Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 7: Mardi Gras All Over Again

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Threat of rain all day.  Barb, Glen and I walked over to Aaron Bessant Park west of Pier Park and saw the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Aaron Neville.  You don't get much more New Orleans ('Nawlins) than those two.  Huge crowd despite threat of rain which didn't come, fortunately.  All the better to get us into the Mardi Gras mood.

On the way back we listened to Waylon Thibideaux and his band playing zydeco and Cajun in Pier Park.  Unfortunately, a real heavy, moisture-laden fog rolled in before the PCB Mardis Gras parade.  At times you couldn't see any of the buildings, but the parade went off anyway.  We missed the fireworks because of the fog.

RoadGras

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 8 Rain (But No Snow) Wings, Breakfast and Beer

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Glen and Barb got off in the morning.  We really had one heavy downpour most of the day.  Watched a couple movies on TV.  Then drove over to Salty Sue's for wings and, later, of course, Donovan's.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Still drizzling today.  Weather reports say the area has gotten anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of rain since Saturday.  Meanwhile, Chicago has gotten over a foot of snow.  I'll take the rain.  Had breakfast at the Sunnyside Grill.  They have a Sunnyside and we like to go to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg.  We had sun finally and I finished reading the "Peshtigo Firestorm" out on deck.

Went to Shuckums and Donovan's.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 6: Patches, Sharkey's, Eat My Pasty, Donovan's and Fireworks

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Snow back home.  67 degrees here in PCB today.   Drove to Patches with Glenn and Barb.  They were impressed.  A real locals dive bar and hard to find, but worth it.  Went to Sharkey's and sat out at that great big tiki hit by the water.

Had dinner at the British joint called Eat My Pasty which, of course serves pastys, which British miners used to eat.  Also enjoyed English beer.

Went to Donovan's and then enjoyed the Mardi Gras fireworks off the pier.  We watched from the motel.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 5: Mardi Gras Party, Usual Suspects Join Us and Bar Hopping

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Warm enough, but really strong winds made it uncomfortable.  Bought a new king cake as we had finished the first one.  Also some food for the Driftwood Lodge/Osprey Mardi Gras party held at noon.  It was outside, but the Osprey building blocked the wind so it was fine as far as comfort, even had to take my sweatshirt off.

We were joined by friends Glenn and Barb who got a room near us for a few days.  They'd just finished a Kentucky Bourbon Cruise and had never been to PCB so we will show them around.

We took them to Dusty's. Pamona Joe's and Donovan's.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 4: Sun, Bars and Eatin'

TUESDAY, FEB. 6

Kinda cold this morning, but warmed up nicely.  Caught some rays on the deck.  Best day we've had so far.

We've been trained well by three local sparrows to feed them whenever they chirp.

Went back to Patches and, unbelievably, got a place to sit inside.  Had cheap beer at Shuckums and split a half pound of fresh steamed shrimp.  Donovan's of course.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Another nice day for the deck.  At the Driftwood Lodge, our front door is about 200 feet from the Gulf of Mexico and with  all that super white sand.  Went looking for Cici's pizza, a favorite of ours, but it was closed.  Ended up in Panama City at Golden Corral and all that food.  Donovan's, of course.

Patches a Very Popular Place.  --RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 3: A Super Bowl, Dusty's and a Woodstock Flashback

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Rain (not so good)  then sun and sat outside and enjoyed it.  Stayed put today as we'd sure driven enough the last four days.

Walked across the street to Donovan's and watched the Super Bowl drinking $1 pints and quite an array of food.  Mostly Eagle fans (everyone is tired of New England always being there.  Great game and first ever Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Championship.  Congrats, the Eagle Has Landed!!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Enjoyed the deck on a nice day.  Went to Dusty's, a favorite place of ours for a pitcher of beer and then Donovan's.  Watched as much of the movie "Woodstock: Director's Cut from 10:30 to 12:30 a.m., until I couldn't stay up any longer.  Earlier today an article in the Panama City News Herald about a woman living there who was at Woodstock and got her picture in Life Magazine.

So, Today Was Woodstock Day (Coming Up On Its 50th Anniversary).  --RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 2: Hitting the Bars and Mardi Gras

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2

We arrived in Panama City Beach (PCB) around noon and checked into the Driftwood Lodge.   Went to Wal-Mart to stock up the beer and then drove the long, long way (distance, traffic and stoplights) out to the east end of PCB looking for a bar friends had told us about called Patches, but couldn't find it.

Disappointed as we were, we drowned our sorrows at Sharkeys, Pompano Joe's and finally, our favorite PCB watering hole, Donovan's Reef.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3

Had breakfast at Burger King and did some shopping at Dollar Tree and bought a king cake at Winn-Dixie.  Hey, Mardi Gras after all.   And, Mardi Gras in both Panama City and PCB was a big reason we came down this early in February.

Drove to Panama City for the St. Andrews Mardi Gras parade and collected a whole lot of beads even though we weren't really trying to get them.

We "found" patches on the way back, and it was everything we had heard it was, a locals favorite and quite the dive bar with patches of military, fire departments and police all over the interior.

Went to Donovan's, something we did every day we were in PCB.

Getting Into the Swing of Things.  --RoadDog

Just Got Back From PCB-- Part 1: On the Road Again

We went to Panama City Beach, Florida, in the early part of this month for our annual drive to the warm and Mardi Gras.  We covered 2,350 miles, and went through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.

On the way down, we managed to catch a rush hour in Indy, the trucks from hell in Louisville the first day and, on the second day, with thoughts of making it to PCB , ended up spending a night in Enterprise, Alabama, when the front brakes on the car went out.

Fortunately, we found a Chevrolet place in Enterprise and they fixed it right away the next day to send us on our way.

Arrived at the Driftwood Lodge in PCB on Friday.

A Two-Day Trip Turned Into Three Days.  --RoadDog

SOME OBSERVATIONS (From the Wassup magazine)  Do twins ever realize that one of them was unplanned?