"MAY INCLUDE RUM"..14 NIGHTS SAPPHIRE FALLS.. MAY `19 TRIP REPORT

Your pictures are just beautiful!!!!!!! The skies on those days were so blue and just what we dream of when we hear the word Florida ::yes::

I don't step into Bath and Body works...because I know my bank account would take a huge hit and the hubby would be like...you spent how much :scared1: :faint: on soap lol and I would have this face :rolleyes1 Nope!!!! I could never spend that much money in one store :lmao::laughing:

And of course your food porn pictures...have me drooling again. Can't wait to hear and see more!!!
 
the dry rub guy at our local farmers market sells mangos on a stick (your choice of seasoning on it too) along with the dry rub and sauce. I've been known to make the 45 minute drive just for the mango but the sauce is good too.
 
Your pictures are just beautiful!!!!!!! The skies on those days were so blue and just what we dream of when we hear the word Florida ::yes::

I don't step into Bath and Body works...because I know my bank account would take a huge hit and the hubby would be like...you spent how much :scared1: :faint: on soap lol and I would have this face :rolleyes1 Nope!!!! I could never spend that much money in one store :lmao::laughing:

And of course your food porn pictures...have me drooling again. Can't wait to hear and see more!!!

Thank you!!! Yes that blue sky is incredible......and so nice to look at on a day like today where our skies are grey, dark and heavy rain falling!!! No difference...…:laughing:

Oh Bath & Body is addictive isn't it!!! Never thought about it like that.....just soap.....:rotfl::rotfl:I guess it is...….I love all the fragrances they offer in body lotions and sprays......hand sanitisers…….candles.....hand wash......oh yes!!!! I may have a problem ::yes::

More food coming up......Kobe up next...….:wave2:
 
the dry rub guy at our local farmers market sells mangos on a stick (your choice of seasoning on it too) along with the dry rub and sauce. I've been known to make the 45 minute drive just for the mango but the sauce is good too.

Oh my goodness!!! That sounds amazing!!

I love mango and never thought about putting it on a stick like that.....you just gave me an idea for our next get together with friends ::yes::...…..I don't blame you......we`d drive a distance for something we love too!!!
 


Our afternoon had been very relaxing and we enjoyed just sitting around the pool, in the shade of course, and just chatted the afternoon away.

We love time like this where we aren't doing anything and we can just sit and enjoy the heat.....and it was blazing hot!!!

Tom was planning to drive tonight as he wasn't bothered about having till drink.....we would go back to Strong Water where he could enjoy a libation then.


I think it must have been around 5pm we got too hot.....yep, we were melting........and headed up to get showered and changed for our dinner later.

The room was deliciously cool almost freezing if truth be told......but it was perfect...….once we were showered I poured myself a glass of wine as we had a bottle still in the room....and very nice it was too.




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Our view never fails to impress me.



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We are going to the Kobe on Kirkman which is only a five minute drive away...….we hadn't gone to this one before, but they all usually have a good standard in their chain. Our reservation was quite early, for 6.30pm as we planned to watch Game of Thrones later..... but we were a little early. And other folks who had gone recently said a reservation means the next available table now......so you may wait a little. Not a problem.




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We went in and said our name and she very hurriedly ushered us through to a table where it had two spaces left. The people on the table had already ordered and received their drinks and had ordered their food. So, we felt a little rushed here...….

I sat beside a family who were local, and very nice. There were also two young women who didn't interact with anyone, barely the chef and sat on their phone the whole time......heyho…...

So, we had just been seated and the waitress asked what we wanted to drink and if there was any allergies.

And this was where I had a slight issue. I asked for a pinot noir and Tom a ginger ale..…..I explained briefly I did have a few allergies and she asked what they were......now, they`re not embarrassing in any way, but I felt very uncomfortable discussing this while everyone stopped talking and had no option but to listen. She wasn't the best English speaker so I had to repeat it several times which was just awkward.....this really should have been discussed before we sat down...….especially as everyone just wanted their food as they had been in much longer.


But, we did get a chance to look at the menu and a few seconds later we ordered...…..Tom went for sirloin and scallops and I opted for the filet and shrimp......easy. But, we would have preferred a little longer to peruse the menu.




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You do get an awful lot of food at Kobe....of course you don't need to eat it all......and we don't plan to. You can also ask for smaller portions of rice and noodles which is what we are going to do.

