Day 17 Rest Day

After several fairly uneventful days of exercising, eating, drinking, and driving around from town to town; we decided to spend the day close to home. This really isn't much of a problem, since if you walk out our front door, turn right and walk 20 yards, you're on the beach. If you turn left and walk 60 yards, you're at the Red Bar and Shorty's is right across the street from that. So our day was set. I had visions of vegetating on the couch and watching the football games. But first, since the Red Bar opens at 7AM for breakfast we decided it made sense to just start the morning there. Nothing heavy, just something light. I had a seafood omelette with grits and a great biscuit. Sylvia had a two and a half pound burrito. We waddled home and after two hours became bored. A group called Dread Clampitt was playing at the Red Bar from noon to three and Donnie Sundal and Friends were playing at Shorty's from three to six. This seemed a little more interesting than the games, so off to the Red Bar we went. Dread Clampitt is a group of four guys including Keith Ogle, who we had heard previously, and we hoped that maybe Sam Bush might show up and sit in...he did. The Red Bar was packed. What a great place, it was amazing how many families and small kids were present (see picture). It was the most casual venue I've ever seen...just a terrific afternoon. Though Sam Bush is best known for jaw-dropping skills on the mandolin, he is also a three time national junior fiddle champion and Grammy award winning vocalist and today he played the fiddle. It was just hypnotic. Afterwards we walked across the street to Shorty's to see Donnie Sundal and Friends...Donnie had no friends today. Donnie plays the keyboard and sings, and is more than good, but for some reason he takes of his shoes when he plays and puts them back on during breaks. I think everyone down here marches to a different drummer. By six o'clock we had enough music and ordered a ceviche before a gingerly walk home. It's astounding that two small bars like the Red Bar and Shorty's have good live music every night of the week...in the off season.