Monthly Archives: August 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.
___________________________________________________________
Thought for the Day:
You can only be young once, but you can be immature indefinitely.
asdfadsf
Throwed Rolls . . .
I spent the morning working on a few things around the rig that needed repairing. Makes me really appreciate the picture someone posted on Facebook saying, “RV’ing Is: Visiting Beautiful Places and Fixing Things.” Tell me about it.
About 2;30 Jan and I headed up to Foley to have linner at Lambert’s Throwed Rolls. And as we expected, we had a little over an hour wait. But unless you want to get there at 10:30am, it’s always an hour or so wait.
When they open the doors at 10:30, the place immediately fills up. From then on it’s an hour wait pretty much until they close. And it was still an hour wait when we left a little after 5pm.
We always enjoy the “Pass Arounds”, especially the Fried Okra.
They also have Fried Potatoes and Onions, Black-eyed Peas, Boiled Cabbage, and several other items, but these require a plate. The Fried Okra doesn’t.
Jan usually gets the Fried Chicken, and she did this time too.
That’s two large breast-wing combinations. This way half of it comes home for later.
This time I got the BBQ Pork Steak, with White Beans, Turnip Greens, and Applesauce.
That steak is an inch thick and delicious. And big enough so half that went home as well.
And of course you can’t forget about the ‘Throwed Rolls” And, yes, they do throw them. Think delicious yeast rolls, hot out of the oven and bigger than a softball flying overhead. I’ve seen four in the air at the same time, some traveling more than 30 feet.
And if you miss one, look out because a replacement is on its way. One time I saw them toss six rolls to a little boy before he finally caught one, and it made his day.
Missing one is embarrassing, but catching one can be painful. As it said, they’re hot out of the oven, too hot to hold, actually, so you drop it on the table as soon as you can.
One nice thing about Lambert’s is that the prices are very reasonable. Jan’s two big pieces of chick and two sides was $12, and my Pork Steak with three sides was $13. So $6 and $6.50 since we took half home. And of course there’s all the Pass Arounds and Hot Rolls you can eat.
Or catch.
* * * * *
While his parents are in Costa Rica, Landon and his Grammie Sonja got some cake baking down. Looks like Landon is right in there helping.
And of course he gets the first taste. Looks like an early birthday cake.
________________________________________________________
Thought for the Day:
asdfasdfa
