PAO Truck | Tampa, Florida

When Markus and I were in Korea, my cousin Jonjie started running the PAO truck, a Filipino fusion food truck in the Tampa Bay area. Every time I saw pictures of his food, my mouth would water. Jonjie has always been a great chef and has been in the business since he was 14. He's put his experience to good use and is always coming up with his own recipes and different ways to play on different flavors and staple dishes. It's been his lifelong dream to cook his own food and I'm overjoyed that he's been able to start his own business.

Even though he's been able to get things started on his dream, there is still a lot that he has to overcome. In order for him to compete with the other food trucks in the area, he needs a new generator and a body wrap for the truck. He recently started a Kickstarter in order to try and fund these needs. Please check out his Kickstarter and help fund the lifelong dream of someone who truly deserves it. If you're in the Tampa Bay area, get your butt out to the PAO truck. It's seriously delicious and worth it.

Back in August, we were way too busy with packing up our lives and moving to Chicago and weren't able to go to the PAO truck. When we visited again for the Christmas holidays, nothing was going to keep from getting my hands on some delicious Filipino food. We even invited our dear friend Ryan to join us. He also generously contributed all photos of the PAO truck for this blog post. Ryan is a huge fan of Asian food and he never had Filipino food before, so what better way than the PAO truck?

Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO burger and Filipino Nachos

I may have gone a bit overboard for three people, but I couldn't help myself. I saw that menu and I wanted to try everything. We ordered the Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO Burger and the Filipino Nachos. If you aren't familiar with Filipino cuisine, it's like a mix of Asian and Spanish food. We like to cook a lot of pork and we're pretty great at it.

I really liked everything I ate, but my favorites were the Tosilog and Boom Boom PAO burger. Tosilog is a traditional Filipino breakfast dish that is comprised of tocino, sweet cured pork, fried rice and egg. It's one of my favorite meals and this was amazing. The garlic fried rice is addicting. For the burgers, he uses a PAO bun instead of a traditional bun. It's very similar to the bread that is used for steamed buns and we know how much I love steamed buns. The Boom Boom PAO is unlike any burger I've ever had. It begins with a 6 oz hamburger patty, topped with cheese, tocino, a fried egg and lettuce and tomato and sandwiched between the PAO bun. You would think it would be too much, but it's not. Everything goes together perfectly and it's something that everyone should at least try once. 

I'm not lying when I say that it was all freaking amazing. Jonjie really has a gift and it would be sad to see it go to waste. He makes everything from scratch, no pre-packaged stuff. He really pours his heart and soul into his food. If you want to support someone's lifelong dream and help spread Filipino cuisine, please support the PAO Truck!

Wandering Wednesday | Florida Road Trip 2009: 3 of 3

On the final part of our Florida road trip, we went to the best of the kitschy roadside attractions. The final days were filled with rockets, mermaids and creepy buildings. I think it was the best part of the trip. It was just Markus and I out on the open road seeing all the attractions of the olden days. It was like we stepped into a time warp and seeing Florida during another time.

Our first stop was at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. I actually went on a field trip to the Space Center when I was in elementary school, but Markus never had the chance to go. He loves this sort of thing, so I couldn't pass on something that he really wanted to see. It was awesome seeing rockets in real life. I knew that they would be huge, but actually seeing something that was in space was incredible. It's also a bit humbling, because you realize how big this universe is and we have yet to scratch the surface of what's really out there.

My favorite attraction was Weeki Wachi Springs. I personally feel like Weeki Wachi is the epitome of all roadside attractions. What is more kitschy than a mermaid show? I've always wanted to go and for some reason never made the trip. It reminds me of a simpler time, when people didn't need roller coasters and flashy shows to entertain. I really enjoyed the show and loved the old-fashioned feeling of the park. I can't believe the mermaids can perform like that underwater with only a thin pipe to breathe air.

We ventured out to St. Petersburg and Haslam's, Florida's largest new and used bookstore. We were so impressed with the place that we visited every time we were in the area. We also went to Tarpon Springs and checked out the sponge docks. We didn't actually make it into Spongeorama, I read bad reviews, but we did go and eat Greek food. Markus and I still talk about that meal we ate in Tarpon Springs. On our drive back to Fort Lauderdale, Markus and I spied an old abandoned building in Lake Wales. We veered off the main road and drove toward the building. It used to be an old hotel and was surrounded by a run-down strip mall. There weren't any people in sight and it felt like the beginning of a zombie movie. We hightailed it out of there before we became the casualties of a bad B-movie.

I'm glad that Markus and I decided to take a trip through my home state. Even though Florida isn't my ideal place to live, it made me appreciate the side that not many people see. Everyone thinks of beaches and Disney World, but there is more to Florida than meets the eye. If you dig a little deeper, you'll actually see something quite charming.

Wandering Wednesday | Florida Road Trip 2009: 2 of 3

The second part of our road trip took us to Orlando, where we visited one of our favorite couples, Ryan and Lauren. This was before they were married and were still in college. My golly, how times have changed. I can't believe how time flies.

As soon as we arrived, they took us to Rebounderz. It's this amazing indoor trampoline arena, an entire room full of trampolines. I was shocked that I was exhausted and only after 10 minutes. It was still fun watching Markus fulfill one of his lifelong dreams of being Spiderman.

We spent Easter weekend with them that year and they took us to one of the best farmer's markets I've ever visited. We bought handmade pasta for our Easter lunch and sampled many delicious treats. It was so nice to spend the holiday with them, since they're so very dear to us.

We ended our time in Orlando at Medieval Times. It was a first for both Markus and I. It was cheesy, but it was the epitome of a roadside attraction. I actually really enjoyed it. It was fun wearing fake crowns and eating with my hands whilst cheering on knights who fought to the death. It was perfect. 

Florida Road Trip 1 of 3

Wandering Wednesday | Florida Road Trip 2009: 1 of 3

During Spring Break 2009, Markus and I decided that we would go on a mini road trip through Florida. We wanted to see as many Roadside Attractions as possible. We also planned to visit friends and family. I planned for us to visit a bunch of quirky places that many people never heard of before. We also decided that while we were driving and saw any interesting billboards or places, we would stop and check them out too.

The first stop of our first day was at Jon G's in Lake Worth. This historic restaurant always has a line out the door and around the side of the building. We went as early as possible and were one of the first inside. Markus and I actually had our first honeymoon in Lake Worth and passed the restaurant many times, but never ate there.

After Jon G's we drove north towards Jupiter to visit Blowing Rocks. This was our first time going but definitely not our last. I never knew that something like that could exist in Florida. It was like visiting another state. Once we finished exploring the rocky terrain, we drove to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse close to central Florida. I've never been inside a lighthouse before and I was quite impressed.

The final part of our first day took us to the Ruins of Bongoland. It was built in 1948 and for a few years was a mini theme park. Now the only remains are some poorly constructed and dilapidated dinosaurs.  It was the perfect way to end the first day of our Florida Roadside Attraction road trip.

Florida Road Trip 2 of 3