Road Trippin'

There's something very nostalgic about the idea of road tripping. My childhood was dotted with many road trips, mainly to New Mexico and occasionally to the Carolinas. I remember loading up on soda and treats and putting them in my little area in the van and then trudging through the miles until we arrived at our destination. Although I'm sure those hours in the car comprise a relatively small percentage of my childhood, they take up a lot of property in the memory department.

That being said, since moving to Texas I've wanted to do this Austin-->Destin road trip. Over Memorial Day weekend we made it happen. The original plan was to drive through New Orleans and stay there for one night. Imagine lunch at the French Quarters, followed by a swamp tour in alligator infested waters. It would have been a true taste of Cajun livin'. But with only a five day time slot, we cut out the NO stop. 

We left Friday after school and drove to just east of Baton Rouge (with a pit stop at some dang good BBQ in Wallerby (?)) and made it to Sandestin by 3 on Saturday. We saw some pretty country along the way and were finally welcomed by beach-- hallelujah!

After checking out our condo and grabbing lunch we made our way to Miramar Beach. We steered clear of the 20-something's partying it up and jumped in the warm water. I've said it before and I'll say it again…Beach life is the best life. Kaia was so fun to watch, taking the waves like a pro. There wasn't a strong current so she didn't need/want anyone holding her hands and she was continuously jumping the waves or diving under them. I can't quite explain why but those are proud mama moments for me! All the boys loved it and Yosh and I were right there in the mix. I wasn't a fan of all the algae in the water but beggars can't be choosers. (…or can they….)

Anthony, Eriko, and their family happened to be about 20 miles away from us at Rosemary Beach so Sunday we headed to their place to beach it up with the cousins. I love how cousins pick up right where they left off. Dallin, Porter, and Kai instantly started a hard core game of football (them against the waves? I'm a girl and those thing aren't innate to me but, through observation alone, I can tell they're innate to those boys!) and for hours fought the waves and the muy strong current all in the name of the game. We were wiped out long before they were! We did dinner at Anth and Eriko's before heading home. The physical exertion of the day was confirmed when Dallin started projectile vomiting due to heat exhaustion. Poor thing, I've never seen him in such bad shape. He broke his 10 year streak of making it to a toilet or equally convenient throw up deposit spot. Bless his heart.

The next day we hit The Track. You know-- mini golfing, bumper cars, carousel rides, the whole shebang! It was a kids' dream. That night we headed back to The Pope's for an adult dinner with them and their St. Louis neighbors at The Bay. It was a great night.

The boys spent the night with the cousins. Wednesday we all met up for the Rosemary-->Seaside bike ride. Have I ever confessed on this blog that beach cruising is usually my favorite part of vacation?!! Nothing makes me feel 13 again like cruising. And cruising with the fam elevates the experience even more (…which should be awkward to feel both 13 and a mom with 4 kids…) We had lunch in Seaside before heading home and getting caught in an epic rainstorm 3 miles short of our destination! I'd be lying if I didn't say it was awesome! The rain was coming down hard and fast but there was no lightning and the air was warm so it just felt like a spontaneous adventure! The completion of said adventure was rewarded with a sugar coma, courtesy of The Sugar Shack (apparently a Rosemary Beach staple.) A quick dinner, followed by baseball/soccer, more sugar, and some live music dancing, and we were on our way home. It was the perfect way to escort out our vacation!

Wednesday morning before heading out of town, Porter and I snuck down to Another Broken Egg Cafe for an increeeeedible breakfast. We then attacked the 12ish hour ride home. We took a quick pit stop at LSU's stadium to put a check by Yosh's bucket list. Other than that, it was Sound of Music, the Princess Bride and the Sandlot for hours on end.

I loved it and am already anxious to plan our next go round with Rosemary Beach!