Panhandle purgatory 2017.. NOW COMPLETE!

[cornishfrogboy]

CRABS, ISLANDS.. AND TORNADO'S 04/03/2017

On my previous update, I mentioned an unexpected Email relating to the next days activities..
A day on a boat at Crab Island, a location remarkable for the fact that it has no Crabs and no Island. It is simply a lagoon of very shallow water where hundreds of boats congregate and where numerous floating activities take place. It was to be a highlight of the vacation.. and a chance for Gary to demonstrate what he had learned in 37 years of Royal Navy service!

A typical day at Crab Island.

A boat identical to the one that we had hired in anticipation of our day.. complete with lounge seats, fridge etc etc.
The Email was short and simple “Due to a tornado warning, there will be no boat hire taking place on 04/03 or 04/04 of 2017”. Apologies etc and the promise of a full refund.

Clearly the risk was unacceptable to them (and doubtless their insurance invalidated), even though our team retained our full confidence in our ‘Ancient Mariner’.

Whilst initially sceptical of our Email, dawn proved them absolutely right. The weather had changed completely and looked similar to that in Atlanta a few days before. As always, the US weather report had proved very accurate indeed, with the winds up and the sky leaden.
Fortunately I had a 'Plan B'!... The Armaments Museum at Eglin AFB. Whilst my family decided to follow me out of curiosity, Ann, Gary and George decided to spend the day independent of us, going shopping. They were wise!

Eglin was very easy to get to. It consisted of a small(ish) Hangar and numerous static aircraft parked around it. On arrival, the weather already looked very threatening, so I rushed round the outside exhibits, clicking away whilst Mandie and the boys looked on in bemusement.

Matt and a CH53

Matt and a blackbird.

B52

RB47
Mandie shamelessly trivialising events.

An F101 and a bored Mandie.

An even more bored Dan.

Suddenly, the heavens quite literally opened! It was the heaviest rain that any of us have ever seen and we dashed into the safety of the Hangar.. where we were stuck for the next three hours as the rain lashed the tin sheet building, however we did make the best of it!

Matt playing 'Hangar pilots' in an A10.

A hangar that proved rather confined after 3 hours! You can only look at so many bombs and missiles.

Finally Mandie's patience was exhausted and it was explained to me in rather agricultural language with which I am not totally familiar that she did not care greatly about the rain or even my hair getting wet. She had seen enough munitions to last her a lifetime, I must grow a pair, go forth, get wet whilst collecting the car, bringing it as near as possible to the Hangar exit!

The above pictures are somewhat self explanatory.

It was then an evening of swimming in the Hotel pool before adjourning to a nearby Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner. I won't bore you with that one, as it was identical to any other Longhorn.. A 9oz Flo’s Fillet is the same wherever you are.

Needless to say, I was in the collective doghouse as on this rare day,I had spectacularly failed to deliver crab Island.. or a worthy alternative.

Things could only get better! (As D’ ream famously sang).

[juless77]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

In 2017, I did a trip that involved some close friends who tagged along on a plan that I had. It was an interesting ‘experience’ and may well be useful in describing highs and lows of a rather intensive 15 days!
The trip covered the following.
Last minute loss of a Villa 3 weeks before departure.
Indirect via Atlanta into Pensacola .. with tension.
Pensacola Beach and the Margaritaville Hotel.
Pensacola Aviation Museum.
Mobile Alabama and the USS Alabama.
Destin
Henderson State Park.
Eglin armaments museum.
A huge storm wrecking plans
The 420 mile drive to Tampa
Hardrock Casino (very briefly).
An Officer (retired) and a gentleman eating the worst that Busch has to Offer.
Two families living under one roof in Davenport
Children feuding
Discovery Cove
Airboats
Daytona Beach
Flying indirect home from Daytona via Atlanta.
Post mortem

I appreciate that much of it is history, but much was also rather interesting at the same time with plenty that may be relevant to others. Some of the vacation was also well off the standard, beaten track and at locations that few Dibbers may have considered.

If there is appetite for this rather surreal experience, then I will start it in the next couple of days with an update most days, as if it was ‘live’.

If there is no appetite, then please tell.. I truthfully will not be offended.

Without further ado.. ‘The plan’ is at #7
and the detailed follow up on #19
The flight from hell is #26
‘Loving angels’ and Destin is at #36
Crabs, Islands, Tornado’s is at #41

P.S If you are a foodie, then you may be bitterly disappointed!

