By now, I am sure you are ready for me to move on from my summer vacation photos but considering the hurricanes that have blown through that part of the world, I had to post this last group of photos. While we were on Sanibel Island, we found a walking trail by accident. We had left our hotel room, on foot, and walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. As we approached the front of the building, we realized that it was not open. Since we were set on having dinner, we turned around and began walking back to go somewhere else and that is when we saw a small sign for the Pond Apple Trail. And yes, we also saw signs for alligators-this little guy did not pose much of a threat but everybody knows that small alligators are the result of big alligators…
We didn’t walk the trail that evening but we did go back one afternoon while we were out riding bicycles. A portion of the trail winds around several square ponds that are part of a stormwater remediation program for the island. This handsome fellow was watching over the water for possible snacks.
If you are curious about the remediation method used here, small rafts of plants are assembled and allowed to float in the ponds. The root systems of the plants help clean the water of pollutants that are washed into the ponds during storm runoff.
The trail gets its name from the native pond apple trees which are relatives of custard apples and soursops.
Although they were perfectly edible, we decided not to eat them. We enjoyed the trail and look forward to a trip back to the island so we can explore it again.
On the day we were leaving, I scheduled the flight home late in the afternoon so that we could spend the day exploring some of Fort Meyers. Mother nature had other ideas and we were stuck walking in drizzly conditions. We found a great place to explore despite the rain! Six Mile Cypress Slough is one of the most unique trails I have ever walked and I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area. The entire trail is a raised wooden boardwalk that wides its way through a cypress swamp. Currently, the trail is closed and I am assuming it is because of storm damage.
The stumps in the water are called knees and cypress trees develop these roots as they grow in the water. The water was so clear, golden in color but clear with amazing visibility!
The ferns grow everywhere! These were colonizing the base of a tree trunk.
Have you seen those air plants for sale everywhere? They grow wild all over Sanibel Island and here in the slough as well. The lichens were pretty amazing as well, I have never seen them in this color before.
More air plants, they can get pretty large.
Ferns, love ferns… The way the little fronds unfurl…
Of course, it would not be a proper southern swamp without some hanging moss.
The boardwalk, it was only a mile from start to finish but we took our time and probably spent an hour wandering the walkway.
At every turn, there was something to see. Plants above water, plants below water.
And it wouldn’t be a proper hike without a reflection shot.
Moss and ferns, two of my favorite things.
This guy was just hanging out, he let me take his photo. Hopefully, the damage to the trail was not too extensive and it will reopen soon.
Another fact, taking a live sea creature as a souvenir carries a $500 fine per creature. That could be an expensive lesson to learn! We found this guy on the beach in the tide line. He, or she for that matter, was just laying there and I saw the shell first. Thinking it would be one to add to my collection, I picked it up and when I turned it over to check, there he was-a live Florida Fighting Conch!
This little guy was as curious of us as we were of him. As Darry held him up so that I could take some photos, he slowly crept further and further out of his shell.
Look at the love in his eyes…We returned him to the water and wandered on in search of that elusive green flash.
This just goes to show you that barnacles will attach to anything, including cheap sunglasses.
Sunset was approaching and so was a thunderstorm. The view from one end of the beach to the other was very different. In this direction, sunny.
Turn 180 degrees and not so sunny.
This little guy didn’t let the clouds stop him so we decided to follow his lead and keep walking on-even if there was thunder in the distance.
The sun was sinking fast and that meant we might just see that flash.
Thankfully, the storm seemed to be moving past us and no rain fell near us as we walked on the beach.
Those clouds, the colors; the camera did not catch it all and I hate adding color to the photos; it seems like cheating.
We had to wait a while, there was still at least half the sun above the horizon.
The clouds just kept getting better and better, so did the colors in the sky.
You would not have to do much to convince me to chuck it all out the window and move to the beach. Seriously, I could very easily learn to adapt to summer weather all year long and sunset walks on the beach.
With about a quarter of the sun left, we waited patiently.
