Crazy Travelers...: Fun Florida Friends enjoy the Symphony by the Lake

The Fun Florida Friends had a GREAT time at the annual Symphony by the Lake at Chetola!

Two years ago, a group of the "usual suspects" got together for the event. That year, we attended in a more traditional way....that is to say we put together some picnic foods, couple of coolers, blankets and chairs and planned to sit on the lawn to enjoy the Symphony. Parking was free at the Outlet Mall, but we had to schlep all those things through the woods and half way into Chetola to get a spot, and then schlep it all back afterward.

This year, I saw you could rent tents (which included a table, chairs, a tent and tickets). Well-worth the price of admission we thought! Not so much schlepping! I inquired about the tents and learned there were only 18 and they had all been reserved but they would put my name on a waiting list. (Oh well. I gave it a shot.)

Just as I was about ready to start coordinating things for our group (to attend the old fashioned way again), I got a call! They added a couple more tents and would we be interested? You bet your sweet bippie we would!

Since the group of attendees wasn't limited to our Wining, Dining and Laughing Society, we needed a name and theme. We all have Florida in common and so came the name (Fun Florida Friends) that would appear on our tent and in the program.

Over the next few days, we worked on a theme. The Symphony didn't have a theme for their music selections, so we decided we'd have a theme based on our name. We were going to bring a little Margaritaville to the NC Mountains!

We had a fantastic menu planned! Frank updated the iPod with more Jimmy Buffett tunes and I found some great decorations for the tent and tables. (There was a decorated tent contest and we decided to enter. No big prize money at stake, just the honor of winning.) Keep in mind some of these tents are very fancy and the hosts bust out the 'good stuff' (silver candelabras, huge vases of fresh flowers, crystal glasses, silver service and the good china) for their tent.

Leann, Frank, Ron, Lynnne, Raquel and Tom

Frank, Ron, Lynne, Joanne, and Rick

Toby, Bob, Tom and Frank

Leann, Raquel, Lynne and Joanne

Raquel, Lynne and Bonnie

Frank made arrangements for the peddle boat and nearly all of us took a spin around the lake.

Lynne and Ron

Leann, Raquel, Lynne and Joanne

Frank, Bob, Toby and Tom

Bonnie, Barbara and Leann

We were a little more casual but certainly no less festive and enthusiastic. We did our best to transform our tent into a little Keys tiki hut and bar. Our table was complete with:
              * Chips/salsa/home made guac
              * Watermelon basket
              * "Chips to the left/Sticks to the right" with clam dip
              * KeeZee shrimp
              * Jimmy Buffett chicken salad
              * Mini cheeseburgers-in-paradise (complete with lettuce, tomato, Heinz 57, kosher pickles)
              * Mini Key Lime pies and chocolate dipped macaroons

And the bar, complete with Hawaiin shirt koozies for our:
* Margaritas
* Landshark beer

It was a lot of fun and gave us the opportunity to introduce more Florida friends. Not sure where the cool mountain weather was, but it was as if we were in Florida, not North Carolina!