Destin - 2016 Last Day in the Florida panhandle

Today was a great day.  No rush to do anything.  First important item was the mad dash across highway 98 for coffee and some waffles.  That's the last time for that mad dash.  Sat around watching the waves and getting caught up with items on our computers.  Then we headed west on the beach in front of our condo.  It was a gray day and we could see rain in the distance.  The sun did pop out for awhile on this walk.  I had not seen any seashells until this morning so had to gather a few of those.  As we headed back to the condo, we saw dolphins playing in the distance.  Could we see them very well, no.  But they were definitely dolphin and there were at least 2 of them as we saw two fins come up in quick order.  I was thrilled.  It would have been nicer to be closer but I was glad to see them at all.

We cleaned up and decided to take a drive out along CR30-A.  I don't know exactly how to explain this but it follows the coast much closer than Highway 98.  We came upon small towns/villages with very unique homes and stores.  I am going to post some photos of this area.

It is obvious which house has been there the longest.  The one behind is newer and also taller so they can still see the gulf.

Same house as above but another house has been added just a bit further down the road.  It is taller yet.

Across the street, taller yet.  I loved them all.

Another small village further down the road.  This reminds me of the food truck festivals we have in our area.  All of the food vendors were set up in Airstream (I think) trailers.  

Some of the villages had artist colonies.  All of them had access to the gulf shore.  There was a bicycle path that followed CR30-A the entire distance.  Lots of bicyclists as well as pedestrians.  Many pedestrians were walking dogs.  None of the bicyclists that we saw were in a rush.  Just taking leisurely rides along the path.  I think if I were to come to this area for a period of time, I would chose a place to rent along this stretch of road.  Not quite as touristy as Destin yet it looked like a delightful place to be for a month or so.

After our short road trip we headed back to Fort Walton Beach to eat at a restaurant that my daughter had recommended, Angler's.  I understand why she enjoys eating there.  You can sit on the deck and see your child playing on the swings or in the sand.  It was so relaxing.  We sat on the deck and enjoyed the view of the gulf.  We will miss it when we head out in the morning.  I love the sound it makes.  The gulf has been green instead of acqua.  It is gorgeous.  You can see the sand through the water.  Karen, Diane, and Rod apologized that the water wasn't as blue as usual but I have no complaints.  It was gorgeous.  By the way, I had my last shrimp for lunch.  I chose to have it boiled and served cold.  Delicious.  They were seasoned with a spice that had some bite.  They were great.

We had been told several times we needed to get to Banana Bart's.  It was closed yesterday so stopped by on our way back to the condo.  Thank goodness it was open this time.

It is hard to imagine the number of items that are in this small building.  Yes, we bought a couple of things.

Both the photos below were taken outside of Banana Bart's.  One looking east and one looking west.

It did rain today but it did not stop us from doing everything we wanted.  In the morning we will be heading north.

Destin - 2016 Destin day

Having no food of any kind in the condo, when we woke up we took another mad dash across highway 98 to the Waffle House.  We each ordered a large coffee.  I chose a waffle and some bacon and James had a Texas Bacon Egg and Cheese Melt.  We both thought the food was decent.  We'll probably make another dash in the morning.  After cleaning up, decided it was time to get on the beach.  Although the wind was strong, it was not cold.  We even chose to go barefooted. Unbelievable.  It felt good.  We both put our feet in the water.

Now that's two pretty good looking pairs of feet.  Ha-ha!

Today we had arrangements to meet Karen, my daughter's mother-in-law.  I am so glad that we did. It was a perfect day for tourists.  This was particularly true for us as we had 3 wonderful tourist guides. Not only did we meet Karen but we met her at her sister and brother-in-law's home.  Our tourist guides were Karen, Diane, and Rod.  Rod was the captain of their pontoon boat which carried us all around the harbor and to our lunch at Harry T's Lighthouse located in Harborwalk Marina.  It was delightful.  We sat on the porch.  We were able to see boats coming and going.  Here are a couple of unusual ones.

This one has 4 outboard motors on the back.

James ordered a classic reuben and I decided to stick with seafood.  I had a shrimp Po-Boy.  Once again, the portions were massive.  I don't understand why they make their dishes so large.  No wonder we are such a fat country.  Once again, we brought the leftovers to the condo to eat for supper.  They will be finished off with our remaining Shake's Concretes.

My shrimp Po'Boy

James's classic reuben.  This was the biggest reuben I have ever seen.

