We recently spent a weekend at Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula, a family tradition we try to squeeze in each summer. We’ve rented a variety of beach houses over the years but this year was a homecoming of sorts as we returned to an old favorite – Chompy’s – the beach house we rented in 2015 and 2016 while vacationing with our friends, the News.
It’s a great location, centrally located not far from “The Big Store” in one direction and Stingaree’s in the other direction. If you’re not familiar, “The Big Store” is how everyone – residents, weekenders and tourists alike – refers to Gulf Coast Market, the grocery/hardware/souvenir store where you purchase your beach parking pass in addition to anything else you could possibly need, including the inevitable items you forgot to pack. And Stingaree Restaurant & Marina, well, that’s only our very favorite restaurant on the peninsula.
With no planned itinerary, the entire goal was relaxation and the enjoyment of each other’s company. Hubby even said on the way there that he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather go or any other two people he’d rather go with. The first night there he grilled burgers – per Daughter’s request – and then we headed out for an evening walk on the beach.
The following morning we feasted on my breakfast casserole – also per Daughter’s request – then packed the cooler, lathered on the sunscreen and headed back to the beach to spend the day. It truly is her “happy place.”
Hubby and Daughter spent the bulk of the day catching waves on their boogie boards. I donned a big, floppy sun hat and settled comfortably in my beach chair with a new book under the EZ-UP canopy.
Hot off the press, “Don’t Think Me Evil: Confession” is a conspiracy thriller, the first of a trilogy, authored by one of my very best friends from college. Over 30 years in the making – literally – I had the opportunity to read an unfinished manuscript of one of its earliest iterations back in the 90s. I’m so glad he finally finished it. Though it occasionally evokes discomfort, it is quite the page-turner and I’m already looking forward to reading the second book of the trilogy once it’s released.
After showering and cleaning up, we headed out to supper. Family owned and operated for 40 years, Stingaree’s is a Crystal Beach landmark, known for delicious waterfront dining in a casual family atmosphere.
Hubby discovered the Redfish Louie on a previous trip and now that’s his go-to. It’s blackened redfish on a bed of dirty rice topped with crawfish étouffée and fried crawfish tails. This go-round, he ordered it topped with lump crab and a side of red beans and rice. Daughter had a bowl of seafood gumbo, her go-to. I ordered a three-component combination platter. The selections included fried or grilled catfish, fried or grilled shrimp, barbecue or boiled shrimp, crab balls, stuffed crab, fried oysters and French-grilled oysters. I opted for fried catfish, fried oysters and barbecue shrimp, with sides of seasonal veggies and coleslaw. All of the food was delicious and, as usual, we stuffed ourselves til we were miserable.
Upon return to the beach house, we enjoyed playing some games. The ones we’ve been into lately are Five Crowns, Flip 7 and Deadlines.
Five Crowns is a five-suited rummy-style card game that features a double deck with five suits and rotating wild cards that spans 11 progressive rounds. Flip 7 is a press-your-luck card game in which you try to be the first player to reach 200 points by flipping number cards without getting a duplicate. Deadlines is a trivia and card game in which you sort famous historical, scientific, and pop-culture figures chronologically by their date of birth, date of death, or total lifespan. The player with the fewest penalty mistakes at the end wins.
Completely coincidentally, we also watched the 2018 comedy/action movie “Game Night” which we’d never seen before but enjoyed immensely. All in all, our trip was relaxing and stress-free and just what we needed as our summer nears its end.
