McGuires Irish Pub in Destin Florida

Chris Boothman
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McGuires Irish Pub in Destin Florida

One of the great aspects of traveling is sampling different dining experiences and trying a range of cuisines that may be very diverse from what your diet generally entails. We certainly fall into this category and enjoy tasting new foods along with re-visiting some of those old, favorite restaurants that you found on previous trips.

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Our trip to Destin, Florida last week saw us try several different restaurants, some we had previously been acquainted with, while others were new. The first night we stayed in Destin, we decided to return to one of our favorite spots in Destin – McGuire’s Irish Pub. I have to admit that both Heather and myself have a fond love of Irish cuisine so anytime we travel, one of our main tendencies is to locate somewhere that is stereotypically Irish.

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This is our third trip to Florida together and each time we have sampled the great food on offer at McGuire’s Irish Pub. Is the food really stereotypical of Ireland? Well, it’s pretty close and the menu certainly favors Irish cuisine though if you are a die-hard American eater you can still find something to satisfy your tastebuds.

Our top recommendation from the menu is actually a starter and is the cheapest item on the whole menu! The infamous Senate Bean Soup sets you back a mere 18 cents each (as long as you purchase an entree) but I can honestly say that this is one of the best soups I have tasted. Throw in a loaf of bread topped with delectable honey butter and this is a real treat to start your experience at McGuire’s. The problem is that by the time you have finished your soup and bread, you are pretty well stuffed and probably need a break before trying one of the main dishes.

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If you opt for the Irish Wake drink, you will be happy to know that you can take away a souvenir mug  which will provide great memories of your experience here.

We have tried different options each time we have visited McGuire’s but this time we decided to opt for the Fish and Chips and Steak and Mushroom pie. Heather admittedly was a little disappointed by the Fish and Chips, it certainly wasn’t what she anticipated but I think that’s a combination of high expectations and the fact she was pretty full after our starter. The Steak and Mushroom pie was very good despite being a little over-facing with the amount of puff-pastry used for the crust. Either way, both of these are good choices along with a variety of other options.

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Aside from the food in McGuire’s the atmosphere is really cool. The pub style setting is of course appealing to myself but I like how they have allowed everyone to be a part of the infrastructure by pinning dollar bills signed by guests around every part of the inside. There literally has to be millions of dollars scattered around the interior but it makes for a cool looking pub. We were also treated to a local bagpipe performance which earned a well-deserved rapturous applause from guests.

Leaving McGuire’s you have to visit the souvenir shop that has a range of products available from T-Shirts to local wines and other liquor.

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If you have never sampled Irish food, you don’t know what you are missing! Traveling to Destin, Florida may not be at the top of your ‘must-see’ places but if you are ever in this part of Florida you would be well advised to pay McGuire’s a visit and sample their excellent food and dining experience.

What are your favorite Irish restaurants in USA?

Willow’s British Tea Room – Panama City

Chris Boothman
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Willow’s British Tea Room – Panama City

I have to admit that one of the things that I miss about England is being able to wander along a street and pop in to a local tearoom for lunch or afternoon snack. Ok, so in America everyone visits Starbucks or the like if they want something equivalent to this but there is something about those quaint little village tearooms in English hamlets that make you feel homely.

We have traveled to various cities around the States and up until visiting Panama City on our recent trip to Florida, there has been nothing like what I am used to seeing back in England. After deciding to take the hour drive from Destin to Panama City, we were a little disappointed at what we found on arriving in downtown Panama City.

The main street looked similar to what you would expect in an old US town but I was soon attracted to a Union Jack flag swaying in the distance at the bottom of the street. After telling Heather we should drive down and investigate further, we saw a quaint little tearoom called ‘Willow’s British Tea Room‘. We decided to take a look at the menu in the window and after a few moments we immediately decided we had to go in and sample the food.

We were greeted by a friendly girl who I immediately knew was not a Florida native, rather she was from the homeland (we later found out that she was from Norfolk and moved over to the States about 18 months ago) and she took our drink order. The menu was ‘so British’ with the main highlights for snacks being a Cornish Beef Pastie and Sausage Roll with a side of good old HP sauce.

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We opted for both of these British classics and we were certainly not disappointed by the quality of the food. The Cornish pastie was ‘home-made’ and definitely a recommended choice and I know that Heather enjoyed her selection.

Below is a copy of the menu that gives you an insight into what is on offer here.

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I wanted to give a little advertisement to this great little establishment along the Emerald Coastline. If you are traveling in the vicinity of Panama City, please go ahead pop by the Willow’s British Tea Room and sample their British style cuisine – you won’t be left disappointed!

