Sebring Pub Crawl With Ric

Yes, the 4th of May was a few days ago and I'm only getting around to posting about it now but that's how long it took for me to recover. Well, not really. My hangover the morning of the 5th (Cinqo de Mayo) was relatively mild but I slept a lot that afternoon and evening and continued my long naps and full night's sleep to today.

Ric came down for a visit and after showing him around my vast estate for hours spending a couple minutes walking through my tiny mobile home, he seemed satisfied I'd gotten a good deal. He said he was really impressed by the hot tub and even more so once he got to enjoy it later that night. Despite my Febrese spraying, the couch smell was detected by him right away but he liked the electric reclining love seat so he claimed that as his bed for the night. Shame about the couch, I guess I'll eventually want to replace it. But since I don't sit in it anyway and I probably would only occasionally have use for any replacement couch, I won't be rushing out to Ashley's anytime soon.

I'd originally bought a 12-pack of Coors Light for him thinking he'd be coming down Friday night but when I talked with him Friday afternoon he said he'd not be down until Saturday so I drank them myself. So soon after he arrived, we had to drive out so he could pick up some beer. Gave me a chance to guide him on the grand tour of my new town anyway. I took him down south on 27 and we made our way across to Lakeview Drive and later Sebring Parkway taking us completely around Lake Jackson.

I showed him Sunset Grille a restaurant/bar I thought might be good, passed by a creepy old abandoned hotel that looked like some Stephen King setting and around the little rotary that makes up the very center of town then past the other restaurant/bar I thought might be good, The Faded Bistro and Beer Garden. They appeared to be featuring some live band out in their courtyard. The hotel, by the way, I later found out, is the Kenilworth Lodge, built in 1916 by the town founder, George E. Sebring. It fell on hard times and when it was hit by damaging winds of Hurricane Irma and its owners couldn't refurbish her she was indefinitely closed. Sure looks like a place you'd hear tales of murder and mayhem.

Kenilworth Lodge

We stopped at Publix for a twelve of Mic Ultra (which I, as host, bought) and some fruity newfangled spiked sparkling water shit Ric probably saw some hot soy boi man bun millennials quaffing at his tawny Lake Mary bistro bars. After driving back to my place, we grabbed a couple of those but Ric was less than impressed with the flavor. He sipped it anyway as we walked the short (but scorching) way over to Beef O' Brady's, my local sports bar in the shopping plaza very nearby.

Beef O'Brady's

Shots were definitely required. He'd been hinting at them and after seeing an old pic on his phone, I was all too eager to agree. (Not going to get into it here) Cinnamon flavored whisky shots, followed by two helpings of watermelon flavored vodka ones. And all the beer we could guzzle with our very tasty wings.

The two bartenders there both recommended Cowpoke's Watering Hole for our next stop on our Sebring bar crawl, but since we'd seen the outside of the Faded Bistro and both of us thought that might be nice, sitting outside in a gardened courtyard with live music, we Ubered our way there next. Unfortunately, the live band wasn't there for the general public. The venue was having a private, invitation-only Kentucky Derby Party (Middle-aged white ladies festooned in fancy Sunday hats and all) and although we were told we could come back at 7:30 when it was over, we were oh so politely asked to leave. (Later found out the rich mucky mucks of town frequently rent this place out for their hoity toity shindigs.)

Faded Bistro and Beer Garden

So we caught another Uber (though there are probably only a couple of Uber drivers for the whole of this small town) and went to nearby Dimitri's, another place recommended by the Beef O' Brady's girls. We planned to hit the Watering Hole later in the evening since, according to them, that's when the place gets lively.

Dimitri's Back Alley Bar and Grill

Dimitri's was packed but we found seats at the end of the bar and ordered a pitcher and Ric was still hungry so he ordered a pizza. Okay, I thought I was bad binge eating while drinking. Ric seems worse than me, thus is probably why he's up to 240 lbs himself. The pizza was to die for. A prosciutto and arugula pie, with a brick-oven baked, Greek-style thin crust. Even Ric devoured it heartily though he was at first put off by the sight of all that green. Ric doesn't usually eat green stuff.

We met a typical Highlands County resident who had no qualms about his support for our President. I didn't make anything of it but AOC-loving, Buttigieg fan boi Ric was drunkenly chiding him. (Tongue in cheek, of course, Ric isn't really a fanatic. Luckily, this guy got it so there were no fisticuffs tonight.)

Just around sunset now, we Ubered back home, hopped in the hot tub which, as I mentioned, Ric absolutely loved, and somehow the conversation got around to Tommy Boy, the Chris Farley/David Spade movie and Ric wanted to see it. So I rented it on Amazon and we watched that, laughing heartily at a movie we both had seen several times before, but, being such a classic, is ever re-watchable. I was dozing off, reclined in my love seat though and he admitted he was pooped as well. So us old fucks never got to continue our crawl to the most recommended spot in town after all.

Cowpokes Watering Hole - Next Time

Too bad too. I looked it up and I think it would have been the perfect cap to the night. Outdoor tiki bar, live music, down-home Florida vibe.

You know he has to come down again. This town was made for us!