After eating we wandered thru the HarborWalk Marina.  Tons of things to do as well as many tourist types of shops.  We then headed back to the boat where Ron took us on a tour of the area.  I don't think we could have asked for a nicer thing to do or a better way to see the "real Destin."

A bar located on Crab Island.  The island is totally under water now.  The water is very shallow and many boats and their passengers come here for picnics, etc.  They can jump out of the boat and play as the water is very shallow.  

Karen and Diane on our boat tour.

To end the day on a light note, here is a delightful photo of my husband.  Such a smiley guy!

Destin - 2016 Heading to the gulf

After a delicious (?) breakfast at the Hampton, we loaded up and headed to Pensacola.  We enjoyed the drive down or at least I did.  James did all the driving yesterday.  We arrived at the gate to the navy base about noon.  Naturally, the GPS had taken us to a restricted access entrance. Due to all the terrorist activity in the world, the base is on alert.  The soldier at the gate turned us around and sent us to the back gate which is near the aviation museum.  Signs everywhere not to use our cell phones while on base.  We just put ours in airplane mode so we could take photos.  I didn't take many as my phone seems to be acting up.  Time for a new one? :-) No. :-(  We'll see.  The Navy Aviation museum is unbelievable.  The way the planes, etc., are displayed is amazing.  We have been to the aviation museum in Topeka but it does not compare.  If you are ever in the Pensacola area, I would certainly recommend.

After we were finished, we headed to the Fish House for lunch. This had been recommended by both my son-in-law and his mother.  What better way to chose a place to eat.  We were late enough that it we given the dinner menu.  I did ask about sandwiches for my non-fishing loving husband, but he decided he wanted to try some shrimp.  He decided to have the Grits a Ya Ya.  The waitress offered to have chicken put on the grits instead of shrimp.  No, had to try the shrimp.  Well, guess what?  More left over shrimp for me. He did eat a few.

Grits a Ya Ya

I had blackened shrimp with smoked gouda grits (same as grits as above), and black-eyed peas.  I thought a very gulf and southern meal.  I do like cheese grits.

Blackened shrimp

We then headed to Destin and our condo.  It was probably 75 minutes.  Once again, very interesting drive.  Drove over the longest bridge.  We could see the gulf occasionally and the towns were interesting as well.  Arrived at our destination and checked in.  The condo is okay but I wanted to stay here because of the view from our balcony.  Definitely worth the view.  A group of pelicans just flew by and there is a fisherman standing down on the beach.  His bait is a rather large fish.

From our 11th floor condo

I am used to VRBO condos where there are some supplies in the kitchen, i.e. coffee, sugar, and a powdered creamer.  This is a condo hotel although some of the condos are privately owned.  No supplies of any kind but there is soap.  Oh well. We have discovered a Waffle House directly across from the complex.  Of course, it is across highway 98.  Quite a bit of traffic.  We are very careful running across. There is a grass median between the lanes so only need to accomplish a half at a time.  There is also a Shake's Custard.  Guess what we had for a bedtime snack.  That's right, chocolate concretes with Heath Bar crumbles.  Yummy.  One nice thing about this complex is that we are allowed to check out 2 DVDs at a time.  We picked up Hunger Games, Part 2 and Creed.  Last night we watched Hunger Games.  Glad we didn't pay for that but am glad to see the end of the series.  We also have Creed which we will watch this evening.  

All in all, another good day.

Destin - 2016 Off to Graceland then heading south

This morning we were up fairly early.  Spent a little time looking over the normal things we look at everyday on our computers.  Shame on us but it does seem to be a part of our lives.  Ate breakfast at the Hampton Inn where we stayed.  A very typical Hampton breakfast but no extra expense for us. We then loaded up the car and headed to Memphis to visit Graceland.  On the way we were once again amazed at the amount of the truck traffic in Arkansas on I-40.  The traffic is just unbelievable. Saturday morning and there are more semis on the road than cars.  We left Little Rock about 8:30 and headed to Memphis.  There has been lots of rain in this area.  The closer we were to the Mississippi River more water was standing in the fields.  It is obvious that there has been flooding in the area. Everything is so green.  We visited with some Little Rock residents at Dizzy's last night, who said the drive to Memphis was going to be so boring.  Extremely flat.  Well, these people have no clue what flat is.  There were tons of gorgeous trees.  Yes, flat but the landscape was awesome.  They need to drive across western Kansas and eastern Colorado.  They would then understand what flat was.

