Toured my bro-in-law's farm and timberland today. About 2,000 acres of crops, cows, long leaf pine and pecan trees. Saw a guy with a real Southern mullet at the Winn Dixie! Sat in a rocker on the front porch with a beer while negotiating a land sale on my iphone using Docusign then had a splendid salmon dinner courtesy of my sis-in-law with a very good Ken Wright Pinot Noir from Oregon.
Shot most of it. (Did not shoot the mullet guy as I deemed him to be no threat.) I should get some good pics today as theprunetang is graciously taking time out to entertain us this afternoon at a beach.
So, just got back from the beach with maris and his wife. Great people. That was my first time meeting someone from a message board and it wasn't as weird as I thought it might be. It was actually really fun. And we didn't run into Florida Man. So that was nice too. Who's next to come to Florida?
Also, I left my socks in your rental car. Sorry about that. You should probably just throw those away.
ThePrunetang cooked us a delicious meal, took us to a cool park on the beach and educated us about the local flora and fauna. Even knew about a couple of racoons that strangely enough live in the jetty rocks there! We both had an awesome and interesting day and met a genuinely nice person we would like to return the favor to sometime. Thanks again and we found the socks when we got back.
Tomorrow is supposed to be very stormy so we are going to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Blazers play at 9:30 here and my hosts aren't up that late so will try to find a sports bar nearby which may not be possible. Wednesday we are going to NOLA for 2 days and nights of music, food and sightseeing.
Maybe we can try to plan something once I get back to Oregon. Have fun in New Orleans! I'm pretty jealous. ..hehe
I have every intention of being down in that that neck of the woods next year right about this time. Basically just long enough to claim I've been to Florida. If you're still there, I'll bring the weed....if you don't mind hangin' with John Goodman's doppelgänger........
Was just in N'awlins about a month ago. Here is what we liked: French Quarter: Café Du Mond (get some beignets and café au lait), Muffaletta for lunch at Central Grocer, Dueling Piano Bar at Patty O'Brien's, ummm if you are kind of weird and have a buddy with you after some binge drinking you can have a piss contest in the Hand Grenade bar. Just go in the bar bathroom and bring some quarters, Lafitte's Blacksmith Bar (one of the oldest bars in New Orleans, dates back to the 1700's), People watch in the French Quarter, Sculpture Park is kind of cool. We went on a cemetery tour, but I didn't enjoy it at all to be honest. We also went to a plantation, which was kind of surreal. Also a very pretty drive on the bayou. I recommend the Whitney Plantation or Oak Alley Plantation (they actually have a restaurant there that is quite good -- make sure you get the buttermilk pie. They are both near each other.
I really hope to be back in Portland by then, but life doesn't always go as planned. If I'm still here, I'll be your Florida Man.
Also, I may give this area quite a bit of shit (mainly because I want to be back in Portland), but there really are some neat things to see here. As a life long Oregonian, I have to admit to being really impressed with the beauty in some of wild areas here.
French Quarter today then had dinner at Emeril's, who it turns out my brother in law knows cause they live about 30 miles apart and hang in the same wine and charity auction circles. Great dinner and exceptional service. Tomorrow starts with Care du Monday then the WWII Museum. Then some shopping and poking around maybe cemeteries. Dinner at court of 2 sisters and show at Preservation Hall. BTW the naval aviation museum was cool in Pensacola yesterday. Exceptional politeness abounds everywhere in the south whether in businesses or people on the street. The highway infrastructure is phenomally good. Both remind me of Oregon circa 1970. I have seen maybe 2 portholes so far. The rest areas are crazy clean and fancy. And enormous. Taking lots of pictures but no cord to download to kindle to post so will do later.