A recap of our quick 48-hour trip to the coast
If you have enough patience and follow this blog long enough (which is a big if), you will learn that Audrey and I have a tendency to be spontaneous. This weekend was no different.
The Flora-Bama is a beach bar, restaurant, and live music venue situated right on the Florida and Alabama state line. If you've spent any time in this area of the Gulf Coast, then you've likely heard of it.
One of the house acts at the Flora-Bama is the "Big Earl Show" featuring Jack Robertson. The show typically happens every Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm in the "Bama Dome". If you're unfamiliar with this venue, Flora-Bama has multiple bars and venues for live music under one roof, the "Bama Dome" is one of them.
Jack Robertson aka "Big Earl" mixes bar favorite music with raunchy humor and has earned a following nationwide for his antics. Each year, Flora-Bama celebrates Robertson's birthday with a big birthday bash. During the usually slow season for the venue, the place is packed for those wanting to share in the party of Big Earl's Birthday.
It's in that spirit, that we decided to load up the car and head south on Friday afternoon, spend one day on the coast, and come home Sunday.
I know it's crazy. I know it's probably not an intelligent thing to do. But there's something awesome about an unexpected, ill-advised trip to somewhere you love visiting. So, on Friday afternoon at 5:00 pm, we set forth.
As many of you know by now, CruiseNReview recently partnered with Cruise Brothers to be able to offer personalized travel consultations and bookings. We've been trying to work out the bugs in our system by "guinea pigging" on ourselves. When we started considering this trip, I went through one of our booking engines and was able to price a cheap night at the AC Marriott in Jackson, Mississippi (about half way to the coast for us), and a one bedroom condo in Perdido Key, Florida (about five miles from Flora-Bama). Total cost: $447. Sold.
We live around eight hours from Perdido Key, Florida so our plan was to drive roughly half way on Friday night after work then get up early the next morning and get to the coast around noon, have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, check-in to the condo, then head to the Flora-Bama for Big Earl's Birthday show.
We arrived at the AC Marriott in Jackson a little after 9 pm on Friday night. We got a few drinks at the bar and then got to bed to get an early start on Saturday morning. The hotel was nice and in a great spot in Ridgeland. If you are passing through the area, I highly recommend the area and the hotel. It was affordably priced as well.
The next morning we got on the road around 8:00 am and headed straight for one of the best seafood spots on the Alabama Gulf Coast, Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar. It's located in Bon Secour, Alabama and boasts a large menu with a variety of seafood options. The service is always fantastic and it's a neat location with a great atmosphere. If you like oysters, you can't miss the Oysters Tin Top. Baked Oysters with house crawfish sauce and parmesan cheese. My favorite entrée is seafood topped, which is the fresh catch topped with shrimp and crab meat stuffing and lobster sauce. Other favorites are royal reds, raw oysters, crab claws, and the butt tender steak. As a side, trust me, get the lima beans (pictured). We arrived at the restaurant direct from Jackson at around 12:30 pm and the feast commenced. Honestly, I knew right then this whole crazy trip was going to be worth it.
After lunch, we headed straight to the condo. Through our booking engine, we had reserved a one-bedroom condo at the Grand Caribbean West in Perdido Key. I picked this place for two reasons: price and location. It was only around $75 for the night (before fees) and was around 5 miles from Flora-Bama. I didn't really know what to expect as far as ocean views/access, but I knew it wasn't beach front based off the listing and pictures. This was fine since we were only staying one night and didn't plan to be at the condo much at all. Much to our surprise, there was a nice view of the ocean from the patio and easy access to the beach. We immediately took the limited time we had and enjoyed both of these features. The place was clean, well-kept, and the owners had left clear instructions on electronics and some complimentary snacks. If you're looking for an affordable, nice place for a single family with a couple of kids, this might be a place to check-out. It had one king master, two bunk beds, a pullout sofa, and one bathroom. It was small, but mighty. To see the listing, click here.
The show started at 7:00 pm but we wanted to get in early to avoid long lines going through security and paying at the front, so we headed to the Flora-Bama for a 5:30 pm arrival. Cover was $5 per person.
The Flora-Bama is something to behold. With multiple bars and live music stages spanning thousands of square feet and multiple levels, it doesn't look like much on the outside, but the inside is a sight to see. It's easily my favorite bar to go to for live music and drinks. The atmosphere is electric.
Big Earl's Birthday Party, the entire reason for the trip, lived up to the hype. Robertson rolled out guest after guest, showcasing talented performers from the Flora-Bama and beyond. The crowd was entertained by his constant off-the-cuff quips at each person that walked on stage. The show lasted three hours, we stood for all of it, and I was surprised it was over. It felt like five minutes. Of course, three hours can feel like five minutes in the Flora-Bama. If you've ever been to Vegas, then you know what I'm talking about.
If you vacation to the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Perdido Key, or Pensacola areas, head to the 'Bama and catch Big Earl on a Friday or Saturday night. You won't be disappointed. You might be offended. Viewer discretion is advised. Many people will come early for the show and leave shortly after at around 10:00 pm. Jack Robertson and his band are a draw on their own and the bar itself is also something to see at least once.
Feeling successful at how much fun we had in our one day on the coast and at our main event for the trip, we headed back and got some sleep to prep for our long journey back home on Sunday.
Since the goal of the trip was to complete this little getaway with no work days missed, we needed to drive all eight hours back home on Sunday. We knew this would easily be the low point of the trip, but remember, the journey is part of the adventure.
Before heading out of town, we had to hit our favorite breakfast spot in the area, Duck's Diner. For a long time, this place was a hidden gem. It's grown in popularity in recent years and rightfully so. The friendly wait staff, large breakfast menu (served all day), and excellent food have brought tons of folks, both locals and tourists, to this little restaurant in Orange Beach. It's consistent, and consistency is key when it comes to breakfast food. You can see more information on Duck's Diner by clicking here.
The trip concluded when we pulled into our driveway at around 7:00 on Sunday night. 50 hours from when we pulled out the first time. We spent around 16 hours in the car and had around 20 hours in our ultimate destination, around 13 of which were non-sleeping hours.
I know this is a crazy concept for most people, heck, it's a crazy concept for us. This type of trip isn't for everyone, I get it. I will say, most people have never tried a trip like this. We've talked ourselves out of going places because of drive time or lack of time we have to actually complete the trip. Each time I've regretted it. I felt fine at work on Monday. In fact, felt a little better knowing that my feet were in the sand less than 24 hours earlier.
The whole trip felt like we were somewhere we weren't supposed to be. Not in a bad way, in a lucky way. We savored every moment (and bite) and never counted down the clock on how much time we had. There was no need, we knew we didn't have any time.
I encourage everyone to take a spontaneous trip like this at some point. Take a free weekend and go somewhere you want to be. Do it on a budget so if you hate it, you're not out a bunch of money and you don't ever have to try it again.
The journey is part of the adventure. Take the trip. Drive eight hours to put your feet in the sand. Trust me.
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