Day Trip

ElizabethB

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We are both tired and frustrated by Covid 19 restrictions and the necessary precautions. 24/7 for months on end is not good. Saturday we talked about a day trip and decided to drive to Grand Isle. It is a three hour drive but there was nothing else to do so why not? The last time I went to Grand Isle was in '82. It was the same kind of unplanned day trip.
The change was mind blowing. There have been numerous hurricanes since then and the coastal erosion is unbelievable. Highway 1 is the only way to reach the island by car. There used to be land and marsh along the highway. Now it is water. Even a moderate rain or a high wind will cause water to cover the road.
Yesterday was grey and drizzling. Not a problem. We had lunch at a seafood restaurant. The food was only OK except for the onion rings. I did ask how they were prepared and cooked and plan to try. I will share with all of you. We drove all around the island. The structures are all elevated 10' and more. Family camps, homes of full time residents, vacation rentals, gated communities. The community is a riot of color - every shade of blue imaginable, greens, yellows, reds and the occasional bubble gum pink. The camps/homes have either contrasting or complimenting trim. These camps are not the rough looking "guy" camps you may imagine. In addition to the beautiful colors the camps/homes all have wrap around decks, screened in areas and most have elevators.
There are a couple of seafood processing plants, commercial shrimping and crabbing, boat launches and charter fishing boats. Grand Isle is the home of salt water fishing tournaments. Three weeks ago the Louisiana Pipe Liners Associations had a tournament. There were two other tournaments going on at the same time. Lodging and charter boats were booked solid. The two largest tournaments are the Red Fish Rodeo and the Tarpon Rodeo. Reservations are made a year in advance not only in Grand Isle. Mainland communities as far as an hour away are booked solid.
We spent some time walking in the surf on the gulf side of the island. It was not pretty because of the overcast and drizzle but the sound of the surf was soothing. We had the beach to ourselves. There was a couple in a golf cart picking up trash. There was another couple with their little girl playing at the edge of the surf. Other than that we had the beach to ourselves. We walked in the surf and listened to sounds of the surf and the sea gulls. A couple of miles from Grand Isle is Queen Bess Island Wildlife Refuge. It is a 37 acre man made island. By 1961 Brown Pelicans had ceased nesting in Louisiana and by '63 had disappeared form the Louisiana coastlines because of the now banned pesticide DDT. Wildlife and Fisheries brought chicks from Florida and relocated them to nesting areas along the Louisiana Gulf coast, including Queen Bess Island. In 1971 11 nest were documented on Queen Bess. The island currently produces more than 4,400 nest annually.
We plan to make a weekend trip to Grand Isle and bring G's bay boat. We can fish and visit Queen Bess Island. Landing and walking on the island is prohibited and fishing is restricted near the island.
On the way home we took side jaunts to look at the ship yards in the nearby mainland communities. Amazing.
Any way - we had a very nice day. Lots of good conversation on the drive. Not arguing or snipping at each other. A very relaxing walk in the surf. We both slept very well last night and today we are both much more relaxed and at ease.
 
