Team Renfroe - Pre-Trip Report for May 15-22, 2009 **Final Chapter**

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Hi Alan I loved the beach pix! The donuts from Thomas' could they be fried donuts covered in regular sugar. As a kid I remember in Gt Yarmouth they had this donut store that served the fried sugarry donuts and they were still warm .OMG they were delish! It was a beach town too !! I can't find where you posted when you were going in 2009! I amagain leaning towards May . Feb was a little cool and March is looking to busy I checked the crowd blog and most of May looks good !!Little warm for this Northern girl but I think Sept will be warmer !

Sorry to hijack your report but just had to ask English Rose, do you mean Gt Yarmouth in the UK?? If you do I live very close and they still do hot, fried sugary donuts!! YUMMO!!

Am enjoying your beach report!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

After a morning at the beach, we spent some time at the pool:

From our balcony on the 25th floor, we could see all kinds of creatures in the ocean! It was rather scary seeing a huge sting ray so close to shore. I took a couple of pictures. The first one, you can see a sting ray in the upper left corner.

In this picture, you can see a dolphin:

After having lunch at the condo, DW & I decided to slip away for an afternoon cocktail at Margaritaville. The Margaritaville in Panama City Beach is at the new Pier Park and just opened within the past few months. I am a HUGE Jimmy Buffett fan! Here are some pictures:

I had the margarita (Left) and DW had the rum runner (Right).

We enjoyed Margaritaville SO much, we decided to come back the next day for lunch. (more on that later.)

Next installment - dinner at Boon Docks

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Looks like a great vacation! The beach looks gorgeous. Your mahi-mahi pictures are making me hungry. Love the painted adirondack chairs at Margaritaville! You are a good trip reporter!! Maybe you do have a future with the Travel Channel!

Did anyone ask you about your food/adult beverage pictures? I saw a woman in Chili's the other night taking pictures of her food and almost asked if she was a DIS'er but decided not to...

 

[alan_renfroe]

For dinner, we went to one of our very favorite places: Boon Docks. This restaurant opened in 1998. We found out about it in 2000 and have been going regularly ever since. It is where the locals go. It is NOT on the beach, but rather inland about 6 miles perched on the back of the bay. It may sound strange, but I love partially because you don't feel like a tourist - you feel like a local! The bartender's name is Bo, and I always say hello to him everytime I'm there. (I'm going to write a song about Bo the Bartender some day!)

Anyway, here are a few pics from our trip to Boon Docks.

We ordered some fried dill pickles as an appetizer. Yummy!

I ordered the Fried Gulf Shrimp with cheese grits and coleslaw. Awesome!

DW ordered the Fried Shrimp & Bay Scallops. The scallops were small, but they were soooooo goood!!!

The kids both ordered their usual: the kids chicken fingers

We always love driving out to Boon Docks! I wish I could live somewhere along that bay!

After dinner, we headed back to the condo and swam a bit more in the pool before calling it a day. Tomorrow we leave Panama City Beach and drive over to Destin.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Enjoying your mini-TR. Thanks for sharing!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

For dinner, we went to one of our very favorite places: Boon Docks. This restaurant opened in 1998. We found out about it in 2000 and have been going regularly ever since. It is where the locals go. It is NOT on the beach, but rather inland about 6 miles perched on the back of the bay. It may sound strange, but I love partially because you don't feel like a tourist - you feel like a local!

The "locals" places are always the best!!

The bartender's name is Bo, and I always say hello to him everytime I'm there. (I'm going to write a song about Bo the Bartender some day!)

Are you a musician? Will we be hearing your musical stylings on the soon to open American Idol attraction in Hollywood Studios??

 

[englishrose47]

Sorry to hijack your report but just had to ask English Rose, do you mean Gt Yarmouth in the UK?? If you do I live very close and they still do hot, fried sugary donuts!! YUMMO!!

Am enjoying your beach report!!

Yes I mean that Yarmouth! My family used to go to the seaside at Hemsby evry year and we always did a day in Yarmouth!! My Dad was from Norwich!!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Sorry to hijack your report but just had to ask English Rose, do you mean Gt Yarmouth in the UK?? If you do I live very close and they still do hot, fried sugary donuts!! YUMMO!!

Am enjoying your beach report!!

No problem! What a cool connection!

Looks like a great vacation! The beach looks gorgeous. Your mahi-mahi pictures are making me hungry. Love the painted adirondack chairs at Margaritaville! You are a good trip reporter!! Maybe you do have a future with the Travel Channel!

Did anyone ask you about your food/adult beverage pictures? I saw a woman in Chili's the other night taking pictures of her food and almost asked if she was a DIS'er but decided not to...

Thanks, Christine. I would love to have one of those chairs from Margaritaville...now that's relaxing!

It's funny when you take pictures of your food. People around you look at you funny. Fortunately, I don't really care about what other people around me think! I'm having MY fun MY way!! You are right about seeing other people taking food pictures - makes you wonder if they are DISers!

Enjoying your mini-TR. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, DisMomAmy!

The "locals" places are always the best!!



Are you a musician? Will we be hearing your musical stylings on the soon to open American Idol attraction in Hollywood Studios??

Yes, I am a musician, but I don't think my "musical stylings" will be gracing the AI attraction at Hollywood Studios anytime soon!!! I'm just an acoustic guitar player and part of a two-man duo. We play on the weekends to make a little extra money. I've been doing it since I was a teenager.

Yes I mean that Yarmouth! My family used to go to the seaside at Hemsby evry year and we always did a day in Yarmouth!! My Dad was from Norwich!!

