I thought I would be able to finish up the vacation posts last week... but I think I got a little behind....
MONDAY- The day of waiting begins
Monday was a pretty relaxing day. Our day began with a long and relaxing walk around Sandestin for Jeff and me. Then back to the condo to pick up Hannah and Jay for a trip to the the Beach Club.
I love hanging out at the beach club because you can relax on the beach or at the pool, avoiding most of the crowd, and getting drinks and food from the pool side tiki hut.
We didn't spend long at the pool because
Jeff & Jay's first day on the golf course was awaiting at 2:00. Hannah and I were excited about this course, because the fairway and green of #6 were right outside our condo... so Hannah and began to wait. We wanted the perfect shot of our boys.
While we waited, we were entertained by neighborhood ducks.
They are humorous as you quickly learn who is in charge. They spend they day hanging out in the water foul and strolling across the fairway, annoying the golfers along the way.
After the golf match between Jeff & Jay we headed out for dinner. One of Jeff's favorite's is the beach front Pompano Joe's in Destin. Jeff has always eaten lunch straight from the beach there, so we had no idea what the dinner crowd would be like. When we arrived at 7:00, we were given a two hour wait. We assumed it would only be an hour or little more... well we were wrong!!!!
We sat down to dinner at 8:55. While we waited, we decided to make the best of the situation and have a photo session on the beach.
A day of waiting had worn on all of us. After a wonderful dinner, we headed towards the condo, making one more important stop at the Ice Cream Shoppe (a new found favorite!) for a late night treat.
TUESDAY- Beach, golf and dinner at home.
Tuesday brought a day of relaxation for all of us. Early on, Hannah & Jay went to Destin Commons for Eve's PRIZE, and Jeff & I went to the Beach Club for a day in the sun. After a pool side lunch, Hannah joined us by the pool before Jay & Jeff's golf match on the Raven, the best course at Sandestin.
As the boys played golf, we did a little shopping and then went to the grocery for our dinner at home. The boys chose to play twilight golf because the beautiful Raven is a little less expensive during this time; however, this made for quite a late dinner time. While the boys were away, we prepared all the veggies, shrimp, and steaks for the grill. As the evening turned to night, we set on the deck, enjoyed dinner with friends, and watched the Baytowne Wharf fireworks from across the bay. RELAXING DAY... just what we all needed.
WEDNESDAY- The last day with friends.
Donut Hole is one of my two favorite breakfast joints. Contrary to the name, The Donut Hole has everything from donut holes to yummy omelets. We had a great time and enjoyed our yummy breakfast. We all had a different omelet and left full to the brim.
A great breakfast is just what we needed to start our day of shopping and golf. Jay & Jeff were off to the their last day of golf, and Hannah & I were off to a day of shopping. We all had a great day, and then came together for our last night out to eat. The Fish Market is close to the property of Sandestin, and came with high recommendation from my dentist, Dr. Greg. It was a place we could not miss... It was delicious!!! Kudos to Dr. Greg! This is a place we will surely visit on all our future trips.
Our time with friends was precious to us. In our quick paced world, we often find to few opportunities to sit with a friend, enjoy a cup of coffee, and relax over a nice dinner. We definitely loved our time with Hannah & Jay. It reminded us the miles between Murray and Paducah are not that great and should be traveled more often so these precious times will continue often at home.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY... A Couple of Days as a couple.
Jeff and I started our first day together with another yummy breakfast at The Donut Hole. It is
along the way to Grayton Beach, our little secret place of peace.
Grayton Beach is a Florida State Park where there is a dune restoration project in place. How beautiful to enjoy the gorgeous Emerald Coast without the tall facade of condominiums and restaurants. We love our time there and cherish the solitude it brings. Even on a sunny
June day, there were only 10 families on this stretch of coast. With a packed lunch, we were prepared for our day in the sun.
It was nearly a perfect day at the beach. Our only small foul was applying our spray sunblock in the brisk wind of the beach. We have certainly learned our lesson with spray sun products. While the wind allowed the sunblock to hit most areas, there were shadows all over our bodies, where the spray did not even touch.... burn city. Even with the burn, we still had a day of peace & quiet.
We decided to finish our day with dinner at Jeff's old favorite, Bayou Bills, for crab cakes. The Destin location burned down last fall, so we had to go into Panama City Beach. It was a worthwhile trip though as we drove down the coastal highway through Seaside, Water Color, and Rosemary Beach. We love our days in the car as we enjoy time with each other, beautiful sites, and solitude from the crowd. --- All good things must come to an end....
Since Jeff & I were burned beyond belief, and I was even carrying a fever along with me, we decided we would spend our last day at the beach indoors. Being our last day, we had to enjoy breakfast at our favorite spot, Another Broken Egg Cafe. It was delicious as always. Along the way home from Fort Walton Beach, a crazy storm rolled in from the sea. So... with nothing else to do, we stop off at Destin Commons for some shopping...
The rest of our day was spent relaxing, packing and spending time with each other and our books. It was nice to slow down and transition into our day of traveling.
We always love our time at the beach. It is a time to erase the stress from work and begin to recharge. Other than our honeymoon, it was our first true vacation with one another. It was certainly a blessed week. We are truly lucky to have each other and to enjoy so many of the same things. We love simply hanging out with one another, driving along the coast, reading on the beach, or moving along the golf course.
We can't wait for our next trip to the beach... It will be a tradition we will always anxiously await. As the years go by, the people traveling with us will change, but the fun times and wonderful memories will always have the same thing in common; love.