First up is miso soup.....I get mine clear with no mushroom or green onion....I didn`t bother explaining I was good with green onion.....but it is nice and light and a good way to begin......





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The salad is small and the ginger dressing is very nice......Tom isn't a fan of ginger dressings so he skirts around it, but again.....nice and light.




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The chef is entertaining of course, he does his little tricks with eggs before cracking them into the rice....




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Tom and I both ask for small amounts of rice as everything isn't on your plate at the one time...….for me I prefer it all together, but it really is too much food for that...….

One of their favourite tricks is the onion tower that they set alight.....and it is impressive...….although we don't quite capture it as well as we did last visit...….




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Noodles and veg are next on the hotplate...….and the veg is lovely I have to say...….




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I get chatting to the lady beside me and they are regulars here which is nice to hear...….so far the food has been excellent, no complaints there.....I think the thing with the mix table at Kobe is your dining companions can make a difference......and this table wasn't as fun as it should have been...….our last time had been so different where it was all couples and everyone had been fun...…..





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The shrimp and scallops were on our plate now and they were delicious.....scallops were perfect and barely cooked just as we like them.

He then went on to do the steaks and checked he had the right steak for each of us......our waitress had written down medium for mine which was incorrect as I always have medium rare...…..so I was glad he checked.





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We both turned down a large pile of mushrooms and an even larger amount of diced potatoes..…..that really would have been too much food with the rice and noodles we had......





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Sorry for the messy plate images...….my steak was perfect as was Tom`s...…..




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And at that the chef was gone. He had been good but our previous experiences had been better. However, we couldn't fault the quality of the food and we would go back again. Maybe to another restaurant though.

Once we paid we headed out and grabbed a couple of pictures as we didn't get the chance when we went in. It is a nice place, and larger than I realised.





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I think we may enjoy sitting at the bar to eat in here too.....looked very relaxed......




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We didn't feel overly stuffed or bursting full with food......by not taking a lot of the rice and noodles that they offer you, and avoiding the potatoes and mushrooms, we were pleasantly full.....which was nice. I hate that feeling you`ve eaten far too much and just want to go lay down...…...

So, into the car and headed back home...….we dropped the car with valet and headed in...….first stop was our room so I could change shoes and grab an ipad and the phone we had bought. As we had no email at this point, this was how we were communicating with folks.


Then back down to Strong Water...…...

We opted to sit at the bar tonight and
people joke it`s like an episode of Cheers when we are around.

And...everyone does seem to know us.....and tonight was no different.....a couple of the managers stopped by and we chatted to one of them for quite a while...….I did notice this pair looking and whispering......but thought nothing much of it...….

But, as one manager walked away one asked who we were.....I told them our names but they said, no who are you...….????? I had no clue what they meant so chatted about something completely irrelevant...….but then they asked where we were from......so I told them the rough area.....East Coast.....next was where specifically in the east Coast...….now, there`s a difference between general conversation and feeling as though you`re about to be grilled...….so I kind of ended the conversation when they claimed it was just being nice......eh no. We began to chat to the bar staff and had a good old giggle with them...….but ever feel you were being watched and discussed!!!!

I hate nosy people...….you can tell when someone is genuinely interested in speaking to you, and also the ones who ask constant questions to be nosy. Have no interest in that.....I take people as I find them, yes getting to know people is lovely, but, we don't ever interrogate them......and this was just a little uncomfortable.


It`s even weirder when you find out folks have been asking hotel staff about you when you`re not there!!!! That is weird.

We said our goodnights to everyone and headed upstairs to get ready for GoT……...this was the final episode and we were so excited to watch it...…..


Tom poured us a glass of wine and we settled down to watch the show...….and we did enjoy it. Some slated it but we thought it could be worse...….and it was fabulous watching it on HBO as there are no breaks.....when we watch it online you don't have a break, but there is a pause for a few seconds where the ad break should be.....this was fabulous, as was watching it on a huge tv screen instead of a laptop.

We had arranged to chat to Kyle as soon as his finished, which was strangely around 7 minutes later than ours......of course it was now just after 3.30am in the UK.....but he had taken not only the Monday off but the whole week off work using up vacation time......so lack of sleep wasn't a worry for him.....