We arrived at Graceland slightly before 10:45, the time we were expected to pick up our pre-purchased tickets for the 11 o'clock tour of the Graceland mansion.  We received our tickets quickly although those before us took forever.  Then we  lined up to take the tour bus on the short ride across the street to the mansion.  I am thinking it was 11:30 or 11:45 before we actually were on the bus heading over.  Everybody received headphones and an iPad for their tour of the manion. Actually, it was amazing how organized everything was.  But it felt like we were being herded thru the mansion like cattle.  I could not even get one video complete before I was being moved along to the next room.  I am glad we visited Graceland.  Elvis Presley was an extremely generous man.  He loved his family and made provisions for his mother and then his grandmother to live in the mansion.  For the 20 years this was Elvis's home, it had to have been a majestic place.  It still is.  As we all know, he died too young.  He, his parents, and his grandmother are all buried at the mansion in the meditation garden.  There was also a stone for his twin brother who is buried elsewhere.  The tour on the iPad was narrated by John Stamos with some items from Elvis, his wife Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa.  It was very well done.  I just didn't have enough time to listen to all the information for each room while I was in that location.  I'm glad we went, but wish I hadn't felt so rushed.  This was probably a fairly quiet day for the tours. Here are a few photos of our day.

When we finished our tour, we caught a bus back to the ticket area.  We needed to visit the gift shop.  

We couldn't come home without a refrigerator magnet as well as a shot glass for the collection.  Then we headed south to Hattiesburg.

Once again, much flooding was seen as we were following the Mississippi River south.  When we moved away from the river, this was less noticeable.  Mississippi as Arkansas is just so green right now.  Yes, it was flat but tons of trees that were lining both sides of the road.  Actually, a beautiful drive.  We have been so lucky that the weather although cool has been sunny.  Yes, some wind but nothing like we have been having in Kansas.  We arrived in Hattiesburg about about 5:30.  Just in time for happy hour.  We now needed to go eat a delicious supper.  We asked the fellow at the desk when we checked in where we should eat.  He suggested Georgia Blue.  It was delicious.  

Georgia Blue

James had red beans and rice.  I enjoyed shrimp and grits.  I would certainly recommend this place to others.

Shrimp and Grits

 Red beans and rice

We couldn't eat everything due to large portion sizes.  Why do they do that?  We were also saving room for the honey bun cheese cake we brought back to the Hampton Inn.  Shame on us.  Good thing I'm not keeping track of my calories while we are away from home.

Destin - 2016 - Travel Day as well as Clinton Museum

We left Lawrence about 7:40 this morning.  As we traveled down the road, I became very nervous that we would not have enough time to see the Clinton Center and Park as well as I wanted.  Well, so much for being nervous.  We had just the right amount of time.

We checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in the River Market area of downtown Little Rock about 3.  After a few minor issues, such as somebody already being in the room, things went very well. The car is parked in a secure parking lot which is certainly necessary in this part of Little Rock. This hotel is within walking distance of the Clinton Center.  It was a delightful walk thru the River Market area.  Lots of small boutiques as well as tons of restaurants.  I don't know what to say about the Clinton Center as it was entirely different than any of the other presidential museums we have visited.  Not in a bad way, just different.  You can tell the Clinton had different priorities for what he wanted to share with the public.  I loved the way it was layed out with replicas of his oval office as well as the cabinet room.  He also loved sports and there is currently an exhibit of Olympic Champions.  There is also an exhibit of other sports heros.  I think my favorite thing about the Clinton Center is the park.  There were many places to bike and hike.  It just seemed like it was a place for the people.  I liked it.

 On our walk from the hotel to the Clinton Center.  This is the Clinton Presidential Bridge.  Can only be accessed by pedestrians and bicyclist.

Clinton Museum in the background.

Clinton Museum extends over the Arkansas River.  Such a relaxing place for this museum.

Have a bicyle problem?  Don't worry.  Here is a fixit station.

After a happy hour in our room, we decided to eat at Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro.  This was close to our hotel and #7 restaurant in Little Rock according to Trip Advisor.  I think 7 was a good number.  I had a Brie Platter which was one of their appetizers.  I had this as my meal and it was very good.

This was followed by the Big House Brownie which James and I split.  Both of these items were very good.  

All in all, a good day.

