Service with a smile!

 While on vacation, we had a chance to really experience "Southern Hospitality".  And we made a startling discovery. . . . There is good and bad service in the South as there is in every part of the country.  We had some of the best service in hotels and eateries we have ever experienced and some of the worse.  The first night on the road we stopped at a nice motel, had great service and a wonderful room until we spotted this little "pink lizzard" in our bathroom.  The hotel clerk joked with Randy when he called the front desk and said "I was just wondering if you charged extra for lizzards in your room".  She replied "no, we include them free of charge".  And then she offered to send someone up to the room to "wrangle your lizzard".  Well, of course he couldn't resist that line and promptly told here that was the best offer he had all day, but no thanks he was married!  She turned what could have been a bad situation into a memorable moment.

We enjoyed several meals at Cracker Barrels.  This restaurant offers great prices, food and service.  They are almost always a sure bet for travelers. When we got to Gulf Shores, we ate at a local touristy place one night.  The food was marginal (undercooked shrimp) and our waitress was about as unfriendly as they come.   She messed up several of our orders, poured water in a glass of Sprite and became confrontational when we complained.  At a mandatory 18% tip for large parties (10 of us), she had a guaranteed tip of close to $40.  That meal literally left a bad taste in our mouths.  I am happy to say that most places we were treated very well, but it is always the negatives that stand out!