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Did you do a trip report back then im sure i vaguely remember reading it if its the same one i found it very intresting so looking forward to reading it again x thanks for sharing

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by juless77

Did you do a trip report back then im sure i vaguely remember reading it if its the same one i found it very intresting so looking forward to reading it again x thanks for sharing

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Nope. No trip report. My very first was California 2018. I hope you enjoy this one!

[juless77]

getting mixed up with someone else then ... loving this report though thanks for sharing some great ideas for future trips x

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by juless77

getting mixed up with someone else then ... loving this report though thanks for sharing some great ideas for future trips x

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The panhandle is a lovely area and from Pensacola, you can drive 3 hours west to New Orleans over the Lake Ponchetrain Bridge.. and on to Houston etc etc. Well worth looking.

[cornishfrogboy]

I CAN SEE FOR MILES AND MILES.. AND MILES 04/05/2017... and the Hardrock Casino at Tampa.

Well, the morning dawned and my family were still not happy with me at all, particularly as our friends had not only remained dry, but had a great day shopping. Today was one that I was really not looking forward to.. A 440 mile road journey from Destin to Tampa, armed with just a box of Rasberry Krispy Kreme Donuts (per car)..

I wish that I could say that it was as picturesque and interesting as Pensacola to Destin.. but it was not.
Below is an image that shows just how around 410 of those miles looked...

There were just 3 highlights in those shockingly tedious 440 miles and 6.5 hours, namely..
1. Crossing the time zone from GMT6 to GMT5. (We had never done that on a road trip).
2. A gas station stop at 282 miles.
3. A Roadkill Armadillo at 312 miles (The 1st wild one that I had ever seen). Regrettably we were past before I could photograph it.

And so, we arrived at the Comfort Inn and Suites, a fairly average 3 star, but with big rooms, all painted in pastel blues, yellows and greens, nothing to rave about and nothing to criticise, Nice!.. like a biscuit.
It was time for a quick shower, change and then out to a thrilling night in the Seminole Hardrock, Hotel and Casino.. with children.

Now, we don't have Casino's in Cornwall, just amusement arcades in Newquay for those daft enough to go there and I really did not know what to expect. Was it posh? Was there a dress code? (I have seen many James Bond movies) would they let the boys into the Hardrock Cafe? To hedge our ‘bets’ (It was a Casino lol), The males wore collared shirts and the adult males, Long Chinos (we hadn’t bought Dinner Jackets or medals on vacation).. The Ladies wore dresses. We were stepping into the unknown.. and from a Taxi at that.
We drove up and it certainly looked impressive.

The car drop off area was even better!

To get to the Cafe part, we had to walk through the gaming halls along what was effectively a path that the youngsters were not allowed to deviate from and they were suitably impressed with row upon row of slot machines, thousands of them.

Soon we were in the Hardrock Cafe, pretty devoid of memorabilia, grotty and with very disinterested staff. In short, nothing like Orlando, New York or Rome.

The, as it turned out ridiculously overdressed family.

Dan and Matt.

The food was ordered. The Burgers were overcooked and Matt's Chicken Wings, raw... Raw to the extent that there was blood in the Chicken. We pointed this out to the seriously uninterested Waiter who shrugged his shoulders and walked off. We paid up (no tip) and left, with much of the food still on the plate. I will not be returning!

Matt bites into his Chicken wings.. before finding the blood.

A bitter disappointment (albeit an experience to remember in future when selecting restaurants) and very much not what we expected in a Hardrock. It made the Maccy D’s on International Drive/Sand Lake Road or even Golden Coral look very much upmarket. If this was the last eatery in the whole world, I would sooner starve than eat in it.
Dress code?... all the customers were in Flip flops, shorts and wife beaters.

The good news re this report is that things are about to take a dramatic upturn. Tomorrow is Busch Gardens and this was simply a prepositioning for that.

I will leave you with Dans scrapbook account of the day.

[Ivegottadream]

I see that Dan is following in his father's travelogue footsteps 😂

Thanks for taking the time to write it, I'm take enjoying your report.

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by Ivegottadream

I see that Dan is following in his father's travelogue footsteps 😂

Thanks for taking the time to write it, I'm take enjoying your report.

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You are very welcome. Dan does have a certain, caustic, cynical wit about him, well beyond his years.

[juless77]

just what i needed a new trip report thanks loving it

[JudyC]

I'm enjoying reading this 😁