Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Ocean, Fireworks and a Bike Ride // Vacation Days 2-3


Sunday we drove to Fort Walton Beach for church. As we were leaving we ran into one of my college friends, which was a nice surprise. For lunch we went to Tijuana Flats (where my friend, and her family, also happened to be eating lunch). We decided that we had made a good choice since a local family was eating there... even if the decor was a bit psychedelic.

Tijuana Flats on Urbanspoon

The food was great. I had the chimichanga and Jack and Daniel split a quessadilla. We skipped on the hot sauce (which they are evidently known for).


After lunch we drove around to give Jack a chance to nap in the car since it was 30 minutes back to our condo. This was a good decision since Jack seemed to be fairly well rested when we arrived at the condo. After a quick change of clothes, Jack and I jumped in the pool while Daniel took Sophie for a walk.


Jack was giddy about getting in the water and even got used to trusting me to float him out to the deeper water where he noticed some big kids jumping in. Which prompted him to ask if he could "jump." So I took him to the side and held his hands while he said, "ready?" and then jumped into my arms.


When Daniel came back from his walk we went down to the beach. Jack was leery about the waves but seemed okay if we held him while the waves crashed into his back. I think it was a good first experiences, but the verdict is out on whether or not he actually enjoyed it. He wasn't a big fan of sand between his toes at this time either.


After we got cleaned up we headed to Destin to eat at the Hog's Breath Saloon – which was a great recommendation from my sister's mother-in-law. The wait was too long for outdoor seating, so we opted to sit inside. We split a large platter of barbeque between the three of us. It was pretty tasty.

Hog's Breath Saloon on Urbanspoon

After eating, we drove less than two miles to Harborwalk Village. It took a ridiculous amount of time to drive that far. Traffic in Destin is crazy – especially on a holiday weekend. We were thankful that we were staying far away from the traffic in Miramar Beach.


At Harborwalk, we listened to the end of the live music show and secured a spot on the pier so that we could watch the Labor Day fireworks. The display lasted about 15 minutes and Jack had fun (as long as he was sitting in one of laps). He kept pointing at the sky and clapped when it was over. We were out kind of late to watch the fireworks, but you get to break bedtime rules on vacation, right?


Monday morning we were lazy, taking our time eating breakfast on our balcony before loading up to go ride our bikes at Topsail Hill State Park.


When we arrived at Topsail, we were informed that it was one mile down to the beach. That was not a problem since we had our bikes.


We rode down to the boardwalk and then out to the beach. 


The sand was really soft and not really bike-able (like the beaches at Hilton Head that we are used to), so we rode back inland on the nature trails.


I was a bit nervous about alligators – we were in Florida after all. We made it to a lake with a bench and decided that was a good spot to take a water break and let Jack roam around a bit (not near the water though!).


As we were leaving, Daniel saw a sign that said: Alligators, no swimming. I was right to be nervous. Thankfully we didn't see any.


We stopped biking around the 5-mile mark because Jack was getting fussy and it was hot and humid. We went back to the condo to eat lunch and take naps and read.


After naps, we went down to the ocean to see if Jack would enjoy the water more with a floaty. He had fun riding the waves but I think he was still a bit intimidated by the water.


That night we went to Jordano's for dinner. Daniel said it had really good reviews, but when we pulled up I was tempted to say he must be wrong. Buildings (like people) should not be judged by their exteriors. This was hands down one of the best pizzas I have ever had. We ordered the 14" Jordano Deluxe and it was way too much pizza for our family. We definitely recommend this pizza shop if you are in the area. Don't be put off by the building.

Jordano's Pizza on Urbanspoon

2013 Florida Vacation Recaps: Day 1 // Days 2-3 // Day 4 // Day 5 // Day 6 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Word for the Year: Reframe

For fifteen years now, I have been starting my year with intention. Last year I hoped to find contentment in my life, and I believe I did. T...