Monday, June 29, 2015

Fun times in Destin

Sunshine Cindy and I have had a fun few days. It started with a Parrot Head meeting on Friday night in Niceville at Dockside Oyster Bar. Dockside sits right on the water in Boggy Bayou. It had rained earlier but by the time we got there it was clear with a nice breeze blowing through. There was a good crowd for the party. Radioactive played some good music. Jane was also having her retirement party at the same time and she went back and forth between both groups. It was a good way to start the weekend.

Saturday was our Crab Island Mambo and ECPHC beach cleanup. It was a small group that showed up but we actually had some stuff to pick up. That is one of the problems with all the tourist in town. Some don’t know how to clean up after themselves. In the afternoon some dark clouds, thunder and lightning were off in the distance so we packed it in and headed home. The rain never made it to the beach but just inland they got hammered pretty hard.

After we got home and cleaned up, Sunshine Cindy decided to stay home but I headed off to Landshark Pizza. With us being out of town, it’s been a while since I was there and I needed to get my pizza fix. I got there between the lunch and dinner rush so I had a chance to talk to Brian and Austin. We gave Brian a Phlocking of the Phaithful tee shirt in appreciation for some swag he gave us. He liked it and said he was going to wear it the next day. Austin was prepping for a big night. They have been setting records almost every night. Good for them! I also got to talk to “B” too. He came in and sat next to me. He owns his own paper products company and has been real busy too. B works hard and earns everything he gets!

It looks like Landshark Pizza will be moving to a bigger place on the harbor in a few months. This will be a big move for them but I know they will do fine. I applaud Brian and Sue for building up this business and making it a big success in a competitive tourist town. 

Sunday we waited for Tiffany to come back home. She is coming back for a few months to work at Harry T’s to make some money as things are slow in Atlanta this time of the year. She got home and we all then headed to LuLu’s. We met Sunshine Cindy’s parents there. The placed was once again packed. They have had a great start and will do well. They have decent priced drinks…like $2 PBR’s! Good food and just a fun atmosphere. We enjoyed our time there even with tons of kids running around everywhere. LOL

Last week I stopped in at Crust Pizza on the harbor. Charlie has been extremely busy there too. He has great pizza and wings too. His new satellite location in front of AJ’s also is doing very well late night. And Charlie is working on opening a new location in Mary Ester. No rest for that man!!!

Traffic patterns last week were crazy. One night Commons drive was all backed up, the next it was empty then the next night it was a parking lot again. Yep, it’s that time of the year.

We hope to get down to the harbor this week as it has been a while for us. With the Fourth of July weekend the town will be crazy busy. Come to town but be patient in the traffic. Have a safe and happy 4th!!! See ya next Monday!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Shooting Stars over Destin

It has been an interesting few days around Destin. The town is packed with Summer tourist. This is as crowded as I have ever seen the town this early in the Summer. Some people have money that’s for sure.

As I mentioned last week, LuLu’s has opened in Destin by the Mid-Bay bridge. Sunshine Cindy and I went to check it out on Friday. They have done a fantastic job with the place. It is big, open and airy. We sat at the outside bar that overlooks the bridge and the bay. We got there about 3 pm and there was a good sized crowd for the middle of the afternoon. We had many friends show up including Doug, Mike, Corlee, Terry, Mark, Stephanie, Steve, Dottie….you get the idea. It was the place to be.


The place got packed as dinner time came around. There were four bartenders at the outside bar and they ran their butts off all night. Prices are good, the food was good and we had a fun time. It looks like LuLu’s will be a big hit in our opinion.

When we got home from LuLu’s I sat on our back porch for a while. At one point while looking up at the stars I saw a shooting star. That was cool as it has been a long while since I had seen one. I went in and told Sunshine Cindy about it then I went back out. Less than 30 seconds later I saw another one. Two shooting stars in the span of about 2 minutes….wow!


I made a few stops around town on Friday. I stopped in at Landshark Pizza. Brian said they have been so busy each evening he has to have extra staff on hand to take care of the crowds. Good for him. I also stopped in at Rotten Apple for a quick beer. Everyone there was talking about the traffic. We have to get used to it and have some patience for the next two months.

One way to avoid the traffic is to not go anywhere. Saturday Sunshine Cindy and I stayed home and used our pool to relax in. The water felt like bath water it was so warm. We talked to some neighbors and had a nice afternoon. Then we went home and sat on our porch and listened to some music. Sunday we visited with her parents for Father’s Day. We had a nice time with them.

Last week down on the harbor Johnny O’Quigley’s new place opened. The Ale House and Tailfins plus the boardwalk bar are all open now. We will have to get there to check it out. It looks great from the outside.

This week Hobby Lobby is opening next to Target. We keep getting one new place after another.

This Saturday is our Crab Island Mambo and ECPHC beach cleanup. We will be on Okaloosa Island at Beachwalk #2. We always have fun with the cleanup and then beach party afterwards.

Enjoy your week. See ya next Monday!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Back home in Destin

We are back….Sunshine Cindy and I are back home after a great trip north for a family visit and to run “Phlocking of the Phaithful” in Put in Bay, Ohio. Phlocking is a Trop Rock event that had folks from 17 states and even Canada come to the island to party with us. Put in Bay is on South Bass island in the middle of Lake Erie only a few miles from the Canadian border. It is called Key West of the north and for good reason as it is a beautiful place that is a big party spot.

