Cape Canaveral

After leaving Bahia Honda, we left for Ft. Lauderdale, where we stayed at Bill and Chris's one last night.  The following morning we left for Savannah via Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.  Although the exhibits were interesting, the 2-hour bus tour was painfully long and dull.  Realistically, the bus rides shouldn't have taken more than an hour.  What made it so unnecessarily long was getting on and off the buses.  Some sites didn't take more than 5 to 10 minutes to see, so the half-hour long lines to get on another bus were aggravating, especially since we only budgeted about 3 hours to spend at KSC.

At least we got to watch a cool movie on the moon landing and an IMAX 3D movie about a space station narrated by Tom Cruise.  A famous Scientologist narrating a movie about space?  Xenu would be proud.

Rocket Garden 

NASA hosted the stitching of the WTC Flag that day.  The original is the largest flag with other flags sewn onto the tattered remains.

Sewing a stitch in the WTC Flag.

Passing time in the waiting line. 

The Vehicle Assembly Building in the background is deceptively large.  It is the fourth largest building by volume in the world and is where NASA assembled the Space Shuttle and Saturn V rockets.

Space Shuttle's rocket engine

Launching pad

Launching pad with Space Shuttle Discovery

Posing with Space Shuttle off in the distance.

Business end of Space Shuttle rocket engine

Main exhibit building with Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini exhibits

Moon rock -- and everyone wants a piece.

Lunar lander

One of the Apollo capsules

Cargo hold of the Space Shuttle

Rotating stone globe thingy 

Sunset at Rocket Garden

New Orleans: Brunch, Market and Bourbon Street

A festive house in the Garden District

Croquette

The friend who told us to go to Jacques Imo’s also recommended brunch at the Commander’s Palace in the Garden District.  We should’ve known better than to go without making a reservation on a Saturday, but thankfully the maitre d’ suggested another restaurant close by for brunch:  Croquette.  We got the three-course brunch option that was a little pricey, but still absolutely delicious.

Bloody Mary with pickled okra and a Hannah Montana –- lemonade with blueberry juice.  Salvia not included.

Scrumptious salad with pig ears, which is just a crunchier bacon.  Ayk wasn't a fan of the pig's ear hair still on there.  Meh.  Adds to the crunchiness.

Creole classic shrimp and grits.  This was our favorite dish at brunch.

Veal meatballs with black truffle grits.  The grits were phenomenal, but the veal was too heavy and greasy.

Blood orange panne cotta.  I LOVE blood orange, and this did not disappoint.

Beignets with chocolate mousse and caramel sauces.  Fancier doesn't necessarily mean better, and that was true when compared to Café Du Monde's beignets.

French Market

After brunch we went to the French Market, jam-packed vendors selling oodles of jewelry and Mardi Gras trinkets.  We even saw a few gator heads.  I regret not getting one for my dad to match the crocodile skin in his house.

A friend recommended getting some cheap sunglasses there.  Not a bad idea, considering we were headed to the Sunshine State next.

Bourbon Street

We walked up to Bourbon Street after perusing the French Market.  Bourbon Street was not actually signed on the intersection we came upon, but we somehow knew we had arrived due to the sudden increase in public drinking.  Once we started walking down Rue Bourbon, there was no mistaking it thanks to the cacophony of loud music and revelers.

I guess Chinese New Year decorations can double as Mardi Gras decorations, too.

New Orleans is FABULOUS!

Less than a month before Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street was crawling with party-goers.

Austin 2

Lake Travis

The Oasis is a huge bar overlooking Lake Travis a half hour away from Austin on yet another windy road.  The bar is as large and tackily decorated as Seacrets.  During the off-season, it’s as desolate as the Great Salt Lake.

Carsickness headache.

Lake Travis 

It was 22 F in Austin when we visited.  Those are icicles hanging from the bucket.

Actually, the decor is worse than Seacrets.

Lucky Lizard

Some embrace Austin’s weirdness, while others exploit it.  We went to the Lucky Lizard, which is part store, part museum, and all weird.  Its Museum of the Weird, which is the modern version of a Dime museum, showcases a few freak-show items – few real, most fake.  We even got a tarot card reading.  Unless you’re into that stuff, I would save yourself the money and just check out the store, but be prepared for the hard sell on their t-shirts.

 Bird: Real; Gator: Fake.

Fiji Mermaid: Fake 

Two-headed cow: Fake 

Lizards: Real and squirmy. 

Ayk seeking sage advice from a creepy robot.

6^th Street

Austin is the Live Music Capitol of the World.  Or so they say.  Our friends recommended we visit Stubb’s, but they didn’t have any live shows on a Wednesday night.  Instead we went to Friends and Dizzy Rooster.  They had decent cover bands, but I’m sure we would’ve seen something better if we were there on a weekend.

Ads don't lie.

Dear Austin: Parallel parking is not supposed to be front-end first.  Learn how to park properly.  It’s not that hard.  You can always try again.  (Ours is the red car actually close to the curb).