Welcome to the Sunshine State

John’s Pass Intracoastal Waterway Located in Madeira Beach, Florida

John’s Pass is known for being a quaint fishing village.  It was actually created by a hurricane on September 27, 1848.  The locals just call it, “The Pass.”

John Levique, a pirate, made the first passage through the newly created pass, hence the name John’s Pass.

(His first name was most likely Jean, and not John.  His last name was most likely Leviche, and not Levique.)

Regardless, John’s Pass is located on the West Coast of Florida near St. Petersburg.

It is a beautiful area with lots of shops and restaurants, not to mention hotels close by. 

The Boardwalk is where we are here.  We decided to take our children and their partners out to lunch with us around Father’s Day, 2023.  Gordon and I also had such a good time that we decided to go back the following week for our 38th. Wedding Anniversary, and to do some more shopping.

Bubba Gump, was a MUST!  BOTH times!

Here is our depiction of our great days spent in John’s Pass.

See you at the beach!

Julie

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 Bubba Gump Shrimp CO.

185 Boardwalk Place West

Madeira Beach, Florida  33708

(727) 397-4867

Bubba Gump, Madeira Beach, Florida

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Bubba Gump Shrimp, CO. With Our Family

June 11, 2023

 L to R:  Susannah, Mackenzie, Veronica, Brian, Julie, Gordon, and Brodie

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Back to John’s Pass,  June 22, 2023

Julie and Gordon

Our 38th. Wedding Anniversary

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Our Florida Sunshine Orange Cocktail

We came across a store on the John’s Pass Boardwalk that sold Florida wines.

Needless to say, we bought a few and created this cocktail using 2 of our purchases.

It tasted exactly like an Orange Creamsicle from our youth.  🙂

The ingredients are simple as you just need to combine the Orange Cream with the Orange Sunshine Wine. We had this drink at a quaint wine shop down in Madeira Beach. You also must have the cool glasses to go with the drink!  🙂

Add a few cups of ice to your blender then add the Orange Cream, and the Orange Sunshine Wine.

Blend until the ice is crushed nicely!

Pour into your special souvenir glasses and ENJOY!

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Cheers to Us!

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We go Together Like Peas and Carrots

Forrest Gump

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Shrimp Baby Mobile Project

This was my, Julie’s, idea once I saw these cups of cute little shrimp for sale in the gift shop at the Bubba Gump restaurant.  I knew they would be great as a baby mobile.  It also fits our personalities and interests to have a shrimp mobile and not some other kind.

Here Gordon is working on it.

The Finished Results for Baby Isabelle

(Project Instructions Down Below)

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Our Recreation Dinner of Bubba Gump Shrimp

(Above purchases made from the Bubba Gump gift shop.)

We Wanted to Recreate Our Delicious Shrimp Dinners

(My old Elvis magazine, above.)

Elvis and Forrest Gump

Gordon Creating our Shrimp Dinner

He’s packing our shrimp into our souvenir Bubba Gump glasses.  I got out our Fondue Forks to use here.  They are long and can reach the shrimp in the bottom of the glasses.

Topping off with Bubba Gump Hot Sauce

(We asked our waitress for some of the paper newspapers to use with our dinner. 

She very happily agreed to give us a few.  🙂

Greenbow County Dispatch

Gump Shrimp and Peas and Carrots

(Recipes Down Below)

Greenbow County Dispatch

And Chocolate.. Because Life Is Like A Box Of…

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John’s Pass Boardwalk

As with any Boardwalk along the beach or ocean front, you will always find lots of quaint shops, and many eating establishments.  You know you will find lots of seafood and ‘Specials of the Day.’  Souvenir’s, T-Shirts, Beach Towels, Swimsuits, and lots of beach toys.  Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

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We wanted to take the family out to dinner for Father’s Day, and before Veronica gave birth to Isabelle, but also because Gordon would be leaving soon to work overseas for the foreseeable future, and it was just our way of creating some nice memories before he would be leaving.

Mackenzie and Brodie

Love all the restaurant themes!  There is nothing as quaint!

Now, who wouldn’t want to ride on that Shark Boat?

