Thursday night was a kickoff for our vacation. We went to the Turtle to relax a little
before we hit the road bright and early Friday morning. Matt was working and Barry also stopped in. He is totally enjoying his time in Destin. Tony was there too. We didn't stay too long.
Friday was a travel day. We hit the road about 6 am on the way to Port Charlotte. It was a easy trip. We made it in about 7 1/2 hours. Not bad. We got checked into our hotel. It is an Old Florida type of place right on Charlotte Harbor. After check in we went to the Nav-a-Gator. Mike Broward was playing. We saw a lot of friends including Fred and Sara. It was a lot of fun.
Saturday we got up and had a Bloody Mary at a Tiki Bar. Wayne, David, Carolyn and Jerry were all there. In the afternoon we went to hear Jim Morris and the BBB. It was an outdoor show. The weather was great and everyone had a blast.
Saturday night we all met at Sidebar in Punta Gorda. We ate and listened to Gerri and
Kerri. A good duo. We left and went to another bar that had a band and halloween contest. It was crazy in there but fun.
Sunday is going to be a more laid back kind of day. We will probably head to the Nav-a-Gator to hear a new band called Southern Drawl. The weather is perfect in this part of Florida. I know the east coast is getting hit with a hurricane but the sunshine state is living up to its name.
No pictures till we get back. This blog is early but tomorrow we will be on the road to Key West. See ya'll Thursday from the end of the road!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Prelude to a road trip
This week has been mostly preparation for our upcoming trip to south Florida and Key West. We leave tomorrow morning for three days in Port Charlotte. Then it is off to Key West for a week for the Parrothead gathering, Meeting of the Minds. Needless to say we are excited and looking to meet up with our Parrothead family. Sunshine Cindy spent Monday getting some supplies for us to bring down. She also has been working on her packing. Why does it take women weeks to pack? I can be done in about 20 minutes. LOL
I spent Monday working on bookkeeping while watching some baseball and Monday night football after I took a bike ride. Still trying to keep the workouts going. We have all the merchandise we are bringing in crates and ready to be loaded. It’s all coming together.
Tuesday I went out for a while. Sunshine Cindy wanted to stay in and do some more packing. I stopped in at the Rotten Apple. Rose was working and they had my Yuengling Light beer. Yeah! We will get together with Rose when we get back to get them up and running on the web site. They are excited about it and so are we. I saw Cliff from Aloha there and the commandant from the Legion post was also having a beer there.
I left there and stopped in at Landshark Pizza. Stephanie and Bear were working. Kirby and James were there having a beer. We talked for a while. I ordered some wings and they were great as usual. It was slow there as was the Apple. I guess it is a down time in town right now. But that makes it nice for the locals who want to get out and not have to fight all the tourist.
Wednesday was packing day for me. I stopped at Landshark on the way home from work to pick up a pizza. They do a great job with their pizza’s. After Sunshine Cindy and I ate, it took me about 30 minutes to get packed. I am traveling pretty light this year. Then it was on the computer to catch up on some stuff and watch the world series game. Tonight (Thursday) we are meeting Barry at the Tipsy Turtle. We want to get into our vacation mode quickly. Friday morning we will be off and running.
I plan to try and keep my Monday / Thursday blog schedule but it might not be right on time. We are bringing a laptop but I am not a geek so no telling how this will turn out if at all. LOL For those going to Key West, we will see you at the end of the road. All you other folks can enjoy it through our eyes! See ya Monday!
Hard to find No Name Pub
I spent Monday working on bookkeeping while watching some baseball and Monday night football after I took a bike ride. Still trying to keep the workouts going. We have all the merchandise we are bringing in crates and ready to be loaded. It’s all coming together.
Tuesday I went out for a while. Sunshine Cindy wanted to stay in and do some more packing. I stopped in at the Rotten Apple. Rose was working and they had my Yuengling Light beer. Yeah! We will get together with Rose when we get back to get them up and running on the web site. They are excited about it and so are we. I saw Cliff from Aloha there and the commandant from the Legion post was also having a beer there.
Driving BadAss in the Keys
I left there and stopped in at Landshark Pizza. Stephanie and Bear were working. Kirby and James were there having a beer. We talked for a while. I ordered some wings and they were great as usual. It was slow there as was the Apple. I guess it is a down time in town right now. But that makes it nice for the locals who want to get out and not have to fight all the tourist.
Caroline St. from the Buffett song
Wednesday was packing day for me. I stopped at Landshark on the way home from work to pick up a pizza. They do a great job with their pizza’s. After Sunshine Cindy and I ate, it took me about 30 minutes to get packed. I am traveling pretty light this year. Then it was on the computer to catch up on some stuff and watch the world series game. Tonight (Thursday) we are meeting Barry at the Tipsy Turtle. We want to get into our vacation mode quickly. Friday morning we will be off and running.