The Facetime sound went off and we had a good old chat about what we had just watched......we must have chatted for around 30 minutes when all of a sudden Kyle just looked exhausted......so we said our goodnights and he planned to go straight back to bed as it was around 4am now......for us it was just after 11pm, and we weren't as tired as we thought we would be...…so we had another glass of wine and watched some junk on the tv till eventually we were tired and did wander through to the bedroom.

Tom fell asleep in a flash, but my mind was in overdrive and couldn't quite fall asleep as quick as I thought I would......my mind was going through the episode we just watched and the fact that we were in the last few days of our trip.


But, we`d make the most of it...…...


Tomorrow we`d try New Smyrna Beach again...…...
 
You and Tom need to make up some story the next time people start getting all nosy about who you are... You can be an actress or Royalty... Tom can be an astronaut or a movie director... You get the idea, make it as crazy as possible... Then they'll really have something to talk about then they go back home and tell everyone about the "famous" people they met!!! :rotfl2: For some reason, us American's are fascinated with "famous" people... :rolleyes2
 
There are just some people who are just soooo nosey and would rather focus on others and finger point, than think about themselves. I always remember this quote....just remember when your pointing the finger at someone else, there are three pointed back at you :rolleyes1 :rolleyes: Those people may need to think about that the next time they are asking questions and being a general ol snoop!!!!! lol

Your dinner sounds like it was delicious. We have never been to a Kobe...but we have been to a couple in the big city when we are wanting a unique meal. They are fun and your usually satisfied without feeling like you need to roll yourself out of there. Now I want to try one the next time we go visit the Daughter in Calgary.

As for GOT...I tried watching it. I watched about 40 minutes of the first episode, and I just had to turn it off. I just didn't like it. Not my thing. Kudos to all those who watch it and love it. It's just not my cup of tea.

Earlier this year, before the last season premiered...they had placed on of the thrones about a 2.5 hr drive from where we live :scared1: It was out in the middle of nowhere....seriously in the middle of hiking trails and where people do lots of atv riding. People were flocking here to get their picture taken with it. People were flying here from all over Canada and the US, hiring local helicopter companies to get them there just to get a picture of them on the throne. It was seriously crazy!!!! They had security around it at all times, and 24 hr cameras as well. It was only open for certain hours and they would stop people from coming in to line up after 2:00 in the afternoon. People were waiting 6+ hr for pictures with it. I know Ds1 wanted to go out there with some of his buddies, but they never made it out there before they took it down. But it was pretty cool that they would pick our area out of all the places they could have picked.
 
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Hey Carol, we actually saw you on sat at rp, but you and Tom were talking to the gals at concierge. But, as to the NSB comment, I hope you had fun! We live here, and I've been meaning to suggest a trip.over to you for years (finally figured out my log in lol)
 
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Nosy people. Have no time for them. Sorry people were so focused on who you were, and snoopy and sneaky about it, too. Dinner did look great. And I now have that place on my radar. It would be somewhere little one and I would go to. When we went to Teppan Edo, with same set up in Epcot, we had a nice enough family that we were seated at, and they were so thrilled to get our share of mushrooms. that we told the chef we did not want. We have that kind of restaurant around me, but I don't remember seeing a Kobe one. Have to google that.

More great pictures and thanks for your Lake pictures as well. So far, some beautiful weather in those shots.

Nice you were able to talk with Kyle, even though he was in the wee hours time zone.

Crazy about that need to see the throne, Pumpkin.
 
You and Tom need to make up some story the next time people start getting all nosy about who you are... You can be an actress or Royalty... Tom can be an astronaut or a movie director... You get the idea, make it as crazy as possible... Then they'll really have something to talk about then they go back home and tell everyone about the "famous" people they met!!! :rotfl2: For some reason, us American's are fascinated with "famous" people... :rolleyes2

Lol......that is funny!!!

One of the staff suggested when they spoke I should have said no, no autographs tonight.....:rotfl:

We are just the most normal down to earth people though, not sure I could pull that off with a straight face..........:laughing:
 
There are just some people who are just soooo nosey and would rather focus on others and finger point, than think about themselves. I always remember this quote....just remember when your pointing the finger at someone else, there are three pointed back at you :rolleyes1 :rolleyes: Those people may need to think about that the next time they are asking questions and being a general ol snoop!!!!! lol

Your dinner sounds like it was delicious. We have never been to a Kobe...but we have been to a couple in the big city when we are wanting a unique meal. They are fun and your usually satisfied without feeling like you need to roll yourself out of there. Now I want to try one the next time we go visit the Daughter in Calgary.