To see that green flash, you need to be there just as the sun sinks below the horizon. We began walking back as the moment of truth approached and this was the last photo I took. If there was a green flash when the sun finally disappeared below the horizon, we did not see it. Thinking this means we need to go back to the beach!
If you ask me, the perfect summer evening includes a long, leisurely stroll on a beach. Slowed pace, feet covered in sand and tickled by the surf, eyes scanning the tide line in search of seashells, breathing in the salty breeze-absolute heaven. We may not be world travelers, or even frequent vacationers, but one thing is certain, we will more than likely visit a beach if we plan a trip. Over the years, we have been to beaches on the East, West and Gulf coasts but this was the first time we visited 
The stripes formed along the tidal path are just littered with shells, mostly small but still beautiful and worthy of collecting.
As I took photos, I noticed Darry doing his best “Sanibel Stoop” while he scanned the surface of the sand for treasures.
He quickly retrieved a few shells to show me, from left to right: a Scotch bonnet and two Florida fighting conchs.
It was somewhat addicting. Finding intact shells was also pretty easy and we had a bag full in no time.
So many shells…
Horse conchs can get very large, the world record shell is just over 2 feet long, but we didn’t have much luck finding anything over an inch or so!
On my most recent trip to Atlanta, I had the chance to visit Delia’s Chicken and Sausage Stand. Like any other place that calls itself a “stand,” Delia’s is a little building with outdoor seating along the side of a very busy street. Don’t let the lack of indoor accommodations scare you away; this place is worth the trip!
Having placed our orders, we went outside to grab a table. The seating area is covered which means that you will not bake in the sun and if it is raining, you can still sit down at a table and eat-personally, I hate eating a meal in the car!
The staff is friendly and were a pleasure to deal with-they even let me take photos!
Judging by the location of these seats, they must get pretty busy. These seats are near the parking area and in full sun during lunch.
By now you must be wondering what chicken sausage is. The short answer; ground chicken with spices and herbs which is cooked up and tastes a lot like an Italian sausage but isn’t nearly as greasy. We both chose to order The Chickie Philly Classic which is chicken sausage with onions and peppers with classic sauce (cheese sauce) and chipotle mayo on a hoagie roll.
However, I had mine without the cheese sauce-I just do not like cheese on my Philly sandwiches!
The sandwiches are large and filling but those fries…my weakness for seasoned fries well documented. These were too good to pass up.
When I said the sandwiches were large, I wasn’t kidding! We were glad to have spent a couple hours walking on 
After lunch, we headed over to 
She looks so innocent…
These were just so weird. The way they sat upside down…
These were just creepy. The one on the right almost looks like a real baby while the one in the middle looks like an alien in need of new eyes!
The dolls heads are everywhere, so is graffiti.
We wandered slowly along the trail, continually finding little treasures
and graffiti, lots and lots of graffiti
some of the work was clever and imaginitive
other things were humorous
quite a bit of it was creepy
This collection of shoes was amazing-look at the moss on the boots. Love the Shoeless Joe Jackson reference, had to explain that one.
And of course, a common sense public announcement. This will be a place I must return to on occasion, especially after a big rain event. It will be very interesting to see what washes up and how it is used in the artwork on the trail.
The park is also a nature center and we happened to catch this little guy out shopping for lunch.
He was a little reminder to look at everything because you just do not know what you will find out there.
Like this tree which was easily 20 feet from the trail in some very tall and thick brush.
Of course, we had to leave our mark as well.
we did so in honor of our cats! Chicken Wing and The Captain are now part of the trail.
After hiking up Black Balsam and climbing the equivalent of 75 floors (yes, we are fitbit geeks), we were thirsty and hungry. Luckily, Asheville has an abundance of breweries and barbeque restaurants. We left the car at the guest house where we were staying and walked a few blocks over to Catawba Brewing Company and Buxton Hall Barbeque. Honestly though, I have not developed much of a taste for beer and did not indulge in any of the brews on tap. 
Beer Kegs are all over the space. These were located near the entrance and under the chalkboard that announces upcoming events and releases.
