Daily Archives: August 9, 2015
Something New, Something Old . . .
The park really started thinning out today as people headed home after the weekend. I had really expected it to be a lot busier this weekend, but many schools start this next week, and this weekend is Alabama’s Sales Tax Holiday.
Every year Alabama cancels Sales Tax on pretty much anything related to Back to School, i.e. clothes, computers, school supplies, etc., so there was a lot of shopping going on. Too busy to camp, I guess.
Around 2:45 Jan and I drove down toward Orange Beach for something new and something old. The ‘new’ was to have linner at Wintzell’s Oyster House, a local chain where we’ve never eaten. With almost a dozen locations around the state, Wintzell’s has been around since 1938, but most of that time was with a single location in Mobile. It’s only since the 80’s that they’ve expanded.
Actually the last time we ate here, this was a Ruby Tuesday, but that was a number of years ago.
Jan and I both started out with really good salads, hers with Bleu Cheese dressing and mine with Jalapeno Ranch, both dressings homemade and delicious.
For our entrees, Jan tried out their Blackened Cajun Shrimp Pasta,
which she said was one of best pasta dishes she’s had. So much so, I thought she was going to lick the bowl when she was done. But I guess propriety won out.
I went with something I haven’t had for a good while, mostly because it’s the first time I’ve seen it on a menu in a long time, the Low Country Boil.
With Boiled Shrimp, Conecuh Sausage, Corn, and Red Potatoes, it made a great meal.
In fact we’ve decided to eat here again before we leave here on Thursday. It was that good.
Leaving Wintzell’s we drove on down toward Alabama Point, check out old haunts and new businesses. My parent’s owned a number of pieces of property down here at one time, and it’s always interesting to see what’s being built, rebuilt, or torn down.
We did make a stop at Tallulah’s Treasures, an Orange Beach gift shop that’s one of Jan’s favorites. We’ve been coming here for years, and Jan always finds a couple of trinkets she likes.
Our last stop before heading home was the something ‘old’: Ron Jon Surf Shop. Although it’s a new store in Orange Beach, only opening a few months ago, it’s something ‘old’ for Jan and I.
I used to rent boards from the Ron Jon’s in Cocoa Beach in 1967. At that time it was a hole-in-the-wall place about 25 feet x 40 feet, and filled with surfboards. Jan and I came here a couple of times when we were dating, and the place was so crowded with boards you could hardly walk around.
Now the Cocoa Beach location is two stories tall and covers 4 acres. And I doubt you can still score a little ‘alternative’ tobacco from the guy in the back like you use to.
Times change, I guess.
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Thought for the Day:
You can only be young once, but you can be immature indefinitely.
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