Fun in the Florida Sun

First off, let me just say again, if you haven't heard me say it: I love craigslist!!!
So we had been talking for over a month about going to a beach in the Florida panhandle. I have heard the beaches are beautiful on the Gulf side. So of course I put planning it off and once I really started looking for a beach and a hotel, it was too much. First off, even though I asked some people, there are just so many places to go and it was a bit overwhelming. After I decided to search a particular city, it was so hard to tell how close the places where to the actual beach. I of course wanted to be right on the beach so we could easily get back for naps or what not, a pool is always nice even if you have a beach, hotel versus condo. I wanted a condo so we could have a fridge and kitchen and rooms to but the baba's to sleep in, plus they are usually closer to the beach, but you have to buy them for the whole week, and we just wanted a long weekend, so that wasn't working either. So after looking all week and late into Thursday night, we pretty much called it all off because we couldn’t find anyplace to stay that was reasonable. We were just going to drive to a state park or something just for the day on Saturday. But Friday morning, Tad went to school to give a presentation to his lab for his 8:30am meeting and I just thought I would check vacation rentals on craigslist as I never had before and it hadn't occurred to me until then. There just happened to be a posting from Thursday for a last minute deal for two nights in a condo right on the beach! It was super cheap compared to everything we had been looking at and was a 30 second walk to the beach! It slept 6 people so there was plenty of room and SM even got to sleep in a bunk bed. Let me just tell you again that I love craigslist! I found it at 9am, we had paid for it by 9:45, and had packed the van and gotten ready and were on the road by 11:30. It was awesome. If you have flexible dates and places, I say its the way to go. We had a wonderful vacation in Destin, the beach was beautiful and the kids were great in the car. I have to say my favorite part though was leaving the boys and Lisa to nap and Tad and I swimming in the gulf alone! But get ready for lots of pictures, not in order, we had a blast!

SM playing in the sand. He kept throwing it in the air, he has a ton in his hair and a chunk behind his ear. It was funny.
GJ sleeping in his beach chair
SM was so excited to go swimming, we are still working on getting him to dress himself. He was putting his shorts on his head.
We had some shovels the first day, but we didn't get the bucket till later in the day and were in the pool all afternoon, so he didn't get to use it till he got back to the beach that evening.
Family shot, my cheeks are still a little rosey.
Lisa and SM jumping waves. That is Tad way out to the left. It was so shallow and clear!
He enjoyed putting his head into his bucket and hearing his voice echo.
Out to eat seafood, yummy! (he had grilled cheese, but the crab cakes were the best)
On the balcony. I love palm trees!
In the car, sad to go home. The van was so great to travel in! You can make fun of me all you like, but I love driving a minivan!
I highly recommend Destin, FL. It was not too bad of a drive, a beautiful beach, and very relaxing. You should go! We will definitely go back and stay for longer next time.