I plan to try and keep my Monday / Thursday blog schedule but it might not be right on time. We are bringing a laptop but I am not a geek so no telling how this will turn out if at all. LOL For those going to Key West, we will see you at the end of the road. All you other folks can enjoy it through our eyes! See ya Monday!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Destin's perfect weather
When you look up in the dictionary what the meaning of “perfect weather” is they just point to the past weekend we had. When you have low humidity, no clouds, highs about 80 and lows about 60 then you have reached the perfect zone! Sunshine Cindy and I went out to eat Friday night a La Famiglia. This is one of our favorite places in Destin. La Famiglia is the real Italian deal. Owned by a family that is from Rome (Italy, not Georgia) you feel like you are in the heart of an Italian city. We were stuffed by the time we left.
We walked down to the Tipsy Turtle. On the way over we ran into Paige and a girlfriend of hers. Paige was decked out in Camo. They were heading to the Mullet Festival later so she wanted to be warm. I joked no one would see her. We also passed Jack and chatted with him for a bit. At the Turtle Julie, Wayne and Barry were all hanging out. There was going to be a surprise birthday party there for Tony so there was a good crowd. Matt was busy behind the bar. We were getting ready to watch the Cards game on TV while waiting for Tony. Kenny and Scott showed up. Wayne kept saying he was hungry and he was surprised Sunshine Cindy didn’t bring any snacks. Tony and his GF showed up and the party was on. It was a fun evening.
A lot of stuff was going on around town on Saturday. The Monster YOLO paddleboard race in the harbor was going on. At the Village of Baytowne Wharf they had a beer festival. Of course the Mullet Festival was going on in Niceville but the best time (in my opinion) on Saturday was on the beach at Pompano Joes for a bonfire sponsored by the ECPHC. Sunshine Cindy and I got there early and stopped at Pompano Joes for some food. A good crowd was in there watching some football and enjoying the perfect weather. By the time we finished and walked down the beach there was a big crowd already gathered. By the time it was in full swing there must have been 80 or 90 folks show up. It was fun as we stayed out there till about 11 pm.
Sunday’s in Destin can be laid back or it might be a full blown party. It just depends on the time of the year. This past Sunday was laid back. I took a morning bike ride to get the day started. After Sunshine Cindy and I worked on Mambo stuff I decided to head to the harbor to see Steve at the Hawaiian Ice booth to close out our T-Shirt sales for the year. He will be open a few more weeks but with us being gone we felt it was time to reconcile for the year. Cindy was going to Julie’s for more Mambo business. While I was on the harbor I stopped at the Turtle for a few brews. Motorcycle Pat was there. I usually see him at KC’s. It was good seeing him down on the harbor. Scott, the head bartender at The Back Porch was there too. He and Matt are old friends. He was a trip.
While there Tony, Amy, Paige, Tommy and several others all came by. I was ready to head home to pick up Sunshine Cindy when I got a text from Wayne. He, Barry and Capt. John had sailed to the Boathouse and they were there having dinner. I stopped in for a few minutes to chat with them. I saw Jack there too. I went home and we went to Sago Sports bar for some food and to watch some football. Steph was behind the bar and a decent crowd was there. They have their 100 inch TV’s working now too. They are so cool. It was a perfect end to the weekend.
This week we put the final touches on our trip prep. Have a great week. See ya Thursday!
Wayne, Barry and Russ
We walked down to the Tipsy Turtle. On the way over we ran into Paige and a girlfriend of hers. Paige was decked out in Camo. They were heading to the Mullet Festival later so she wanted to be warm. I joked no one would see her. We also passed Jack and chatted with him for a bit. At the Turtle Julie, Wayne and Barry were all hanging out. There was going to be a surprise birthday party there for Tony so there was a good crowd. Matt was busy behind the bar. We were getting ready to watch the Cards game on TV while waiting for Tony. Kenny and Scott showed up. Wayne kept saying he was hungry and he was surprised Sunshine Cindy didn’t bring any snacks. Tony and his GF showed up and the party was on. It was a fun evening.
Kenny and Matt
A lot of stuff was going on around town on Saturday. The Monster YOLO paddleboard race in the harbor was going on. At the Village of Baytowne Wharf they had a beer festival. Of course the Mullet Festival was going on in Niceville but the best time (in my opinion) on Saturday was on the beach at Pompano Joes for a bonfire sponsored by the ECPHC. Sunshine Cindy and I got there early and stopped at Pompano Joes for some food. A good crowd was in there watching some football and enjoying the perfect weather. By the time we finished and walked down the beach there was a big crowd already gathered. By the time it was in full swing there must have been 80 or 90 folks show up. It was fun as we stayed out there till about 11 pm.
Pompano Joe's
Sunday’s in Destin can be laid back or it might be a full blown party. It just depends on the time of the year. This past Sunday was laid back. I took a morning bike ride to get the day started. After Sunshine Cindy and I worked on Mambo stuff I decided to head to the harbor to see Steve at the Hawaiian Ice booth to close out our T-Shirt sales for the year. He will be open a few more weeks but with us being gone we felt it was time to reconcile for the year. Cindy was going to Julie’s for more Mambo business. While I was on the harbor I stopped at the Turtle for a few brews. Motorcycle Pat was there. I usually see him at KC’s. It was good seeing him down on the harbor. Scott, the head bartender at The Back Porch was there too. He and Matt are old friends. He was a trip.
