Leaving East Bank COE Campground, we headed west on US-90, then south on State Highway 286 to I-10W and US-331S. Residual damage from Hurricane Michael seemed a lot more severe with not just trees felled or snapped in two, but homes and businesses totally destroyed.

Our next “been there, done that” destination was a five night stay at Topsail Hill State Park in Santa Rosa Beach. What? Again? Yes, again. Since we were heading a bit further west, this was a convenient stop along our route. Besides we just like it there, also the price is right and we have friends there!

Our thoughts about the campground, our work camping experience, the barking sand, biking, eating, excursions to the surrounding area and eating some more have been the subject of numerous posts in the past so this narrative will just cover of the highlights during this stay.

The day after our arrival, February 3rd, was a reason to party – it was after all Superbowl Sunday and our friends, Betsy and Nancy, were hosting the what we hoped would be either a gala (only if our fav team won) or sad (if they lost) event, inviting about 16 of their work camping friends. Super fun, super good food (and lots of it) and super awesome! And it ended up being a gala – our beloved Patriots won! We may be Florida residents but we’ll always be New Englanders at heart! Expected it to be a higher scoring game but that’s okay, it’s the end result that counts! Thanks Betsy and Nancy for such a fun time!

On another day, another of our work camping friends, Karen and Phil arranged a group tour at the Grayton Beer Company. Be aware if you are in the area that there are two Grayton Beer locations. Tours ($10 per person for the tour and tasting) are given at the Taproom, located on 217 Serenoa Road in Santa Rosa Beach while the Brewpub which serves food is located at 170 East Co. Hwy. 30A in Grayton Beach.

Before the tour began, everyone could “belly up to the bar” to sample any of the beers that were made there at their production facility. I’m not a big beer drinker but there were several that I liked (including the water on the bottom right hand side in the photo below).

Before the tour began, our guide Kyle, explained that Grayton Beer Company which was founded in 2011, is a locally owned and operated brewery with an over 30,000 sq. ft. state of the art facility. During the rest of the tour he provided insight into the entire beer making process. Well worth a visit!

As usual, Rob helped Betsy and Nancy with several minor repairs on their coach. To express their appreciation, they treated us to dinner at Cantina Laredo, an upscale Mexican restaurant in the neighboring town of Sandestin. Our dinner started off with their Top Shelf Guacamole which was prepared table side by our server. Yummy!

Following that, we both had a combination plate with a seared ground sirloin enchilada with chili con carne and cheddar, chicken enchilada with poblano sour cream sauce, crispy beef taco with shredded lettuce, tomato and cheddar, served with beans and rice. Delicious food and great company! Thanks again Betsy and Nancy!

After Topsail, we headed to our next destination, Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort (near Mobile), AL.

We were here before in 2014 when we toured the USS Alabama and had a rather comical day featuring lousy eggs, lost keys and ants on parade!

With only a two night stay and having “been there and done that”, no need to race out sightseeing. We did have a yummy breakfast at the East Shore Cafe in nearby Daphne on our way to Sam’s Club to stock up on supplies.

A delicious spinach, mushroom and tomato quiche ($7.95) with fresh fruit for me and bacon and eggs for Rob. 

The next day we were back on the road again. We promise our next destination will be a lot more exciting! Stay tuned!