First Restaurant Review

Following a few hours at the WWII museum (wonderful) we stopped in the heart of New Orleans in search of a funky place to have lunch. Walking a few blocks off of Canal street we found a charming area full of antique shops and art galleries. Out of pure luck we stumbled into the Country Flame restaurant, specializing in Mexican, Spanish and Cuban cuisine. I had the Cuban Special - wonderfully seasoned beef served with rice and beans. Kathleen had the Tomales. We both had Margaritas - very traditional style. The boys opted for the familiar - tacos, and enhaladas. The Country Flame served up fantastic food and we all left needing a nap.

Katrina

We crossed the south eastern corner of Lake Ponchatrain on I10 and entered New Orleans where the city took the brunt of the flooding from hurricane Katrina. It was shocking to see the lasting damage from that storm six years ago. Neighborhoods were littered with abandoned homes with missing roofs. Some areas were just piles of debris,houses bulldozed and waiting for disposal. Commercil buildings stood boarded up and the sense of a deep irrectractable poverty was palpable. It was disturbing to see.

Notice the altitude on our Garmin. Maybe not such a good place to build homes.

Did I say the beach is gorgeous?

They don't call it the Emerald Coast for nothing. The water is truly emerald - reminds me of colored glass in the ring I gave Cathy Mobley in fifth grade. The sand is fine, white, and largely free of tar balls thanks to the good folks from BP that walk the beach in search of errant petrol from the Deep Horizon Well. And the boys just loved it. Truly loved it. The surf was perfect for spunky boys to battle the breaking waves and try their luck at body surfing.

How would you like this monstrosity built next to your beach house?

In recent years our family has been fortunate to visit a few funky and quaint beach communities - Anna Maria Island, North Captiva, and Ocean Isle. These beach towns through I suppose a combination of good luck and smart planning have preserved their character and charm. Building density is low, restaurants are independent and quirky, and retails shops focus on local crafts, tacky t- shirts, and liquor.

Destin Florida is a mass of outlet malls, over manicured golf courses, chain restaurants, and huge condo structures of questionable architecture. Granted the beach is gorgeous, and one presumes this is the reason they need thirty story condo structures to accommodate the throngs that visit the emerald waters. But then again, they have more real estate sales offices than public restrooms.

Tampa Bay Renaissance Fair

Folks who go to go to renaissance fairs are . . . different. More insight later after assessing psychological damage to our children.

First Travel Video!

Yesterday we all joined my sister Barb and her husband Eric on a 15 mile ride along one of Clearwater's amazing bike trails. My short video captures the day and my new found love of hip hop and rap music. Check it out HERE.

Along the way we stopped a fruit stand (really into fruit stands!) where Dashel suggested stocking up on peanuts and Wesley fell in love with a unique navel orange.

Gone Fishin!

Another early morning, this time for a group fishing trip with Sea Dog Charters. This outfit was recommended by Jack, the one armed manager of Grassy Key RV Park. We got in the car this morning with some trepidation because last night I checked out this operation on TripAdvisor.com and they have HORRIFIC reviews. It turned out just fine, as while the crew did smoke quite a bit (a tripadvisor issue), they shared their cigarettes with the kids. Tonight we are frying up a batch of tasty Yellowtail Snapper. Truth be told, all the fish our family caught were either too small or the wrong species, but some folks from Delaware joining us on the charter took pity on us and gave us their catch. There's some good people in the Keys.

Wesley's First Raw Oyster

Looks tasty!

Enough Said.

Dry Tortugas National Park

We were up at 5 am for the hour and a half drive to catch the Yankee Freedom ferry to Dry Tortugas National Park. Billed as the largest brick and mortar structure in the western hemisphere, Fort Jefferson was built in the early 1800s for reasons that are still not clear to me. But it sure is big! The cannons that were never shot could launch a 350 pound ball over three miles. If you are in the Keys, this is a good trip. The ferry ride is a hoot and they serve wicked Gin and Tonics on the return trip.

If you don't want to spend 2:20 on the ferry you can fly to Dry Tortugas in this very nice aircraft. This Dehavilland DHC spends it summers in Ketchikan, Alaska and winters in Key West. Not a bad gig.

