Southeastern Road Trip - Part 2
When we got to Cocoa Beach we checked in at Motel 6 and I called Jeff, he was making dinner for us so we had time to kill. Decided to walk to The Sand Bar and get a taco and a Bud Light. We sat out front under a canopy so it was windy as hell and that’s about the time Clarence decided he was going to bitch, moan and critique everything while we were in Cocoa Beach. Traveling with a dog can be difficult but traveling with a dog and a perpetual whiner was almost overwhelming at times. Despite that there were still more good times than bad.
When we got to Jeff’s later he spent time showing us around. They’ve continued to make improvements and are obviously pleased with their luck growing vegetables as they should be. Jeff made a Mexican stew and used some of his homegrown peppers and it was delicious. His Border Beans were good but not as good as the last ones he made. I think because they were part of a really big batch he had made for Rochelle’s work and they had been frozen.
The next morning we got out and took Charlie to the dog beach. He seemed to enjoy it a little more than last time but still wasn’t very impressed. There were bad rip tides the whole time we were in Florida so the water stayed pretty empty except for a few surfers that Clarence felt the need to critique actually more like criticize. 🤷♂️ Despite the fact that we grew up in Southern California I don’t remember any of us becoming expert surfers. 😂
After the beach we went back to a restaurant that Charlie and I had eaten at before. The food was good.
The night before we left Athens we went to a couple of bars that Clarence goes to including as I mentioned an oyster bar that he used to go to more frequently so he knows most of the employees. As I mentioned in the previous post for some reason his reception was cool so we intended to have a beer and leave. Clarence ordered a Pacifico and said that was probably what I would like, I’m a lager drinker preferably light. So I looked at the menu and saw that the had Coors in bottles. Here’s where it got funny and I was reminded of how pretentious the place is.
That night I took everyone out to eat at The Island. Krista works there and we can sit outside near the water with Charlie. It was the first and as it turned out, only time I got to see Alyssa this trip and got the good news that she was going to graduate.
That night there was a beautiful sunset.
The next day was going to be our last full day there so we decided to meet in Cocoa at the Village Street Fair. Alex and Donovan came with Jeff and we walked around for a while. It was a really large craft fair, too large according to Clarence’s expertise but we enjoyed it. Then we had lunch at the German Beer Garden where I had a really good goulash with Tri tip and mashed potatoes.
That was a wrap on our Florida trip. It was a quick trip back to St. Louis with one more night in Athens and a final night in Lebanon with Joe and Judy. I took back roads from Athens to avoid Atlanta traffic and actually followed the route of the Trail of Tears for a while.
When we got to Jeff’s later he spent time showing us around. They’ve continued to make improvements and are obviously pleased with their luck growing vegetables as they should be. Jeff made a Mexican stew and used some of his homegrown peppers and it was delicious. His Border Beans were good but not as good as the last ones he made. I think because they were part of a really big batch he had made for Rochelle’s work and they had been frozen.
The next morning we got out and took Charlie to the dog beach. He seemed to enjoy it a little more than last time but still wasn’t very impressed. There were bad rip tides the whole time we were in Florida so the water stayed pretty empty except for a few surfers that Clarence felt the need to critique actually more like criticize. 🤷♂️ Despite the fact that we grew up in Southern California I don’t remember any of us becoming expert surfers. 😂
After the beach we went back to a restaurant that Charlie and I had eaten at before. The food was good.
The Story of Banquet Beer
I asked if they had Coors Light and the bartender said, “We only have Banquet”. I almost fell off my stool and tried to keep a straight face. We grew up drinking Coors and I never once heard it referred to as “Banquet” as if it somehow elevated the beer.
Anyway the story continued when we went back to the Sand Bar for the second time. We were sitting at the bar talking to a guy who had just come from doing lab work to prep for being admitted to the hospital for a heart valve replacement in a couple weeks. What started the conversation was the hospital band he already had on that he said they told him to keep on the entire time. Anyway another guy came in and sat down across from us at the bar and we all exchanged greetings.
Finally a couple came in and sat at the bar. She ordered a margarita, “top shelf” and he asked if they had Coors. The bartender came back with the bottle pictured here and said that’s all they had and he said perfect. Clarence and I busted out laughing and told the story from Athens which led to the five of us guys talking about our experiences with Coors growing up. When he ordered another he ordered one for all of us. The beer was good but the conversation and laughter was better.
That night I took everyone out to eat at The Island. Krista works there and we can sit outside near the water with Charlie. It was the first and as it turned out, only time I got to see Alyssa this trip and got the good news that she was going to graduate.
That night there was a beautiful sunset.
The next day was going to be our last full day there so we decided to meet in Cocoa at the Village Street Fair. Alex and Donovan came with Jeff and we walked around for a while. It was a really large craft fair, too large according to Clarence’s expertise but we enjoyed it. Then we had lunch at the German Beer Garden where I had a really good goulash with Tri tip and mashed potatoes.
That was a wrap on our Florida trip. It was a quick trip back to St. Louis with one more night in Athens and a final night in Lebanon with Joe and Judy. I took back roads from Athens to avoid Atlanta traffic and actually followed the route of the Trail of Tears for a while.
Merritt Island High School
Class of 2022
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