As for GOT...I tried watching it. I watched about 40 minutes of the first episode, and I just had to turn it off. I just didn't like it. Not my thing. Kudos to all those who watch it and love it. It's just not my cup of tea.

Earlier this year, before the last season premiered...they had placed on of the thrones about a 2.5 hr drive from where we live :scared1: It was out in the middle of nowhere....seriously in the middle of hiking trails and where people do lots of atv riding. People were flocking here to get their picture taken with it. People were flying here from all over Canada and the US, hiring local helicopter companies to get them there just to get a picture of them on the throne. It was seriously crazy!!!! They had security around it at all times, and 24 hr cameras as well. It was only open for certain hours and they would stop people from coming in to line up after 2:00 in the afternoon. People were waiting 6+ hr for pictures with it. I know Ds1 wanted to go out there with some of his buddies, but they never made it out there before they took it down. But it was pretty cool that they would pick our area out of all the places they could have picked.


So true.

I couldn’t ever be as brazen as some people with asking questions like that......conversations should flow naturally, usually without the grilling!!!

Kobe is good. I`d recommend it to anyone...….food was good and it`s a fun experience......

When GoT started I completely dismissed it as something that wasn't for me....everything about it was what I didn't like in tv shows.....Kyle watched it and had the box sets when they came out and kept saying we should give it a try...….a few seconds in to the first episode we were hooked!!! And binge watched all the dvd`s till we caught up...….it was a killer having to wait a week between episodes after that!!! But I know what you mean......it`s not for everyone. I was genuinely surprised how much we loved it and became invested in it...….Kyle did get to say I told you you`d love it...….lol...….

Can`t say I`d do any of that to see one of the thrones......but I understand the hype for sure lol...….although if the guy who plays Jamie Lannister was there...….I`d rethink.....:love:
 
Hey Carol, we actually saw you on sat at rp, but you and Tom were talking to the gals at concierge. But, as to the NSB comment, I hope you had fun! We live here, and I've been meaning to suggest a trip.over to you for years (finally figured out my log in lol)

:welcome: along Md1011...…...really nice to see you post here!!!


Oh I wish we could have said hello that day...….that would have been lovely!!!

I hope you enjoyed your stay at RP, such a wonderful hotel...….and New Smyrna is lovely......we did get to see the beach a bit better this time as the sun was blazing......we do plan to go back again and walk on the boardwalk over the other side of the road and see if we can see any dolphins or manatees. A good friend told us how nice it was......

But, hope you have enjoyed this one.....nearly done now.....only a few days left, but hope to see you again...…..:wave2:
 
Nosy people. Have no time for them. Sorry people were so focused on who you were, and snoopy and sneaky about it, too. Dinner did look great. And I now have that place on my radar. It would be somewhere little one and I would go to. When we went to Teppan Edo, with same set up in Epcot, we had a nice enough family that we were seated at, and they were so thrilled to get our share of mushrooms. that we told the chef we did not want. We have that kind of restaurant around me, but I don't remember seeing a Kobe one. Have to google that.

More great pictures and thanks for your Lake pictures as well. So far, some beautiful weather in those shots.

Nice you were able to talk with Kyle, even though he was in the wee hours time zone.

Crazy about that need to see the throne, Pumpkin.

Yes, I agree with you Lynne. It was quite uncomfortable. Although not as uncomfortable to hear a few trips ago two different sets of people had been asking staff at RP about us!!! Who does that??? But, I guess some folks are just like that.

Oh you`d love Kobe Lynne, and I`d guess your daughter would too. I`ve heard about Teppan Edo and heard several people say Kobe is so much better......and yes, tablemates can make a bit of a difference to the experience...….

We did have beautiful weather on our trip, we were so lucky even though some days the heat was over powering......but so lovely!!! And yes it`s always lovely when we chat to Kyle over facetime...….it is so much better than a phone call when we can see him.

More coming up soon, hope you enjoy what`s left of this report....:wave2:
 
@schumigirl People are just strange, very strange. I could see *maybe* asking someone about a restaurant you'd especially enjoyed...but to ask personal details....that's just plain weird.
 
MONDAY MAY 20TH




We've done a lot of articles here on Aquaviews about Sharks and Shark Attacks; from serious ones like- The Cruel Truth About The Biggest Predators of the S




As we had such a late night we did sleep around 4 minutes longer than we usually do.....we really did think we`d sleep late today!!!

