roberma
| Favorite team: | LSU  |
| Location: | Punta Gorda, FL |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 298 |
| Registered on: | 7/23/2009 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
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Algarves to Seville with a stop in Tangier
Posted by roberma on 2/9/26 at 12:00 pm
Planning mid August trip. We want to stay in smaller beach towns along the Algarves and along the coast of Spain towards Seville. Anyone have recommendations on hidden towns or must sees along the route? Thanks.
2
Siesta Key is consistently rating top beach by Dr. Beach. Its crushed quartz, so it stays cool on the feet, soft and white sand. TI, as mentioned is great- of the few legal to drink on the beach places. St. pete Beach is nice as well. Not a fan of Long boat Key- too small of a beach.
My 85 yo Mom plays the " my son is a LT " every time she got pulled over or wrecked. Its gotten to the point where hes told her " do not use my name again". We pulled her DL this year and shes off the roads now!
re: Name The Three Most Beautiful Large Cities You’ve Visited & One You Were A Little Let Down
Posted by roberma on 1/27/26 at 1:55 pm to LuckyTiger
1. Lisbon
2.Brugges
3.Oslo
Worst:
Philly/ Allentown
Cleveland
Montreal
2.Brugges
3.Oslo
Worst:
Philly/ Allentown
Cleveland
Montreal
Dulce Dough Bakery - great breakfast spot. Palmers Village cafe is excellent for brunch or breakfast- usually a wait there. As mentioned the Brewery had good food and different than typical brewery offerings.
The best bar on the island is in the lobby of a hotel on SSI. Village Inn and Pub- mostly locals there. Also the King and Prince hotel has a great lobby bar and dining with beautiful views.
The best bar on the island is in the lobby of a hotel on SSI. Village Inn and Pub- mostly locals there. Also the King and Prince hotel has a great lobby bar and dining with beautiful views.
re: BBQ Trip to Austin
Posted by roberma on 9/4/25 at 4:03 pm to thegreatboudini
Just ate at LeRoy and Lewis. Their sides are a step up from normal BBQ joints. Enjoyed the place. Line was 1.5 hours long. They have 1 server, 1 meat cutter and one cashier. That part sucked.
On the East coast, Boca Raton is the place to go. Clean, upscale, nice bike trail great dining scene.
re: recently booked with Southwest, first time with new policy changes
Posted by roberma on 8/6/25 at 7:38 am to BilbeauTBaggins
I pretty much fly weekly with SW even now. Currently, nothing service wise or seating wise has changed yet. Carry on bags are the only issue that Ive noticed, but being A preferred, it has not affected me. Lots of gate checked bags and more preboarders!
Cant help yet. Going with 16 folks in September for a BD party. Have a house rented on a hill overlooking the water. Its called Compass House in Tamarindo. We have an excursion planned every day in/around Tamarindo. We have all been to the jungle part of CR, so this will be a new experience.
From a local:
Fishermans village is good to walk thru. Go to the new Tiki Bar on the water. The best rum runner around and only $10.00! Winsett House has great happy hour this time of year and great food. The city has free bikes, there are several routes that go along the water and thru the city. Its a fun outing. Peace River Wildlife is a rehab facility. Its donations only. Nice to walk thru. The Celtic Ray is the only pub in town- its a local fave. You can walk the walking path by Peace River thru the waterfront parks. North of PG has a place that does airboat tours on the Peace River. Best seafood is Riveria Bar and Grill. Cant get in there during season, so its perfect time to go. Sit outside by the water.
Regarding boating- its a haul from PG to Boca Grande via boat thru Charlotte Harbour. But there is the BG sandbar that is such a great time. Its easier to drive to BG and put your boat in there and boat north in the intercoastal to Stump Pass. Or go south to Little captiva or even further to Captiva. You can also stop at Cayo Costa to swim and wade.
Boca Grande itself is the best beaches and water around then Englewood beach.
Fishermans village is good to walk thru. Go to the new Tiki Bar on the water. The best rum runner around and only $10.00! Winsett House has great happy hour this time of year and great food. The city has free bikes, there are several routes that go along the water and thru the city. Its a fun outing. Peace River Wildlife is a rehab facility. Its donations only. Nice to walk thru. The Celtic Ray is the only pub in town- its a local fave. You can walk the walking path by Peace River thru the waterfront parks. North of PG has a place that does airboat tours on the Peace River. Best seafood is Riveria Bar and Grill. Cant get in there during season, so its perfect time to go. Sit outside by the water.
