Martin Blog: Vacation to Destin,Florida

This year we decided to spend our vacation time in Destin, Florida. We were fortunate to have Lance's parents meet up with us. We rented a condo near the beach for three nights and four days. It was wonderful. My only regret was that we did not stay longer. The weather was perfect and we loved our condo. That was the first time we have ever rented a condo and it is sure a lot better than staying in a hotel. We had plenty of space and it was nice to be able to buy food and eat at home part of the time.

We drove from Indianapolis to Montgomery,Alabama the first night. We stayed at a hotel downtown where the kids could swim and we could get some yummy food. Everyone was super excited to be getting out of the car and to explore this new city.

Right around the corner from our hotel was a restaurant called Dreamland barbecue. It was ok. I am kind of a barbecue snob coming from Texas. It was good enough and fun to try something new.

We enjoyed walking around the downtown area looking at the cute old buildings and scenery. It had a small quaint feeling.

Our hotel was nice. We have to get two rooms now to accommodate our whole family. That kind of stinks but it's also kind of nice. It's nice to have the extra space.

The next morning we got up and drove straight to the beach. The water was aqua blue with the sand was white. I could not get over how warm it was. Living in Indianapolis I had forgotten it gets so hot and humid in places like Florida. It sure made getting in the water a lot more fun.

Lance and I started setting up our area and soon after his parents showed up to join in on the fun. We felt so fortunate to have them come be with us. It meant they would have a lot of driving but they were willing. I love that my kids got to make lots of memories with their grandma and grandpa from Georgia.

Ethan was a little disappointed that the waves were not larger than they were. I was personally grateful that they were not large since the last time we went on a family vacation to a Florida beach there was a major riptide and a boy nearly drowned 30 feet from us. I tend to get a little skittish when the waves are large.

it was so fun to watch the kids have sand fights and even better when Lance jumped in. Ethan took his job seriously as he prepared a fort to hide behind. Abby dug a pretty deep hole that she could sit in.

Sam decided that he was ready to stand on his own while we were at the beach. He kept practicing his new skill. He was pretty fussy while we were at the beach. With Sam you never know what it is. He could be tired, he could be hungry, or his allergies could be bothering him. He seemed to like the sand and the water though. He just did a lot of complaining. Who knows why.

I swear every time Sam falls asleep in his stroller I feel like I need to take a picture of him. I am always so grateful that he can fall asleep when we are out and about. It is usually only a 20 minute nap but it helps him be less grouchy. Whatever it is, I am not going to complain.

I knew beforehand that there was a Krispy Kreme donut shop in Destin. It was definitely a bucket list item for me on this Florida trip. One morning grandma, me and the kids drove up the coast so that we could get a fresh warm donut.

This was one of my favorite memories from our trip. If you know me, you know that I love donuts. Not just any donut though. I am kind of a donut connoisseur. Krispy Kreme donuts are so light and have the perfect amount of frosting. If I try really hard I can still imagine how wonderful the donuts were that morning. It makes me want to go back very soon. Thank goodness there are no Krispy Kreme donut shops near me. I would be 15 pounds heavier, no doubt.

There is also a nostalgic aspect to Krispy Kreme donuts. The kids and I used to go every Saturday morning when we lived in Las Vegas to grab fresh warm donuts from Krispy Kreme's.

Day two at the beach was a lot of fun. We went a little later in the day when it wasn't quite as hot. Something about that heat just zaps energy quickly.

After the beach we went home and showered and then went to a nearby outdoor mall. We grabbed a burger at Johnny Rockets and then walked around the shops for a bit. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed being out.

The next morning we woke up and went souvenir shopping. Emma purchased a hat, Ethan purchased a shirt, Gavin purchased a hermit crab, abby got a shirt, and Kate bought a stuffed animal, I think.

Gavin was so excited about his hermit crab. He named him Gary. Poor Gary had no idea his life was about to change dramatically. He was in for some serious "Gavin love".

After we went souvenir shopping we went to a place where you could feed live baby alligators. The kids really enjoyed feeding the alligators with grandma and grandpa.

Attached to the restaurant/alligator feeding area there was an arcade. We escaped the heat and played some games for a little bit. Ethan and Abby found lots of free coins like they always do at these kind of places. They won lots of tickets and shared with the kids.

The kids took some awesome Photo Booth pictures. They are such goofballs.

Did I mention that we stayed in an awesome condo? The pool was beautiful. It had several waterfalls with a beach entrance. Plus, there was a spa. I could have been happy just staying there several days. It was so relaxing and comfortable.

I had to take a picture of Gavin getting a soda at the pool. When we made reservations for the condo we showed the kids the pictures online of the condo and pool area. Gavin was so excited when he saw that there was a vending machine with soda. Since we were going to be there while it was his birthday he insisted that he would buy a soda with his birthday money. He must've told us five times before we arrived at the condos. It was a highlight moment for him. So glad that he can be happy with one dollar. You would have thought he won the lottery.