5. Arkansas

     Our visit to our 5th state took us to Little Rock, Arkansas.

Flat Stanley (some of you will remember who that is)

will now be traveling with us on behalf of the first graders at Oakridge. The American Eagle crew from DFW were gracious enough to allow him to sit in the cockpit. He will soon have his own photo slideshow.

     We drove to the River Market District along the banks of the Arkansas River. Since it was a Sunday, not as many places were open but we did find

the Flying Fish restaurant where we shared a shrimp/catfish basket. It hit the spot. The gumbo was a great beginning. Dennis tried the crawfish chowder. It was just spicy enough for him to have to wipe his brow. On the walls in one room were a boatload of Big Mouth Billy Basses. According to the sign, if you bring yours in and allow the restaurant to adopt it then they'll give you a basket of catfish. Sorry to say we had never received one of these popular Christmas gift items a few years back but if you happen to find yours in the back of your closet, take it with you to the Flying Fish and they'll take real good care of it. The rest of us will just have to pay for our catfish.

    After a bite to eat and a walk in the River Market area we drove to the Clinton Presidential Library and then to the capitol for some photo ops. Before we headed home we made a stop at the Whole Hog Cafe to try some of their pulled pork and award-winning ribs. The pork is dry rubbed with their secret spices and then hickory smoked. I'm not a coleslaw fan so we decided to have our sandwich without it. They offer 6 different sauces and I couldn't decide which I preferred so I just had a different sauce with each bite. The ribs were tender and the meat just fell off the bone. We couldn't have asked for a better way to end our day in Little Rock.

     Leg 2 -

        1 day

        2 flights

        105.5 driving miles

         = 1 state visited

                         45 states to go

http://flyingfishinthe.net/
http://www.wholehogcafe.com/

4. Alabama

     Fairhope, Alabama is full of antique shops.  A great place to spend an afternoon shopping.  A stop at the welcome center brought another surprise for me. There was a statue outside and I thought I recognized the artist's work.  A closer look at the plaque beside it confirmed my suspicion. The artist was Jo Hess of Mobile, Alabama.  Jo's daughter, Linda, was married to my father in the 80s and a number of Jo's pieces grace our collection.  Lunch was at Andree's Wine, Cheese, & Things, a combination store/lunch room. The seafood gumbo was thick and tasty. The half Sunshine Crunch sandwich (avocado spread, cucumber, lettuce, onion, and a veggie cream cheese spread with balsamic vinaigrette on honey wheat bread) was just enough so I would have room to try one of their specialty desserts, white wine cake. We took our dessert to go as we headed back to New Orleans to catch our flight home. The cake was more like a pound cake with a lemony flavor and the taste of wine was very subtle. The perfect ending for a southern ladies' lunch. On the way through Mississippi we made a detour so we could see some more of the Gulf Coast. The beautiful old homes that used to adorn the drive along the coast are no longer there. It was quite sad to see all the empty lots with for sale signs. There are some signs of rebuilding but mostly hotels and casinos.
    As we reached New Orleans we decided to make one last stop, Gambino's Bakery for some doberge cake to take home. They're famous for their doberge cake which is a butter cake filled with custard.  I really wanted to bring home a king cake but didn't think I could get it through security.  Maybe we'll just have to make another trip down to "Ole N'Awlins".
   Leg 1 -
    2 days
    2 flights
    638.5 miles on the road
            = 4 states visited 

http://www.andreesonline.com/
http://www.gambinos.com/

3. Florida

     After going 24 hours with no sleep, the bed in our hotel was a welcome sight. Dennis was wondering why we had to drive 100 miles into Florida to check it off our list. Why, because the beaches in Destin / Ft. Walton are the whitest beaches. January is not the best time to go to the beach but we did it anyway. Walking on sand in boots was a first for me. A stop at a roadside produce stand provided us our food for Florida, a juicy orange.  Next stop, Alabama.

2. Mississippi

     On the recommendation from Carol, a sorority sister, we stopped in Kiln, Mississippi for dinner at Jourdan River Seafood. They open at 4:30 and we were the first to enter for the evening. It didn't take long for them to fill up and after dining with them we knew why. Our waiter suggested we start with "magic bread".  Magic bread consists of shrimp and tasso (seasoned smoked pork)  on french bread with melted cheese served with a marinara sauce. The marinara sauce was chunky, not like the sauce I'm used to but still good. The bread melted in your mouth and really needed no sauce. A new name for this appetizer should be "disappearing bread" since that's exactly what it did.

Look at the size of this shrimp!

The main course was just as delightful. We opted for the S.S. Minnow, a combination of Royal Reds, king crab, and snow crab.  Royal reds are shrimp that are harvested from waters that are deeper than 600ft. They are the most succulent shrimp I've ever had. If you like seafood, then this restaurant should be on your bucket list. After two hours of shrimp and crabs with no room for dessert (not something my sweet tooth usually passes up) we headed towards our next stop, Florida. Yes, I know my geography and Alabama is between the two but we just drove through it.

1. Louisiana

January 16, 2011


Beignets




Jackson Square in the French Quarter



     An early morning flight on American took us to New Orleans. First stop - Cafe du Monde for beignets.  A walk around Jackson Square to take in the sights and listen to the music of "The Big Easy".  With a few hours to kill, Harrah's casino was our next stop. No big winners here, but we played long enough to have our parking paid for. 

     The afternoon was spent at Blue Cypress Books visiting with my cousin who is an illustrator. My cousin, Brenda Nichols illustrated the book Beauregard Le'Moose Is Loose in New Orleans. The book was written by Judy Phillips and they were both at the book store for a signing. It gave Dennis and I the perfect opportunity to put in a little family time while on our quest. Much to my delight when I walked in was another cousin, Tera, who I hadn't seen in a number of years. After visiting and gathering recommendations of various restaurants to try while on our quest, we headed to our second state, Mississippi.

Travel along with me as I mark this milestone year. In celebration of reaching the big 50 later this year, my goal is to visit all 50 states during 2011. The plan is to eat or drink something in each state and hopefully not in an airport. Hopefully some regional cuisine or specialty will fill each plate. Suggestions for favorite dining places or menu options will always be appreciated. My journey will begin in Louisiana, the state of my birth, in a few weeks.