On January 6th, it was time to hit the road and leave Florida behind! After a crazy 10 months of running up and down the eastern half of the country and moving every 1-2 weeks, we were really looking forward to spending a full month in one spot in Foley, Alabama. Foley is located about an hour south of Mobile on the eastern edge of Mobile Bay. It is just a few minutes away from the popular vacation destinations of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach so we knew there would be tons of fun activities to get into. We also like to use our longer stays to get doctor and vet appointments taken care of and handle any larger maintenance items on the house. Our campground was 3 minutes from a vet, 9 minutes from a McDonald’s, and 14 minutes from a Walmart. CIVILIZATION!
The drive went really smoothly (we might actually be getting the hang of this!) and we arrived at Alabama Coast Campground with no issues. We pulled into our large, flat, pull-through spot and got the truck unhooked and the house setup rather quickly.
As per tradition, we headed out for a drive around town and to grab some dinner. We were just a few streets over from the main strip through town so we had SO MANY restaurant choices but we already had a destination in mind. We had heard about Lambert’s Cafe from several people, although most had been guests at the Missouri location, and were excited to try them.
The food was just good, old fashioned, down-home cooking. They also serve their soft drinks in ENORMOUS plastic mugs that bring back fond memories of one of my Great Aunts. I had a feeling it was going to be a good experience.
John had the fried chicken and I had liver and onions and we both got mashed potatoes and cornbread. The servings were HUGE – which was made extra crazy by the fact that they offer what they call “pass arounds”. While you eat, servers walk through the dining room with bowls and trays of extra items that are completely free with your meal – fried okra, fried potatoes (even better than my Grandma’s – don’t tell her I said so!), macaroni & tomatoes, and black-eyed peas. The food was pretty good overall. The chicken was heavenly and the mashed potatoes were really good once we added some salt and pepper. I already said it but the fried potatoes were the best I have ever had. I wish I had known how good they were before I ordered – I would have chosen a lighter side dish than mashed potatoes. I didn’t love my liver and onions but I think it’s just because I didn’t really like the gravy that they smothered it in – not that it wasn’t good but it just wasn’t something I enjoyed.
The thing that brought us in, however, was that Lambert’s is known for their “Throwed Rolls”. You may be asking “what is a throwed roll?” and don’t you worry – I am happy to break it down for you. First off, I am a girl that LOVES a complimentary bread with dinner. Bread is one of my favorite things on this earth. So when I say that these rolls were worth the trip BY THEMSELVES please know that I am not saying that lightly. For starters, they are GIGANTIC. They definitely require two hands to catch. Yes. I said TO CATCH. Because, like the other Pass Arounds, these rolls are served by folks walking through the dining room pushing a little cart. Except instead of placing them onto your table they hurl them at you from across the room. Yup. When you want a roll you just catch the eye of the server and they will send a fresh, hot, soft ball of deliciousness hurtling through space over the heads of other diners and (hopefully) right into your waiting hands. They also have folks walking around with apple butter and molasses for your rolls but honestly just eat them with a little butter. They don’t need anything fancy.
The next morning, we undertook a holy pilgrimage known to many travelers – a trip to Buc-ee’s! For those that haven’t experienced this almost holy site – what’s the hold up? Buc-ee’s is a chain of gas stations/truck stops that are just so much more. They have gas, of course, and provide clean restrooms for truckers and vacationing families alike. You can purchase your standard convenience store snacks (bottles of soda, bags of chips, Hostess and Little Debbie snacks) but they also have wines, a small grocery section, home decor, apparel, sporting/camping goods, and toys. For hot food options they have a sweets stations with really really good fresh made fudge and nuts, a bakery with pastries, a hot foods section with pulled pork and tacos, and a fast food counter with burgers, fries, hotdogs, and more. There is an entire wall of fountain drinks (the Buc-ee’s brand cherry cola is amazing) and a section of jerky. They are always PACKED but thankfully have a large staff and pretty efficient flow so, although there are long lines, you can get in and out fairly quickly. We got some snacks and a Buc-ee’s onesie so I can look just like their beaver mascot. It even has a tail!!!!
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Harley had a vet appointment for a consultation for surgery to remove a fatty tumor. We really liked the vet so we scheduled her procedure for later in the month.
Although our campground wasn’t really anything fancy, it did have a walking path around the perimeter that was shaded and quiet and we took lots of walks with Harley and enjoyed chatting with a few neighbors. With an entire month ahead of us, there was absolutely no need to rush.
We have not visited a Bucee’s yet. Thank’s for writing about it! Loved your description
You have to try a Buc-ees. The experience is worth it alone.