On The Road Again!

So how is your week going? We spent some of ours on the road again.

Once Krissi and Mike headed home on Sunday morning, Susie and I turned our attention to our next endeavor…a trip down to St. Pete, Florida for a quick 3 day visit with Our Boys…Kenny and his husband Chris.

We left Ocean City early Tuesday morning, and traveled from NJ, to Delaware, through Maryland, Virginia, and ended up in North Carolina. As per our usual habit, as soon as we went over the Delaware Memorial Bridge, we exited the highway, taking 13 and 1 to our favorite road through the area, 301. Some parts of 301 are suburban, but taking 301 allows us to avoid probably the worst part of I-95, the Baltimore/Washington corridor! In our opinion, it makes for a nicer, more consistent trip, without the pitfalls of traffic, accidents, bad drivers, and catching the Express Lanes going the right directions. Only after we’ve already passed Richmond do we join I-95, making for an enjoyable trip, and avoiding one of I-95’s worst stretches. Our destination that night was a Hampton Inn in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina right off I-95. We’d stayed there before, and it’s convenient and there’s a Cracker Barrel right across the parking lot, which we walked over to after a drink in the room.

Formerly one of our travel ‘guilty pleasures”, I believe this was the first Cracker Barrel meal we’ve had in several years. Waiting for dinner, Susie and I were talking about how every Cracker Barrel across the country looks the same, with the same layout and decorations! That led us to a discussion about traveling in our childhood, and how almost every Howard Johnson looked the same and had the same menu. Like Cracker Barrel, you always knew what you were going to eat, and where the bathroom was. We enjoyed our meal, and getting to watch our fellow dinners, before heading back to the hotel and our bed!

We knew that the next day was going to be special, because dinner would be at B & J’s Steak and Seafood in Darien, Georgia! Shortly after I retired in 2016, we made our first winter trip to Florida, and when a friend I used to work with (Abe Gorin) saw where we were, he suggested B & J’s. Just the best fried shrimp and great looking steaks, oysters, and fried chicken too, but we always have shrimp! Everything looks good, but as someplace we are at a maximum of once or twice a year, we are not in a mind to try other things! Rather than one of the crappy motels in Darien, which we’ve stayed in before, we had an incredible room in a Hilton Home 2 Suites in Brunswick, Georgia! A great night all around.

Not so the next morning! We have been very fortunate in our years of car trips to enjoy mostly sunny and clear weather, but not this Thursday morning, as it was pouring when we left the hotel. The GPS said we had a little more than 4 hours till we reached our final destination…Kenny and Chris in St. Pete…but the GPS didn’t know about the rain! Solid rain made the trip on I-95 slower than we’d have liked, and helped us make two wrong turns along the way, which obviously added to our time. By the time we pulled up in front of the boy’s apartment, we were tired and glad to be there! The boys were ready for us, and we were so ready for them! Our hotel for the next 3 nights was a Tru by Hilton just 2 blocks from the boys!

Happily, when we got up the next morning the sun was out and we were happy to see it again! It was humid and warm too, but then, we are in Florida! The day was Friday and the date was October 13th, but this is not about bad omens, for today is a wonderful day, because we are fortunate enough to be able to spend the 5th Anniversary of the day Kenny and Chris got married in Lake Tahoe with them! Looking back, it turns out that we’ve spent more than a couple of their anniversaries with them! A leisurely morning was followed by a trip to John’s Pass in Madeira Beach for some walking and shopping. We got our steps in and Susie made a few purchases (the first was a t-shirt for me) and we enjoyed the sun and the views!

The official anniversary dinner celebration was scheduled for Friday night at a restaurant the boys always had wanted to try, but never had! Gratzzi Italian Grille was the name of the place, and it was hopping when we walked in a bit before 7! Thankfully, Kenny had made a reservation, and we were quickly escorted to a nice booth, just off the bar. That was the beginning of a wonderful evening. Our waiter Steven was a pro, and everything we ordered was wonderful. A great night and a wonderful celebration for the 4 of us! This is a place we will be back to! Take a look….

Our Saturday started with a great breakfast at First Watch. Susie and I have eaten there with Billy and Lori in North Carolina, but the boys had never been. A good breakfast started our day. Then we were off to a couple of Publix to find a Campbell’s soup that has disappeared up north! (Cream of Shrimp Soup). Mission successful! After driving around a bit, looking at beautiful Florida sights, we found a parking spot, and walked around the Farmer’s Market at the Pier. Looked at lots of stuff, but ultimately bought nothing. The sun was hot, and there was little shade, so we decided it was time to go. We drove down Central Avenue checking out the many bars and restaurants along the way. There were people everywhere on a gorgeous Saturday in St. Pete’s!

We dropped the boys off at home, and returned to our hotel for a couple of hours. A little reading, snoozing, and some water, (need to re-hydrate in sunny Florida!) before heading back to a night of cards (Frustration Rummy…Chris won), a couple of drinks, and some great pizza/Italian take out! Tomorrow we head home again, so we’ll be On The Road again!