Beach bonfire
While there Tony, Amy, Paige, Tommy and several others all came by. I was ready to head home to pick up Sunshine Cindy when I got a text from Wayne. He, Barry and Capt. John had sailed to the Boathouse and they were there having dinner. I stopped in for a few minutes to chat with them. I saw Jack there too. I went home and we went to Sago Sports bar for some food and to watch some football. Steph was behind the bar and a decent crowd was there. They have their 100 inch TV’s working now too. They are so cool. It was a perfect end to the weekend.
This week we put the final touches on our trip prep. Have a great week. See ya Thursday!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Destin changes continue...
This week for Sunshine Cindy and myself is a “get ready for Key West” kind of week. We spent Monday and Tuesday prepping for our trip. With the big Welcome to the Island party at Dante’s that we are the main sponsor means we have a lot of loose ends to tie down. So far it is all coming together. I was even able to get a couple of bike rides in. I need to lose some weight before I put it back on while on vacation!
There continues to be one announcement after another about establishments opening and closing in Destin. The old Destin Diner that has been closed for several years is going to reopen in a few months. The new owners are not sure if they will do traditional diner food or maybe something like Greek food. Whatever it is, I expect Guy Fieri to show up at some point! LOL The old Twisted Palms and Club Overboard is under contract too. If the sale closes it is expected it will become a motorcycle shop, gun range and pizza house/bar. Bikers, guns and booze…what could go wrong with that concept!
I was surprised to see the Hampton Inn at the corner of Hwy 98 and Old 98 being renovated. It is nothing but a shell right now. Not sure when that was started or when it will be done. There is also a large tract of land on Commons Drive that is under contract. The report is it will become some type of entertainment complex that is celebrity owned. We shall see. We are still waiting to see who goes into the expansion at Destin Commons. Pretty soon the entertainment options will be unlimited here in Destin. Now if we can get more places to play Trop Rock music we will have it made!
This past weekend a crew from the Travel Channel was in Destin. They are doing a feature on beach-town bars that will air sometime in the spring. They stopped at the Donut Hole and at Pompano Joes. It sounds like they got some good footage. Another promotion that will bring in more tourist I am sure!
Wednesday we had a taste for some chicken wings. Landshark pizza has a Wednesday special with wings only 49 cents apiece. It’s a good deal. The place was pretty packed. A lot of regulars in there including Steve and his wife, Pops, Jen, Ben, Missy, Kent, James and others we know by sight…yep, a big group. Julie joined us and we enjoyed the wings and cold beer. Paige took good care of us and I got to chat with Brian too. We left there and headed to Lucky’s Rotten Apple. There was a small crowd in there. Our bartender of the month for August, Rose, took care of us. The Rotten Apple is going to advertise with us on Crab Island Mambo. We appreciate their support.
We had a few beers there. They even had Yuengling Light. It made me a happy guy! LOL We also got to watch the end of the Cards baseball game. They won and that made Julie happy. Tony and his girlfriend were there. We chatted with them for a while too. It was a nice end to the evening.
Enjoy your weekend. The ECPHC is having beach bonfire on Saturday. That should be fun. See ya Monday!
Could this become Margaritaville?
There continues to be one announcement after another about establishments opening and closing in Destin. The old Destin Diner that has been closed for several years is going to reopen in a few months. The new owners are not sure if they will do traditional diner food or maybe something like Greek food. Whatever it is, I expect Guy Fieri to show up at some point! LOL The old Twisted Palms and Club Overboard is under contract too. If the sale closes it is expected it will become a motorcycle shop, gun range and pizza house/bar. Bikers, guns and booze…what could go wrong with that concept!
I was surprised to see the Hampton Inn at the corner of Hwy 98 and Old 98 being renovated. It is nothing but a shell right now. Not sure when that was started or when it will be done. There is also a large tract of land on Commons Drive that is under contract. The report is it will become some type of entertainment complex that is celebrity owned. We shall see. We are still waiting to see who goes into the expansion at Destin Commons. Pretty soon the entertainment options will be unlimited here in Destin. Now if we can get more places to play Trop Rock music we will have it made!
Funky Blues Shack
This past weekend a crew from the Travel Channel was in Destin. They are doing a feature on beach-town bars that will air sometime in the spring. They stopped at the Donut Hole and at Pompano Joes. It sounds like they got some good footage. Another promotion that will bring in more tourist I am sure!
Candy, Larry and Marilyn
The Tipsy Turtle
We had a few beers there. They even had Yuengling Light. It made me a happy guy! LOL We also got to watch the end of the Cards baseball game. They won and that made Julie happy. Tony and his girlfriend were there. We chatted with them for a while too. It was a nice end to the evening.
Enjoy your weekend. The ECPHC is having beach bonfire on Saturday. That should be fun. See ya Monday!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Sloppy Joe Cook-Off
We got our weekend off and running on Thursday evening. We headed down to the harbor to relax a little. We stopped at the Turtle. Matt was working the bar and he was in rare form. There were some folks sitting around the bar and the harbor was pretty busy due to the fishing rodeo. At one point Matt goes into one of the coolers and takes out a large block of ice. It was round and looked like a giant hockey puck. Next you know we are throwing the block of ice, grabbed a broom and practiced our curling. Then he set up some bar stools and it became ice bowling. People on the harbor thought we had lost our minds. Maybe we did but it was fun! LOL
Bruce the fishing rodeo weigh-master stopped by. Then Julie come by too. She just got home from Memphis and was also looking to relax. We all chatted and watched some football. It was slowing down on the harbor and Matt was getting ready to close so we left to head home. But instead we made a pit stop at Hogs Breath. Cam was working, we had a few beers and some food. I got to see the end of the football game as the Steelers lost. Yeah!
