New things we have seen and tried

We figured we should start tracking the new things we have seen or tried on this trip. Part of what we wanted to accomplish was experiencing more new things especially related to the part of the country that we are in. Here is a list of items we have experience so far and the general reactions to them:

• Fried pickles - Had these in Georgia for the first time. Overall everyone seemed to like them well enough. Brock had them at two different locations and prefers the thinner pickles to the thicker pickles
• Grits - It was hard to get a full opinion on these and to tell you the truth I think we are still trying to figure out what they are and what they taste like. They seem to be more like a food you mix with something else. Stacey really wants to put brown sugar on them but we have read and have been told that this would not be right.
• Whole lobster - Brynna and Brock tried these in Bar Harbor, Maine. They were good but I think the green stuff that comes out gross us out a little too much to make the meal as tasty as we were hoping it would be.
• Pecan roll - We picked up one of these at the River Road walk in Savannah. It was good but was a little stale so we are thinking a fresher roll would have been much better.
• Praline - We got free samples of these in Savannah as well and probably should have gotten some of these instead of the pecan roll as they were good and fresh with pecans mixed in as well.
• Geocaching - Our friends the Williams in Valdosta, GA introduced us to this as a fun family event and we have had a great time so far doing this together. It gets us out into the local area and with Brock being goal driven and the whole family being explorers it seems to fit with us.
• Butter burger - We have been introduced to Culver's and their famous butter burger. They taste great and we are pretty sure they don't cook the burger in butter but just butter the bun before they toast it on the grill. At least we tell our selves this because we like them and don't want them to be too bad for us. 
• Cheese curds - We tried these in Wisconsin and the whole family thought they were really good. The ones we had were fried but we would be game for trying the non-fried as well.
• Maple Syrup - Yes, we have had maple syrup before but not the 100% pure that came right from the sugar shack that we stopped at and purchased. We are back to the old corn syrup model due to price but the real stuff was pretty good!
• The Gulf of Mexico - We had not seen or stuck our toes into this body of water. We like the sea shell covered beaches and warm water. Wish more locations allowed dogs so Heidi could enjoy it too but maybe later in our trip at another location
• Toll roads - Kinda glad we don't have these back home. The ones we have seen so far cost a lot and have not been in any better of condition than the rest of the roads in the area. The roads going to and from Chicago cost us over $40 in one day and were torn up for at least 40 miles.
• The Boston T - This was our first experience as a family of commuting from the suburbs of a big city into downtown on the subway/train. It actually was less scary than we thought and people seemed to take pity on us and help us find the right connections.  
• Boiled peanuts - We saw little stands advertising these all over the place in Georgia and South Carolina. We finally found some at a gas station store that we tried. Mixed reviews from the family with Sky, Bryn and Brock saying one is enough and Brighton and Stace thinking they were not too bad.
• Beignets and Cafe au lait - We got to try these at the famous Cafe du Monde in New Orleans on a sunny Sunday. Thumbs up all around but we learned not to inhale while biting the pastry or you could choke on powdered sugar!
• Muffuletta - We got to try this type of Italian sandwich in New Orleans as well. It was a little expensive but was very good. The meats, cheese and olive salad mixed together made a pretty tasty combination.
• Shrimp Po Boy - Stacey tried this sandwich. Overall she was not highly impressed but thought it could have been good if the shrimp had not been dry. May have to give it a second chance if the opportunity arises.
• Mint Juleps - After taking a tour of Oak Alley Plantation, they had a stand selling Lemonade and Mint Juleps. We decided to give it a try and liked the combination of sweet and minty.
• Jalapeno ice cream - We tried this at the Tabasco factory store. All but Stacey and Spencer thought that one bite was enough!
• Crawfish etouffee - Our new friends the Brownlow-Dindy family graciously invited us to lunch and prepared this meal for us. Those of us that tried it thought it was great - like a mix between shrimp, lobster and crab. Those that did not try it still really had a great time getting to know our new friends.