But before we got to the island Sunshine Cindy and I spent time with my Mom. We were able to help her with some things she needed done around the house and to have dinner with her. We also spent time with my brother and his family and then my cousin where we watched a Cavs playoff game. This was a game that they won before eventually losing the series. It was great getting to see them all.

Finally we were on the Island Time Radio Show with DK and Amo. This is an award winning Trop Rock radio show that is broadcast from the BW college campus. There were five others crammed into this small studio with us. We had a blast as it was a Phlocking preview show. DK and Amo are huge supporters of Trop Rock and the Phlocking. Sunshine Cindy and I had a blast during the 10 pm to 1 am show. We all then went to a bar for an after show drink. That was a fun evening.

On Tuesday Sunshine Cindy and I got onto the island. We made all of our preps for the four day event. Mr. Ed’s Bar and Grill was the venue for all the fun. They were ready for us and helped make sure the entire event ran smoothly. There was a pre-party on the mainland in Port Clinton that we missed as the ferry’s from the island didn’t run late on Tuesday’s. But we did have a pre-party at The Reel Bar on Wednesday in Put in Bay. This was a big hit with Jerry Diaz and John Reno playing for us.


The actual party went from Thursday through Sunday. We had twelve musical acts entertaining the Phlockers and each one put on a fun show. We had meals on Friday and Saturday that everyone enjoyed plus Mr. Ed’s had a free drink for everyone. We had raffles and 50/50 drawings….A good time was had by all. Sunshine Cindy and I left the island on Monday morning and it took us two days to drive back home. It was nice to get back home.

When we got back to Destin it was hot as summer is in full swing. LuLu’s had their grand opening on June 15th. There was a soft opening a few days earlier where the Parrot Heads were all there to help get the place opened. The pictures I saw looked like the place is going to be a lot of fun. We could see people there when we came across the Mid-Bay bridge on our way home. It should be a big hit for sure.

So Sunshine Cindy and I missed LuLu’s grand opening. We also missed the grand opening of “Which Wich.” This sandwich shop opened their doors this past Monday in the new expansion area of Destin Commons next to World of Beer. We were invited to attend but had to miss this one too.

The Summer tourist season is in full swing in Destin. The weather is hot and the traffic is heavy. Yep, it is that time of the year again. No need to be in a hurry as you won’t get anywhere fast. Take a cab as you won’t have to try and find parking. LOL 

Have a great week. See you next Monday!

Monday, June 1, 2015

Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Finals

As anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows, I am a big hockey fan and especially a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have an exciting young team that just beat the Rangers in MSG in a game 7. The Lightning are going to the Stanley Cup Finals!!! They will play the Blackhawks starting on Wednesday night. Let’s go Bolts!

I watched the game 7 at Landshark Pizza. It was a great game that Tampa controlled but they could not get a puck past the Rangers all world goalie who made several fantastic saves. In the third period they got one by him and added an insurance score later for a 2-0 victory. I was the only one really watching the game there but everyone knew when the Lightning scored! LOL

Sunshine Cindy and I went to O’Quigley’s on Saturday night to watch the game 7 between the Ducks and Hawks. The place had a lot of Chicago fans there. We have a lot of Chicago friends so we were rooting for the Hawks too. Every time they scored a big roar went up. It was fun. We were at the bar. Mike and Becca took care of us. We talked to some folks around us as everyone was having a good time. As we were leaving we ran into Tom. We have not seen Tom in about a year. He looked good and we chatted for a while.


One of our tasks this weekend was to complete our preparations for our trip to Put in Bay, Ohio for Phlocking of the Phaithful. We got some raffle items for our raffle baskets from Landshark Pizza, Fishheads on the Harbor, The Boathouse Oyster Bar and Crab Island Cantina. We thank them all for helping us showcase Destin to the folks on the North Coast.

When we were at Crab Island Cantina we had brunch on Sunday. It was delicious as was the drinks. We were stuffed all day from all the food we got. We were able to talk with Judy at the Cantina too. We are helping her get some musicians for a special benefit she wants to do for a former bartender who lost her son recently. If you are in the area, come to the Cantina on Sunday, June 14th in the afternoon as all proceeds will go to help this person out.


When we left the Cantina Sunshine Cindy did some shopping. I was waiting for her when I saw a crawfish boil going on in front of Harry T’s. Dan, Clay and Brian were doing the cooking. Glen and Bruce were there too. I grabbed a beer from the Dave’s Dog stand. Dave was working the stand himself. He lives in our neighborhood and recognized me from driving Badass around. Small world for sure.

On Okaloosa Island the new Wild Willie’s Adventure park opened. It has been under construction for what seems like 3 years. They have mini golf, an arcade, a ropes course and a couple of restaurants. It is next to the convention center.

The saga of the old Twisted Palms building continues. Signs in front of the building now say they will sub-divide the building. That makes sense as it is a very large facility that has not been able to support the previous attempts to get a successful restaurant or club going there. We shall see how this does.

The next two weeks will be hit or miss on whether I can publish the blog as we will be on the road. Remember to join us in Put in Bay, Ohio next week for the Trop Rock event of the year! http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-presents-Phlocking-of-the-Phaithful.html

Have a great week. See ya when I can!