We had just three hours to go until we reached our first destination of the trip - sunny Destin on the Gulf Coast of the Florida panhandle. We had never been to this part of Florida before but had heard so many great things about it from many people we talked to prior to our trip. And everyone talked about the same thing - the powder sugar sand and the clear greenish blue water! We pulled up to our hotel, the Hilton Sandestin, and quickly made our way to the eleventh floor to check out our digs for the week.
From the moment we walked in, we felt right at home in our little ocean-view room. I loved the soft beachy color scheme, the little kitchenette that worked perfect for quick breakfasts or post-pool snacks, and our favorite part - the bunk bed quarters outfitted with a little dresser and TV just for the kids. One of Cruz and Mila's favorite part of any kind of travel is always the hotel room and this was just about too much for them! Although they did get in a screaming match quite quickly regarding who would get the top bunk. ;)
After a little unpacking (not only did it feel good to get out of the truck, but it felt even better to unload our stuff that had been simmering in the Florida sun) and a kid-approved charcuterie board made from lots of random road trip leftovers, it was time to get in the water! Our hotel was conveniently positioned just steps from the beach, but also had three pools and two hot tubs that were equally as enticing to the kids. And with the high temps and humidity, we couldn't wait to jump in right along with them!
It's so funny to look back and see these pictures of Mila with a life jacket on! At first pretty disappointed she couldn't touch in the main pool, she got used to her life jacket in no time and loved jumping in and out of the water. But over the course of the week, girlfriend ditched it and became a Florida fish! She had to keep up with the big kids.
I think one of my favorite memories of the entire trip was watching the kids in the water with their Farm Bureau friends who feel more like family after traveling together over the years. From Cruz making fast friends with the boys, especially looking up to "Q", to Mila standing on the edge of the pool in her own little world, talking to herself before counting down from five and diving into the refreshing water, to all the late night swims, these kids had raisin fingers and toes for the majority of our stay. And we wouldn't have had it any other way!
Our first dip in the Florida Gulf was equally as good. While Hawaii and California boast some beautiful coastline, I'm not sure I've ever stepped foot on a beach more soft, clear, and colorful than Destin. The water felt like bathwater, the sand felt like powdered sugar, the water was crystal clear, and you could walk out 100 yards before it even hit your waist. It was pretty dreamy! The only drawback was the fact that LOTS of other people think Destin beaches are dreamy, too. The beach was filled with people every afternoon, so the early bird of the family and I would usually sneak out of our room just before 7 to go walk the beach in the mornings. For three days, we pretended this giant sandbox was our backyard and tried to decide if we'd trade wasp stings for jellyfish stings.
Our first full day in Destin was a fun one! Farm Bureau had planned to host a beach day and set us up in style all day long. They had umbrellas and chairs reserved along the beach, sand toys and sand castle building stations set up, a DJ playing summertime tunes, a bar serving all the fruity cocktails and mocktails, and the kids' favorite, an ice cream stand serving frozen treats and sno cones. We hopped from the beach to the pool for most of the day, Cruz doing his best to perfect the boogie board or leap in the water at just the right time to catch the football, and Mila mostly collected all the seashells with Claire and Kinley. The sun was hot, the drinks were cold, and the kids were having the time of their lives. It felt like vacation!
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