The road less traveled

The school year is over and summer has begun for my son.  We both have a lot of built up and unnecessary stress to relieve, and it’s time to find our normal again.  The only normal I know is to seek adventure and fun wherever I can find it for us.  And so, I am on a mission to make this the best summer ever.

Sometimes we find adventure for our taste buds with food.  Spending time with my son is always fun.  He’s still my all-time favorite lunch date…

I loved the fresh flowers on the table in this little cafe.  We were treating ourselves to a well deserved treat after a busy morning.

Some dishes are a hit…

A delicious burger, but not like any other.  This one was the best vegetarian burger I’ve ever had with a side of sweet potato fries.

A grown up meal for a growing little man… Steak and potatoes hit the spot.

Some leave a little to be desired in some way…

This salad would have been okay except for the boiled egg.  Who freezes boiled egg?  This restaurant did, and it turned a perfectly good salad into a bit of a disappointment.

I loved this fried green tomato BLT, but my son found the tomatoes a little sour for his taste.

These cheddar biscuits were delicious to me.  However, my son found them a bit on the spicy side.

And sometimes it’s just a little sweet…

A new adventure in food for me… a delicious Concha.  Not too sweet, and just right with tea or coffee.

Southern Caramel Cake.  The dessert dish that made my son declare he’s never ordering dessert again.  We both left with a pretty good sugar buzz.

Blueberry Hibiscus sweet tea.  It had the perfect level of sweetness and was very refreshing.

And we’re always ready to try new things.  Perhaps a new food from a good grocery store…

Sometimes we find adventure in the great outdoors…

One of my favorite spots has a few things you can find nowhere else in the world. Quite a few endangered animals and plants can be seen here.

An old cedar… A guardian near the upper entrance to a wildlife refuge.

Sometimes we look for fun things to do in town…

A mirror inside of a local bakery. Very charming, indeed.

Under the bridge and to the river we go. Had to love the solitude on this day.

Sometimes we have adventure with family…

Sometimes we venture out on our own…

Once in a while, you see something strange or cool…

Here we found an old building with a unique climber.  Note the yucca plant growing up and over reaching for the sun.  I’ve never seen one grow quite like this.

Can you see him?  He’s there… look closely…

Ever get that feeling you’re being watched?  Must be my imagination.

Some things make us kind of sad.  A trip to one of my favorite “secret” spots reminded me of how selfish people can be.  Graffiti and broken beer bottles riddle the rock outcroppings in an otherwise breathtaking setting.  Then there was the time I wanted to walk the length of a boardwalk through a nearby swamp only to find it closed.  It had been damaged by a big flood last fall and was unsafe.

We’ve been to the marsh…

And the swamp…

Walked in the woods…

And climbed on some big rocks…

Went to the river…

We’re always on the hunt for cool critters…

I believe this might be an eastern Hercules Beetle.  We have seen more than one of these this summer.

We’re always learning something…

Swimming lessons were in order to start the summer off.  I want do do more swimming this year!

Perhaps our next adventure will have some history to learn.  Perhaps we’ll find a rare plant or critter in the woods.  Maybe we’ll seek out a nice deserted stretch of beach to collect some shells.  Yes, it can be done even in summer time.  Maybe we’ll find a new favorite when we visit our next restaurant.  But, one thing is for sure… Finding a new adventure is fun, and always worth it.  But, sometimes our adventures make us a little tired…

This is after a short, but tiresome hike.  We didn’t quite make it 2 miles in total, but the elevation difference was the equivalent of a 7 story building.  That’s quite a hike!

I am determined to give my son a cool childhood like I had.  We’ve just begun our summer adventures, and I can’t wait for the next one.