Road Warriors

This is a post for my fellow road warriors headed for Florida this summer!
     It is summer here in Fort Worth, although you might not guess that based on the weather! As soon as summer starts people around here start heading out on vacation and one of the favorite destinations is Watercolor/Seaside, Florida. I know this because I was there last week and saw several of our sweet families!! My husband and I have mapped out a path to get to Florida that involves really great food, and when you are on a road trip food is the thing that makes it all ok.  Pack a lunch in your ice chest so you can have lunch on the road without making yourself sick with a drive thru burger. There is great food in Florida, don't waste the calories on bad road food. Also, pack your swim suits, sunscreen, a few towels, and an old sheet for the beach.
     First, if you leave in the morning and head towards Shreveport, then take 3132 down to I-49 and head south until you get to I-10, and go through Baton Rouge. Now, here is what we have learned... even though it sounds like a good idea to stop in Baton Rouge, actually, it's not. Baton Rouge has too much traffic and too many people, so keep on going through Baton Rouge, stay on I-12, and stop for dinner in Slidell, Louisiana. There is a great Hot Dog Bar with outside seating so the kids can be crazy on the patio without disturbing anyone. It will be a later dinner, but it is worth it! The place is called Bruiser's and the address is 1904 Front Street.

     Bruiser's has several kinds of hot dogs but not such a big menu that it is hard to pick, which is very important when your brain is fried by seeing what feels like a million miles of highway pass around you. After a little out of the car time, get back in the car and keep heading east. We always stop in Daphne, Alabama. We do this for several reasons... #1 FOOD! There is a fantastic breakfast place in Daphne called the East Side Café. Holy moly, great food! Being honest, I ordered 2 breakfasts because I just couldn't decide. I had the stuffed French toast, AMAZING, and Jason and I split the Cottage Sandwich with bacon and sausage. Oh My Goodness, so, so good! The kids were happy too with outside seating and pancakes, what could be better than that?? Even my super picky eater had a few bites of pancake and a piece of bacon.

Now, you are set for a great day! You are only 2 hours from Watercolor or Seaside and you can go ahead and park in the public parking, put on your swim suits and have an extra beach day by getting there Saturday morning instead of waiting for the 3 or 4 o'clock check in. Go have lunch, and then spread your sheet on the beach, there is a public area just west of the watercolor beach, and sand shakes out of a sheet much easier that a towel. let the kids play in the water and get all their pent up wiggles out, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine!