To celebrate two fabulous years of wedded bliss, we decided to hit the island for the weekend. (St. Simons Island, GA) I LOVE YOU JOE!
Weather doesn't seem to be motorcycle friendly, so we are taking our second option - my Mustang, yep it's a convertible GT - not a bad secondary! lol
We didn't have to worry about a place to stay, our fabulous friends offered their island home for the weekend. Just a block from Redfern Village, the location was great! This weekend was also just about hanging out together, relaxing and general chillin' - good food and drink is a given.
Weather is great now, so we walk over to the Village to check out the options. Gnat's Landing is always popping. We recommend you stop by grab a snack, a drink or two, listen to some live music. Gnat's is the place to go after dinner...good place for your late night closer.
The best food in the Village is gonna be found at Catch 228. Small place at the end of the row. Absolutely delicious. The Seafood Dip is cheesy, crabby goodness. The Shrimp and Grits -AMAZING. We have never gotten anything we didn't love. There is a bar inside, but Joe and I always sit outside when it is an option. Catch 228 is very high on my favs list!
Breakfast is not the easiest meal to find when traveling - if you don't want fast food or a Waffle house. Wow! At the end of our street is the Fireside Tex Mex Grill. Full breakfast! YAY! They have a standard breakfast menu and some Tex Mex options that Joe went for. He had a Mexican Egg Bowl - scrambled eggs with peppers, onions & taco meat, served over hash browns with queso - in a tortilla shell. Thumbs up from him.
We will definitely stop here again, try out the lunch/dinner menu!
After a day at the beach, we head back to the Village for dinner.
This time, we hit the Blackwater Grill. If it's good enough for Guy Fieri, it's good enough for us. ha ha The food here is fabulous. Once again, Shrimp and Grits for me. (I LOVE SHRIMP and GRITS) I cannot decide where it is better, Catch 228 or here - both are out of this world delicious. I also had a carafe of their Sangria, very good....but not quite as good as Joe's - I think I'm spoiled. Jambayala got rave reviews from the hubby.
Now for the drawbacks - No outdoor seating and overlooking the marsh would be a great spot for it! It has a casual decor with a rather snooty vibe. Come to the Grill for the food; head back down to Gnat's for the fun!
Well, anniversary weekend over. <insert frown here>
Looking forward to many more years with my wonderful husband. <insert smile here>
Later!
Joe and Tara
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Spontaneity Strikes Again! June 17-19 2011 St. Augustine FL
To take a break from the smoke and general chaos of the wild fires of South Georgia, we decided to escape to one of our favorite riding destinations - St. Augustine. We love St. Augustine for a short weekend of riding, eating and drinking!
We take US 1 South down to Florida. In Callahan, we take SR410 to Yulee. This is where the ride really begins.
A1A is a Florida state road that runs down the Atlantic coastline for almost the entire state! Starting in Fernandina Beach, you will pass by beautiful homes and fantastic coastal views. Another awesome part is crossing the St. Johns River on the ferry. (Pull up to the curb in front of the cars and trucks in line; bikes load first.) Jacksonville Beach is next (Look for some posts about places to stop there later) then Ponte Vedra (Home of the Sawgrass).
Not too many places to stop along the way, but such a great ride down the coast to St Augustine.
Once there, we snag a room at our little place, the Scottish Inn on San Marco. This is not a luxury hotel by any stretch of the imagination. If you want to place to rest your weary head for a few hours...for just $65 a night, this is the place to do it! The owners are awesome and biker friendly. It is in walking distance to George St, offers a huge oak tree for shade, a nice shelter for your bike, a pool....a package store just down the street - but not much more.
We arrived late, checked in, grabbed some beer from Old Town Liquor and headed to George Street. It was getting pretty late and I was worried about finding food!!! Walking down Cathedral, live music guided us to a pub - Nick and Brad's Draft House. A local standing outside for a smoke said the food was great, so we popped in. Nick and Brad's has the best Fried Green tomatoes - ever - and I am almost an expert in this area! (The Cotton Exchange in Savannah and Hyman's Seafood in Charleston are worthy opponents)
Overall: Music was good, beer was cold, bartender entertaining, locals friendly, food delicious. We will be back.
Just around the corner is the Trade Winds Lounge where there is never a shortage of bikes, beer, loud music or dancing. Not my favorite place, mostly because of the smoke....lots and lots of smoke. Not a place for the faint of heart, it's a loud, rowdy crowd.Joe and I typically enjoy a little more laid back atmosphere.
We hit several of our other 'go-to' spots over the weekend.
I can't go to St. Augustine without mentioning The Rendezvous!
A few years ago, I discovered my FAVORITE beer in the world - Lindemans Peche Lambic Belgium- at The Rendezvous, a little place stuck at the end of a mini-mall off St George St. It has a light menu (sandwiches, soups) and beer, lots and lots of beer - from all over the world. Some is a bit pricey, as is my fav at about $10.00 a bottle. Gotta stop by and try something new here.
We always take a ride over the Bridge of Lions and head south down A1A. We usually don't have an actual destination; we just ride til we feel like stopping. Here are a few of our regular eatin' and waterin' holes off of A1A.