Friday night was another night on the Harbor. It started at Harry T’s with the ECPHC meeting. From there we went to the Turtle. A good crowd showed up there. The baseball playoff game was on with the Cards playing the Nats. Julie is a big Cards fan and was in agony when the Cards fell behind 6-0 in the third inning. But she hung in there and keep rooting and lo and behold, the Cards came all the way back to win. Congrats Julie!
Saturday was a fun day down on the harbor. We had our 1st Annual Sloppy Joe Cook-Off at the Tipsy Turtle. We ended up with 6 pots of Sloppy Joes for folks to judge on. It was great because we had six different styles that were all great. After a little more than three hours of tasting, all the votes were tallied by the accounting firm of Williamson and Kesegich. The winner was James who narrowly edged the competition. Loujean came in second. Pops wound up in last place and won the prize of a can of Manwich! James won a great silver platter and some cash. Matt and the Tipsy Turtle were great hosts. A special thanks to Larry for the shots of tequila and to Loujean for the jello shots.
Jan Patton played Trop Rock music the entire time. Kenny sat in on some songs and was sounding great on the harmonica. A good crowd was there for the event. A special treat was running into old friends Dana and Terry. They had moved to Dubai a couple of years ago but were in town to see their grandson. They just happened to pass by on the boardwalk. It was great seeing them and catching up.
Sunday was a laid back day. We went to KC’s Sandbar to hear Bwana Ray play. Ray is from Panama City and we always enjoy his music. He plays a lot of the old great Buffett songs. He was sponsored by the Island Life Social Club and KC’s. A lot of friends showed up including Wayne, Judie, Kelly, Jan, Loujean, Kenny, Matt…yes, it was a good time in the sand at KC’s. I got to see their projection TV too. They project football games at night on the side of a building. It is surprisingly clear too.
The highlight of Sunday though was when I stopped for gas. The biker weekend Thunder Beach was in Panama City. Destin gets hundreds of bikers passing through town. I stopped for gas in Badass. A couple of bikers pulled up right in front of me. They looked at Badass and gave me a thumbs up. Yep, Badass bikers like Badass! LOL
Have a great week. See ya Thursday!
Sunshine Cindy "Curling"
Bruce the fishing rodeo weigh-master stopped by. Then Julie come by too. She just got home from Memphis and was also looking to relax. We all chatted and watched some football. It was slowing down on the harbor and Matt was getting ready to close so we left to head home. But instead we made a pit stop at Hogs Breath. Cam was working, we had a few beers and some food. I got to see the end of the football game as the Steelers lost. Yeah!
Ice Bowling
Friday night was another night on the Harbor. It started at Harry T’s with the ECPHC meeting. From there we went to the Turtle. A good crowd showed up there. The baseball playoff game was on with the Cards playing the Nats. Julie is a big Cards fan and was in agony when the Cards fell behind 6-0 in the third inning. But she hung in there and keep rooting and lo and behold, the Cards came all the way back to win. Congrats Julie!
Saturday was a fun day down on the harbor. We had our 1st Annual Sloppy Joe Cook-Off at the Tipsy Turtle. We ended up with 6 pots of Sloppy Joes for folks to judge on. It was great because we had six different styles that were all great. After a little more than three hours of tasting, all the votes were tallied by the accounting firm of Williamson and Kesegich. The winner was James who narrowly edged the competition. Loujean came in second. Pops wound up in last place and won the prize of a can of Manwich! James won a great silver platter and some cash. Matt and the Tipsy Turtle were great hosts. A special thanks to Larry for the shots of tequila and to Loujean for the jello shots.
Sloppy Joe Cook-Off
Jan Patton played Trop Rock music the entire time. Kenny sat in on some songs and was sounding great on the harmonica. A good crowd was there for the event. A special treat was running into old friends Dana and Terry. They had moved to Dubai a couple of years ago but were in town to see their grandson. They just happened to pass by on the boardwalk. It was great seeing them and catching up.
Dana and Terry
Sunday was a laid back day. We went to KC’s Sandbar to hear Bwana Ray play. Ray is from Panama City and we always enjoy his music. He plays a lot of the old great Buffett songs. He was sponsored by the Island Life Social Club and KC’s. A lot of friends showed up including Wayne, Judie, Kelly, Jan, Loujean, Kenny, Matt…yes, it was a good time in the sand at KC’s. I got to see their projection TV too. They project football games at night on the side of a building. It is surprisingly clear too.