Robert is Here

On David Harraden's suggestion we stopped at a "fruit stand" in Homestead on the way to Grassy Key. ROBERT IS HERE is the name of the place. Story is, Robert started the place at age six, standing on the corner and selling six cucumbers. Fifty years later its quite the enterprise. Yesterday, on Sunday, the place was packed with folks loading up on his unique fruit and vegetables and lined up to buy $5 milkshakes with flavors of Mango, Papaya, and Guava. Robert himself was at the cash register, tallying the bill on a paper bag and chatting with Kathleen about his grandchildren. Topping it off was the live music. Dashel did his goofy dance while the rest of us drank our milkshakes and listened to tunes by Eric Clapton and James Taylor.

Out of the Glades

David Harraden is every bit the character we hoped he'd be - outspoken, passionate about the everglades, and an encyclopedia of off color jokes. We had a wonderful time with him and the kids impressed him at least with their spunk if not manners.

We did a "skiff assisted" three day kayak tour. The skiff is a 23' fiberglass outboard boat that carried us and the kayaks to interesting places to paddle. That might be considered cheating in some circles, but allowed us to cross windy bays to reach bird nesting areas, mangrove tunnels, alligator lairs, and other hot spots of nature that we would have otherwise missed.

We sat in the skiff at sunset to view thousands of birds returning to the one small island they ALL roost in at night. Thousands of birds of every species descended on this one acre plot of poo covered trees for the evening. As the sun set in the west an orange moon rose over the island as the birds argued for space on the crowded branches. An hour before sunrise the next morning we were up for hot coffee and back to the same island to view the birds departing for a day of hunting. First a few, then hundreds filled the sky as the sun rose, and the moon set. Not a bad way to start the day.

Kayak excursions to view alligators, orchids, and the mazes of mangrove tunnels filled the day. We spent the evenings sharing stories about Burning Man festival and Tannerite.

David Harraden is a naturalist, entrepreneur and raconteur. David is one of a kind and offers a unique and personal experience for those seeking a wild and natural experience. In a world full of cookie cutter business and watered down adventure, this man delivers the real deal.

Met David Harraden

After running out of gas, after stopping at a gas station with no gas, after getting stuck at a station with gas . . . much after . . . . . we arrived in Everglades City late for our appointment with the aforementioned canudist. David Harraden seemed a bit reserved. Dashel will win him over.

Today we meet the Canudist

In mere moments we make the final push to the Everglades. We are due for a five PM meeting with David Harraden,our guide for the next three days kayaking deep in the swamps. More on canuding here. We have opted for the clothed part of clothing optional.

You might be wondering why it takes three days to drive to the everglades. Me too.

The Secret is in the Rub

In our effort to get away from homogenious chain cuisine, we have vowed to patronize local restaurants whenever possible on this trip. And of course the funkier the better. For lunch we visited Cochrans BBQ in Ringold, Georgia. In addition to the promised good ribs, this place sold gas and provided transportation professionals a place to pray in the truckers chapel. Naturally I had the Chef Salad. With a side of ribs! Tender and tasty. Even better with their signature yellow gold sauce generously applied.

Near the cash register, underneath heat lamps, were packaged racks of ribs for carry out. It was only then that I discovered the secret to the fabulous fare - its the rub, of course.

Bowling Green

I have only one question: How did it take six hours to drive 212 miles?

Departure

First 9:00, then maybe noon. Perhaps 1:00 pm? How about 2:00? Its 1:45 now, and I can feel it. Definitely out of here by dark.

Our lovely trailer is officially broken in. I smashed our trash can against a kitchen cabinet while pulling in the slide. Both can and cabinet significantly damaged. And there is the yard. Unable to get out of our tight parking space I elected to drive across the turf to get pointed in the right direction. Bad idea! Three quarters of an inch of rain fell last night and the ground was the consistency of mashed potatoes. In four wheel drive and tires slinging mud all over the new travel trailer I barely made it back to pavement. Witness Bernie pointed out that if I had gotten stuck we could have easily pulled ourselves out with the bulldozer.

Spot is active, so if you want to see how far we got today, click on the "where are we link" above.

William White Oliver 1921-2011

My father, William White Oliver, passed away yesterday at the age of 89. He was a great man, respected and liked by all that knew him. We will miss him greatly. My father will be cremated and a private service will be held this summer to spread his ashes at Creekbend Vineyard.