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So I didn’t post while we have been down in Homosassa. Let’s just say we have been eating well, visiting with framily, watching the waves roll by, and visiting the sites. We like it so much, we may come back next year, but we are still working that out.

Since we leave on Saturday, and Friday we are packing, I thought I might put together some of the happenings that have occurred at 12361 W Standish Drive. The house sits on a dead end road and most of the traffic comes from golf carts/kawasakis or boats if looking out to the water. I know I have always wanted to go on an airboat since Jane Russell days, but they are quite the loud machines around here. Jim and I used the canoe once and the kayaks once. Pony, disappointingly, never made the trip. But not to worry, Pony did get to go on a boat ride.

Today is the 20th of March; we arrived on the 15th of February…. where to start and how to organize. Maybe by sub categories. Yes I think that will work. Restaurants, Framily Visitations, and Sights and Sounds of Homosassa.

Restaurants:

So many restaurants are in and about Homosassa/Old Homosassa: The Freezer, Nature’s Coast (the Coast), The Shed, The Monkey Bar, The Old Mill Tavern, The Museum Cafe…. Well there are lots more, but those are the ones we ate at at least once if not more than. We were on a search for wings, fish dip, and Cubans. I tried to remember what we had where, but check the captions on the pictures just in case. Oh and this is a “golf cart” community. We had access to a 2 seater Kawasaki, but most people tootle around to the restaurants on their golf cart. Of course with Blue Boy (the hybrid van) we have our own 7 seater golf cart with music and ac.

The Freezer: This is a good place to start. It was the first restaurant we visited. They open at 1130 and the line to get in starts at 1030-1100. I think most people want one of the few places at the bar, because you have to stand in line to order, unless you are at the bar. And there are 2 lines: one to order food and drinks and one to order just drinks. There is indoor seating, indoor seating looking over the water with clear plastic to try and keep it warm and dry on cool days, and then outside seating. We usually rushed in to get a tiki bar outside. Gammy found friends who would talk with her 🤣. We took John and Sharon and Callie to the Freezer. Not sure we took anyone else. The Freezer is known for their boiled/steamed shrimp. We would also fish, clams, and their fish dip was pretty good. Prices were good. Cash only The Museum Cafe: At the old Sugar mill, there is a printing museum. Being in the printing industry we had to check it out. They had a few old printing presses and told the story of the printing industry in Homosassa. They also have a lovely little cafe that Gammy thought she and Poppsa ate Cuban sandwiches at a long time ago. So, we went for Cubans. They get their bread from Ybor City in Tampa. The Cubans were good. Jim ordered something with sausage, go figure. We went with Callie, she paid! Crump’s Landing: Forgot about this one. We went with Callie. View is nice, but you pay for it. Crump’s Landing is across the water from the rest of the restaurants I will mention. The food was okay. The fish dip was excellent. Nature’s Coast: Jim and I first visited and it must have been a Saturday or Sunday because those are the only days Meegan (I am pretty sure that is how she said she spelled it.) works. The food was good, The owner smokes his own ribs, brisket, and beans. Get the beans!!! They are the BEST. We even ordered extra to bring home, I minimally doctored (added some bacon and cheese) and they tasted like my baked beans. The Cuban sandwich was good. Mac N Cheese (we got for the Qman) looked like boxed. Prices were really reasonable. We took Callie; John and Sharon; and Charlie, Stephanie, and Q. The Shed: Jim and I had date night on a Tuesday night. Tuesday is Karaoke night. I did not sing, but others did. Some were good, some were not, but everyone was having a fine time. The Shed is an open air covered bar. People come and park their boats, clean their fish, and feed the birds. The pelicans were very boisterous. You order you drinks and food at the bar and then pick up your food at a permanent food trailer. We took Miss Joie and Charlie with us the next time we went. The beers on draft are limited, but they do have very strong margaritas and sangria on draft. Prices were reasonable. Not as cheap as the $3 draft beers at The Freezer. The Monkey Bar: So long story short, there were monkeys from the Wildlife area that escaped and 2 of them live on an island acrosse the water from this bar. The monkeys have a house and play things. They may actually be descendants of some of the original monkeys. I am not sure, we were told the story on the boat ride from one part of the Homosassa Wildlife center to the other (note: Pony rode on this boat). Anyway we had to see the monkeys, so after Shimpapalooza hosted by the Homosassa Rotary Club, we ventured over for a drink. The Monkey Bar serves pizza and appetizer type food and they have an upstairs and downstairs. You can’t park your boat by it, but you can watch the monkeys and the boats roar by. Old Mill Tavern: We went to lunch with Joie before she left on Sunday. Joie is our friend from Clarksville that now lives in St. Pete and teaches Art in Tampa. Our children played together while we played dice games or yahtzee, meanwhile Callie usually took a bath in her farmhouse sink. We also try to arrange our schedule so Joie can spend one of her spring break weekends with us. The wings were good. The place is quaint, The salad was good. Shelly’s Seafood: Not a restaurant but a great place to pick up fresh seafood. If they have grouper or snapper jaws (not cheeks) get them. Cook them in a foil packet with lots of butter, lemon slices, and onion slices. The meat slides off the bone. Serve it with Jim’s Greek tomato sauce and you have some fine eating. I personally would stay away from the fish dip. It was a little sweet for my taste. The Drunken Mullet: Where the beer is warm and the food is lousy…Not in Homosassa, we went to Hernando Beach to look at potential next year spots. Great wings, great fish dip, cold beer.

Food

Framily

Out and About

Lots of fun times. Some of the Framily photos could be out and about as well, but here we are.

“Well now it’s time to say good by to Liz and all her kin.
And we would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin’ in.
You’re all invited back a gain to this locality
To have a heapin’ helpin’ of our hospitality!” (Thanks to the Beverly Hillbillies- I couldn’t have said it better myself)

As I finish writing this on Friday, we are packing, and organizing. Callie came up for the day to take all the food we don’t want to hump back north. Tomorrow we head to Charleston, spend the night, take Gammy to the airport for her trip home and we drive on. We will overnight in Norfolk, thanks to Callie and her great rate at a hotel, then head out to visit very dear friends we met at Fort (not) Bliss in El Paso. They currently live in Spring Grove, PA. As it has been 24 years since we have seen them, we will spend a couple of nights with Brad and Amy LeVault and then be home in time for snow on Friday in Carthage… Whoohoo! Everywhere you go, always take the weather!

#HowFortunateWeAre #MakeYourOwnSunshine #RetiredAndLovingIt