Top 5 Reasons to fly Southwest Airlines

Chris Boothman
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Top 5 Reasons to fly Southwest Airlines

If you are following us on Twitter, you may have noticed a Tweet I released indicating that we have finally achieved our goal of reaching Companion Pass status. I will get into a little more detail later in this post about what this involves and means, but for anyone that has never flown or even researched Southwest Airlines, I hope this post gives you a better idea as to what advantages they have to offer over other leading airlines.

The airline industry is undoubtedly competitive so for an airline to grab that all important ‘competitive advantage’, they have to find niches in the market that will attract customers. Southwest Airlines is relatively new in comparison to other airline powerhouses such as American, Delta or US Airways so they have to look at other ways to gain a reputation rather than just ‘long standing’ support from regular flyers.

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider using Southwest Airlines for your next domestic US flight.

Cheaper Fares

Who doesn’t want to take advantage of cheap flights? Over the last few years, airline tickets have skyrocketed and it appears that long gone are the days where you can fly domestically for less than $100 round trip. Well….not necessarily! Southwest Airlines frequently provides blockbuster sales from various hubs across the States with flights as low as $45 one way. We are fortunate to now have two relatively close hubs to Jonesboro, Arkansas. Little Rock, AR and starting this week, Memphis, TN now have direct flights to various destinations across USA.

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Free Checked Bag(s)

Even if you are a frequent flyer and believe that you are able to pack everything in to you carry-on bag, how nice would it be if you could check a bag with you airline and not have to pay an extra $20-$120 per bag each way? Well, Southwest Airlines are the perfect airline for you because they give you not only one but TWO free checked bags when you use them as your preferred airline.

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This is a huge incentive especially for families who travel on vacations with kids and need to take plenty of luggage with them. 2 bags per person – put that into perspective for a family of 4 and that is potentially 8 free bags and when you do the math on this, that could be a saving of several hundred dollars!

I am impressed with this ‘add-on’ because combining this with generally cheaper airfares, it is making Southwest a leader of low-cost airlines.

No Seat Assignment

You may think that having no seat assignment would be a drawback but I like to think of this being advantageous. How many times do you book a flight and then try to assign yourself a seat, only to find that all the seats are reserved or you have to pay extra for ‘extra leg room’ etc? Well, you don’t have to worry about this with Southwest, all you have to do is ensure that you are awake 24 hours prior to your departure time and check-in online to get assigned a group number. The earlier group number that you get, the more choice you will have when you walk on to the plane.

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Check out this interactive guide on how the boarding process works for Southwest Airlines: Boarding Process

Companion Pass

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Companion Pass is what inspired me to write this post today. On Sunday, November 3rd, we received confirmation from Southwest that we had achieved Companion Pass status for the rest of 2013 and the 2014 calendar year. So what does this mean? Here are the key benefits of a Companion Pass:

  • A companion of your choice can fly with you for FREE (Yes you read that correctly!) whenever you take a flight to a chosen Southwest destination.
  • You can book qualifying Companion Pass flights using either money or existing points that you have.
  • A companion can be added to existing flight reservations, so you don’t need to add the companion at the time of booking the initial flight.

So how do you achieve Companion Pass status? There are currently two ways of doing this. The first way is to complete 100 qualifying Southwest Flights in a calendar year which in reality is difficult unless you are a frequent flyer and that would still equate to about 2 flights per week. The other option, which is what we achieved, is to accumulate 110,000 points using a variety of methods. Southwest partners with Chase to make the Rapid Rewards credit card options a great way to start. Frequently they will have an offer that when you open a credit card with them, after spending the first $2000 within the first three months, you will earn a bonus 50k points which DO count towards Companion Pass status.

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Above is the Tweet that I posted on Monday confirming that our Rapid Rewards account achieved 110k points. We earned the 50k points at the end of July so in reality we have earned 60k more since then. This initially may seem like a lot of expenses but here are a few ways we have found to maximize your spending and achieve the ultimate goal:

  • Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal – Keep checking back here daily or weekly as there are always companies that offer double and even triple points.
  • Teleflora – Unfortunately we have just found out that as of 11/20/13, they are no longer offering the deal that we took advantage of (1000 points for each transaction of at least $30).
  • E-Rewards and E-Miles – Take a bunch of surveys and basically get free money. For every $25 you earn in survey money on e-rewards, you can convert this to 500 RR points.

Partnership with Airtran

You may be aware that Southwest Airlines acquired Airtran Airways in 2011. This merger is still ongoing and of course we are not going to see the maximum benefits of this until everything in the process is complete. However, we are already noticing some benefits that we can take advantage of as travelers.

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Whenever you book on Southwest.com, you now have the ability to book flights to Airtran hubs. Many of these are now available ‘directly’ through Southwest while some still require you to be redirected through the Airtran portal. Those that make you redirect unfortunately will not allow you to use your Southwest accrued points or Companion Pass status but reports suggest by the end of 2014, all flight connections and bookings will be made directly through Southwest.com.

Do you fly Southwest Airlines?

What are your opinions on their customer service and incentives?

