When we realized we would be moving to Montgomery, AL this summer we weren't sure if a vacation would be possible. Moving is a time-consuming undertaking. Although, once we were here and settled in, Allen mentioned that we should try to get down to the beach. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida are along the Emerald Coast, which is only about 3 hours south.
We found out that there is an Air Force lodging area near Destin so I made the arrangements. We planned to spend 4 days and 3 nights in a 2-bedroom cabin. It wasn't right on the beach but just a short drive over the bridge, and for the price, it was the best option. I spent some time researching the area and so when we got there we were ready for beach fun!
On the drive down, our tour guide Elijah studied his "Vacation Book" (a.k.a. The Emerald Coast Visitor's Guide).
The cabin was in a great location, although the water in that part of the cove wasn't exactly emerald.
On our first evening we had oysters all-you-can-eat shrimp and oysters beach-side.
Elijah saw the beach for the first time. He was so thrilled that he kept laughing and squealing as the waves crashed on his feet. It took quite a bit of physical restraint (from his parents) to keep him from running right into the ocean!
The next morning we headed off to Henderson Beach State Park to play. We had so much fun! Samuel and Allen spent most of the time in the ocean. It took a little while for Samuel to feel confident, but then he loved the waves and would stand facing the sand so they could crash into his back. He even let me take him out pretty far! Elijah was enthralled by the giant sandbox and just wanted to dig and drive his sand trucks. I was the builder and he was the "wrecking crew." I built the castles or molded sand vehicles and we would crash his bulldozers and dump trucks into them.
Lunch was at McGuire's, a well-known Irish Pub. It's most notable for the thousands of $1 bills that wallpaper the interior of the building.
Our next adventure was a dolphin cruise aboard The SeaBlaster, an XL speedboat. The boys thought it was fantastic! They saw several dolphins popping out of the water around the harbor. As the trip progressed, we went further out along the coast of Destin and began to go really fast! The best part of all is that they both had the chance to drive the boat!
Back in our room that evening we realized that thanks to some terribly ineffective spray sunscreen, we were all burned. Although, mine was worst of all since I was in a two-piece bikini. Sigh....
The next day we decided to save our beach-time for the evening when the sun was low. It worked out well since it was an overcast day with intermittent sprinkling. We spent our day at the Emerald Coast Science Center. It was small in comparison to many of the science museums that we have visited, but the boys have so much fun and didn't want to leave. They even made a new BFF: Coast Bot, a talking, remote-controlled interactive robot. Both of the boys were fascinated by her!
A stop for key lime pie was mandatory.
Our evening was spent back at Henderson with a picnic dinner on the beach. We stayed until sunset. We picked up a boogie board on the way there and I showed Samuel how to ride the waves!
The next morning we spent some more time at the beach. Although, we kept finding jellyfish in the water and along the shore so we had to exercise extra caution. Allen was scared. ;-) Most of our time was spent playing in the sand. We even buried each other!
Of course, a "Perfect Day" is impossible. Nothing is ever completely perfect. Every day in our lives is hectic and crazy, messy and loud, but there are always moments of perfection. This trip was full of them. So many wonderful memories were made. It was perfect.