The highlight of Sunday though was when I stopped for gas. The biker weekend Thunder Beach was in Panama City. Destin gets hundreds of bikers passing through town. I stopped for gas in Badass. A couple of bikers pulled up right in front of me. They looked at Badass and gave me a thumbs up. Yep, Badass bikers like Badass! LOL
Have a great week. See ya Thursday!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wind down week in Destin
This week has been a chance to regroup a little after the craziness of the Seafood Festival last weekend. They are saying there was over 70,000 people that came down to the harbor and partake in the festival over the three days. I am pretty sure everyone associated with the event was pleased. I know Crab Island Mambo was happy!
Monday was supposed to be the day Sunshine Cindy bartended at the Tipsy Turtle. But at the last minute they decided to not open. I guess they were still worn out from the weekend too. That was just fine with Sunshine Cindy. She was able to stay home and get some stuff done. When I got home from work I completed all the bookkeeping from the weekend. We also came up with a quantity of tee shirts and tank tops to reorder. We are going direct to the manufacturer. All of our shirts are Made in America. We pride ourselves in keeping our dollars in this country.
Tuesday Sunshine Cindy placed the shirt order. We are having them dropped shipped to our printer in Panama City. We want to make sure we have a full stock before we head to Key West in a couple of weeks for Meeting of the Minds. We are also finalizing plans for our 3rd Annual Trop Rockin Rocky Bayou Backyard party to be held May 18, 2013. The official announcement for the party will go out early next week. Sunshine Cindy completed the flyer on Tuesday. We are bringing them down to Key West too so we can promote us and the event. I spent the evening working on the web site getting the web page for the party started.
Wednesday was another stay home day. More stuff to get done. With the Sloppy Joe Cook-Off this Saturday at the Tipsy Turtle that means we have to get our work done early. Sunshine Cindy booked us a room in Port Charlotte at Banana Bay for three days before we head to the Keys. This is a small “old Florida” type place right on the water. We are looking forward to staying there again. We did a few years ago and liked it.
We did not get a chance to see Alan and Jackie again before they left. I know they were at Sago Sports Bar on Monday night. I think they are hooked on the place! LOL I hope they have a safe trip. The weather was perfect for their visit. It has been cool in the mornings (60 ish) and nice and warm (80’s) during the day. What a great time of the year. The fishing rodeo is in full swing on the docks now. Get down there and check out all the action as the boats pull up to the weigh-in dock in front of AJ’s.
It's going to be another busy weekend. We have Parrotheads at Harry T's on Friday, the Sloppy Joe cookoff at the Turtle on Saturday and Bwana Ray playing at KC's on Sunday. Get out and enjoy. See ya Monday!
Here comes the band
Monday was supposed to be the day Sunshine Cindy bartended at the Tipsy Turtle. But at the last minute they decided to not open. I guess they were still worn out from the weekend too. That was just fine with Sunshine Cindy. She was able to stay home and get some stuff done. When I got home from work I completed all the bookkeeping from the weekend. We also came up with a quantity of tee shirts and tank tops to reorder. We are going direct to the manufacturer. All of our shirts are Made in America. We pride ourselves in keeping our dollars in this country.
Our American Made T-shirts
Tuesday Sunshine Cindy placed the shirt order. We are having them dropped shipped to our printer in Panama City. We want to make sure we have a full stock before we head to Key West in a couple of weeks for Meeting of the Minds. We are also finalizing plans for our 3rd Annual Trop Rockin Rocky Bayou Backyard party to be held May 18, 2013. The official announcement for the party will go out early next week. Sunshine Cindy completed the flyer on Tuesday. We are bringing them down to Key West too so we can promote us and the event. I spent the evening working on the web site getting the web page for the party started.
Key West party banner
Wednesday was another stay home day. More stuff to get done. With the Sloppy Joe Cook-Off this Saturday at the Tipsy Turtle that means we have to get our work done early. Sunshine Cindy booked us a room in Port Charlotte at Banana Bay for three days before we head to the Keys. This is a small “old Florida” type place right on the water. We are looking forward to staying there again. We did a few years ago and liked it.
Alan coming down the boardwalk
We did not get a chance to see Alan and Jackie again before they left. I know they were at Sago Sports Bar on Monday night. I think they are hooked on the place! LOL I hope they have a safe trip. The weather was perfect for their visit. It has been cool in the mornings (60 ish) and nice and warm (80’s) during the day. What a great time of the year. The fishing rodeo is in full swing on the docks now. Get down there and check out all the action as the boats pull up to the weigh-in dock in front of AJ’s.
It's going to be another busy weekend. We have Parrotheads at Harry T's on Friday, the Sloppy Joe cookoff at the Turtle on Saturday and Bwana Ray playing at KC's on Sunday. Get out and enjoy. See ya Monday!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Destin Seafood Festival
What a weekend. It started on Thursday as Sunshine Cindy and I stopped in at Millers Ale House for some dinner and a bucket of Bud Light. They had a good crowd there. We left after dinner and stopped in at Sago Sports Bar. We sat at the outside bar and Suzy took care of us. The bar was mostly filled but one guy stood out. He was “happy” and decided to buy the bar a round of Jager. It was not too long after the round that this dude fell off his bar stool. Yep, time to go back to his room! LOL
This was the weekend of the Destin Seafood Festival. Sunshine Cindy and I had a deal with the Tipsy Turtle to set up our Crab Island Mambo merchandise by the bar. We knew there would be big crowds but we never thought it was going to be that BIG. Friday we got there about 1 pm and got set up. There was already a steady stream of folks walking around. By the time the festival was kicked off the boardwalk was full of people coming and going. We were right on the boardwalk so everyone had to walk right by us. JB was playing music, Landshark was selling pizza and JB and Tammy were selling taco’s out of a trailer. Fud’s had a booth right across from us with a couple of their live gators. This was just a small slice of the overall activity up and down the harbor.
