Florida (and other) food

As I mentioned last week, we went to Florida for a wedding and a mini-vacay. And while I kept forgetting to take photos of every meal, here are a few to make you drool.

I wanted us to go to Paschal’s in Atlanta so hubby could try their terrific fried chicken, but it was going to be a bear navigating downtown during rush hour, so we ended up finding a place in Macon called The Bear’s Den where we had what hubby thinks is the best fried chicken he ever had. I was a big fan of the collard greens myself.

We knew we needed some Cuban fare while in Florida, so we looked for a place close to the hotel.

Got a Cuban sandwich and fried plantains. Mmmm. Hit the spot!

The wedding menu was pretty scrumptious, too.

The mixed greens bouquet was as pretty as delicious. The lighting was kind of dim though. Should have used the flash.
Main course…pardon my phone shadow (hmmm, sounds like a Cat Stevens song…).

After heading to Sanibel Island, we had the “seafood trio” at a couple of different restaurants. I forgot to take a photo from the first place, but this is the one from the second place, The Sandbar. It was darned good!

On the way home, we couldn’t make it to The Bear’s Den before it closed (at 6pm!?!) so we thought we’d give Zaxby’s a try. We didn’t realize it was fast food. It wasn’t bad, but we’ll probably not go back any time soon.

I just made myself really hungry.

In search of vitamin D

Well, really, it was to go to a nephew’s wedding, but hubby recently had bloodwork done and found he was exceedingly low on vitamin D, so it was a good excuse to take a mini-vacation in sunny, warm Florida.

But enough about us. How about some wildlife?

Or not so wild wildlife: urban, dumpster-diving White Ibises
a pensive Ring-billed gull (probably contemplating stealing your fries)
this Reddish Egret obligingly strutted around for us
lest you think it’s all about birds, sometimes it’s about insects (Io Moth caterpillar)
a time-step of Willets (weird collective noun fact of the day)
Gopher Tortoises go fer grass, apparently
White Ibises in their more natural habit than next to dumpsters
the Ruddy Turnstone is one of hubby’s favorite shorebirds and is also, in his opinion, an excellent name for a band
a Great Egret with its yellow socks and black leggings
Roseate Spoonbill + Reddish Egret = BBFF (best bird friends 4-evah)
if there’s one thing I know next to nothing about it’s lizards; if anyone knows what this and the one in the next photo are, tag me on Twitter and let me know, please (is this a Hispanola Stout Anole?)
?????
Guess what? Peregrine Falcon butt! Heh!

Next time, FOOD!

Nonfiction fun in Florida

My good friend and critique partner, Tanya Konerman, and I decided we need to hone our nonfiction craft but in a gorgeous setting. So, we took off to Jacksonville for the Edit & Get It Beachside Nonfiction Retreat.

The view:

en route to Jacksonville
flying back to Indy

The venue:

beachside resort
the funky hallway mimicking an underwater passage
outdoor patio seating
an expansive beach right off the back

The friends…

Tanya, me, and Sophia Gholtz
12×12 folks
me and Laurie Wallmark, fellow Sterling Children’s Books authors
Marcie Atkins and me, we’re in the same debut group of Notable19s

The faculty…

the incomparable Candace Fleming
legendary editor Neal Porter
editor Julie McCarthy who shares my love of science and environmentalism
the entire faculty

And last, but never the least, the food…

eating Whit’s frozen custard is a messy job but someone’s gotta do it
shrimp and grits from Ragtime restaurant
fried chicken from the historic joint of Paschal’s (this one is at the Atlanta airport)

All in all, it was a terrific experience at a great location: I learned lots, got to meet online friends in person, and enjoyed some relaxation by the ocean.