Florida Vacation

We took our first family vacation this past week to the Florida panhandle.  To me, there is a difference between a vacation and a trip.  My definitions are that a trip is where go somewhere other than home and do as many different things that are available to do.  Normally traveling to many different locations and doing and seeing many new things.  A vacation is traveling to a location where you stay at the same place, normally doing a lot of the same things and relaxing at that location.  Normally, I am a trip girl.  However, every once in a while a vacation is just what the doctor ordered.  Jarod and I love Florida.  In the last couple of years we have been to the panhandle area twice, Cocoa Beach one time, the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area one time, Orlando once, and the West Palm Beach area once.  (Thanks to Jarod's job and frequent flyer miles.)  I always have a hard time deciding which area in Florida I like the best.  The beaches are so beautiful on the gulf side, but the water is always full of seaweed.  However, on the Atlantic Ocean side the water is always so clean and the beaches are nice also. 
I drove the 13 hour drive on Wednesday and Jarod was to meet me at the hotel that night.  However, he only got to Atlanta where his flight was cancelled.  It was the last flight of the night and he re-booked on a flight the next day.  Melanie and I checked out the beach, I ordered room service, and we both went to sleep early.  I had a hell of a time bringing our luggage up to the room which was on the second floor in a hotel with no elevator.  Crazy, I know.  I didn't feel comfortable leaving her in the room by herself so I held her in one hand and made trip after trip carrying our things in with the other arm. 
Jarod got into town the next morning around 8:45 and was to the hotel by 10:00.  We made it out to the beach by 11:00.  I'm not going to lie, the first day at the beach was horribly hot.  We were dripping sweat and kept being bit by flies.  I don't think we lasted longer than an hour.  I also, assured Jarod that we would be able to figure out how to fold the pop up shade shack and so we didn't try it out before we went.  So when it was time to pack up and go because we were so hot and worried the baby was going to overheat, we couldn't figure it out.  In the end we carried it off the beach still popped up.  We had an entire tent inside our hotel room.  It took Jarod at least 45 minutes total to figure it out.  Once, he figured it out, it was a cinch every other time we used it. 

Melanie at the beach for the first time ever!

Melanie passed our the second we got back on her new princess towel.

Jarod excited after he finally defeated the shade shack.  I would totally recommend it to anyone hitting the beach.  Just learn how to fold it before you go. 

We headed to lunch after the beach.  Melanie started an obsession with her butterfly.  She babbles, giggles, and watches it all the time now.  She would start to fall asleep, but made sure to keep one eye cracked to watch Mr. Butterfly.  It was the funniest thing.  After lunch we went back to the hotel to relax.  Melanie and I both got much needed naps after our long haul the day before.  Later that evening we went for a swim in the pool and then went to dinner.

The next day we headed for the beach extra early.  We decided to go to Henderson State Park.  We literally had the beach to ourselves for about the first hour and a half.  The weather was perfect and actually stayed perfect for the remainder of the trip. 

 It really was the perfect beach day.  The only reason we left was because it started to rain.  It had been thundering almost the entire 2 to 2.5 hours we were there.

The waters were so calm this day too.  There were practically no waves at all.  We loved the state park because it was so clean and well taken care of.  Plus there was virtually no seaweed in the water there.  And it seemed that the people who came were all families.  The beach at our hotel had more of a party feel to it.  So the six dollar entrance fee to get into the state beach was well worth it for us.

That would be my head poking out of the water.  There were tons of little fish that would nibble at your toes.  Jarod and I both thought there must be something about us that attracts them.  Because they would actually follow you out of the water until it was too shallow for them!

After the beach we changed, went to lunch, and then headed for the outlet mall in Destin.  They have an awesome outlet mall.  Jarod and I both had fun picking things out for Melanie, who made a haul.  We also got a few things for ourselves.  We had dinner that evening and then were too tired for a swim.

 

Our third day, we headed for Seaside.  It's a small town that is about 45 minutes from Destin.  I think next time we travel that way we will stay closer to this area.  It's not as congested or touristy.  Seaside is this small picturesque, Mayberryish town.  It is the town where the Truman Show was filmed at.  We checked out the beach, walked around town, and shopped at some of the shops.

Pictures from our day at Seaside.  The streets are lined with houses like the one above.  It's so quaint!

We stopped and had lunch on the way back at yet another beachfront restaurant.  Jarod and I both ate a ton of fresh fish on our vacation!  Here's a picture of Melanie getting burped at lunch after she ate.  How funny!

Then, we went to the beach at the height of the heat of the day.  Again, it was beyond pleasant.  It wasn't too hot and there was a great breeze.  We didn't bring down the camera so all I have is two iPhone pictures.  The waves were decent and Jarod brought Melanie out into them.  He would go up and down with her and our little daredevil would giggle and giggle and giggle!  

Our red headed Alfalfa!

She was just beyond content on the beach.  I think the combination of being the perfect amount of warm, a cool breeze, and the sound of the waves put her to sleep every time!  We went back to the room around 5 and got cleaned up.  We wanted to get out to the beach around 7 for the prime lighting for taking family photos.  Jarod brought his tripod and we did the best we could.

Our last day, we went back to Henderson State Park after really enjoying that particular beach.  We had another wonderful beach day.  Jarod did more bobbing in the waves with Melanie.    

We went back to the outlet mall that afternoon since we had decided on a few things as Christmas gifts.

Then we had a nice late lunch and then an evening swim.

Daddy bobbing Melanie up and down like in the ocean.  She giggled just as much in the pool!

It was such an amazing vacation.  We had the best time.  Jarod and I both think it is just the most exciting thing to be a family of three.  We had the best time with our little girl and each other.  I can't wait to do it again!