By Friday evening the crowds were non-stop as a mass of humanity streamed by the area. Matt and Mindy were now playing music and keeping the crowds around this area. We sold some stuff and had a fun time. We closed down about 10:30, got home to bed about midnight and tried to get some sleep before doing it all over again on Saturday. Saturday was a marathon. We got there and set up about 9 am.
It was non-stop from the get-go. The crowds were huge. Even though it was sunny and hot out that didn’t deter too many folks. We had so many of our friends stop by to see us we can’t name them all. We even had Alan and Jackie, Kirsten and Jeff from Southern Illinois stop by too. I do want to mention Jack and his lovely wife Lynn came by. Lynn is a faithful reader of this blog and it was great to finally get to meet her. As Saturday went on, so did the crowds. I am not sure where everyone parked but they must have all somehow found a spot.
We sold some stuff, drank a few beers and got a suntan at the same time. Now that is what I call “working!” JB once again was playing during the afternoon going from noon to 5 pm. I don’t know how his voice held up. Matt and Mindy then took over and keep the crowd pumped. At the bar Matt, Ben, Pops and Mom keep the drinks flowing. The Turtle was having a great weekend as the folks lined up for their ice cold beer and soft drinks. As it got dark the crowd changed to a party crowd. We decided to tear down about 8 and call it a day. We were tired! We needed some rest for Sunday so we could do it one more day.
The weather on Friday and Saturday was great although it was pretty hot and humid. Sunday was a different story in a good way. There was a good breeze blowing, the humidity was way down and the temps in the morning were actually cool. A perfect morning to get set up. The crowds on Sunday were almost as big as they had been the previous two days. We got there about 10 am to set up and there was already a good crowd strolling along the boardwalk. Once again JB played music through the afternoon even if his voice was almost shot from the three day marathon. We had another good day moving some merchandise and enjoying people watching.
We packed up about 6:00 and headed to Sago Sports bar to relax for a while and have some food. We met Alan, Jackie, Kirsten and Jeff there. It was great getting to catch up with them for a while. Alan and Jackie are only here till Thursday so we are not sure if we will get to see them again. We always enjoy our time together with them. We were back home and in bed pretty early. It was a fun but exhausting weekend.
Enjoy your week. See ya Thursday!
Fuds and one of their Gators
This was the weekend of the Destin Seafood Festival. Sunshine Cindy and I had a deal with the Tipsy Turtle to set up our Crab Island Mambo merchandise by the bar. We knew there would be big crowds but we never thought it was going to be that BIG. Friday we got there about 1 pm and got set up. There was already a steady stream of folks walking around. By the time the festival was kicked off the boardwalk was full of people coming and going. We were right on the boardwalk so everyone had to walk right by us. JB was playing music, Landshark was selling pizza and JB and Tammy were selling taco’s out of a trailer. Fud’s had a booth right across from us with a couple of their live gators. This was just a small slice of the overall activity up and down the harbor.
JB kept the crowd entertained
By Friday evening the crowds were non-stop as a mass of humanity streamed by the area. Matt and Mindy were now playing music and keeping the crowds around this area. We sold some stuff and had a fun time. We closed down about 10:30, got home to bed about midnight and tried to get some sleep before doing it all over again on Saturday. Saturday was a marathon. We got there and set up about 9 am.
It was non-stop from the get-go. The crowds were huge. Even though it was sunny and hot out that didn’t deter too many folks. We had so many of our friends stop by to see us we can’t name them all. We even had Alan and Jackie, Kirsten and Jeff from Southern Illinois stop by too. I do want to mention Jack and his lovely wife Lynn came by. Lynn is a faithful reader of this blog and it was great to finally get to meet her. As Saturday went on, so did the crowds. I am not sure where everyone parked but they must have all somehow found a spot.
The crowds were huge
We sold some stuff, drank a few beers and got a suntan at the same time. Now that is what I call “working!” JB once again was playing during the afternoon going from noon to 5 pm. I don’t know how his voice held up. Matt and Mindy then took over and keep the crowd pumped. At the bar Matt, Ben, Pops and Mom keep the drinks flowing. The Turtle was having a great weekend as the folks lined up for their ice cold beer and soft drinks. As it got dark the crowd changed to a party crowd. We decided to tear down about 8 and call it a day. We were tired! We needed some rest for Sunday so we could do it one more day.
Crab Island Mambo merchandise
The weather on Friday and Saturday was great although it was pretty hot and humid. Sunday was a different story in a good way. There was a good breeze blowing, the humidity was way down and the temps in the morning were actually cool. A perfect morning to get set up. The crowds on Sunday were almost as big as they had been the previous two days. We got there about 10 am to set up and there was already a good crowd strolling along the boardwalk. Once again JB played music through the afternoon even if his voice was almost shot from the three day marathon. We had another good day moving some merchandise and enjoying people watching.
