We took our annual trip to Destin this past week and as usual it didn't disappoint! We stayed a full week at the MWR Campgrounds and it was a little slice of heaven. We got there on Wednesday and immediately hit the beach for some fun in the sun. James boogie boarded all by himself and was a pro at it. Ethan loved the sand and loved stomping sand castles as I build them. It kept him happy so I just kept doing it :).
My favorite part about the beach is always the yummy food. We try to find the restaurants where kids eat free or for cheap. Well we lucked up and found several at the HarborWalk. We ate at Harry T's which was delicious!! (Thank you Chresta for the wonderful suggestion)I found my favorite new place for fish tacos...wonder if I can convince Shawn to drive there when I have a craving?!. We got a ocean front dining table where the boys could watch the boats and waverunners pass by. Of course they loved it and all I heard the entire time was "boa" from Ethan. After finishing there we explored the rest of HarborWalk which was awesome because it was kids night there. They did free face painting and both the boys got their face done. James chose spiderman and everyone loved it. Of course we rode the little train that went up and down the HarborWalk....anything to do with "choo-choo's" and we are suckered into it. To top the night off we watched fireworks which was so pretty. Ethan was terrified and even after they were over kept saying "scare me" and "pop, pop". He is so funny.
AS if this place wasn't wonderful in itself....it got even better when my sister and the Conner's arrived on Saturday. This was Ava's first trip to the ocean so they were so excited. As soon as they arrived we went to the beach and bathed in the gorgeous sun. She loved it and loved the sand even more. After fun in the sun we headed to Fudpuckers for dinner to see the gators. The food wasn't that good this time but it was fun with our family and friends.
Of course we had to it Harborwalk while everyone was there so we did. It was so nice down there. The adults (minus myself) headed to the adult slushy machines :). The kids enjoyed just walking around and riding the train. Also earlier that day we went on the pontoon boat. It was AWESOME!!! We left out abou 10 a.m. and cruised down the harbor....we were thrilled when dolphins jumped out of the water. There were so many of them, it was beautiful. Everyone in the boat squealed with excitedment as we tried to get as close to them as possible. Mike even attempted to swim with them which was quite humorous. After that amazing specticle we headed to the sandbar to do some snorkeling. James of course caught on so quickly and loved it. He loved seeing the fish, crabs and other little critters. He was determined to catch some fish so he grabbed his empty cheetos bag and gave it his best.....but boy are those fish fast. So he put a couple of hermit crabs in the bag. We all snorkled and it was so fun. The water is so clear, like glass. I love it there. They have an inflatable slide in the middle of the sandbar which of course James wanted to do. So after a few slips and slides we were ready to head back. I attempted to swim out there but the current was so strong. I began to panic b/c I had Ethan with me so I hollered for Mike to come get Ethan. Talk about working hard to get nowhere...Whew!
Our final day in Destin we spent kayaking that morning. James and I shared a 2 man kayak while Shawn and Ethan shared a 1 man kayak. James (of course) was awesome and paddled great. Shawn was filming us on the kayak and all of a sudden a huge splash...yup Ethan toppled in while trying to look over the front. Thank goodness for his lifejacket :). In the video you can hear him splash in and the camera goes wild while Shawn is trying to pick him up. Oh my accident prone little man.
I love our camper during our beach trips....it is one of the few times I don't mind staying in it over a hotel. I know we couldn't afford to go if we didn't have the camper. It is great family time to just relax and enjoy one another. This trip definitely was special because of Andrea and the Conner family joining us. I have gotten so close to them all and to have a final...HOORAH was so nice!!
