Food on the Road

Sprague's Lobster Shack in Wiscasset Maine

I am a Dreamer and, as such, love to plan vacations to places that will fill my soul and leave me fully relaxed and ready to work tirelessly until the next vacation. Has it happened yet? Definitely. Vacations to the Deep South, Montreal, Oahu's North Shore, New Hampshire, Maine, Boston, and Cape Ann have all been extremely relaxing and soul filling. One getaway which left me feeling like a I needed another vacation upon arriving home was a week in Cape Cod. Something about that place sickens me. Maybe it was the endless highway of chain motels, bowling alleys, arcades, bad restaurants, and tour buses filled with old people at every stop. I must insert here that not all of Cape Cod is bad; Highway 6A (the original higway) is a beautiful drive with antique shops, stores, and old cemetaries (my wife's favorite).

What is it about some vacations that are wonderful and others which leave us unfulfilled? For some it's the people you travel with. My Brother said that when he and his wife travel, they get up earlier than normal and see everything on the list. They wonder why we won't travel with them:-). For others, where you stay is important. For me, as you can probably guess, it's how many great restaurants I patronize. Rachel and I plan very little as to what we are going to do. Somedays we do nothing but go out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a little relaxing in between. I would prefer to stay in a $49/night motel room and spend the majority of the travel budget on food. This leaves me fulfilled and gives me something to write about. It works great for us. 

Traveling, much like food, has turned into a passion for me. I love finding places to travel; where to stay and where to eat. My wife leaves the travel planning to me much like I leave home projects to her. She regularly answers "sounds great" to my question "should we go here?" Figuring out where to go can be summed up with this sentence: I don't know what I am looking for but will know it when I find it. It's very exciting for me.

Two weeks ago we planned a trip to Florida. Or I should say that we bought the plane tickets. My cousin invited us down for a week in January and I got very excited about.....................you guessed it, where to eat when we get there. After booking the tickets I started researching restaurants in the area. It was 3 days later that I remembered to let him know that we were coming. That was a little awkward on the phone as I was  hoping that he still had the week available and hadn't invited someone else to stay. No worries, he's looking forward to seeing us. I went there this past January but this time, Rachel, Ruby, and I will be going. My Cousin and I ate at Miller's Ale House in Ft. Myers, Harpoon Harry's at Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda, Rum Bay Restaurant on Cape Haze - you need to take a water taxi to Cape Haze. Ruby will love this. 

Well I better get back to work so I can save up for retirement? home repairs? new car? Not a chance; I will be saving up for restaurant money on our trip to Florida. 

Happy Eating (and Traveling).