Regarding boating- its a haul from PG to Boca Grande via boat thru Charlotte Harbour. But there is the BG sandbar that is such a great time. Its easier to drive to BG and put your boat in there and boat north in the intercoastal to Stump Pass. Or go south to Little captiva or even further to Captiva. You can also stop at Cayo Costa to swim and wade.
Boca Grande itself is the best beaches and water around then Englewood beach.
St. Pete also has the Chihuly museum and the Holocaust Museum. Clearwater has Mote Marine Aquarium.. There is also a Dinosaur park in Polk county right off I4. Stop in Plant city at the Strawberry stand for the largest Strawberry shortcake you have ever had.
We had no issues parking anywhere in Jasper. There is parking at Fairmont right by Golf shop and Maligne Lake has a large lot and an overflow.
We just returned from Jasper NP. It's much more relaxed than Banff, more hikers than Banff shoppers. We did the 5 mile white water rafting trip. It was okay if youve not done white water before. Fairly calm. The area from the Athabasca Falls to Jasper is burnt - bad. Part of the town was destroyed. Fema trailers all over. Go to the Fairmont hotel and hike around their lake and the property. We drove to Maligne Lake and hiked it. Saw a few big horn sheep on the way. Have dinner at Aalto- best dinner all trip. We did a happy hour food tour of downtown. Started at Brewery, went to Earls- they have rooftoop outdoor dining. Great happy hour and food. We wanted to do the dark sky tour, but dang btwn the time zone difference and the start, we werent late nighters.
re: Banff vs. Canmore
Posted by roberma on 6/5/25 at 7:42 pm to ChickenWing99
Banff is the place or stay out in the Forrest in between Lake Louise and Banff. We did one night in Banff at the Moxy. Got the best suite upgrade. Banff is busy and its nice to get away from that. Then 3 nights at Baker Creek Basecamp. It was fantastic to have a creek with firepits right out the cabin door.
Having TPA as my hub, I always know where my gate is based on the sheer number of red wheelchair poles at the gate. I counted 18 once and that was just wheelchairs.
re: Places to eat in the Brunswick/St Simons/Jekyll Island area
Posted by roberma on 6/3/25 at 2:55 pm to GetCocky11
SSI - Barrier Island Brewery and the place across the street.
Brunswick- The yellow Deli. Its a cult, but their food is good and they dont try to recruit you:) They are closed on Saturday for church though, but open on Sunday.
Brunswick- The yellow Deli. Its a cult, but their food is good and they dont try to recruit you:) They are closed on Saturday for church though, but open on Sunday.
My mom bought into Club Wyndham in Branson. Once you buy in, they will not stop upselling every chance you get. We used her points at Emerald Grand in Destin last year for a family trip. The front desk held the parking pass hostage until you agreed to attend a "refresher meeting". We finally had to become major aholes before they relented. Every time we use her club wyndham they want you to attend an hour meeting and its horrible pressure at check in. We did use it in Orlando recently and they were not just rude about the NO like the folks in Destin. Neither myself or my brother want this timeshare when she passes.
I was in Portland, OR recently and noticed several different methods of hostile architecture. They have put horse troughs on the sidewalks and made flower beds to prevent tents. Large metal bars on the benches and signs that made me LOL. These sidewalks are for moving/walking and no camping - or something to that effect. Portland has banned "urban camping" and I was shocked at the difference between 2024 and 2019 visit.
I travel for work to Greenville quite a bit. I like
The Lazy Goat
the Trappe Door ( basement Belgian place)
The Jones Oyster- their Crab rice was out of this world good.
The Lazy Goat
the Trappe Door ( basement Belgian place)
The Jones Oyster- their Crab rice was out of this world good.
re: Would you rather live in Madison, Mississippi or Midland, Texas?
Posted by roberma on 5/6/25 at 9:49 am to justaniceguy
Having lived in both. There is no comparison. Madison is the only correct answer. In Midland, you are just in the middle of nowhere, no trees, dry, dusty, expensive as hell. In Madison, its a well thought out town, lakes, rivers and easier to visit other places.
TPA - by far the best.
Philly - its like stepping back to 2002
St Louis- no decent food/ overcrowded
KC- SW terminal awful
Tulsa -good easy airport
Memphis most improved
Philly - its like stepping back to 2002
St Louis- no decent food/ overcrowded
KC- SW terminal awful
Tulsa -good easy airport
Memphis most improved
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