Throwing some beads
We packed up about 6:00 and headed to Sago Sports bar to relax for a while and have some food. We met Alan, Jackie, Kirsten and Jeff there. It was great getting to catch up with them for a while. Alan and Jackie are only here till Thursday so we are not sure if we will get to see them again. We always enjoy our time together with them. We were back home and in bed pretty early. It was a fun but exhausting weekend.
Enjoy your week. See ya Thursday!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
This week in Destin started out rainy. Monday it rained on and off most of the day. We stayed inside instead of going out and getting wet. Tuesday cleared up with low humidity and cooler temps. Sunshine Cindy talked to Matt from the Tipsy Turtle on Tuesday and he asked if she wanted to bartend a couple of Monday's this month. She went down in the afternoon to talk to Matt about it and agreed that it should be fun. Kirby will be there as the bar back and make sure everything is okay. She starts next Monday. Come down and give her a hard time. LOL
I went down to the Turtle after I got home. I had a chance to talk with Ben about the set-up for the seafood festival. They are renting us some space to sell our Crab Island Mambo merchandise. Last year over 50,000 people attended the festival. It will be a blast. We hope to sell a few t-shirts, tanks and koozies! We hope to see all of our friends there. Landshark Pizza will be there and of course the ice cold beer (including Yuengling Light) at the Turtle.
The plans are just about finalized for our big party in Key West on Halloween day. Shelly has done a masterful job pulling this all together. Crab Island Mambo is the primary sponsor and we could not be happier with the way this is turning out. We personally know almost all of the musicians that are playing. The venue is Dante's which is a great spot. There should be a big crowd as we "Embrace the Chaos!" in Key West on Halloween.
On Wednesday Sunshine Cindy spent a good part of the day on the patio overlooking the lake working on her laptop as she develops a new "who we are" flyer for Crab Island Mambo. We want to be able to give them away in Key West. In the evening she went back down to the Tipsy Turtle to train a little more with Matt. Meanwhile I stayed home to catch up on some other Mambo stuff. With the busy weekend coming up at the Destin Seafood Festival I needed to get ahead of the game.
There was a nice article about Sago Sports Bar at The Palms and our friend Tommy who manages the place in the Destin Log this week. Here is the link to the article: http://thedestinlog.com/news/the-ultimate-sports-bar-existing-restaurant-gets-sports-spin-1.21640
Thursday now means football. We will be somewhere watching some of the game. Be sure to come down to the Destin harbor for the seafood festival this weekend. It starts at 3 pm on Friday and runs till 5 pm on Sunday. Music, food, vendors, kids games and ice cold beer at the Turtle will make for a great weekend. We will be there all weekend with our t-shirts and other merchandise. Come and see us. A full report to follow on Monday! See ya there!
Kenny at the Tipsy Turtle
I went down to the Turtle after I got home. I had a chance to talk with Ben about the set-up for the seafood festival. They are renting us some space to sell our Crab Island Mambo merchandise. Last year over 50,000 people attended the festival. It will be a blast. We hope to sell a few t-shirts, tanks and koozies! We hope to see all of our friends there. Landshark Pizza will be there and of course the ice cold beer (including Yuengling Light) at the Turtle.
Destin Seafood Festival 2011
The plans are just about finalized for our big party in Key West on Halloween day. Shelly has done a masterful job pulling this all together. Crab Island Mambo is the primary sponsor and we could not be happier with the way this is turning out. We personally know almost all of the musicians that are playing. The venue is Dante's which is a great spot. There should be a big crowd as we "Embrace the Chaos!" in Key West on Halloween.
Key West banner
On Wednesday Sunshine Cindy spent a good part of the day on the patio overlooking the lake working on her laptop as she develops a new "who we are" flyer for Crab Island Mambo. We want to be able to give them away in Key West. In the evening she went back down to the Tipsy Turtle to train a little more with Matt. Meanwhile I stayed home to catch up on some other Mambo stuff. With the busy weekend coming up at the Destin Seafood Festival I needed to get ahead of the game.
Destin Seafood Festival 2011
There was a nice article about Sago Sports Bar at The Palms and our friend Tommy who manages the place in the Destin Log this week. Here is the link to the article: http://thedestinlog.com/news/the-ultimate-sports-bar-existing-restaurant-gets-sports-spin-1.21640
Thursday now means football. We will be somewhere watching some of the game. Be sure to come down to the Destin harbor for the seafood festival this weekend. It starts at 3 pm on Friday and runs till 5 pm on Sunday. Music, food, vendors, kids games and ice cold beer at the Turtle will make for a great weekend. We will be there all weekend with our t-shirts and other merchandise. Come and see us. A full report to follow on Monday! See ya there!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Yuengling Light
So on Thursday evening we decided to go to the Turtle to watch the football game. I am originally from Cleveland and a big Browns fan. It’s tough being a Browns fan as the team has been bad ever since they came back into the league. The game Thursday was typical. Play just good enough to lose. Oh well, anyone can root for a winner but you have to be tough to root for a team that always loses. It was a small crowd at the Turtle but a fun one. Miss Norma and Summer stopped in. Summer even registered for the Sloppy Joe Cook-Off. One strange occurrence happened when a girl was walking down the boardwalk, turned and bumped into some guy. For some strange reason she grabbed the guy and planted a big kiss on him. Needless to say he was dumbfounded as we were at the bar. You never know what you might see on the harbor.
