How Five Guys saved a vacation

A couple of weeks ago, we headed to Montgomery, Alabama, for a dream trip that's been on my list for some time: An island in the middle of the Alabama River called Jackson Lake Island. Jackson Lake Island is home to about 50 goats who were having kids at the time — tiny, jumpy, cuddly, fluffy kids that you could pet and who would make me laugh. But that's not what I really wanted to see on the island, although I was totally going to pet goats. What I was there for was the remnants of a movie set, a whole tiny village, complete with church, that was used as the city of Spectre in the movie "Big Fish." "Big Fish" was released in 2003, and while it wasn't a huge hit, it did star Ewan McGregor and remains one of the most whimsical, magical movies I have ever seen, full of imagination and tender realizations about familial relationships. It's wonderful, a little zany, and I couldn't wait to step foot in Spectre, to walk through those two twisted trees and under that strung-up line that held all of the village's shoes, because no one wore shoes in Spectre. No one needed them.

It was my birthday weekend, the weather was perfect, the trip was longish, but I was finally there, the azaleas were blooming, and I was ready! Nature, however, was not ready for me. The causeway leading to the island was flooded. After speaking to the island's caretaker, we realized that they didn't really want people on the island while it was flooded (couldn't really blame them), and I realized that the drive south had been for nothing. I mean, this was the whole reason I had come here. I let myself be sad for about two minutes, then resolved to make the best of it and discover Montgomery.

We ate at a fancy brunch place, where I had an insane smoked salmon cream cheese bagel and a power smoothie. We ate at an oyster house and ordered oysters five different ways. All of these places were local hangouts, and I didn't think it would be fair to write about them because they were so far away, but then I saw it. Shining like a beacon on the corner of a strip mall (it wasn't really shiny ... that was for effect) was a Five Guys. Oh my goodness, this burger joint has eluded me for YEARS. Why? Well, for one, I thought they were only on the West Coast. Wrong! There is one in Paducah, Kentucky, one in Arnold, Missouri, and several in St. Louis. If you want to visit, it's well within a day trip, so that makes it fair game to write about.

We walked in at a good time. We were the only ones there, but by the time we left, the tables were almost packed, and the to-go orders were flying out the door. I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger All The Way, which means it was topped with mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard. I also ordered some fries, because I have heard people rave about Five Guys fries. Aaaaand it was my birthday and the island was flooded, so I ordered a shake, too. Everything was made fresh, including the fries, which were cut from potatoes right then and there.

The burger was amazing. Towering, loaded with hot onions and mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, gooey cheese and bacon, the beef itself had been cooked on a griddle and pressed to get those extra crispy savory bits on the outside of the patty. But when I pulled the fries out of the bag, I was a little disappointed. They were in a tiny cardboard container, and everyone always said that you got so many. After unloading all of our food, I looked into the bag for napkins and was greeted by a solid 4-inch layer of fries. The bag was full of them, like the cooks had just tossed in an extra basket worth. So many fries. And they were, indeed, delicious. I still couldn't eat them all.

Bags full of very special potatoes, destined to be the mighty Five Guys Fries.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

The toppings on the burger are all free, and that probably helps explain why the burgers are relatively expensive. Load up on toppings, if that's your thing. I didn't regret a single one of them. I'm glad I finally got to visit a Five Guys, and I haven't given up on seeing Spectre. There's still magic out there.