Destin - 2016

We haven't been anywhere since last September when we visited my sister and husband in Fort Collins, Colorado.  We need to get out of the rut and head to someplace new.

This time it has been difficult to make the decision where to go.  I read about Door County, Wisconsin, in a travel book. James wanted to go to Mackinac Island.  I'd always wanted to go to Key West.  This time we had to search to come up with a location.  I was inspired by a photo book that my daughter and husband have of the Emerald Coast of Florida.  This is close to where my daughter's mother-in-law lives. Consequently, we are heading south to the panhandle of Florida.  The snowbirds are gone and spring break is over.  I think it should be a good time to visit.  Still not hot but also not too cool. Of course, this is right on the Gulf of Mexico so I don't think they have extreme changes of weather like we do in Kansas.  I have been watching the weather closely to decide what items I should pack. One funny thing I noticed was they have wind advisories when the wind is under 20 mph.  As I write this, this area of Florida is in a wind advisory.  The wind is currently 15 mph.  Good grief, we don't even have wind advisories in Kansas for that mild of wind.  We have been have winds of 25 to 35 mph frequently the past several weeks.  I don't think 15 mph winds are going to bother us very much.  Whatever the weather, we look forward to sitting on the balcony of the condo we are renting for the few days we will be there.  We are on the 11th floor.  It should be a great view of the gulf.

We are going to do some sightseeing on the way south.  Plan to stop at the Clinton Library and Museum in Little Rock.  We are also going by Memphis to make a stop at Graceland.

We look forward to our travels and hope you will follow along.

Fort Collins - 2015 - Final Thoughts

I am a bit slow finishing this.  After all, we have been back in Lawrence over a week.  Thank goodness I made some notes on the drive home.  These are written down as things popped into my mind.  Consequently, sometimes the events won't be in the order they occurred.  Final thoughts are for myself in case we ever want to retrace our path on one of our trips.

We basically lucked out with the weather this trip.  We did have sprinkles and wind on the way to Steamboat.  We just bundled up and kept going.  We traveled over Cameron and Rabbit Ears Passes to and from Steamboat Springs on Tuesday and Wednesday.  On Friday, my sister told me that they saw snow on Cameron Pass on the news.  Wow!  What a difference a few days can make.  I'm glad we had no snow this trip.  I am not yet ready for winter.  Probably won't ever be but in Kansas that season will definitely arrive.

As we were traveling over the mountains to Steamboat, we began to have issues with both cell and data service on our phones.  Not a biggie really but I am surprised at how much I use my phone for directions, weather, history—all things associated with our trip.  Things got worse once we hit Steamboat.  The internet was down.  Come to find out it was a major problem in that part of Colorado.  I'm not sure what went out but fortunately, the issue was resolved by the time we wanted to watch a movie and settle in for the night.  Our B&B uses Apple TV as one way to access movies for their guests.  They had a nice cozy home theatre.

I have already talked about the Victorian Luxury Bed and Breakfast but did want to mention a few more things.  As I said in an earlier post, we were able to order what we wanted off a menu for our breakfast.  We were also able to chose what time we wanted to arrive for breakfast between 7 and 9:30, if I recall correctly.  When we arrived, we were served a few goodies we had chosen and then Jane, our hostess, prepared the hot foods.  I haven't been to very many bed and breakfasts in the past few years, but it was nice to be able to decide what we wanted for breakfast and when  we wanted to eat.  Then to have our food freshly cooked was even more wonderful.  It was a great place.  I would definitely visit again. Below is a link to their web site.

Victorian Luxury Bed and Breakfast

I did post some photos of the ski jumps in Steamboat.  This is a training center and the jumps and landing areas were made of plastic.  These can be used in the warmer temperatures so jumpers can practice all year long.  I wish there would have been some jumpers when we were there.

Another interesting tidbit is that when we reached an area just below Fish Creek Falls, a man around our age, pointed out his mother-in-law to us.  She was 96 years old.  Unbelievable.  She was very spry although she did use a cane.  I asked if she walked on a regular basis.  Naturally, she did.  May I be this active when I am 96.

I need to mention the root beer we had a Gella's in Hays was homemade.  I now wish we had purchased some to bring home.  I must admit we don't have much extra space in our vehicle, though.

Last item is not of great importance but the Flint HIlls were greener coming home than on our way to Colorado.  We definitely had some rain while we were gone.

A couple more snapshots of the golden aspens.  Enjoy.  Hope to see you on our next trip.