The John’s Pass Intracoastal Waterway

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Julie Along The Boardwalk

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I thought this was a great shot of John’s Pass and you can see The Gulf of Mexico in the distance.

Gordon and Julie

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You Can Eat Outside Or Inside

(Gulf of Mexico View)

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July 6, just happens to be Veronica’s birthday.  🙂

Also, interestingly enough, the book the movie is based on is actually very small.

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A Great Tourist Shot

(The bench is in Savannah, Georgia. 

They have since removed all of these great benches.  Why?  I have no idea?)

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Putting in our Reservation to Lunch

(They were short staffed that day so we had to wait awhile.)

Welcome

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Browsing the Gift Shop

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Forrest Gump

Takes me back to my groovy childhood in the 70’s!

Brian, Gordon, and Veronica in the Gift Shop

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While we were waiting for our reservation inside…..

we decided to have a drink at the bar outside.

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Drink Menu with Souvenir Glasses  🙂

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Enjoying The Atmosphere

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Shown To Our Table Inside The Restaurant

A view outside of our window of the drawbridge at the connection of the Intracoastal Waterway and The Gulf of Mexico.

Our Table

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Everyone Studying the Menu…

Virgin Cocktails, and Cocktails Have Arrived!

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Appetizers and Food Has Arrived

Gordon’s Ribs

Veronica’s and Brian’s Foods

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While Everyone Was Eating, I Took a Tour of the Restaurant

It was a pretty slow day, which I enjoyed so that I could wander around taking photos.

I do love a good themed restaurant.  Especially when based on a favorite movie of mine.

Not to mention that Gordon and I did grow up during the 60’s and 70’s.

Looks like one of our paintings we have at home.

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I Love These Booths!

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And Yes, There is Even a Hooter’s!  Hence, the Giant Chicken Wing.  🙂

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Plenty of Dinner and Drinking Boats to Choose From

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The Drawbridge

(You will see many Drawbridges along the West Coast chain of Islands along The Gulf of Mexico.)

I Thought This Boat Looked Fun and Tropical

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Yet Another Eating Establishment

I Do Love These Two

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Time For Some Family Photos

(Worst Lighting EVER!)  🙂

Julie and Gordon

Mackenzie, Brodie, and Susannah

Veronica, (Baby Isabelle) and Brian

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Shops and Restaurants, with Parking

(This area is next to the Boardwalk)

Back to John’s Pass and the Boardwalk

(One Week Later)

We came back for our Anniversary and to do some more shopping.

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A Quaint Ice Cream Shop

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We Hit The Shopping First..

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…Then Straight to Bubba Gump for Lunch

Our Booth

Run Forrest, Run

(You display that when you don’t need your waiter or waitress.

  When you would like someone to help you, then flip the sign to “Stop Forrest, Stop.)”

Sun’s Out, Rum’s Out

Happy 38th. Wedding Anniversary to Us!

Our Appetizer

I think this is the Run Across America Sampler.

The Fried Shrimp with Fries and Slaw is mine.

I think Gordon ordered the Jambalaya.

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RECIPES START HERE

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Write Up By Gordon

Peas and Carrots

Easy Peasy, Just Follow The Packaged Instructions

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Hush Puppies

(These were ready made in the frozen section of our Commissary.  Just follow the packaged instructions.)

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On The Stove Top to Cook

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Thawing the Shrimp in the Sink

(This is a 2 lb. Bag)

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Ingredients:

5 Garlic Cloves – minced

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 ½ Tbsp Bubba Gump Cajun Seafood Seasoning

1 Lb. Shrimp – deveined and peeled from Argentina – delicious.

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The Bubba Gump Hot Sauce and Cajun Seasoning we purchased from the restaurant gift shop.

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Slice your Garlic, then mince it.

Here I did enough for two recipes… the other will be explained later.

Place your butter in a large sauté pan and turn to medium heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add your Garlic. You can also see the Peas and Carrots cooking in a small pot off to the side with a touch of butter. Cook these on a slow boil to just warm them up.

Sautee your Garlic for just a few minutes…

Then add your Bubba Gump Cajun Seasoning and let it cook for about 1 min.

Now, add your Shrimp to the pan and stir together with the other ingredients.