World Famous Oasis Pros: parking area for bikes - Deck/bar upstairs (wait for a seat here) - great breakfast (hard to find in St. Augustine) - A+ on the Bloody Mary's and the Special Burger. Joe gives the fish sandwich thumbs up. YUMMY food. Lots of TVs for sports fans - cool souvenir shirts.
Bar None Saloon: Absolute biker bar - clean & cheap, just how we like it - bartenders are always friendly - pretty quiet crowd (but we have not been there at night)
Salt Water Cowboys: Very pretty location. Always a wait, but they have an outdoor bar and a nice deck/porch overlooking the marsh. This is usually our dinner destination. More laid back atmosphere. No loud music or dancing here, just good food.
Appetizers: Smoked fish dip & Oysters Dondaville are both delicious. Joe loves the fried seafood sampler. Note: We always sit out back on the deck. Lots of wild cats out there, if you are allergic or afraid - steer clear of the deck.
Sand Bar: A1A Crescent Beach - Love this little hole in the wall biker bar - no frills - cheap, strong drinks - great company.
Finn's Beachside Pub: Flagler Beach A1A - Huge open air deck/bar area on second floor - Great views - lots of seats - live music - good food. Fish tacos and salads are good here.
This trip was all about chilling, riding, eating and drinking!
Til next time!
We take US 1 South down to Florida. In Callahan, we take SR410 to Yulee. This is where the ride really begins.
A1A is a Florida state road that runs down the Atlantic coastline for almost the entire state! Starting in Fernandina Beach, you will pass by beautiful homes and fantastic coastal views. Another awesome part is crossing the St. Johns River on the ferry. (Pull up to the curb in front of the cars and trucks in line; bikes load first.) Jacksonville Beach is next (Look for some posts about places to stop there later) then Ponte Vedra (Home of the Sawgrass).
Not too many places to stop along the way, but such a great ride down the coast to St Augustine.
Once there, we snag a room at our little place, the Scottish Inn on San Marco. This is not a luxury hotel by any stretch of the imagination. If you want to place to rest your weary head for a few hours...for just $65 a night, this is the place to do it! The owners are awesome and biker friendly. It is in walking distance to George St, offers a huge oak tree for shade, a nice shelter for your bike, a pool....a package store just down the street - but not much more.
We arrived late, checked in, grabbed some beer from Old Town Liquor and headed to George Street. It was getting pretty late and I was worried about finding food!!! Walking down Cathedral, live music guided us to a pub - Nick and Brad's Draft House. A local standing outside for a smoke said the food was great, so we popped in. Nick and Brad's has the best Fried Green tomatoes - ever - and I am almost an expert in this area! (The Cotton Exchange in Savannah and Hyman's Seafood in Charleston are worthy opponents)
Overall: Music was good, beer was cold, bartender entertaining, locals friendly, food delicious. We will be back.
Just around the corner is the Trade Winds Lounge where there is never a shortage of bikes, beer, loud music or dancing. Not my favorite place, mostly because of the smoke....lots and lots of smoke. Not a place for the faint of heart, it's a loud, rowdy crowd.Joe and I typically enjoy a little more laid back atmosphere.
We hit several of our other 'go-to' spots over the weekend.
I can't go to St. Augustine without mentioning The Rendezvous!
A few years ago, I discovered my FAVORITE beer in the world - Lindemans Peche Lambic Belgium- at The Rendezvous, a little place stuck at the end of a mini-mall off St George St. It has a light menu (sandwiches, soups) and beer, lots and lots of beer - from all over the world. Some is a bit pricey, as is my fav at about $10.00 a bottle. Gotta stop by and try something new here.
We always take a ride over the Bridge of Lions and head south down A1A. We usually don't have an actual destination; we just ride til we feel like stopping. Here are a few of our regular eatin' and waterin' holes off of A1A.
World Famous Oasis Pros: parking area for bikes - Deck/bar upstairs (wait for a seat here) - great breakfast (hard to find in St. Augustine) - A+ on the Bloody Mary's and the Special Burger. Joe gives the fish sandwich thumbs up. YUMMY food. Lots of TVs for sports fans - cool souvenir shirts.
Cons: It can get too crowded and we have skipped out because it isn't really worth a long wait.It is a little more 'touristy' than we enjoy.
Bar None Saloon: Absolute biker bar - clean & cheap, just how we like it - bartenders are always friendly - pretty quiet crowd (but we have not been there at night)
Salt Water Cowboys: Very pretty location. Always a wait, but they have an outdoor bar and a nice deck/porch overlooking the marsh. This is usually our dinner destination. More laid back atmosphere. No loud music or dancing here, just good food.
Appetizers: Smoked fish dip & Oysters Dondaville are both delicious. Joe loves the fried seafood sampler. Note: We always sit out back on the deck. Lots of wild cats out there, if you are allergic or afraid - steer clear of the deck.
Sand Bar: A1A Crescent Beach - Love this little hole in the wall biker bar - no frills - cheap, strong drinks - great company.
Finn's Beachside Pub: Flagler Beach A1A - Huge open air deck/bar area on second floor - Great views - lots of seats - live music - good food. Fish tacos and salads are good here.
This trip was all about chilling, riding, eating and drinking!
Til next time!
Later,
Joe and Tara
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