Oh So Chillin at the Low Key Hideaway

Life is very good at the Low Key Hideaway in Cedar Key-an adults only RV park and Motel.  And not your typical RV park-only 3 sites !  You have your own little dock or swing to sit on all day long or all night long if you can tear yourself away from the hammock or the Tiki Bar.

I knew when we were making tentative (loosey goosey) plans for this trip that this place had to included.  And because of our timing and when we needed to be in Cape San Blas to start the remodel/refresh effort on the condo, we didn't want to be driving all over Florida from park to park.  We wanted some place where we could really relax; get some adult peace and quiet; have some adult party time; and meet people who just plain want to enjoy life !  This place fits the bill more than I could have imagined.  I said before you feel like it's your own little piece of heaven-and that's because of what Pat & Cindy Bonish have done with this place. Everything is thought out to be a really fun,funky,cool laid back place where you can let your hair down and have a wonderful experience.  Trust me, this place is unlike any you have ever been to and if you are heading to Florida I suggest you start booking now ! We plan on making this our getaway place once we have settled in.  Pinch me, we will be living on Cape San Blas with that gorgeous beach and we would come here to getaway !

Try the signature drink "The Hideaway" but be careful-it's so good you don't realize what you are drinking !

Rum, rum and more Rum 

The party starts at 4pm and runs until 9 and no dwi because you are just  steps away from your bed !

The grounds are all funky and artsy-my kind of place !

Our new evacuation plan for our condo !

So many choices of where to kick back,have a cold drink and relax 

Amazing sunsets right out your back door

Mr. Pelican man flew in just as the sun was setting and promptly took his front row seat

You can check out their travel blog at Every Miles A Memory to see how this lovely couple ended up here. Or visit their gallery pages on SmugMug-here's a taste of what you can experience from the Low Key Hideaway Gallery.  Did I tell you that both of these folks are accomplished photographers ?

Well , it's 5 o'clock somewhere and I'm heading out to the sunshine with a cold drink-Happy Trails

St Joseph Peninsula State Park Cape San Blas Florida

It was late in the day when we arrived at St Joseph Peninsula State Park.  That's because we stopped at our new home on the way to the park.  Jim had never been here before and I was so anxious for him to see the beach and the condo.  We couldn't go in because some snowbirds are currently renting it until April 1st.  My stomach was in knots hoping and praying that Jim would love it as much as I did when I first saw it-and he did !  He couldn't believe how close we were to the beach-less than 50 steps away.  So we walked along the beach, checked out the condo from all angles and then headed to the park

We were in space 113 in the Shady Tree campground as opposed to the Gulf Breeze campground.  We talked to the ranger about switching to Gulf Breeze the next day and lucky for us there was an opening but we had to be at the station at 8am.  So we got up bright and early and that's when we ran smack into the gorgeous sunrise.  We just couldn't believe the colors and the peacefulness of the area.  We keep pinching ourselves since we can't believe we are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area.

We drove through Gulf Breeze campground and decided the sites were much closer together than Shady Trees so we went happily back to space #113 for the week we stayed here.

We stayed at this park because it gave us access to things we needed to take care of in anticpation of our move to Cape San Blas.  We found a storage facility just 6 miles from our condo; a CPA to help us figure out our tax mess this year; and we got to introduce Hailey to the beach she would come to know as home.  She loved it and it's not even the best time of the year according to the locals.  As far as I'm concerned anytime at the beach is the best time of the year.

We usually don't eat a lot of hot dogs but on this trip I discovered Boar's Head Vidalia Onion mix-oh so good.  But we used it up before we got to this campground and it's very hard to find.  So I looked at the ingredients and mixed up my own batch-Jim thought it was even better than the Boar's head !

I chopped up 2 Vidalia onions and cooked them in a little bit of olive oil until they started to soften and get a little transparent.  I added 2 chopped tomatoes (chopped into very small pieces).  To that I added about 3 tablespoons of garlic powder; about 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar; and 3 tablespoons of McCormick Smokehouse Maple seasoning; a sprinkling of salt to taste and about 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce. This was very very good on the hotdogs. Experiment with your seasonings-we like it a little spicy so I also added about a tablespoon of red pepper flakes. Then refrigerated everything.

I told Jim I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the beach for the entire week we were here-he said it's because I felt like I was at home and not just visiting-so I didn't need pictures to remind me . I promise to post pictures of the gorgeous beach-because it is so very pretty with the white sand and turquoise blue waters.  Until then, Happy Trails to all of you.

Mardis Gras New Orleans 2014-Wet, Wild and Wonderful

After spending so much time trying to find remote campsites where we could find peace and quiet to just enjoy nature in, we were both apprehensive about heading to New Orleans for the party of all parties- Mardi Gras 2014.  Everyone warned us it would be crazy, including born and raised folks from Louisiana !   But we were determined.  We figured we had to experience it at least once in our lifetimes !

2 Cuties in their Mardi Gras attire

The Pirate and His Lady

Lundi Gras Celebration the Day before-and the beads were flying !

 Jim wondering why he had to stand in the take out line for 30 minutes--of course for the best beignets in town !

 We wandered through the French Market,stopping to eat and listen to the music

 OMG, Okra Seafood Gumbo

The Kerry Irish Pub off of Decatur Street-great music, great drinks !

The best Irish Coffee ever-Jameson,Baileys, a splash of coffee and lots of whipped cream !

I want what she's having ! 

 These two were crazy, he wouldn't stand still for me !

Onto our 2nd Irish pub for the evening

Because of the weather on Mardi Gras, we actually had more fun at Lundi Gras-didn't have to bundle up in plastic ponchos !  Everyone asked us about naked people,drunks,crime,etc.; honestly we felt perfectly safe.  We stuck to main streets, kept our belongings close (what little we took with us), and we didn't visit Bourbon Street after 10pm which is probably the best advice.  By that time all the 20 something folks are pretty plastered and obnoxious-those are the people who came to get drunk !

We stayed at Pontchartrain Landing RV park and they had 4 shuttles into town (8minute 6$ round trip ride).  It was very convenient, but honestly I wouldn't stay there again-it's not exactly how it appears in the pretty web site !  Rest rooms appeared to be the same portable ones I experienced when I was in New Orleans after Katrina with Habitat for Humanity.  No wifi-or not enough band windth-we could never access it-they did give us a credit on our bill when we complained.  And the bar has music that blasts into the campground-so if you want to go to bed early you can forget it or take your earplugs .  Safe and convenient but in the industrial area so you really don't want to go out and walk at night . Next time I want a balcony at one of the hotels-LOL

Ahh Mardi Gras and the beginning of a fun day in the rain 

Until 2015 Laissez les bons temps rouler

Just a little taste of music from New Orleans Lundi Gras Celebration (the video takes a moment to start ):

Happy Trails Y'all.............

P.S.  You must visit Elizabeth's when you are in New Orleans-we had the best breakfast ever.  Don't be put off by appearances-remember you can't judge a book by it's cover ! Like they say "REAL FOOD,DONE REAL GOOD"