What a GREAT connection! How cool!

 

[Camster0307]

Alan - You're KILLING me with your pictures! With every one, I just give out a huge sigh - the food, the beach, the pool, the alcohol! Everything just looks beautiful!

 

[alan_renfroe]

On Tuesday morning, once again I was the first one to wake up. I didn't want to wake any of the other family members, so I took a walk on the beach. I took a few pictures along the way.

Since we will be leaving Panama City Beach today and heading to Destin to be with DW's family, I drove back to Thomas' to pick up donuts for DW's family.

Here's a photo of the new vehicle at the beach:

When I got back to the condo, everyone was up and getting ready to go down to the pool.

DD was FABulous putting on her sunscreen!

After one last trip to the pool and the beach, it was time to pack up and leave the condo in Panama City Beach.

Next up - lunch at Margaritaville and the world's LARGEST nachos!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Ah....lunch at Margaritaville! I could just LIVE at this place! Honestly, I wish Buffett would work with the Disney folks to get a Margaritaville at Downtown Disney!!! Wouldn't that be great? (Probably not going to happen, since Buffett's lyrics can be a little PG-13....it was a nice thought anyway!)

Here are some pics I made at lunch at Margaritaville:

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite picture from the beach trip!

DW & I had a beer:

After my beer, I ordered a margarita to have with lunch. I naively ordered the Volcano Nachos. This was listed as an appetizer in the "Just for starters" section of the menu, so I had no idea it would be SO BIG!!! Look at this thing!

It was SO BIG that people were staring at me when they brought it out with a look like, "is he really going to eat all of that?" We all laughed at the sheer size of the thing! I did my best to eat as much as I could! We took a "before" and "after" picture. Here is the "before" picture:

and here is "after." You can barely tell the difference!

DW had the steak and chicken fajitas, which were great.

DS & DD both ordered chicken enchiladas. They were fantastic!

I know Margaritaville is a touristy thing, and I just got on my soapbox about how I like to try local things....but this place is GREAT! I was tempted to drive back over to Panama City Beach from Destin later in the week to eat here again...but alas we did not.

After stopping at a few shops, we were on our way to Destin.

Next installment - Destin!

 

[englishrose47]

Alan did I ever mention my DSIL is from McIntosh ,Ala. Whick I think is close to Jacksonville unless I have my 'jacks " mixed up I remember one way went to Mobile and the other to Jacksonville.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Alan - You're KILLING me with your pictures! With every one, I just give out a huge sigh - the food, the beach, the pool, the alcohol! Everything just looks beautiful!

Didn't mean to kill ya! I love the beach!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Alan did I ever mention my DSIL is from McIntosh ,Ala. Whick I think is close to Jacksonville unless I have my 'jacks " mixed up I remember one way went to Mobile and the other to Jacksonville.

No, you've never mentioned that! That's cool!

I don't know where McIntosh is, but I would say that is probably South Alabama. If Mobile is in one direction and Jacksonville in the other, that is probably Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville, Alabama is a small college town in North Alabama. I work for Jacksonville State University and most people think that we are located in Florida!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Finally, we arrived in Destin around 3pm. DW's sister used her timesharing points to get two condo units for three nights for the entire family. The place was called Majestic Sun and it was nice.

We took a walking tour around the complex.

The view from our balcony:

We spent most of the afternoon and evening visiting with family. We were tired from the full day of activity, so we called it an early night.

Tomorrow, I volunteered to cook for the entire family for dinner! (all 18 of them.) Fresh shrimp, anyone?

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

Great updates!
I too am (not so) patiently awaiting the news about next year's dining and prices.
Oh, and as an aside I LOVE Jimmy! Aaron and I were members of the Southern Maryland Parrot Head Club before we moved to Charleston.

 

[Figment's Friend]

Oooo those fried dill pickles look delicious!

I have a friend who is also a huge Jimmy Buffet fan and she had her entire backyard themed after the Margaritaville restaurant after they went to the one at Universal's Citywalk! Included are those chairs you took pictures of earlier! (Naturally not bought from the restaurant, she did them herself, but you get the idea! ) There's references to his songs and other signs and such all over their cabana/outdoor bar! Seems you Buffet fans are everywhere!

The nachos made me actually gasp! What a portion!

I can tell by your family's smiles how much fun you had, can't wait for more and this dinner you made everybody!

 

[stepdisney]

Okay Alan, the "even smelled funny" did me in. I retreat. I have to find another place to eat dinner that night. There are two shows that night and I will go to the later show, no problem, no worries. Thanks Cammie for the suggestions!

You guys look like you are having a ball. We love Panama area. Margaritaville is very cool. Last time I was there I "blew out my flip flop." You guessed it, "I stepped on a pot top" (I'm also a Jimmy fan ).

 

[englishrose47]

No, you've never mentioned that! That's cool!

I don't know where McIntosh is, but I would say that is probably South Alabama. If Mobile is in one direction and Jacksonville in the other, that is probably Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville, Alabama is a small college town in North Alabama. I work for Jacksonville State University and most people think that we are located in Florida!

Yes it is South Alabama! It is about an hour from Mobile, So I must have the wrong Jack!! I am leaning more to May myself now, after looking at the crowd blog on UG .It is definately better than March. Plus it will be good practise for September with the whole gang!!I am off course checking the restaurants I want to eat and have decided I needto stay a month to go to allof them

 

[Michelle_and_Aaron]

Woohoo you are going to the world in May with us and with Alan's family!! And of course thousands of others! I am excited about my birthday trip!