Interview – Merete Brown (Outside the Limits)

Chris Boothman
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Interview – Merete Brown (Outside the Limits)

Today’s Sunday Social travel interview features Merete Brown from Outside the Limits who has graciously given her time to speak with us and help us learn a little more about her travel thoughts and website.

Please feel free to comment, ask questions and connect with Merete using her various social media fronts listed below.

We would like to give a special THANK YOU to Merete for taking time to interview with us!

Merete Brown @ Banff

Name: Merete Brown

Hometown: Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho (USA)

Website: Outside the Limits

Social Media: 

What is your favorite aspect of traveling and if you are a travel blogger, why did you decide to create your website? 

My favorite aspect of traveling is figuring out where to go and pushing myself out of my comfort zone into the unknown. I love the feeling I get when I travel to a new place and need to figure out how to get from point A to point B. It’s like figuring out a puzzle, especially if there’s a language barrier.

I decided to create the blog Outside the Limits, because I wanted to inspire people to explore all the amazing natural places often right outside city limits even if it’s not that far from home. I also wanted to inspire people to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, because if you do, it often results in great experiences. Since I love photography so much, I wanted to create a poster board, so to speak, to highlight places to visit through photographic essays.

How many continents have you visited? 

Two

How many countries have you visited? 

11-20

What is your favorite destination in the world and why? 

That’s a tough question but if I had to pick one place, I would say St. Kitts in the West Indies. I love the ocean and St. Kitts is beautiful with the Caribbean Sea bordering one side and the Atlantic on the other side. When I was there several years ago, I also loved it because it wasn’t overrun by tourists. The island felt genuine. Although I enjoy cruising, the Caribbean islands often cater to the cruise ships tourists and at times the atmosphere on the islands can become a little hokey. But St. Kitts felt like a true getaway, not over commercialized and still a sanctuary in paradise.

If money/time was no object and you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why? 

There are two destinations at the top of my travel bucket list right now: Machu Picchu in Peru and Iceland. I’ve always had a fascination with Machu Picchu because of its origin and location in the Andes Mountains. I can’t wait to hike the Inca Trail! I also really want to visit Iceland because for one, it’s a beautiful country, but also for two, I hope to see the northern lights someday.

Which of the following gadgets do you take on your travels? 

Camera, Phone and Tablet (iPad, Kindle etc.)

What is your preferred method of transport? 

Walk

Complete the following, “Everywhere I go, I visit….” 

Everywhere I go, I visit a gift shop to pick up a Christmas ornament. My husband and I started collecting ornaments to add to our Christmas tree each year, so someday we can look back and reflect on all the amazing places we traveled to!

Here is your chance to sell yourself and your website! Tell us some more information about yourself, what your travel philosophies & future plans are and anything else that people may find interesting to read about… 

Well I’m a law graduate who decided life was too short to spend all my time doing something I didn’t really enjoy, so instead of pursuing law further, I dug up some of my skills from majoring in Broadcast Journalism in undergraduate and decided to do the two things I really enjoy: writing and photography. I’ve always loved to travel and I also love everything about the outdoors. And so, Outside the Limits was born. Although the focus of Outside the Limits is on the outdoors, parks, etc., the blog also highlights interesting cities and other regions to travel to. I really like to tell stories through photos, so people can get a true sense of what a place looks like and decide if it’s somewhere they can get excited about traveling to.

There are so many beautiful places in the world. If only I could travel to all of them! 🙂 I would say my travel philosophy is to “just go.” It doesn’t matter how far you travel or whether you even have a destination. Some of the best trips I’ve had were largely spontaneous. I just hopped in the car and headed towards a tentative destination, unsure if I would end up detouring somewhere. But the most important thing is to just go. It doesn’t have to be far from home. Get out and experience new places, meet new people and see new things.

Also, to quote the blog’s slogan “Discover, Explore, Record – Live by Venturing Outside the Limits,” I think those simple words really encapsulate how to travel. Find a place to travel outside of your usual locale, explore and record your adventure in some way to always remember your experience. It’s easy to get swept up in the moment while traveling, but if you remember to keep some sort of record of your travels, it will likely be very valuable to you down the road (if it was a good experience of course).

Finally, although I love spontaneous trips, I’m also generally a planner when I’m traveling further from home. I like to spend time researching cool places to stay, the best deals and interesting things to see. Sometimes it’s fun to construct a certain image of a place before I travel there and then see how the image relates to real life. My next major stop is San Diego, Los Angeles and Joshua National Park. I’m planning to drive a loop between the three places. (I love loops! 🙂 ) I’ve wanted to visit Joshua National Park for a while now to photograph the landscape. I’m also attending a National Geographic Seminar in San Diego on storytelling through photography. It should be a great trip! Thanks for inviting me to participate in your survey! Please let me know if you have questions!

Merete

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