This is my second attempt at this post today - my first attempt was deleted this afternoon, so hopefully this one works out! After finishing all of the laundry, completely unpacking, taking a trip to the grocery store, and catching up on some school work, I decided that I finally had the time to sit down and write about our awesome vacation weekend in Seagrove Beach, Florida. For those of you who have never heard of this place, it is about halfway between Destin and Panama City Beach, a little bit off of the beaten path, very family friendly, and gorgeous! Neal and I took this trip with two other couples from our small group to celebrate our friend Joel's thirtieth birthday (even though he looks like he could be one of the younger members of our group), and because we all have fun together! If you know me very well, you would know that the beach will always be my top choice for a vacation, so I was thrilled when Florida was chosen as the location for our trip. However, I was not so thrilled when I found out that BP had created a huge oil spill in the Gulf just weeks before our trip was scheduled. We thought about cancelling and choosing another place, but I'm so glad we didn't. Not only did I feel good to be contributing to the economy of the Gulf Coast, but I also only saw minimal oil flecks/flakes and just a few tar balls. Other than that, the water was almost completely clear. In fact, the only "pests" in the water happened to be a four foot shark that swam very close to shore and encouraged us all to get out of the water in a hurry and June grass which is a type of seaweed that is very green and tends to be really thick during the month of June. Neither one of these problems actually hurt anyone there, although a few people were terrified of the shark!
We drove the first half of the trip over two days, so we wouldn't be completely exhausted by the time we made it to the beach. Our friend Dave borrowed his parents suburban for the trip and did all of the driving! I am so grateful that he did that, although I know that he had to have been very worn out! We spent the first night of our trip at a LaQuinta in Jackson, Mississippi (it had the cheapest room while still offering breakfast) and were very disappointed to wake up to no water in the entire hotel, because a water main had broken in the area sometime during the night. So, we just ended up leaving a little earlier (and smellier) than we had planned. When we arrived in Seagrove, we immediately hit the beach and played! The water was clear, the sand was white, and we didn't get a drop of rain! Each day at the beach we saw several workers who combed the beach with nets looking for oil and cleaning what they found. They looked miserable, because they all wore long sleeves and pants with gloves, hats, and face masks. I think they were trying to protect themselves from the sun, but they had to be sweltering in those clothes! They were also very interested in the game of "Ladder Ball" that the guys in our group were frequently playing.
In the evenings, we went out for dinner, where we enjoyed lots of yummy seafood and great company. On Thursday night, we explored Rosemary Beach where everyone seemed to have large families that were generally very good looking and well-off. We kind of felt out of place, because we didn't have any little ones with us, although that will be a different story if we go back next year. We saw a movie set up in the park, families playing games, and people spending ridiculous amounts of money on items such as candy and ice cream, but it was fun to explore. On Friday night, we drove to Panama City where we ate at the Boatyard (this was special for Joel and Christy, because this is where they had their rehearsal dinner for their wedding) and I ate some of the best fried grouper and oysters that I have ever had! Then, we walked around looking at the boats that were parked in the harbor and ended the evening with a trip to Ms. Newby's - a very trashy, outdoor, live music club for the locals. It was here that I am not very proud to say that I had a hormone-induced meltdown. I think that I was tired, worried about the smokers around me (even though we were outside), and generally uncomfortable - mostly because I was sweating like crazy. I remember sitting there feeling like I was going to cry and telling myself not to cry, yet the tears just started to flow and there was no turning back. Neal and I went for a walk to calm down, and I couldn't even explain why this was happening, but I felt better to breathe more fresh air and get away from the loud music. It was weird, because usually I would enjoy watching the people in a place like that make fools of themselves, but my hormones would not allow it! By the way, it was at this place that an older woman, who looked like she poses for the after pictures in ads for places to help meth addicts, tried to make out with Neal and each of the other husbands in our group. Neal was the only one that she managed to kiss on the cheek. Needless to say, one of the security guys escorted her home. Also, the lead singer of the band kept reminding everyone to take another "swallow" of whatever beverage they were drinking while sporting a dress that resembled the label of a Budweiser bottle (and was probably painted on, that's how tight it fit) with her thigh-high red boots. Let's just say that this was not the kind of place we usually frequent. I am so glad we chose a condo in Seagrove and not around Panama City - it just seemed too touristy and dirty for me.
On Saturday, we spent the morning at the beach, then came back to the condo, cleaned up, and the guys went to watch a disappointing World Cup game between the US and Ghana while the girls hit up the outlet mall in Destin. I managed to find a great dress for one of my showers and I just couldn't resist a cute little layette for Camden at Carter's. All around it was a successful trip. That night, we went to Coram's, a Waffle House-type establishment that serves more than just breakfast and is a favorite among the locals, for Joel's birthday. I had a pretty good pancake and hash brown here, so I can see why he wanted to go there! After dinner, we enjoyed a beautiful walk on the beach for the sunset. I forgot how much I love that part of a beach trip, and I wished that we had thought to do that every night that we were there - I think that our hunger usually won, though! We drove home yesterday, and I have been wishing I was back in Florida ever since.
I think that my doctor would be very proud of me for staying hydrated, wearing plenty of sunscreen (I even reapplied), and managing to sit in the shade a few times. She was a bit nervous about how late in the pregnancy I was travelling and that I would be outside in the summer heat so much, but she gave plenty of warnings about what could happen if I did not take care of myself, and I'm glad I listened! The only thing that was difficult was the time in the car - my hips and lower back would really start to stiffen up in the car, so I am glad that we made sure this was our last big trip before Camden arrives. For now, I am focusing on doing what I need to around the house to prepare for his arrival and trying to stay cool and comfortable. Here are the pictures that I know you are dying to see:
The bump at the beach - with a few of my toes in the water
27 weeks at the beach
Loved this sunset!
Hangin' out at Rosemary Beach
Romantic picture with the sun setting in the background
The girls on our trip (Christy, Heather, and myself)
Our group
The girls on the beach - Sorry, but I had to leave the beached whale pictures out of this post - I'm just not into posting pictures of myself at 6 months pregnant on a public website. I'm still not happy that someone posted a few of them on Facebook. :(
Heather and I digging our perfectly polished toes in the sand
The view from the balcony at our condo - that water is gorgeous!
"Jersey Shore" night in Panama City - Neal bought matching shirts for all of the guys
The whole group - after dinner at the Boatyard
Yay for Seagrove Beach, Florida!
2 comments:
Hey Cindy! I just wanted to say that I saw the pics of you on Facebook, and you definitely do NOT look like a beached whale! You look adorable! In fact I was going to ask you where you got that bikini at, because I really want a bikini (instead of the tankini I had to settle for) and the one you were wearing looked so cute on you. I can't find one that fits right, lol.
It looks like you guys had an awesome trip, glad you had a good time =)
Thanks, Steph! The bathing suit is actually from Target - I won't tell you what size I had to get, but I did have to go bigger than normal for more coverage. It was from the regular section, not maternity. I think their suits are even on sale this week!
Post a Comment