Shoe #307, found on the drive back from New Orleans with Trish and Sharon, minutes before we were delayed for an hour in traffic as a result of a tractor trailer crash. I do not believe anyone died in the accident so this shoe is not a Lost Sole dedication.
The first day started a week-long whirlwind of activities. We went to the Pensacola Naval Museum and Fort Barrancas to see the sights and hone her photography skills. It was hot out that day so the outdoor shots were limited. We did get to see the lighthouse for the first time, and got some great shots. We saw an imax film (i love the Imax). We ate lunch at the Cubi Bar, a small restaurant located inside the museum. It has great ambiance. It is an authentic recreation of a bar that once existed in the Philippines on a Navy base that is no longer there. The literally brought the interior of the bar to the states piece by piece, plaque by plaque. The food there is pretty basic. It comes out quick and reminds me of high school cafeteria food. But the food is not why you go there anyway, get a cold San Miguel and play a game of shuffle puck and you will not care about the food.
The next day was a beach day. We hung out with our friend Heather who was 42 weeks pregnant at the time but still totted her backpack and surfboard sporting a bikini. I got a photo I will always remember. I think it is one of the best portraits I have taken.
New Orleans was next on the agenda and why this entry made it into the Dogparks and Brewpubs category. Upon arriving to Nawlins, we parked in the French Quarter and headed straight to the Crescent City Brewpub.
It was just opening for lunch. The place looked great, it was such a cool old building revitalized very well. When I asked about what seasonal beer was on tap I was greeted with music to my ears. They had just brewed a batch of Dunkel Weiss! (Dark Wheat) It was a good beer, not a great one, but I am tainted. I just had the night before an incredible Ayinger Dunkel Weiss that took me to a happy place :) We just did an appetizer there, but I think we picked the best one. A seafood cheesecake that was to die for. It even surprised Trish who is not a big seafood eater. Overall this pub is a must hit!
The rest of our Nawlins trip was spent walking around and shooting photos of all the great stuff in the French Quarters. We ended the day by visiting a place on Oprah’s favorites things list, Sucre, a confectionary heaven. They had so many decadent treats and deserts it was nearly impossible to choose. The store itself was a mix between modern and old New Orleans. We opted for a gelato sundae to split as they are quite big. Trish had a caramel stuffed chocolate cupcake which she said was divine. The item they are most famous for are their macaroons, we took a few to go. later that night we tried them, they lived up to all the hype. They practically melt in your mouth. This place is somewhere everyone who New Orleans has to try.
It was only a few days into Trish’s vacation and I think she needed a vacation from her vacation so we took a day to recoup before hitting the beach again. Trish hiked around the fort, climbed a fire tower, kayaked surfed, went on a boat fishing with me and Dave before finally calling it quits and driving 10 hours back to Cincinnati.
We really enjoyed having her around and miss her already. We look forward to seeing her in October when she comes to stay at her timeshare in Destin :)
Over Trish’s short stay we discovered 6 Lost Soles! Almost one a day. They just seemed to be everywhere, we even passed up two on the highway to New Orleans.