Saturday, January 14, 2012

I heart vacation

I love vacation!  And it feels so nice to be on a mini-getaway with Forbes!  So let's just pick up right where we left off yesterday and fill you in on all the fun... 

It was pretty much time to board, and at the last minute I decided I needed one little treat before flying out of Charlotte.
Carrot juice from Jamba Juice!  I always say I am going to get one when I am at the airport, but rarely am I in the right terminal or have time.  So yesterday I made time.  Carrot juice is yummy!

Despite packing my own breakfast I still managed to spend over $6 at the airport on food.  Budget fail!

I landed in Tampa and quickly regrouped with my husband.  My Grandma and Aunt Patty picked us up from the airport and after swinging through a grocery store we were nestled in our condo.
It's not very updated, but it is clean and spacious!  I am happy to give you more details about our deal and where we stayed when we check out tomorrow :)

Forbes and I whipped up lunch.  It was after 1 and we were getting hangry!
We each had a pita mess- stuffed with hummus, spinach and veggies.
That was the fuel we needed for our afternoon excursion.  After a brief walk we hopped on board the "trolley" (AKA public bus) and headed for downtown St. Pete.  After a much longer-than-anticipated ride we finally arrived at the Pier.
And that's where the photos of the afternoon end...The Pier wasn't quite what I remembered from my childhood.  I have all these nostalgic memories of my sisters, my dad and me hanging out in downtown St. Pete, grabbing milkshakes and running around the Pier.  I remember the aquarium being so cool and rushing to the top floor to look out over the city and the ocean. 

Well we did all those things yesterday, however it was more of a cheese-fest, and almost in a creepy, deserted amusement park way!

Luckily we had fabulous dinner plans to save the evening!
We dined at the Sea Porch Cafe at the Don Cesar.  It is a "dressed-up casual" restaurant with fine meals but a laid back atmosphere.  The executive chef, Eric Neri did a fine job creating a "chef's special" vegan entree for us! 

We started with a large salad that we split.
The salad was unique with hearts of palm mingled with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a light but flavorful dressing. 

For our entrees we both received marinated mushrooms.  Mine came along with orzo while Forbes' was served with crushed red potatoes with olives and tomatoes.
Of course one of the best parts of any meal is the bread.
This basket made me jump for joy when we arrived, I was hungry!

We were offered sorbet and fresh fruit for dessert, but declined.  We were both stuffed, although that didn't keep us from the cookies back at the condo later in the evening!
Our meal at the Sea Porch Cafe was grand.  The Don Cesar is a landmark in St. Pete and it was quite a treat to dine there.  The evening was made even grander with the bill...all charged to our room and included in our Groupon deal!  What a steal!
We dined with the grandmas and grandpas at an early hour so we would be back in time to meet up with some good friends.  In classic Tanya-style there are no human photos...so you will just have to imagine Amber and Vincent in your heads!  We had a nice time hanging out and reminiscing.  Amber and I grew up together in Florida and our families' were practically raised side-by-side.  It was wonderful to see her again after so long!  Possibly since my wedding! 

Alas that brings us to the end of our first day of vacation!  Isn't it amazing how a full day of vacation can be so long, yet fly by so quickly! 

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