Before we took the short drive from our hotel to Ybor (EEE-Bore) City , I had no idea what to expect. In my PREVIOUS life as a cruise specialist and tour guide, I took pride in doing my homework and knowing much about a destination before traveling there. But now that Fred and I have the opportunity to explore new places with no preconceived idea of what we will find when we arrive, I’m LOVING that “seat of your pants” mode of travel. And when we parked our car and rounded the corner…we felt we had arrived in New Orleans. (Along with half of the population of Iowa!)
Here are some photos of our day…I hope you enjoy the tour!
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| We walked half a block before we saw someone we knew…and of course we were invited to join them. Hawkeye Hospitality on every corner! |
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| From dive bars to white tablecloth dining…it’s all there |
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| Do you see any LSU fans ANYWHERE??? |
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| Christmas in Paradise… |
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| A local cigar maker at work. |
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| This looks like Iowa City meets The French Quarter! |
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| “Local” Brian Leon with his family…Our new friends. |
We love to “people watch”, and sitting at an outdoor restaurant is a perfect spot to do it. And our luck finding wonderful table neighbors continued when “locals” Brian Leon and his family sat down beside us. Brian shared so much information about the area…and he speaks from first-hand knowledge. He told us Ybor City was started by five Cuban cigar makers who built cigar factories there after migrating from Cuba. And Brian should know…since his parents moved from Cuba in 1959, right before the Revolution. And Brian left a career in finance to return to his family’s roots…in the cigar business. We enjoyed our visit with his family while we enjoyed some great food at the Green Iguana Restaurant. (Thanks again Brian…Your Ybor City hospitality was wonderful!!)
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| Great salad…and our server was awesome. |
After a great afternoon, we left BEFORE the Outback Bowl parade began, and drove back to our hotel. And later we walked to The Brickhouse sports bar to watch the Hawkeye Basketball game. Our friendly server, Drydyn, was AWESOME. She took SUCH good care of us and made several menu suggestions that were right on target. From the Bleu Cheese Chips to the wings…the food was great and the service was even greater! After the Hawkeye game (WaaHoo! We beat Nebraska!) we sat around the outdoor fire pit and had a great visit with Hawkeye fans from all over Iowa…including Gladbrook, Knoxville, Marengo, Williamsburg, West Des Moines, Iowa City, Coralville…Our New Best Friends in Hawkeye garb.
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| And to ring in 2014…HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
Let’s hope we’re still cheering after the game! GO HAWKS!!!
Love your blog. Enjoyed reading about your Outback bowl experiences. We were at the Brickhouse sitting around the fire pit with all our Hawkeye fans. That was a fun time. Have safe travels. I will continue to read about your experiences. Carla from Knoxville, Iowa