The back wall of the building is lined with windows, the seating area is bright and open racks of kegs line the walls.
When I mentioned the large amounts of brews available on tap, I really wasn’t exaggerating.
Located right next door to Catawba Brewing is 
Like the brewery, the space is large and open and so is the kitchen.
We were seated near the bar. The restaurant was packed and it was a Wednesday evening, after Labor Day. Like many of the restaurants around town, the sources for the ingredients used in the kitchen are on the menu. Since we were starving, we ordered full plates! Fried chicken is a weakness of mine and I will order it on occasion but when I read that this version was made with smoked chicken, I had to order the quarter dark plate. Alix decided to indulge in barbeque and neither of us was disappointed! It is easy to see why Bon Appetit and Southern Living magazines called Buxton Hall Barbeque one of the best new restaurants for 2016. Be sure to save room for pie, we had a slice of the Banana Pudding Pie and it was worth every calorie; creamy custard, homemade cookies and caramelized marshmallow topping, the perfect end to a wonderful day.
An open kitchen means that everyone can watch you work. Seeing this cook prepping away brought back many memories of long evenings spent working the line and prepping for the next day. Back then I worked in the pantry and spent many hours picking stems off spinach leaves and peeling shrimp 10-50 pounds at a time; I do not miss that at all!
Looking forward to going back to Asheville so that I can try some more of the restaurants.
One of my favorite things about traveling to new places is the chance to try new restaurants. Trust me folks, Asheville did not disappoint! Every meal we had was well worth the visit. After our big hike up to Black Balsam Knob, we followed another recommendation from the wonderful folks at 
Having hiked at least 6 miles (did 9 miles of walking for the day), we quickly drained the water bottles placed on the table.
This old building was perfect for camera play-I loved the light fixtures hanging above the tables.
Sorry, couldn’t resist…
My choice for lunch was a spinach and tofu salad. Trust me when I say that this is not what I expected. It was also as delicious as it was different, those crunchy bits on the top…Seriously though, this dish was only offered as a special and for those of you who visit the restaurant, I hope they offer it again! It had a little bit of a bite to it but the crumbled tofu and cooked spinach were well flavored and served cold-perfect and refreshing for the hot day and the hike we had just completed.
The rest of our meal included pork dumplings and fried tofu. Be sure to check the special board to see what fillings are available for the dumplings because they change them frequently. We devoured them! The filling was a typical Asian style pork recipe with ginger and garlic and all of the other ingredients you would expect to find but it was the sauce that made them. It was a creamy peanut sauce with what I think was a touch of red curry and if we had been there alone, we might have fought over who was going to have it all.
Between us, we also shared a grilled vegetable salad that included squash, peppers and avocados. This was the first time I ate a grilled avocado and honestly, I don’t think it made any difference to the flavor; ripe avocados are the food of the gods and nothing can improve that! Again, be sure to check the special board, that is where the good stuff is. At least it was on our visit because most of what we ate, was ordered off the board and not the menu.
And if you need any proof, we joined the clean plate club and walked away feeling full but not stuffed! It was the perfect way to refresh ourselves after our hiking adventure.
The verdict, if you are in Asheville, take the trip over for lunch, it isn’t in the downtown area but it is worth the time you will need to get there. My plan is to go back sometime and try the dinner menu.
Remember that mention of Local Provisions? We were staying nearby and walked over for cocktails before heading out to dinner. When I read the description for the Midnight Voyage, I had to have one. It was the first time I have ever tasted Honeysuckle Vodka and I probably could have consumed a quart of this mixture! The cocktail is a blend of honeysuckle vodka, Creme de Violette, St. Germain and lime juice. It was a little sweet, very citrusy and just a bit floral; it was also like a glass of grown-up limeade that did not remind me of really bad margaritas, which is something lime juice generally does for me. They knocked it out of the park with the addition of a stem of begonia flowers. How is it that this gardener did not know that begonias are edible??? They have a tart flavor that will get you at the back of your jaw but in this drink, they were the perfect addition!
will garden for cake 