Last week was one of the best weeks of my life. I was in a beautiful place with some of the people I love most in this world!
We took a family vacation to Destin, FL for 6 days. My mom and step dad came down from Illinois for their annual vacation and we kind of invited our little family along…sorry Mom and Jack! I mean, how could we pass up a week on the beach?! So, we packed up and made the 4 hour drive down, which was much better than our typical 11 hour drive to get back home to our usual vacation spot. Driving with a toddler is honestly NO fun so I am thankful it was such a short drive this time. I am pretty sure Char screamed for the last hour straight. But it was all worth it once I saw my Mom and Step Dad’s faces!
My mom booked a great hotel at the perfect time of year – it was right after school started, but a week before Labor Day weekend. So, everywhere we went was super slow which is what you want when vacationing with a 19 month old. No one likes waiting for a table at a restaurant with a screaming toddler. Am I right? The hotel was almost like an all inclusive resort. The atrium was huge and had real palm trees and bamboo growing 4 floors high. The food there was outstanding, so we ended up eating there for dinner a few nights. But the best part – HAPPY HOUR -free drinks from 5:30 to 7:30 EVERY night! That’s definitely how John and I like to vacation. Minus trying to get Char to sit in her seat at dinner. She is a VERY active toddler. She does NOT like to be tied down or have to focus for too long. Most of our dinners were spent with one of the adults taking turns letting her run around the hotel. But she did make a few friends while she was acting like a wild woman. All of the hotel staff loved her and she made quite a few friends with the hotel guests as well.
Since John was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base for almost a year, he knew his way around Destin rather well. We went to the places he used to go and ate at some delicious restaurants. However, I did find a few new things to do and places he had not seen while we were down there. My Momma and Step Dad were kind enough to watch Char one day so John and I could have the day to ourselves…which, as an Army family never happens. Anyway…I planned the day date and he planned the night date. We spent the morning being a healthy couple. I took John to his first Yoga class with Destin Yoga by the Sea! He did amazing, the Yoga instructor didn’t believe it was his first time he did so well!
After Yoga, we headed to a little organic café for juice that I found via google (like everything else, I live on google) named Café Organic. I fell in love with this place. The women that work there are SO sweet and know what they are talking about when it comes to Juicing and Organic food. If I lived in Destin I would be a regular at this place. The vibe of the Café was amazing, all hand painted tables and walls by the owner’s family, beautiful blue tile counter tops and wonderful food! Seriously, if you ever go to Destin, please make a trip to the Café Organic, you wont regret it!
After we left with our juices in hand, we decided to pop over to Eglin Air Force Base so John could show me his old stomping grounds. Until then, I had only ever heard about it on the phone with him. It was good nostalgia for him and I liked seeing how his life was when he was there. That night, he took me to a couple of his favorite go to places in Destin. We had dinner at McGuire’s Irish Pub(amaz-ballz) and then walked the board walk and had frozen drinks from Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris. It was nice to be out with my husband alone, just the two of us.
The beach was gorgeous! I was surprised to see how clear the water was there. Last time I was in that area of Florida I don’t remember it being that clear/teal.
The best part was seeing Char’s face when she saw the sand and ocean for the first time. When she stepped down into the sand, she looked up at us like “Ummm what the heck is this?” Then when she saw the ocean she just screamed in excitement! She is such a water baby, I knew she would love it. She did not waste any time, she tried to run right in with her shoes and clothes on. It’s amazing to watch the reactions of kids when they see or do something they have never done before. But sadly it wasn’t all peaches and cream with her at the beach. Anything you do with a toddler, especially ours, aways comes with its challenges. It was very hard to keep the salt water out of her mouth and eyes, and the sand getting just about everywhere you don’t want sand to be.
This half tent we purchased was a great buy. It was fairly easy for John to put up and take down. I would recommend it to anyone taking a baby or toddler to a place where they might need some artificial shade. It gives just enough room to be completely out of the sun when you want – no one wants a sunburned baby.
She really did enjoy it though, and there were even some other little boys and girls that she got to play in the sand with.
I haven’t been on vacation with my parents in YEARS. I loved getting to relax on the beach and by the pool with my mom. Every time I go home to STL, I never spend as much time with her as I should, I am always running around trying to see everyone else in my life there. So, thank you again Momma for making this vacation happen for all of us! We had such a great time. The only thing that was missing was my sister Beth and her family.
I forgot how much I loved the beach. I feel like it is my place of peace…maybe someday we can be a permanent beach family…hint hint John!