As anyone knows, Halloween in the US is a sight to be seen so we were very excited to be here to witness it. After last’s nights festivities, there was a much needed sleep in, meaning that by the time we left the house it was nearly lunch time.

As we walked down the street it became very apparent that the Halloween smell was in the air. Waiters, bartenders, and kids were all in their costumes and we couldn’t wait to be able to get into our costumes later on, aside from the fact that we had already realised that we would be sweltering in our polyester outfits in the heat.
We thought we would pop in to see Robert, who we’d met on the first night who owned Island House Tap and Grill which was just down the road, and enjoy some lunch. As we walk in we meet Troy and ask if Robert is around, and after telling us he will be in soon, we order a pineapple cider and some food.
It’s not long before Robert walks in and he is so surprised and happy to see us. It seems that it’s his birthday too, so we sit and chat for quite a while despite him needing to head out and attend to his kids Halloween festivities and also some birthday commitments. We let him know that we will definitely pop in again, as we enjoy our wings and poke.

We know that it’s going to be warm, so we head for home to chill out and stay cool. We spend some time chatting with family back home before deciding to get our Halloween on, and we had come prepared. We had brought a Snow White and Prince Charming costumes for the day and I couldn’t wait to get out and dress up with the rest of them.
As a Disney lover it was so exciting to be a Disney Princess for the night, and before we leave I am already smiling at how we are looking.
We decide to head back to the Island House for a drink before dinner. As we walk down the street we get a lot of smiles and comments about our costumes. Without knowing we are visiting from overseas, there are many saying “well done, great costumes”.

We hang there for a bit and along the way I am surprised at the interaction that I have had with children. At the restaurant I spot a little girl across the room who’s parents clearly have pointed to me saying ‘look it’s Snow White’, and turns and as I wave, she shyly turns away as I waved to her. She does pluck up the courage to look around again and vigorously waves back with a big smile on her face. I comment to Matthew that to be a Disney princess would be the perfect job for me, apart from the fact that I have a strange accent and tattoos.
We had decided to pop home before we meet up with Shawn, a first night friend, but quickly decide to turn back out as we have received a message from Thom, another first night friend, that he is down at Island House, so we take the opportunity to meet up with him. He greets us warmly and we take time to chat and share some more stories of life and what we’ve been up to since meeting him earlier on in the week. Thom is a cool character and we hear about his work as a car buyer, a celebrant and a JP. We realise that a lot of time has passed and we’d best head off to meet Shawn, so we order an uber and hit the White Buffalo. It’s a western style saloon complete with line dancing, but that is not what the place appears to be as we enter the venue. Halloween is in full swing with all kinds of costumes. It’s certainly a proper Halloween experience as there are many types of costumes both on and off the dance floor. I can’t help but smile as I am mesmerised by the skill of the people who expertly navigate the routine in lines.
There is a moment in the night a man takes the microphone and asks for the dance floor to be cleared. He announces that this week they’ve lost a friend known to the line dancing community there, and invited those that new her to take to the dance floor for a tribute dance. As the people gather, they hug and dance through tears. It’s very moving indeed.

I’m amazed at the music, as it features some traditional country but more so a country feel with a modern beat.
Shawn was so excited to hang with us again, and shares his love of motorbikes with us both and expresses how much he’d love to invite us over to his house before we head home from our holiday. We had really connected with him as much as he did with us. I feel Ike we’ve made a life long friend for sure.
It’s getting closer to midnight, and while I am not Cinderella tonight, I know it’s time to head home as we have a boat trip tomorrow with our other set of new friends, We say our farewells and get an uber home, but before we finally hit the sack, we chat with my best friend and her hubby back in Australia, making introductions to each other as Matthew starts to widen the knowledge of the important people in my life.
Before we go to bed, we chat about the unbelievable holiday that we’ve had, the connections we’ve made and the experiences we’ve shared. And it’s not even over just yet.