Tag Archives: Destin

Vacation Tips

Here are some tips on how to have a fabulous family vacation –
If there are twenty of you, make sure the house you rent is big enough.
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Eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms. Each room had its own full bath, so with the possible exception of the room with the four teenage girls, there was never a wait for the facilities.
Make sure there’s plenty of seating for everyone,
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but don’t be surprised when someone starts a jigsaw puzzle on the floor.
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Make sure the backyard comes with a pool and hot tub.
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Having a couple of trees in the backyard for a hammock is a plus.
Make sure the pool is heated when you go to the Emerald Coast in December.
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Then expect it to be busy most every day, regardless of the ambient temperatures! But be sure to enjoy some ‘Adult Pool Time’ after the kiddos go to bed.
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Make sure the beautiful white beach is within walking distance!
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Because it doesn’t matter what the day is like…
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the beach beckons.
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Get as many people involved in games as possible!
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And maybe hide the electronics if possible.
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I’m sure they were all checking out miniature golf options, right?

Plan a couple of outings that may or may not include alligators
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or fireworks
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(Happy New Year!)
or arcade games.
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On a more practical note, makes sure everything is labeled,
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find a central spot for the shoes at the end of each day,
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and take full advantage of the golf cart that is included in your rental!
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Throw in a surprise beach photoshoot
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and I don’t think you could’ve asked for a better family vacation! Thanks to all of our kids for making it so very special – and for letting Pops take all the naps he wanted to!

Oh – and if at all possible, bring along some ‘littles’ –
The Littles
It’ll do your heart good!

PS – I know there are a lot of pictures in this post – but if you’d like to see them ALL (well, all that I uploaded), you can check them out HERE!

Baby it’s cold out there

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It seems like it’s cold just about everywhere! While it did eventually warm up to that balmy 24,  we woke up to no water (even our tank was frozen) and we spent most of the day just trying to stay warm in our insulated tin can of a house. Let’s just say we had so many layers on that it was hard to be productive at anything!  But I’m pretty sure it was cold where you were too!

 

 

While most of you are bustling around getting ready for Christmas, Christmas for us will be pretty quiet. It’ll be just us.  But we’ll be busy, even if it won’t be with traditional Christmas-y things! We’ll be packing up the truck for an early Monday morning (or middle of the night, depending on your perspective) departure for our long-awaited Conrad Family Post-Christmas Holiday! We’re expecting the whole gang (all 20 of us!) to gather in Destin, FL for a week of family fun. We’ve rented a big ol’ house just a couple of blocks from the beach,Untitled but in case it’s a little cool for the beach, the house has its own heated pool and hot tub. Between games and puzzles, the pool and the ocean, and the hundreds of touristy things to do in the Destin area, I’m pretty sure we’ll find enough fun for everyone.
UntitledIt might not be summer beach weather, but at least nothing is below freezing!

So like many of you, we’re making our list and checking it twice – but our list is all about what we don’t want to forget to bring along for the adventure!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, friends!

 

Thank you, Facebook

Don’t get me wrong. There are LOTS OF PROBLEMS with Facebook.  But today was an example of how Facebook actually helps us stay connected in a very unexpected way! Earlier this week I noticed on FB that a cousin of Gary’s was headed to Florida. Hmmm, I thought. I wonder where in FL? The next day she posted her morning view which looked surprisingly like mine. Turns out that while she and her sweet family weren’t exactly next door, they were vacationing in a condo only about 15 miles east of us!! It was such a delight to meet up with them for lunch today and catch up over delicious seafood!
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And without so many shadows –
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So good to connect with these guys – and it never would’ve happened with that goofy Facebook connection!
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After lunch Gary and I headed off to Destin to track down a “Little Free Library“. Gary loves LFL’s – to get rid of books that he’s read and to maybe find a new one!
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The internet told us there was one in this huge shopping village
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and while the LFL was a bust for Gary’s book quest, it was located right outside an ice cream shop.
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So, all in all, a good stop!

An unexpected visit with dear Cousins, delicious seafood, yummy ice cream, and and at the end of the day a beautiful evening sky –
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Beach therapy at its best!