Destin..... aaahhhhh......

Day One
Awake at 1am.  Get into the packed and waiting car and drive, drive, drive.  It's just me and the truckers.  The family are sleeping, the roads are clear.  Eventually, the gas tank and everyone's stomachs tell us it's time for breakfast somewhere in Louisiana.

Note:  on the drive?  It's ALWAYS "somewhere in Louisiana."  Crossing Louisiana takes nearly 50% of the road time.  I am so glad they have finally fixed their roads!

Time for Ray's conference call, must pull off and find a wi-fi connection.  We drop Ray at the public library in Fairhope, Alabama while the kids and I go to explore the town's surprising charms.

Miss a critical turn in Niceville, FL requiring us to drive the whole drag thru Destin instead of helicoptering in from the bridge east of the traffic.  My bad.  Ooops.

Check in to the hotel and then head to the Bayside Wharf.  This is the place where "family vacation" is not an oxymoron.  Ray and I can listen to bands that cover Eagles, Buffet, Journey and Zac Brown while the kids play in arcades, human-sized hamster balls, or ropes courses.

Perfect start to the vacation:  Eat a large bucket of crustaceans and bivalves while a band plays Zac Brown's "Toes" and drink wine.  Go sit on the patio of a martini bar and listen to a pianist and drink a little too much more wine.

Day Two
What?  You don't want a blow-by-blow of every moment of our vacation?  You don't care what we ate for breakfast?  You only want to see photos of the kids?  'Cuz it's only been photos of food for months and months and months?

Awright....  Here ya go.

Aidan driving the boat

Bridget snorkeling.  She sings through the snorkel, it's a total hoot to sit in the boat and listen to her.

Aidan fishing.  That boy simply cannot be near a body of water and not want to fish.

Not much luck with the fishing....

Bridgie learning to drive the boat

Aidan flying his stunt kite on a really windy day.

Daddy has two guns and big brother has one.  Do you think we need more?

No trip to the beach is complete without building a sand castle with Ray

No trip to the beach is complete without burying your child in the sand and then going off for cocktails.

Lots of things to amuse the kids (oh, OK, the adults too - I rode the carousel) in the evening.

There you have it!  How We Spent Our Summer Vacation minus the stories of nearly 30 hours in the car.