We are both tired and frustrated by Covid 19 restrictions and the necessary precautions. 24/7 for months on end is not good. Saturday we talked about a day trip and decided to drive to Grand Isle. It is a three hour drive but there was nothing else to do so why not? The last time I went to Grand Isle was in '82. It was the same kind of unplanned day trip.
The change was mind blowing. There have been numerous hurricanes since then and the coastal erosion is unbelievable. Highway 1 is the only way to reach the island by car. There used to be land and marsh along the highway. Now it is water. Even a moderate rain or a high wind will cause water to cover the road.
Yesterday was grey and drizzling. Not a problem. We had lunch at a seafood restaurant. The food was only OK except for the onion rings. I did ask how they were prepared and cooked and plan to try. I will share with all of you. We drove all around the island. The structures are all elevated 10' and more. Family camps, homes of full time residents, vacation rentals, gated communities. The community is a riot of color - every shade of blue imaginable, greens, yellows, reds and the occasional bubble gum pink. The camps/homes have either contrasting or complimenting trim. These camps are not the rough looking "guy" camps you may imagine. In addition to the beautiful colors the camps/homes all have wrap around decks, screened in areas and most have elevators.
There are a couple of seafood processing plants, commercial shrimping and crabbing, boat launches and charter fishing boats. Grand Isle is the home of salt water fishing tournaments. Three weeks ago the Louisiana Pipe Liners Associations had a tournament. There were two other tournaments going on at the same time. Lodging and charter boats were booked solid. The two largest tournaments are the Red Fish Rodeo and the Tarpon Rodeo. Reservations are made a year in advance not only in Grand Isle. Mainland communities as far as an hour away are booked solid.
We spent some time walking in the surf on the gulf side of the island. It was not pretty because of the overcast and drizzle but the sound of the surf was soothing. We had the beach to ourselves. There was a couple in a golf cart picking up trash. There was another couple with their little girl playing at the edge of the surf. Other than that we had the beach to ourselves. We walked in the surf and listened to sounds of the surf and the sea gulls. A couple of miles from Grand Isle is Queen Bess Island Wildlife Refuge. It is a 37 acre man made island. By 1961 Brown Pelicans had ceased nesting in Louisiana and by '63 had disappeared form the Louisiana coastlines because of the now banned pesticide DDT. Wildlife and Fisheries brought chicks from Florida and relocated them to nesting areas along the Louisiana Gulf coast, including Queen Bess Island. In 1971 11 nest were documented on Queen Bess. The island currently produces more than 4,400 nest annually.
We plan to make a weekend trip to Grand Isle and bring G's bay boat. We can fish and visit Queen Bess Island. Landing and walking on the island is prohibited and fishing is restricted near the island.
On the way home we took side jaunts to look at the ship yards in the nearby mainland communities. Amazing.
Any way - we had a very nice day. Lots of good conversation on the drive. Not arguing or snipping at each other. A very relaxing walk in the surf. We both slept very well last night and today we are both much more relaxed and at ease.

Soaking the onion rings in ice cold water??

Russ
 
Soaking the onion rings in ice cold water??

Russ
Nope. Yellow onions sliced 1/8" thick. They have an electric slicer. Egg wash - eggs beaten until not streaky and water. I did not ask the ratio of water to eggs. My guess is 1 TBSP per egg, maybe 1/2 TBSP. Dry mix - 1/2 corn flour 1/2 APF seasoned with salt and course black pepper. Single dredge. We ordered our platters and a side of rings. I ate 2/3 of the rings. Really good.
They do not use large onions. The largest rings were 2 1/2" to 3" in diameter. The same batter is used on all of their fried food. Unfortunately the oysters were over cooked and the shrimp was borderline.
My Dad always said that seafood should be cooked only until no longer raw. Oysters should be cooked just long enough to scare them. I miss Dad.
 
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We like to go for a long drive on Sunday down the coast road towards Dubrovnik. It's torture at present, the smell of BBq wood smoke is sooooo tempting. Next week we have to travel inland to visit my MIL and FIL in Drnis. Our fav restaurant is next to this lake. It serves line caught trout cooked on a wood fired grill. This is the restaurant It's about a 90 minute drive from Podstrana up the mountains. https://www.instagram.com/panorama_roski_slap/?igshid=1dz4xlkya8aqn
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We're still not comfortable eating in a restaurant, even if it's outside, since from what I've seen here, no one is masking or distancing, so no day trips for us unless we pack a cooler of our own food.
 
Same here.
Also, and this may sound strange, but we're supposed to go to Florida in October for a wedding, and we're about 70% sure we're not going, just because of all the opportunities for exposure (flying, hotel, restaurants, the event itself, etc).

At some point soon, we're going to have to tell the family we're not going, once we decide that for sure, and if that happens, there will be some pushback and a lot of hurt feelings, and we want to be able to truthfully say, "It's the virus," and that'd be hard to do if we were going on day trips here and there, and then saying, "Sorry, we're worried about the virus, but only at your event."
 
Also, and this may sound strange, but we're supposed to go to Florida in October for a wedding, and we're about 70% sure we're not going, just because of all the opportunities for exposure (flying, hotel, restaurants, the event itself, etc).

At some point soon, we're going to have to tell the family we're not going, once we decide that for sure, and if that happens, there will be some pushback and a lot of hurt feelings, and we want to be able to truthfully say, "It's the virus," and that'd be hard to do if we were going on day trips here and there, and then saying, "Sorry, we're worried about the virus, but only at your event."

You are right not to go. Health has to come first. I hope your folks will understand.
 
EB, Bolivar Peninsula is now bursting with very colorful new homes, all16-feet above sea level on stilts, after Ike destroyed almost everything. When I was in High School, we drove on Highway 87 to go to Bolivar. There was land and dunes between the road and the sea. That highway is gone long gone.
 
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