Vacation Day 1 (July 8, 2013)

Dear Gage and Gabe,

On Monday July 8, we left Kentucky and made our way down to the Emerald Coast. Gage, you made this trip last year, but Gabe, this was your first long car ride and first trip to see the Gulf. We left out as soon as I got off work and made it to our condo by 4 pm. We hit some rain along the way, but had no major issues. We drove in 4 states, two of which were new for you Gabe.

Once we got the vehicle unloaded and our things unpacked, we made our way down to the beach. It had been raining that day, so the sky was a little overcast. We walked along the beach and got our feet wet. Gage, you were so excited to see the big water. You were running and playing and having a great time. Gabe, you just stared and stared out at the big, big water.

Strolling along the beach with Daddy

Enjoying the beach

We went back to the condo and got ready to go out for dinner. We walked to a restaurant about a quarter of a mile down the road. We walked on the deck along the beach and looked out at the beautiful view. We visited a place called Whale's Tail where we ate fresh seafood. We had smoked tuna dip and crackers as an appetizer. Gage, you liked the dip, but I think you enjoyed the crackers more. We ordered a popcorn shrimp kiddie platter for your entree. You ate up the shrimp and french fries! It was all delicious.

Posing after dinner

We made the trek back to the condo, looking out at the water along the way. We stopped and took a few pictures too. We made a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up on food for the week. We got back and put all the groceries away. Since it was still a little too early for bed, we decided to take a quick dip in the pool. We met some nice people from Texas at the pool. Jackson, Jorie and Jance were playing with a ball and glo-sticks, so Gage, you thought they were pretty cool. You didn't really like being "in" the water and opted for floating on top of a raft. You liked to throw the ball out to the deep end and the kids would bring it back!  After a nice time out in the pool, it was time to get ready for bed. We were all tired from the long day of travel and needed to rest up for the fun of the week ahead.

I love you,
Mommy