Eating and Playing in the South

Since I was in the capitol city of Baton Rouge for my longest stay ever, I am glad my stomach benefited from the five-day trip.

And after moving to the Hyatt Place on Bluebonnet Boulevard, I was overwhelmed with all of the dining choices! Now that is my kind of dilemma, people!

When I arrived at the Mall of Louisiana around lunch time, I had a lovely burrito and fresh limeade at a place called Izzo’s. I love the whole make-your-own burrito idea. For example, Chipotle and Café Rio are some of my favorite places on earth.

Lunch certainly didn’t disappoint, and I enjoyed some chips and salsa as dessert a few hours later while watching people in the mall. That is an event that never gets old to me, either. People are fascinating!

That evening for dinner, I walked about a mile across the mall and to the other side for a delicious meal at BJs. They now offer small plates, so I accidentally ordered some artichoke hearts. Does it still count as a vegetable if it is fried to death? But wait! perhaps it was fried in vegetable oil?!

Wow, that’s a stretch.

I then ate half of my club sandwich and sweet potato fries. It was yummy. I am really addicted to avocado right now and would love it on just about anything.

Wednesday meant a total splurge for lunch…Chick-fil-A at the food court. Although it was delicious and cheap and I love both of those things, I later regretted eating at a chain that I could get anywhere. When I’m on the road, I love the opportunity to try new places, or at least try new dishes if I am eating somewhere familiar.

This was also the day I attempted to walk to TJ Maxx a few miles away. Until I realized the only point of access was about half a mile on the freeway! So I attempted (and failed) to find some new shorts in the mall. I just have the hardest time paying $50 for a pair of shorts. Maybe I’m relieved that I found nothing?

Thursday was fun because I had promised myself a movie. I ate lunch at Bravo across the street from the theater. First, I enjoyed a small salad. It was so yummy, but I doubt I had any nutritional value remained after the bacon and parmesan cheese on top were taken into consideration. But it was good…

Then the main course came…a flatbread pizza with chicken and spinach. Again, getting some vegetables in me tasted awesome, but they probably don’t count for much in the grand scheme of things.

For the past few years, I’ve only made the effort to see one movie in theaters each year. And the movie is usually about vampires. But I made a special exception for a movie today to see The Hunger Games. Have you heard of it?

It was well-done and closely followed the book. With the huge screen, I sometimes had a problem with the filmography being too-real and up-close. It was hard to see what was happening because they had the camera down in the action to help you feel like a part of the action. It was worth the $7.00 for a matinee. But it was just like the book…kids killing kids. Didn’t read the others and probably won’t. If I can avoid peer pressure, that is.

After my movie, I had to conduct some research for my cupcake business. A store front called Cupcake Couture was at the mall, and I tried a few of their most-popular flavors. This was all in the name of my business, by the way.

In case you’re wondering…my cupcakes are way better.

But I managed to choke down their Wedding Cake and S’Mores mini cupcakes, just to make sure. Yep. Mine are way better.

I had a late lunch, so for dinner I simply got a small order of chips and guacamole at Izzo’s once again. Are you seeing an avocado theme here? Do you think we should do an intervention?

I wandered the mall while enjoying my chips. When it was time to walk across the street to the hotel, I was stuck by a huge thunderstorm that was rolling through. The parking lot had become a swimming pool in a matter of a few minutes. While waiting for the storm to subside, more people-watching took place. Very educational to watch people in the south. Lots of fun.

When the water level was finally below my knees, I walked home to enjoy my last evening at the Hyatt Place.

Friday, for lunch before my flight home, I tried The Cheesecake Bistro. Don’t confuse it for my favorite restaurant ever, though I think they’re trying to fool the locals. It was good and the portions were huge, but I left knowing I would probably never visit again. When leaving my favorite place? I am already planning my next trip!

It was a great visit to Baton Rouge with lots of down time. I saw some neat things and got lots done on my computer. I enjoyed some incredible food and observed some very interesting people. It might sound boring to some, but I enjoyed my week on the road.

Flight Home pictures coming soon!