We do dream sometimes of really being lazy and sleeping till 10am, but we have never managed it in all our visits!!! I think the latest we have slept is around 8am......but it`s what we do and we won`t change now I`m sure.......I`d always feel I was wasting part of the day by doing that....and Kyle and Tom are exactly the same. Although I think Tom could easily drop off again if I wandered through to the sitting room and kept quiet....but that`s really not in my nature...…and I am sometimes guilty of rumbling around the room while Tom is still sleeping...…..occasionally...…..:rolleyes1




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It was going to be a sizzler of a day according to various weather sources......so New Smyrna Beach was going to be our destination today. Second time lucky. But, first showered and dressed we then headed over to RP and Club Lounge for breakfast...

We got our usual selection of breakfast and sat and almost ruined the ending of GoT for a couple sat beside us in the lounge. Colby came over to chat about it and I almost blabbed a spoiler in front of them!!! I was so glad they heard us and stopped us before we spoiled it for them. It`s so easy though if you don't know someone hasn't seen it yet. So we continued to talk about it but a lot quieter......as soon as they left we began to chat normally.....he hadn't enjoyed it and we had thought it could be a better ending, but it was fine. Most of my favourites didn't die!!! Only one......

We mentioned we were going to New Smyrna Beach and of course all the usual jokes about it being the shark capital of the east Coast and tales of how often they are sighted...….one of the girls surfs there regularly so we didn't give the jokes much notice...….I only planned to paddle, so I only needed to run faster than those further out!!! That was my reasoning anyway......

We walked back over and got the car and headed off with me driving today. We both love driving in Florida....and we know the roads and rules of the road well...…we both enjoy it even though there are some downsides to driving in Orlando, but we still have discussions over who`s turn it is to drive......and today I won.....although Tom does enjoy being a passenger as it gives him a chance to look around and take in some of the scenery......but overall, we do enjoy driving over here.....it`s not nearly as bad as some make out. We wouldn't be without a car on our trips.

It takes around and hour to get to the beach from here and near the start of the journey we see the never completed building that is quite an interesting looking one......it`s called the Majesty Building and is known to be a real eyesore locally. It was supposed to be completed in Jan 18 but never has been finished and still has no tenants today...….someone in Orlando won the award for best Halloween costume in 2017 dressed as the local eyesore!!! It was a good costume!!!

Once we are through the main roadworks at Orlando itself, the road opens up eventually and it much nicer to drive on......and of course we do pass the infamous building.....it looks to be a very attractive building, but similar to the bridge over Kirkman, taking far too long to build.....






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Once we are on the I-95 it`s a very straight road for the longest time and not much traffic around this morning...…..we also noticed again the sign to watch for bears!!! Bears!!!! All my worries go into Alligators on these roads...….never thought I`d be worrying about bears......I guess coming from a place where our biggest wildlife worry is wild foxes biting us, these things aren't in the forefront of our thoughts.

But the roads are nice to drive on here with little traffic to distract......although we do see our share of drivers who really shouldn't be on the roads...….drivers who seem to need to be introduced to the gas pedal and be enticed to going above 28 mph!!!




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I passed a man who was doing maybe 40mph along a straight dry piece of road....as soon as I moved out to pass him he sped up!! So I guess it`s not just over here people don't like being overtaken by a woman!!!

But overall it`s a lovely drive...…..and I love driving this car strangely even though it`s not an SUV. But we`ll get an SUV in September. Now we have our new one at home, we don't want to drive a regular car anymore.

Once you pull into New Smyrna you can see it is a genuine beach town.....it has a feel about it, very casual and relaxed, and although not so pretty when you drive in, you know the beach is going to be lovely. And this was already a million times better than the week before when it was just dull and grey then we had a thunderstorm......


I pulled in to the parking lot our friend had told us about again....this was perfect and ideal if we made it across to the boardwalk he had told us about.

And the views immediately are beautiful.




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Yes, the Gulf Coast is stunning, we do like it over the Atlantic side a lot, more than I remembered......and this was just about as perfect as you could get...….beach as far as you can see and completely unencumbered by crowds to disturb the tranquility...….this was beautiful.

We were almost on the sand when I decided to go back to the car to leave my bag and sandals.....I was for paddling in this water and it would be easier without them.