Shrimp cook fast (About 7 min.) so when they go from opaque to white and firm they are done. Stir occasionally as they cook. They will also continue to cook as they will remain hot for some time after you plate them so slightly under cooking them is recommended.

Add them to your large plate and serve with the peas and carrots!

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Here we just wanted to make Shrimp Cocktail, so again start with your Butter then add your Garlic.

Now add your Shrimp and stir all the ingredients together.

Again, they will cook in just a few minutes, so continue to stir for even cooking.

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Here is our Bubba Gump Glass… fitting for this cocktail.

Start by adding some Shrimp Cocktail Sauce to the glass as shown.

Now, add a few Shrimp to the glass, then another dollop of Cocktail Sauce and continue until the glass is full.

Here I am also adding some of the juices from the pan! Top off the cocktail with some more sauce.

Now that is a meal fit for Movie night watching … Star Wars!

No, I think we watch Forrest Gump!  🙂

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SHRIMP MOBILE PROJECT STARTS HERE

Lots of Cute Shrimp in Cups we Purchased at the Bubba Gump Gift Shop.

I knew that I would be our Grand-Daughter’s main caregiver, I also knew that we would be providing duplicate of everything she would need, including a baby bed with all the trimmings that come with.  I also knew that along with the bed (which was given to us by our Son-In-Law’s sister’s mother and father-in-law), that we would need something along the lines of a mobile for her to look at.

Ready to Start The Project

We are beach people that love the ocean, and beach life living, we also love seafood, so when I saw all of these cute shrimp being sold in cute cups at the Bubba Gump gift shop, I knew they would make a great mobile.

Here is what you will need:

Plush Shrimp Various sized Chop Sticks Fishing Line Small Drill Bit (1/32) and Drill Scissors Ruler Needle

AND, Two attentive dogs to provide morale support!

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At first, I was going to use this aluminum bar which would attach to the crib, and I would hang the Shrimp Mobile from it.

I am removing the drill bit from the package.

I drilled a small hole in the end of the bar which would then hold the nut and hanger seen to the left. I am using some scrap press board to drill into, so I don’t ruin the table.

Here you can see me affixing the parts to the bar.

And Done! This may work well for you, but I ended up scratching this idea… more to follow later. Now to make the mobile.

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It was Julie’s idea to use Chopsticks.  I have two long Chopsticks as the top part of the mobile and everything could then hang from them. I located the center of the chopsticks and drilled a small hole in each of them.

I then drilled small holes at the ends of those chopsticks. I repeated this process for my other chopsticks. One set of two chopsticks for every tier of your Mobile. We used large, medium, and small lengthened chopsticks.

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Spooky… ever watchful!

She is so cute!

There is our Sparky!

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I started with the two long chopsticks and using my fishing line, made a loop running the line through the center of both chopsticks. I used the metal loop to prevent the line from pulling through. I would cut it off later.

I then strung long lengths of fishing line from each of the chopsticks ends and tied them off. This is the top of my mobile

I now moved using plant hangars on our lanai and hung the mobile from them. This made it easier to tie my knots.

I then repeated my first step, tying my fishing line through the middle of the chopsticks and the ends. You can see the top set is well balanced.

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I used a fishing knot to tie the items together. You basically, run the line through the hole then twist the lines together about 5 times then run the end of the line back through the top and pull.

Now, run your fishing line through the end of your needle and push your needle through a spot on your shrimp.

(It was Julie’s idea to hang the shrimp differently and not thread the fishing line through the same place on each shrimp.  This way, you have them doing different things.)

Pictured is a more detailed look at this step! Nice pic Julie!

Then place it to the length you want it to hang from your mobile, and tie it off.

Here you can see we use the Sea Turtle’s flipper.

Repeat this step again and again!

Tie the shrimp at varying lengths from the chopstick ends.

Continue and repeat!

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Our Finished Shrimp Mobile

SHHHHH… she is asleep!

Sweet, Sweet Baby

Sweet Shrimpy Dreams Isabelle

What a great mobile she will have to look at when she wakes up. Let’s just hope she isn’t allergic to shellfish when she gets older. We hope you try this great mobile yourself!