Ready for the beach! We had our free breakfast at the hotel. Yay to saving money!

Look at that wonderful view!

The water was so white and blue and super clear! So pretty!

Jennifer and Karen T. went to scooter so Jenny, Tammy, and I did our own thing. We had to get a quick lunch so we went to:

Pompano Joe’s
2237 Scenic Gulf Drive
Destin, Florida 32550
(850) 837-2224
www.pompano-joes.com

Since we didn’t want to get sick from eating too much food, we split an appetizer and a soup.

Seafood Gumbo [2012 Winner of the People’s choice award & best overall gumbo at the Sandestin Gumbo Festival] | Cup $4.49 Bowl $5.99

We got the bowl since we were sharing and it was deliciously yummy. It was thick but at the same time, thin. There was a lot of meat and veggies in there as well. So filling.

Fried Calamari [served with marinara and tiki sauces] | $8.99

Yum. The little legs on this squid was so tender. It kind of crackles in your mouth when you chewed it up and it’s not because it was fried. I didn’t need any of the sauces for this baby. It was great just by itself!

We waited half an hour or so to cross something off my bucket list!

Surfing!

There’s a surf school there called Ride On Surf School.

It took me a little bit to finally get it down and when I did it felt like I was soaring on water.

We did a group lesson (2 or more) with 1 hour instruction time and 1 hour free surf time for $55 per person.

The instructors were so nice and helpful and never gave up once! I would love to come here again and Ride On! It’s only about $20 to reserve a board for an hour without the lessons, so why not?

Us with our instructors, Austin and Dylan.

We all met up, showered, and got ready for:

Rick’s Crab Trap
1096 Scenic Gulf Drive
Miramar Beach, Florida 32550
(850) 269-1252
www.rickscrabtrap.com

Just some of the food we got. It was happy hour so a lot of things were half off. I wasn’t that happy with my foods though. Very simple and a little bland.

I don’t think I would come here again.

Looking out into the water after dinner.

We went shopping and souviner shopping after.

It was a long day but it was worth it.

Oh did I also mention I’m sunburned like crazy? I was red as a tomato and now I’m peeling like a snake. Bleugh!

Day 3 coming soon!

During finals time, Tammy, Jenny, and I procrastinated with studying and started planning a trip. We ended up with plans to Destin, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana. They invited a friend, Jennifer, who brought along a friend, Karen T.

Monday, May 28th, we woke and left at 5am to pick up Jennifer and Karen. Then headed to Destin, Florida.

It was a long car ride but faster than we thought. When we got there we ate a light meal of McDonald’s. We got to the hotel and Tammy, Jennifer, and Karen went shopping while Jenny and I stayed at the hotel.

Jenny and I all ready for the beach! Sadly, we didn’t get to go. We kept waiting for the others to come and get ready and go with us but hours later when they got back, it was already getting dark out.

Instead, we went out for dinner at:

McGuire’s Irish Pub
33 East Highway 98
Destin, Florida
(850) 650-0000
www.mcguiresirishpub.com

One of the owners signed her first dollar tip when it first opened in May of 1977 and tacked it to the Bar for good luck. Ever since then, people started adding their own. There are now over one million dollar bills all over the pub.

Free Bread – I’m not sure what kind of bread this was but it was pretty delicious. The sauce on the top was sticky and made it a little bit on the sweet side.

Irish Wake | $7.99

I’m not sure what’s in it but it was STRONG. They limit each person to 3 of these drinks … I did not feel it but one was enough for me. Especially with the wonderful meal that I was about to have.

Oh, a plus? We get to keep the jar. A souvenir? Check!

Senate Bean Soup [same recipe as was served in the U.S. Senate] | $0.18

It’s $0.18 because that was the price in 1977. The Senate cafeteria raised their price to $2.97 but they still kept their same price. If you were to order the soup only, it would cost $18.00.

The soup was actually delicious. Especially with the crackers. I wish I ordered more! Definitely a to-try. I know it’s simple, but sometimes, the simplest of things are the best!

Irish Steak and Mushroom Pie [choice tenderloin tips baked with wild mushrooms in a strong-flavored Irish Stout Demi-Glaze and topped with a homemade puff pastry crust.] | $17.99

Look at that puff. The crust was so delicious. It was flaky and tasted so good dipped into that stew. I’m not a lover for cooked carrots, but I’m beginning to love them. Especially with the ones here. So soft and juicy. There was a lot of meat though so I guess it’s good for the price.

After dinner, we headed to the beach. Though it was dark, we thought it’d be great to get out there since the beach was our destination the whole drive there.

Day 2 recap will be coming up!

 

 

We went back to The Corner for breakfast. Nom! This place is so good.

This was the last few hours before the reveal of how much money they raised For The Kids this year. There was no open seats at the BJC. Look how gorgeous the sea of color is!

And look how much they raised! $10.6 million. Sheesh! It’s unbelievable how much people can do when they band together.

To be there … to feel the crowd. You can’t even explain it.

We all went to:

The Allen Street Grill
100 West College Ave
State College, Pennsylvania
(814) 231-4745

Free bread and butter. So delicious.

Pesto Chicken [grilled chicken breasts topped with spinach and pine nut pesto, finished in the oven and served with garlic whipped potatoes and steamed vegetables] | $14.95

This place is pricey but I was full after eating all of that. The chicken was a bit dry though and the vegetables weren’t cooked all the way. To fix that, I dunked them in ketchup and everything tasted better.

Marisol and I went to Starbucks then went to the Hotel Lobby and wrote a song for Andy. It was fun and it’s definitely a memory that will last forever.

Last day, Day 5. Keep a lookout.

For breakfast we went to:

The Waffle Shop
1610 West College Ave
State College, Pennsylvania
(814) 235-1816

Belgian Waffle with four sausage links [golden brown, light and airy, the one and only] | $6.95 One Egg | $0.95 Our Own Famous Home Fries | $1.95

The waffle bland but still delicious nonetheless. I ate it with my ketchup. Like usual. The food was not bad at all but it was very greasy and made my stomach feel disgusting afterward.

Which was not a good idea at all because it was time for the THON 2012 Tour.

We got to go down on the dance floor and see everything from the dancers’ point of view. I didn’t want to leave. So much excitement!

My friend is a Hospitality Captain and was working on the dance floor during this time but sadly, with all the people, I wasn’t able to see her.

We went to the dancer alley and saw such inspiration. The dancers get to see who they do it for. There were so many down the hall. But it makes sure the dancers get pumped up enough.

We also got to see where the captains hang out. They have designated sleeping times and rooms. Just look at that spreadsheet. It’s crazy how everything is done. The person’s name is even on there so if you miss your time, you don’t get to sleep.

We took a few pictures with some Star Wars characters.

A few of us went to:

Jersey Mike’s Subs
4123 Washington Road
McMurray, Pennsylvania
(724) 942-0202
www.jerseymikes.com

Grilled Veggie Wrap [grilled peppers and onions, melted swiss and provolone, lettuce, tomato, and home-style ranch dressing] | $6.45

I got it to go so that we could head back to the hotel and get an hour and a half rest time before having to head back.

It was very delicious but I wished they didn’t drench it with dressing. It was slimy sticky!

We headed back at 6pm for the 10pm Pep Rally session. But before that began, they got us doing some Yoga so everyone can stretch out. They think of EVERYTHING!

It’s amazing how much spirit Penn State has. I mean, I know they are a big school and it’s been established. But standing there in that Center, you feel like you are a part of them. Freaky to say but I did do one of their chants. I’m an imposter.

I don’t even remember what we did that night. I think we just sat around and chilled since we were so tired.

Day 4 … coming up next.