Back from the beach, into a downpour

Boy, it's been raining with a capital R here in St. Louis for the past 3 days. Bad flooding everywhere. We didn't have nearly this much weather trouble at the beach! Lots of great pictures and stories and video to share... Here's the best story:

On the beach in Alabama, we met a woman from Missouri. That wasn't so weird.
Turns out she's from St. Louis. That wasn't so weird.
Turns out she's from West County. That wasn't so weird.
Turns out she's from Manchester, about 2 miles from our house. That wasn't so weird.
Turns out her daughter is Emilyn's art teacher. That was pretty weird!

For more, check out the posts that will pop in below this one, with the dates from our trip. Enjoy!

Day 9: Lambert's and home

Ahhh, Missouri. It's amazing how cheap $3.04 looks when you've been traveling around in the land of $3.25.

We rolled into MO Tuesday morning, and made it to Lambert's for an early lunch. That place is just amazing. So cheap, cash only, and they give you so much food! I passed a lady eating a salad as big as a steering wheel! Daddy got heaps of fried okra. And, of course, the throwed rolls. Nothing like it.

Day 8: A nice hotel in Southaven, Miss.

Just outside of Memphis is Southaven, Mississippi. It's a pretty big suburb-type town. Think Paramus.

Anyway, after a few tries, we found a nice hotel, the Comfort Suites, where they offer fancy snacks and free beer from 5:30 to 6:30! That's nice for the Crabbes after a weary day of driving.

Sleeping in the same room with Allen isn't so nice... It was clear something on Daddy's iPod had stuck with him... On his way to dreamland, he kept singing, "Sendin' out an SOS, sendin' out an SOS..." Too much Police!

What Allen really wanted to hear is Daughtry's "Over You." Over and over and over... Sometimes, though, it was the only way to calm him down in the car. Magic stuff.

Day 7: A breakthrough at the beach

The kid rule at the beach is they're terrified of the ocean the first day, then gradually warm up to the idea that the surf won't kill them and might actually be fun! Well, leave it to finicky little Allen (who wouldn't walk in the dry sand and wouldn't get his feet wet all week... he would only walk on flat, hard sand) to wait until the last day to get up the gumption to put his toes in the sea. And of course, it was darn fun!

For all of us, it was a good last day at the beach.



Last lunch was at King Neptune's, up on the bayou, which we had never tried before. Well, it turns out they have the best food I've eaten at the beach. (And boy, do they have a cool website!) We had this amazing crab and avocado appetizer with spicy tomato sauce that I just have to learn how to make. Our tuna steaks were amazing... Allen dropped the shaker of cajun spice, it detonated, and some shrapnel got me in the foot... Even with the casualties, it was a very satisfying dining experience.

Lots more pictures of our last day... Click here for mine and here for Emilyn's.

Day 6: Corvettes, high in the sky and PIE!

On Saturday, we headed over to the Wharf... It's a kind of outdoor mall/hotel/development at the foot of the Foley Beach Express, which is a toll-road shortcut to the beaches. A high-traffic spot in the summer, I'm sure.

The big attraction there is a big ferris wheel, but we were lucky enough (for Daddy) to be there on the day they were having a big Corvette show, too!

The Wharf has the added attraction of being on the way to the Bayside Grill, home of the best key lime pie in the universe. It's like an explosion of fun on your tongue. Seriously. It's at least four different kinds of good. Plus, it's fun to play on the dock outside, and mess around in the live oaks.



Lots more stuff to see over at DropShots, including Emilyn's video of the ferris wheel ride (she and Allen got matching souvenir shirts). Click here for my stuff and here for Emilyn's.

Day 5: Good day for a ferry ride

It was gloomy and windy again on Friday, so it was a good day for a ferry ride to Dauphin Island and the Estuarium.

On the Mobile Bay ferry from Fort Morgan, I took this picture, which is now in my Top 10 favorites of all time:



The Estuarium is full of cool fishies and things to see and touch.

Click here for more of my photos, and here for more of Emilyn's.

Day 4: Ravenous seabirds, smooth as glass

We woke up on Thursday morning to the pelicans and seagulls having a breakfast buffet... Then we realized how calm it was out there! Allen decided even he could give this Gulf a try -- if Daddy holds on tight!

Day 3: Better for the beach

As always, the seagulls were happy to see us!

On Wednesday, we got in some beach time... Overhead, we saw a plane towing a banner touting "AYCE shrimp" at the Shrimp Basket... So, that was a no-brainer. Emilyn posed in front of their Ivan high water mark, showing how easily she would have drowned!



After lunch, it was a quick walk over to Souvenir City, famous for the giant shark entranceway! Allen loved that.


Click here for more of my photos and here for more of Emilyn's.

Day 2: Rain, planes and a pizza clock

There was no good news from John Edd Thompson, our weather source when we're at the beach. He told us it would be a rainy morning, no matter how much we wanted to get out to the beach.

So, Daddy was happy! Time for a trip to the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola NAS.

Allen gets to climb inside many of the little trainers there. He likes that very much. For Emilyn, there are neat weather games and other science-type learning. And the gift shop! There's also a large kids' play area for tired mommies.

After the museum, we headed to Perdido Key's famous pizza joint, Lillian's. It was our first time in the new place, a concrete pizza palace built across the road from the original location, which was trashed by Hurricane Ivan. Allen was tickled pink by this... a pizza clock!?



Luckily, the skies cleared that afternoon, and we were treated to the vistas we'd driven so far to see: (For more photos, click here for mine and here for Emilyn's.)

Oh, I wish I was in the land of... Czech pastry?

Driving to the beach in Alabama, we didn't expect to see... The Kolache Bakery? The woman who ran the place was from Texas, and she says all donuts there are called kolaches! Weird!

These were yummy, especially the cinnamon pecan and the cream cheese, and it was a welcome stop after so many hours of driving. We were so close to the beach... but it's hard to wait.

So it was that the Crabbes noshed on Czech pastries and chocolate milk in Robertsdale, Alabama, on the way to the beach.

Daddy also saw a right-hand-drive Jeep on the road to Gulf Shores. So, it was a pretty continental day all around!

For more shots from day one, click here for my pictures and here for Emilyn's photos.