After lunch, we decided to go back to Jacksonville Beach, where we were the last two nights. I was craving ice cream. "That is such an Erin Dallas thing to say - wanting ice cream after this huge dish!" exclaimed CS. I replied, "Yes, mint chocolate chip please," and he grinned, "That sounds amazing." So, we went to Rita's Italian Ices, which was okay. [See links for reviews.]
The weather was starting to turn, becoming windier, so we sought refuge at a club called The Beach, since Fionn MacCool's across the street is closed on Sundays. After I sat at a table awaiting a waitress for 20 minutes and CS & MF stood at the bar waiting for a bartender for 20 minutes, we gave up. The place only had one table of four people, and the bar was only 1/3 full of people sitting down with no one dancing to an inexperienced DJ (too many abrupt transitions). We left despite the manager's pleas.
We then walked to Lynch's Irish Pub and had some drinks. There were Scottish people there, and the guys in our group felt the need to bond and console them. I should note this was a running trend, especially with JM, who wanted to talk to every Scot after the game. MF was on the hunt for a frozen margarita (not available at Lynch's); after talking with a gal at the bar, we headed to Mango's.
When you think of a bar named Mango's, you probably imagine tiki furniture, beach decor, and lots of drinks with umbrellas. We walked in, and there were lots of bikers, basic bar stools, and no decor. Needless to say, although the waitress greeted us IMMEDIATELY upon walking in, they didn't have a frozen drink machine. We were very sad after experiencing such poor service at our previous two bars.
We then walked to the Da Big Kahuna next door and struck gold. Not only did they have frozen drinks, but long island iced teas (my signature drink) were also available. However, after walking around, MF and I asked the bartender what "the big clam shell is," and she explained that it's full of jungle juice, the same price as a fish bowl, but has more liquid. We decided to try it.
Jungle juice is heaven. I also think you will feel the affects of the alcohol more if you eat the fruit. During our first clam shell, we asked the price, and it is only $25. I can't explain how cheap this is for the amount of drink/fruit you get considering a 60oz mojito during happy hour at the Cavalier Hotel in Miami's South Beach is $40. We decided to ride out the beginnings of tropical storm Beryl with two jungle juices.
At one point, I decided I wanted to go out to the beach, and MF came along. It wasn't really raining too hard, so we darted across the parking lot, climbed some stairs, and dipped our feet into the Atlantic Ocean. The water was cold, unlike the previous day. As we left, a gust of wind arrived, and the sand coming off of the beach seriously felt like pins and needles. But, I only live once, and I can say I've been in the ocean during a tropical storm.
After Da Big Kahuna, we decided to call it a night, but first stopped at Pizza Hut. JM was worried about missing the Oklahoma City NBA game, so MF took him to the hotel while we waited for the pizza (and then came back to pick us up). It's a good thing we made a stop for food, even though we weren't really too hungry.
Upon arrival at the hotel, we took advantage of the breakfast nook area, using the paper plates, utensils, cups, and napkins. We left the light off because the hallway light outside the area provided enough light. The manager came over and said, "You guys can turn on the light!" After we told her we liked the ambience, she said, "You need a candle!" She was very nice. During our soiree, the power went out, and tropical storm Beryl started to take effect.
Despite being about 15ft from the hotel's front desk, shenanigans ensued. CS decided to somehow tie a napkin to the back of his shirt. MF and CS wheeled each other around on the luggage carts. At one point, a guest who waiting for a flashlight (handed out by the hotel staff at the front desk) asked, "Sir, do you know you have a napkin on your back?" CS replied, "Why yes, it's a cape!" and ran quickly in circles to demonstrate. The guest replied, "It would work better with towels," and CS admitted he had yet to go upstairs to the hotel room. Of everything that happened that night, that was the best incidence.
I don't remember the exact time we decided to head to the room; it was probably around 12-1AM. The room was hot, but luckily we could open the large window (drizzling with little wind). I took a shower; thank goodness for the Tiny Flashlight + LED Android app. I remember the weather was quite muggy, but it's interesting how no one complained. Everyone found their sleeping areas in the dark quietly without a fuss. Within an hour, just as I was getting to sleep, the power came on. As MF had predicted earlier, every light in the room turned on, the group groaned, turned off the lights, and returned to sleep.
Around 8AM we all woke up and started preparing for departure. The group left impressively on time at 9AM, including packing the trunk and strapping the canopy to the roof of the SUV. Super Shuttle was scheduled to pick me up at 9AM, but instead a taxi arrived around 9:15AM. My flight left on time; the airport was eerily empty, most likely because people must have panicked the previous day about tropical storm Beryl. My friends only took 12 hours to arrive to Houston, which was impressive.
So, that was pretty much my Jacksonville trip. On to Tampa!
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