Friday was a Parrothead phlocking at Hammerheads at Baytowne Wharf. Sunshine Cindy and I got to the village early and stopped at the Hofbrau House Beer Garden. We have been to the one on Panama City Beach but it was the first time here. We had a couple of mugs of German beer and a big pretzel. A good choice to start the evening. We talked to Sean the bartender for a while. Looks like they have some good specials. We will be back.
We didn’t know how big a crowd was going to be at the phlocking but it turned out to be decent. The band Something Fishy was playing. They do a great job with older cover songs. The Destin Blues Brothers stopped in and did a few songs with the band too. They look the part of Jake and Elwood from the movie. The highlight of the evening was a deck malfunction. Hammerheads is a huge deck with tables. It sits over a swamp. The deck is getting kind of weathered. At one point I felt my chair giving away. I thought a leg was broken but the leg fell through a hold in the deck and I was on the ground. It was pretty funny. Everyone thought I was drunk but I had only had one beer. Dave ended up putting an empty beer bottle in the hole so no one else would have the same fate that I did. As usual, Sunshine Cindy and I were the last Parrotheads standing. It was a fun evening of good friends, dancing and good music.
Saturday was spent working on Crab Island stuff for a while. Then we headed to the Turtle. They are now carrying Yuengling Light beer. I have been trying to get the bars in town to start having this beer and the Turtle is the first place to do it. So of course I had to go have a few! LOL We ended up at Landshark Pizza for some food then it was home to relax. It was a nice Saturday.
Sunday was a rainy day in Destin so we spent most of the day indoors watching football. The Falcons pulled out a win they tried to give away. They are still unbeaten so that is good. If my number one team is the Browns, the Falcons are my number two. It’s hard to believe it is less than four weeks till our Key West trip starts. We can’t wait! One more bit of local news….La Famiglia, our favorite Italian restaurant, is opening a second location at Harborwalk Village. They will be above Crab Island Cantina and only short walk from their original location. It sounds like they will be keeping both places open. The restaurant is run by an Italian family that came here from Rome. Every time we go there I feel like I am back home in Cleveland in Little Italy or someplace like that. Check it out if you are in Destin.
Don't forget to join us for the 1st Annual Sloppy Joe Cook-Off on October 13th. Here is all the information. http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Sloppy-Joe-Cook-Off.html
Have a great week. See ya’ll on Thursday.
Sunshine Cindy at Hofbrau House Beer Garden
Friday was a Parrothead phlocking at Hammerheads at Baytowne Wharf. Sunshine Cindy and I got to the village early and stopped at the Hofbrau House Beer Garden. We have been to the one on Panama City Beach but it was the first time here. We had a couple of mugs of German beer and a big pretzel. A good choice to start the evening. We talked to Sean the bartender for a while. Looks like they have some good specials. We will be back.
View of the harbor at Baytowne Wharf
We didn’t know how big a crowd was going to be at the phlocking but it turned out to be decent. The band Something Fishy was playing. They do a great job with older cover songs. The Destin Blues Brothers stopped in and did a few songs with the band too. They look the part of Jake and Elwood from the movie. The highlight of the evening was a deck malfunction. Hammerheads is a huge deck with tables. It sits over a swamp. The deck is getting kind of weathered. At one point I felt my chair giving away. I thought a leg was broken but the leg fell through a hold in the deck and I was on the ground. It was pretty funny. Everyone thought I was drunk but I had only had one beer. Dave ended up putting an empty beer bottle in the hole so no one else would have the same fate that I did. As usual, Sunshine Cindy and I were the last Parrotheads standing. It was a fun evening of good friends, dancing and good music.
My chair that went through a hole in the deck
Saturday was spent working on Crab Island stuff for a while. Then we headed to the Turtle. They are now carrying Yuengling Light beer. I have been trying to get the bars in town to start having this beer and the Turtle is the first place to do it. So of course I had to go have a few! LOL We ended up at Landshark Pizza for some food then it was home to relax. It was a nice Saturday.
There is that pesky hole!
Sunday was a rainy day in Destin so we spent most of the day indoors watching football. The Falcons pulled out a win they tried to give away. They are still unbeaten so that is good. If my number one team is the Browns, the Falcons are my number two. It’s hard to believe it is less than four weeks till our Key West trip starts. We can’t wait! One more bit of local news….La Famiglia, our favorite Italian restaurant, is opening a second location at Harborwalk Village. They will be above Crab Island Cantina and only short walk from their original location. It sounds like they will be keeping both places open. The restaurant is run by an Italian family that came here from Rome. Every time we go there I feel like I am back home in Cleveland in Little Italy or someplace like that. Check it out if you are in Destin.
Don't forget to join us for the 1st Annual Sloppy Joe Cook-Off on October 13th. Here is all the information. http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Sloppy-Joe-Cook-Off.html
Have a great week. See ya’ll on Thursday.
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