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I can`t swim.....I`m quite afraid of water, well, deep water, but have always lived close to a beach and love to be close to water anywhere.....the sound of the ocean is like no other and it`s very calming even when it`s angry......If I could live here beside this beach for the rest of my life, I absolutely would.


We began to walk along the beach and the sand was gorgeous to walk on...…..we did of course take pictures, and I apologise if there`s too many of "us". I gather some folks think pics should all be the place rather than who`s taking the pics.....but I like seeing pics of folks who write trip reports, so I`ll keep them in.


A young lady who was with her maybe 2 year old son asked if she could take some of us together......we said of course.....and she took around 4 or 5 and they were all nice......we thanked her as we hadn't expected her to do that...….I was a little nervous as her son was right by the water, but if she was ok with it...….


But you can see just what a beautiful day it was and how stunning the beach and the ocean looked today.





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I did indeed get to paddle.…...I did regret we hadn't brought beach towels and other items so we could both paddle and maybe even sit for a while under a parasol.....but we hadn't bought one......maybe next May we`ll do that.




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Sharks were something we didn't see thankfully, I did look out for any signs but nothing...…..and there were a few people in the water......but, my biggest shock was how powerful the tide was!!!

If you`re used to the ocean on this side, you`ll find this very wimpish…..but wow.....on this occasion and another I was up beyond my knees, boy did it feel like it could knock me off my feet easily......quite alarming for a non swimmer.

And it was so warm, very warm water today......the ocean wasn't even remotely cool.....I was loving this paddling business.





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My friends are always surprised as someone who is scared of water, that I love the beach so much.....I just do......don't get me wrong, I couldn't be one who sits and sunbathes the whole day on a beach...….I`d be bored rigid, but a couple of hours on any beach is enough. And this was bliss.....and actually if we did have a beach parasol, I think we would have been here for a few hours more...…..





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Some of the homes that line the beach are beautiful......

And although we haven't come very far at this point, we look back and see miles of nothing the other way too...





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We walk for about an hour in one direction...….I have no idea how far in distance we walked, but it was a longer walk than we planned......we had plenty of sunscreen on and both of us had hats.....mine was off and on a lot as I love to feel the sun on my head too...….but Tom would be burned if he took his off so he left his on.

I was continually dipping in and out of the water the whole time and again, felt the strength of the water as I went in further this time up to the top of my legs almost....but soon headed out with as much alacrity as I could muster...….I wouldn't do that again...….





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My dress was drenched almost to the top of my legs, but I had worn this dress for the very reason it dried in seconds...….and it did dry every time I was out the water for five minutes...…..the heat of the sun today would have dried denim in a short time.

The walk back felt a little longer...…..I`m supposed to wear shoes at all times due to heel issues, but no way was I not going in the water today.....and it wasn't too bad...…and it is such a beautiful walk along here......I wish we had gone further and I think we could have easily...…...but by now we were both kind of hungry...…..we turned around eventually, but we didn't rush to get back to the car......we took in every second of our time on this beautiful beach...….this was pretty much heavenly today.






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The car was sizzling when we did get back to it...…..I had brought some bottles of water to rinse the old feet off of sand and then air dried them in the sun as I waited for my seatbelt to cool down before I could touch it......

With a final glance at the ocean we drove off and headed for lunch.

Here we are rather boring..…..despite there being many options for lunch, we settled for the place we had gone to last week...…


Chases on the Beach.

It was around a ten to fifteen minute drive from where we were parked...….we really wouldn't like to have walked here from the car!!!





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We had enjoyed our food last week despite the onslaught of love bugs till the storm rolled in...….and an impressive storm it was too......but this was much nicer today...….

We had our choice of tables as there were only a few people dotted around the place...…..this is usually a very busy place at night and on the weekends.....but on an Monday lunchtime it`s quiet...….I couldn't imagine how incredibly mobbed this pace would be then. It`s definitely a young persons place primarily, but today it suited us.

Tom went off to snap some images as I browsed through their very nice menu...…..

I asked our waitress for a cup of ice as I did worry I had got a little sunburn on the top of my arms...….so I sat and rubbed ice on while Tom took pictures......I used the whole cup of ice and thankfully it cooled my arms down a lot and I didn't have sunburn after all. She very kindly brought me another one with our drinks in case I needed it...so I used it anyway....better to be sure.


I don't think we`d have taken the rental on the beach, but it did look nice having your car so close...…..




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Lovely views from wherever you sit in here...….




