We started the day at the Panhandle Pioneer Village in Blountstown. We trekked through the Panhandle Friday through Sunday. There’s a photo at our Genuine Florida blog of the location.

I took advantage of the deer busts that line the restaurant in The Ice House in Marianna.  We had dinner there with friends, Marti and Jeff Vickery. There’s also a 12 foot stuffed gator in the restaurant. Great seafood and view of the Chipola River below.

Sandra and I continued our Brevard County tourwith a stop at ‘Your Place Restaurant’ for breakfast. What a busy place! Above is a fellow at the counter. We made runs through Cocoa Village, Rockledge and Cocoa Beach. With stops at ‘The Enchanted Forrest’, Arbetters Hot Dog Stand, Ashley’s Restaurant (formerly Gentleman Jim’s), Harvey Groves, Lori Wilson Park, etc. Afterward we headed back to Dixie Crossroads for more rock shrimp! Below is a model boat displayed in the restaurant.

For a bit more go to our Genuine Florida site!

Sandra and I headed east to Brevard County to explore. That brought us to our friend Lauralee Thompson’s Dixie Crossroads for dinner. Here are sketches of a fellow there and a sketch of some folks at a table. Sorry I don’t have time to color the sketches right now!

For more go to our Genuine Florida site!

After Dixie Crossroads we went to the Moonlight Drive-In, also in Titusville, for ice cream. It’s located at 1515 S Washington Avenue, U.S. 1. It’s one of the last drive-ins still functioning as a drive-in in Florida. OF course there are the ice cream (soft-serve) treats and hotdogs, etc. There is also an indoor eating area. Here, hanging from the ceiling inside are a couple of speakers that used to grace the outside where folks would call in their order.

We started off at the Orlando Remembered meeting where we celebrated Lucile Fair’s upcoming 100th birthday. Above is a photo of Peggy Jo Van den Berg handing a card I drew for Lucille’s birthday. Beside that Banning Radler signs the card. Amongat the guests that came is City Commisioner Robert Stewart. Here he is with Lucile below.

Sandra then went on to meet up with our friends the Singers. I went on to accomplish a number of chores and then an afternoon meeting with Kris Woodson at the Orlando Public Library and the owner of the 8 store Coliseum of Comics, Phil Boyle. We’re cooking up big plans on May 3rd. Moreto come soon!

I then went on to do an oral history with Terry Ivy, a fifth generation Florida native.

After that I met with Sandra at Harris Rosen’s new spot, The Shingle Creek Resort. We had dinner at ‘A Land Remembered’ , named after the book by Patrick Smith that I think should be mandatory reading for all Floridians. We had a  yummy dessert they serve at the restaurant, Key Lime Custard.

Below is a drawing of  the back of a person at the restaurant who gestured quite a bit. Beside that is a photo of the butter serve. We had to watch it’s bite.

Lots of gifts were exchanged at the house.

Later Sandra, my father and I had dinner at the restaurant in the Hilton hotel, “Arthur’s” (Whoever “Arthur” is). Here’s a fellow that was at a nearby table having a Christmas dinner with family.

We got a surprise visit from Sandra’s longtime hiking buddy Linda Patton, who was passing thorugh. We met for a great meal at Wolfy’s in Ocala. We all collectively raved about the food. The drawings are of the restrrom sign and a lone chair.

We were speaking about my annual Christmas card and I mentioned my plan to feature the Wakulla Lodge in Wakulla Springs State Park south of Linda’s home in Tallahassee. Linda and Sandra insisted that I include in the Christmas card the Gill-Man from the Creature of the Black Lagoon. So I whipped up the Santa Gill-Man for them.

It was a late lunch stop for us at the historic Billy’s Tap Room. What a great place. wooden interior and terrific atmosphere. Learn more here!

Instead of my art decorating this post, I’ll include a photo of a painting by the legendary Jack Davis that hangs on the Tap Room wall. Sorry for the glare. The pasiting is right beside a front window (Not a good place for art). If I could’ve walked through the wall and glass I could’ve gotten rid of the glare.

We stopped at this great Greek owned restaurant for breakfast. I forget the name and didn’t write it down. I’ll add it later. Sorry for the black and white images. The schedule has gotten pretty full.