excited to reach for a new Mardi Gras memento. The girl’s aim was not the best, and Ladd got hit in the forehead causing him to bleed. (He was O.K. thankfully.) I ended up with a special, pink-sequined mask, and Ladd ended up with a Mardi-Gras injury. I told Ladd I truly appreciate his sacrifice because the mask is so very cool!

We took a short stroll down Bourbon Street and then went to get on the ferry to head back to Algiers. We again went to “The Dry Dock” to get some dinner and were greeted by our great waitress, and now friend, Leslie B. (We told Leslie it felt like “Cheers” being known and welcomed!) Ladd had a veal special, and I had a chicken sandwich with BBQ sauce and sweet-potato fries. Yum again.

Another great day in NOLA!

Hello, Big Easy

Our Friday in New Orleans definitely should be entitled “Our Walking Marathon”! We saw and did LOTS on our first full day. Although we did consume many calories, with all the walking I’m SURE we burned off more than we took in…a nice side benefit!
We started the day with an AWESOME breakfast of juice, the BEST fruit salad I’ve ever had, English muffins, and coffee courtesy of our B & B “House of the Rising Sun” host, Kevin. Yum! (By the way, the “House of the Rising Sun” is a beautiful B & B with gracious hosts, Kevin and Wendy. We are loving our stay here!)  After our breakfast and fun conversation, we walked to the ferry. (It is only a couple blocks away.) We took the ferry to Canal Street. Then we got a day pass and took the St. Charles streetcar all the way to the end at River Bend.
We went back on the streetcar and walked a LONG distance on Magazine Street. Magazine Street is full of funky shops, interesting restaurants, art studios, antique galleries, etc.
We left Magazine Street and walked up Washington, passing through the Garden District, and went into one of the famous above-ground cemeteries: Lafayette Cemetery #1. It was very interesting to read the names, dates, and some family histories on the tombstones. A fancy high-heeled shoe in front of one of the tombstones caught my attention, and so I read the information. A brother and sister, born a day apart - twins, both died at very young ages a year or two apart. Very sad and very interesting.

Next we took the streetcar to The French Market. This is a famous open-air market with stands selling all kinds of gifts like t-shirts, earrings,…everything! There are food stands of all kinds, as well, and musicians performing everywhere. For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise that I DID buy some things…ha! We then went to Café du Monde, famous for their Beignets and café au lait. (Beignets are a kind of fried dough with powdered sugar on top. They are much lighter, less greasy, more delicious than what you may think of from fairs.) Of course, we indulged and had the Beignets and café au lait. (Yes, even Ladd who usually stays away from such treats had them, too. When in Rome….or New Orleans…ha!)
After our short break and refreshments we walked to Jackson Square. We came upon a performance by 5 young black men: break-dancing, gymnastics, and comedy. (They had appeared on “America’s Got Talent”.)  As the performers were setting up and inviting passersby to join the audience, a group of teenage girls who were part of a gymnastics team decided to “show off” their skills to the performers. They were impressive. The break-dance performers were great, too, and had us laughing with their funny comments about passersby, audience members, and themselves.

We then walked on to the back side of Jackson Square and “fell into” our very first Mardi Gras Parade: “Krewe of Cork.”  The musicians and costumes were fantastic! I even got my first pair of Mardi Gras beads and a Mardi Gras bracelet from performers in the parade! Hooray! I immediately put them on and then felt like a real part of Mardi Gras!
Next we walked with the crowds toward The French Quarter and stopped in “Pat O’Brien’s” bar/restaurant. (I got another pair of beads from “Pat O’Brien’s”!)  Ladd just had a beer, but I had to try their signature drink: a “Hurricane”…sweet and strong. I could not finish it! While at "Pat O'Brien's" we got a very pleasant surprise. Al K., friend and director of our school district's transportation department, sent us an email to share an article and picture that had been in our local paper about our son, Dean. It was such fun to see it and now be able to share it with our son when we visit next week. Thanks a LOT, Al!
Then we walked, (remember what I said about a walking marathon?), to Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street was full of partiers of ALL ages. There were people of all kinds, too. Some were “boring normal” as we are. Some were outlandish “characters”. Some were in costumes.  Some were in crazy outfits. But all were nonthreatening, fun, and celebrating. As we strolled along Burbon Street we heard a jazz band playing from an outside courtyard bar. It is called “Legends Park.” So we went in and sat to listen to the jazz band. They were great, and I knew all the old songs so I was singing along. We then got talking with our waitress, who was the wife of the leader of the jazz band. When she asked where we were from, (the opening line of New Orleans!), she then told us her husband was originally from Maine! Ladd then told her about his summers in Maine as a child and about working in Maine. Small world!
Now tired, we walked back to catch the ferry to come back to our B & B. On the ferry we made more “new friends” from Iowa. We ended up having some munchies and a nightcap with them at “Dry Dock” when we got off the ferry. A perfect end to a perfect day!