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The staff here we found to extremely personable and very chatty......they must see a lot of tourists but still took the time and asked where we were from and the usual pleasantries...….which is nice...….




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And we still laughed at their outdoor heated swimming pool......it seemed a little superfluous with the ocean a few feet away......but we asked what it was used for and we got the very obvious answer we should have realised...…..college kids on a weekend...….of course.





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We do like it here, but after this visit we said we`d try somewhere else for food as there are a huge amount of places that look as good.....but for today we`d enjoy it here.




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Tom had chosen after much debate, the BLTA....which did surprise me as he doesn't really like avocado...….never touches them at home and wont eat guacamole...….I did mention it was in there in case he missed it.....but no, he had seen it was in the sandwich.





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I opted for 1/2 lb of shrimp……..and a side of their gorgeous fries for us to share......they really were beautiful...….both dishes!! The shrimp were plump and tasty and I liked their cocktail sauce.....it was very piquant.....And Tom loved his sandwich.....even the avocado....although he still won`t eat it at home.....lol.....not sure why.





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We really did enjoy our lunch....food was lovely and well presented. And staff were genuinely nice......not fake gushing nice, but just friendly.....since we got back home we have seen some awful Trip Advisor reviews on this place. Well, we can only speak of our experiences on the visits we`ve had and honestly couldn't fault food or service...….but as I said, on a Monday lunchtime it might not be the busiest or liveliest time to visit.....which might be a good thing.

The only reason we aren't going back, is we want to try somewhere else......somewhere different...….but would certainly be happy if this place was the only one open.

We finish our food and pay the check and after a final wander out to the end of their little boardwalk area we head off back to the hotel.....and Tom gets to drive home today. Even though I`ve only had lemonade, I know how much he enjoys driving too.


More to come...…..
 
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@schumigirl People are just strange, very strange. I could see *maybe* asking someone about a restaurant you'd especially enjoyed...but to ask personal details....that's just plain weird.

Oh absolutely.....we all get to know people by chatting, we all ask questions when you`re getting to know someone, but you do get a sense of people and I can spot a nosy one from a mile away......I agree, if they had just asked general questions I wouldn't have had the weird feeling.....and would have happily chatted. But, no, it was odd.
 
Oh.. Chases? There are SO many better places here (I haven't been to chases in over 20 years). BTW, did you know we have a Yellow Dog Eats here? I know you like the original location, but this one is awesome as well (lots of the kids friends work there and adore it). Its located on one of our 2 downtown areas, this one is on the mainland side. I really hope you explored those streets (Canal Street and Flagler Ave), they really are right up your alley! If you want to see manatees, JB's is pretty much right across from where you where, great local seafood, and the manatees are usually there off the dock from May thru now (its mating season :D) .

So glad you visited, I've seriously wanted to suggest it for years!

Sorry, I love my town :)
*Michelle*
 
Oh.. Chases? There are SO many better places here (I haven't been to chases in over 20 years). BTW, did you know we have a Yellow Dog Eats here? I know you like the original location, but this one is awesome as well (lots of the kids friends work there and adore it). Its located on one of our 2 downtown areas, this one is on the mainland side. I really hope you explored those streets (Canal Street and Flagler Ave), they really are right up your alley! If you want to see manatees, JB's is pretty much right across from where you where, great local seafood, and the manatees are usually there off the dock from May thru now (its mating season :D) .

So glad you visited, I've seriously wanted to suggest it for years!

Sorry, I love my town :)
*Michelle*

JB’s is somewhere we plan to visit in September. But for dinner not lunch. It looks so much better for dinner and has been recommended to us again by a friend. It’s so funny you mentioned it too.

Chases was fine for lunch as that was all we wanted, we did like it.

But, we want to come back, have dinner and see the sunset....Flagler Ave was lovely, we wanted to spend more time but the weather was dreadful on our first visit and we had arrangements to meet a friend back at the hotel this past visit, so our time there was short.

Yes, we knew YDE was there, but somewhere like the beach we always want seafood......

I’m not surprised you love your town, it is beautiful.......we are already looking forward to going back :wave2:
 
I don't know why but I never watched GoT....and I'm a fanatic for that type of stuff.
Tom's sandwich looks YUM and shrimp is rarely a miss..

Oh, may have mentioned this before but my friend's niece works for George RR Martin up in Santa Fe, has for years. I think he's writing/written a prequel.
 

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