We had several different waiters in New Orleans recommend we eat breakfast at a place called Oceana. So, Wednesday morning before we left town we packed up and walked through the town for one last time to breakfast there. We wanted real french crepes in the french quarter and Abby ordered those. They came stuffed with strawberries, peaches and bananas and drizzled with honey and smothered with whipping cream. Abby wanted peaches and honey left off, but Bryan wouldn’t let her adapt the order so she spent the whole time picking around those two items. (No offense New Orleans, but I think she likes mine from home better) James ordered the french toast and he, Annie and I all shared it. It was great. But the winner for the meal was Bryan’s order of Maw Maw. He could not stop raving! And for those of you who have ever seen him eat a meal he enjoys--he was in top form! He couldn’t stop professing his undying love for that rice, egg, shrimp, chicken, sausage, jambalaya sauced concoction. The waiter knew it, the manager, the other patrons--you name it. He lists it among his top breakfasts of ALL time. (yes, he keeps a list). So for anyone heading to New Orleans anytime soon--try the Maw Maw at Oceana for breakfast.
After breakfast we were off to Pensacola Florida to swim and play. It was about a 3 hour drive and took us through Mississippi into Florida, but our photo taking of all the state signs has been poor at best. We just go flying past them so quickly we never have time to stop for a photo before it is too late! Bryan has really LOVED driving the Equus on this trip. And though the space might not be as much as the expedition, he doesn’t regret his decision one bit. At one point on a flat stretch of highway it was just Bryan and a rocket bike seeing who could go the fastest. I was sitting in the back at that stage with James up front. Apparently it is not a smart thing to leave two men with testosterone in charge of the speed. I called it all off at 143. (There went our gas efficiency for the trip).
Florida was hot and muggy. Thank goodness we were at the beach. Bryan really wanted to go see a lighthouse and an air museum and an old town tour, but the kids in the back were revolting and wanting the ocean. So it was Pensacola Beach for us. The sand there was AMAZING!! Whitest beaches any of us had ever seen. It is fine and does not hurt your feet to walk on, plus I noticed it didn’t get hot. The water however, was colder than Galveston and FLAT as our swimming pool. Bryan said it felt like splashing around in our bathtub all together and after a few minutes he was done. The kids played for a few hours and then it was the misery of trying to all shower at the outside stall and dry off with one measly towel and get dressed for the remaining 5 hour drive.
We did a quick detour through Montgomery Alabama in honor of the Williams Family and saw the capitol building, church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, and the place where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. All great civil right monuments that we saw from the comfort of our car. We also called the Williams and got a recommendation for a local place to grab dinner. Jim and Nicks gave us great service and good barbeque before we finished up and caught a hotel in Madison AL. (So grateful for internet service on phones so we could research and make reservations while we were waiting for our dinner to arrive).
Biggest Rain Storm Ever
We drove through the biggest rain storm ever outside of Montgomery. Abygail worried that it was a tornado or Hurricane Arthur. It wasn't like rain, it was like the heavens opened and just DUMPED. The wipers couldn't keep the windshield clear and all the cars around us exited the freeway at the first chance. We crawled along at 30 mph and then suddenly about 10 minutes after it began, it was over, and that was that. We were safe and the car was CLEAN! Bryan was happy about that. He had been saying we had to stop and wash the car, he hated seeing it all dusty and dirty with dead bugs on it.