Babymoon beach trip

As baby #2's arrival draws nearer, we have been warned by many that things are much easier with one kid than with two in tow. Therefore, we've started a bit of a baby bucket list - things we want to see, places we want to go before baby #2 shows up. Topping that list was finally making it to the Gulf.


So this weekend we drove down to Destin, Florida. It's a little under 7 hours from Huntsville, and Addison wowed us with her tolerance of long car rides. On both the way down Friday and coming back Sunday, she was great! She slept, read her books, and listened to songs; but never once got antsy or upset about being stuck in her seat for hours. It was a great start to a wonderful weekend.

Of course the weather didn't always cooperate with us. It rained most of the way down, and was still raining cats and dogs all through breakfast Saturday morning. So instead of running straight to the beach, we drove around town for a bit first to see the sights while waiting for a break in the clouds. Thankfully we found one, and got a couple of hours at the beach before the rains came back.

Playing on the beach with Addison was a blast. The sand is so different than any other beaches we've been to - they really are white and as soft as sugar. And even wet from the rains, the sand was so powdery that it made excellent sand castles. Since Addison wasn't so sure about the water, we spent most of Saturday's beach time making sand castles.

 Once the rains returned, we headed indoors and found a great happy hour at a restaurant right on the sand. The Back Porch had a view that can't be beat, even if it's pouring out. It's right on the sand in Destin, and was a perfect spot to wait out the weather. Not to mention that the oysters and fish and chips were pretty tasty.

After an early night (due partly to the weather and partly to a very tired toddler), we beat the rush to breakfast the next morning. I highly recommend the Donut Hole if you are ever in Destin; we ate there both Saturday and Sunday morning. Then one last trip to the beach before heading home. Because the sun was out, we hung out for a few hours playing in the sand and surf. And boy was the water pretty - crystal clear and a gorgeous turquoise color, it complements the sand perfectly.  We even managed to get Addison's toes in the water despite some protests.

Thanks to an energetic morning on the beach, we had a peaceful drive home. Although I should mention that Addison asked to go back to the beach numerous times on the drive home. Overall the trip was a little shorter than any of us wanted, but a wonderful way to spend a weekend. I can't wait until we find a chance to go back, and I'm pretty sure Addison feels the same way.