PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA!
August 2010
We drove 14 hours to this heaven on earth.
Stayed one night in Louisiana, meandered through Katrina's wake in New Orleans, and drove along turquoise beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast (through Pensicola and Destin) to get to Panama City Beach, FL.
The water was SO clear! We found sand dollars, starfish, swam with pelicans and a few dolphins ventured pretty close to where we swam...I went as deep as I dared to get near them, but then got slightly worried about BIG sea creatures of the deep...
on a walk out behind our resort along the St. Andrew's Bay side of the resort
Nick bought this sweet camo-tropical shirt at the Goodwill trip that he, Maddie, and Ted went on whilst I napped and relaxed. ok, that section is coming later...
BACK TO THE BEACHES
of St. Andrew's State Park
on the edge of the peninsula of Panama City Beach, Florida
xoxoxoxxoxo
more xoxoxoxoxox
Beautiful palm trees and a bay was just behind the pool area.We stayed at Marriott condo resort and had access to the Marriott hotel also (where the Obamas stayed at the same time! actually they left the day after we got there and we did not get to hang-out pool-side with them; wouldn't that have been the story?!).
Seaweed Queen
We got a room with a view! You can't quite see the bay, but it's just at photo's edge.
Our dear friends from our town and community moved to FL's east coast and drove awhile to come stay with us for a couple of days at our place in FL's west coast. Annette brought her 2 darling kids, who we used to babysit and trade and love like our own (and she, ours). We were SO thrilled to see them! I have many photos of Nick and Alaina (about 6 months younger than Nick) in costumes at our house (2005-2006 or til 07) all dressed up to get married. Maddie always played the part of marrying the two. It was hilarious! It was during Nick's "Prince Phillip" (of Sleeping Beauty) phase and he had a stick horse named "Sampson" (like movie) and a cape :) I'm missing those days!!
Alaina and our kids
Thanks, Annette, for taking this photo of us!
is that an amazing beach-n-ocean, or what? and I don't even have a fantastic camera!
Us and the Sanchez kids at the gorgeous St. Andrew's State Park and Beach
Going out for Ice Cream at Brewster's...very tasty!!
Getting crazy for the camera with Sanchez kids--
Burying Ammon
and
Nick and Alaina made this huge hole, with little "benches" (of sand) for hanging out. 
Sunset swimming (Ammon followed Maddie everywhere)
Daytime beach action
One last one of our gorgeous resort...we got through our Marriott Vacation Club Ownership (another fancy word for Timeshare) and it's WAY worth it! We don't pay half of rack room rates -- and we can go almost anytime! sweeeeet! We've definitely found our family's favorite vacation spot!
ahhhh...who wants to come next year? and the year after? and the year after?...
OUTINGS
We went strolling over to Panama City Beach's Pier Park Shops (which reminded me of Huntington Beach, CA where the Pier meets the surf shop, restaurants overlook the ocean from across the street, and a huge pier extends out into the ocean)... We bought some surf shop shirts (say that fast...careful!) and ate fantastic burgers at Five Guys...finishing up with the World's Best Ice Cream (if I'm the judge, and I'll admit to being a connosiuere of ice cream) at Kilwins (which we had in Charleston, SC last summer and raved about it then, too!)
so, to get to this next photo, Maddie and I went in the restroom at the very RED restaurant, Five Guys (red walls, bags, decor) and she saw this RED paper-towel-releasing plastic wall deal...looks just the kind we have at the YMCA and other places, but none are RED...she was enthralled, excited, and kissed it! She wants one for our house...
The rest of our Pier Park evening:
After buying souvenir T-shirts at Ron Jon's, or I should say, prior to going to this place, Ted took the kids to the Goodwill. I was too tired (vacations will do that to you) and Goodwill wasn't sounding as good as an empty condo (ahhhhh) and a good book; but I wanted to be in on the fun the kids would have, so I gave them my camera and told them to take at least 20 pictures inside of Goodwill.
Hee hee. Here's a few (not all 20):
GOOD TIMES AT GOODWILL
This is BY FAR MY FAVORITE photo!!
ok:
We also made a short journey to the two new favorite towns I have:
Rosemary and Seaside.
Seaside is where they filmed The Truman Show with Jim Carrey. My photos will follow another time as I had to use a disposable camera (dead battery) and these are the photos of the unique architecture and beauty of Rosemary.
just practicing for family Christmas cards...
What about this amazing house (on the beach no less)?! It took 12 years to build and this is only part of it (couldn't fit all in the photo).
We ate a scrumptious dinner at this French Paradise, "Paradis" and then walked to the beach and saw this deluxe sand castle someone had built earlier...
pretty snazzy, eh?
which photo was I labeling, "pretty snazzy?" the castle of this sun-tanned dude showering off after our last day at the beach?...
We spent one day riding wave-runners all over the bay and ocean. Talk about FUN and exhilirating and nerve-wracking! The waves were huge and we were, after all, in the OCEAN! We finally got to Shell Island (this looks just like the Bahamas, white sand, blue/clear waters, dolphins, shells, etc. If you doubt me, google a photo of it!) and snorkeled (I won't say it's the best snorkeling, though) and picked up spiny, skinny starfish (and put the poor over-touched guys back) and sand dollars. Our kids were loving it! We'll definitely do that again!
cleaning up to go back to our resort--
Just for our families, who haven't seen Ted in awhile; yes, he has a mostly white beard when he grows it out! which is most of summer and on ALL vacations!
shell-lover that I am, I can't say how long I spent picking up shells (everywhere on the beach) and then we cleaned them and sorted them (me and my partner, Nick) and put them in glass bottles when we got home. As if I didn't already have plenty, but not from Florida's Gulf Coast!
checking out. bummer. it's so muggy, that my camera lense wasn't clear...
nick is the king of these luggage things: he loves to push them, ride them, and use them. and has, for the past 3 to 4 years of vacations--
more to come
not much, but how can I not post photos of the highly recommended dining establishment in Jackson, Mississippi (by Ted's bro, Mark, who lived there) COCK OF THE WALK
see, you want to know...
