Our Awesome Florida Trip!

We are home!! We had a great time in Florida and while we were there we thought of over 1,000 reasons to move to Destin (ALLERGY'S BEING ON THE TOP 10!) BUT, there was this one HUGE negative to the whole idea and that was the fact that we can't move Cornerstone Revival Center there with us soooo....back to Alabama and our wonderful church family!

More Information Than You Wanted to Know about our Florida Trip!!

We arrived at our Hotel around 3:00 Wednesday afternoon. Lou, the sweet lady at the front desk, helped us get settled in. FYI, if you are going to Sandestin, I highly recommend staying at the Hampton Inn there...it was beautiful, and most importantly CLEAN. Anyone who has ever stayed at a hotel with me knows the six point inspection I give each room haha (Pillows, Blankets, Sheets, Toilet, Shower, Sink). I guess I watched too much CSI back in the day. Well, no problems here, this hotel was one of the cleanest I've stayed it...they even wash the duvet covers after each stay...everything is white so it can be bleached!

We decided to eat an early dinner at ACME and walk around Baytowne Wharf with Lorin since she had been cooped up in the car most of the day. It was a beautiful evening and actually a little chilly so we didn't stay out too long.

Thursday morning we took advantage of the complementary breakfast bar that the hotel offered and hit the site seeing road. Shopping was definitely the order of the day so we went to Destin Commons, the newer outdoor mall in Destin. It is a very quaint place with all sorts of wonderful things for children to enjoy. Including a train ride and a waterfall to play in. While we were there I couldn't resist visiting one of my favorite children's boutiques, Hug's and Hissyfits....if you have a little one you will LOVE it! My mom bought Lorin the most adorable outfit there, I loved it so much I put her in it for Beach Pictures.

After shopping, we ate a light lunch at Smiling Fish Camp and went back to the hotel for a nap (when you are in a hotel, Lorin's nap time is every one's nap time!). That afternoon we went to the Beach and took Pictures of Lorin running around. She really loved it but it was still REALLY windy and chilly so we couldn't stay long. After about an half hour it was off to Elmo's for All You Can Eat Crab Legs! YUMMY! They were perfect. They would just slide right out of the shell completely whole (If they are over cooked they tend to stick) then we'd dip them in the drawn butter...sooooo good.

Friday was our outlet shopping day so we decided to get to bed a little early Thursday night.
We had an awesome time at the outlets....though I didn't buy one single thing from there (Tristan must have been praying). The best part was taking Lorin to the park they have there and letting her play her little heart out. She met some adorable kids and really had a great time. You should have seen the look on her face as she was going down the slide for the first time!! It was great.

For lunch we dined outside on the bay at Hammerheads. They do not serve any fried foods there so my Mom and I decided we would split a steamed bucket for two. Though it was $70.00 we thought it would be worth it since 2 whole Lobster were included. To make a long story short don't eat at Hammerheads.

When we got back to the room Lorin didn't want to settle down for her nap so she ended up falling asleep around 5:00 p.m. I thought for sure she would be completely exhausted from the hours we spent walking and playing but I was wrong. Finally, around 7:00 that evening, I decided to wake her up so we wouldn't end up eating so late. Plus, it was suppose to start raining that night so we didn't want to be out late. I was craving some good food with an ocean view so we headed out to Sunset Charlies. Once we got there and went inside the resort it didn't have the cleanest look to it and the menu (posted outside the restaurant) didn't seem very appetizing so we decided to try our luck somewhere else. Unfortunately, Lorin did not like this idea and proceeded to cry her heart out all the way back to the car. Once we got in the car she continued her tirade.

Our main rule of thumb when choosing restaurants to eat at is not to eat anywhere we can eat at home...so places like The Melting Pot and Jim and Nicks are usually not in our favorites list when we are out of town. That changes when you have an almost 2 year old screaming in the backseat.....the rule of thumb is now GO TO THE NEXT PLACE IN SIGHT! This happened to be The Melting Pot....but Lorin obviously didn't approve of that choice either because we couldn't even get in the door without her screaming. We were about to give up and just order pizza in the room when I thought of the Tommy Bahama Cafe with the outside dining option. Thankfully, Lorin did like this idea and we were able to eat a wonderful meal in peace (though it was a late meal). It actually turned out to be one of the best meals we were able to have while on Vacation...God truly turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones! haha. I ordered the Walnut Crusted Snapper with a wasabi sauce and broccolini in a lemon butter sauce while my mom dined on Fresh Shrimp over a Parmesan Rice with Asparagus. Both dishes were equally delicious. For desert we split the Pina colada Cake which is Divine! All deserts are made 'in-house' and are spectacular.

It never rained that night, thank God, it was truly an answer to prayer but it was pushing ten 0'clock by the time we finished eating so it was way past our bed time. Lorin was exhausted from not getting her nap out so we went right to bed. Saturday, our final full day in paradise, was vastly approaching and we needed to rest up for it!

Happy Birthday Lorin!!

Saturday morning dawned with mostly cloudy sky's...PERFECT FOR BEACH PICTURES so after coffee we headed out. There was an outfit at Hug's and Hissyfits that I had fallen in love with so I decided to go buy it since it would be perfect for Beach Photos. Plus, it was Lorin's Birthday and I had to buy her something on her actual birthday. The outfit turned out to be even more adorable than I remembered! We got to the beach and turned Lorin loose while I just shuttered away! The new camera that Tristan bought me has already paid for itself! The forcast had the rain hitting around noon so we only stayed at the beach for about an hour and then headed off to lunch. Since lunch the day before had been such a disappointment we decided to play it safe and eat at Poppy's where we KNEW the food was delicious. I ordered the shrimp and they were HUGE! I couldn't believe it, I took a picture just to show you all how large they were.
Yummy! We ate outside on the bay and enjoyed the live Jazz Music they had. Lorin wasn't too sure about the guy singing...he was slightly grizzly but she loved the music and danced her little heart out. Right as we paid the bill it started drizzling so we hurried to the car and back to the hotel for a nap. By the time we woke up, the rain had gone and the sun was actually shinning again in the brilliantly blue sky. That wasn't suppose to happen. It was suppose to start raining Friday night and not stop until early SUNDAY morning. Isn't God good? He let it rain just during our nap time so we could enjoy our full vacation! We know that He cares so much but it still amazes me when I realize that He is paying attention to such minuscule details!!!

Well, we were rested up again so it was off to more shopping. The Stein Mart in Destin is the best one that I have ever been too so we decided to head there and see what good deals we could come up with. I had bought Lorin her summer wardrobe and then some so now it was time to spend some money on mommy!! And spend money I did. My husband must have slipped in his prayer time because I found SO MANY adorable clothes and they ALL FIT! The good news is that I got a really good deal on them! It helps when you can show your husband the "compare at" price!! haha. I'm pretty sure I heard him pass out when I told him how much I spent..THANK GOD FOR THAT STIMULUS PACKAGE FROM THE GOVERNMENT!!

We headed back to the room to put our packages up before dinner and though we would visit Bayou Bills Crab Shack, the restaurant where Amy and Shaun's reception was held. Lorin and I were in the Lobby talking to Elizabeth (another very sweet lady at the desk) and she informed us that it had burnt down!! Apparently within a few days of Amy's wedding reception!! They good news is that they are rebuilding on 30A and will have a better building with an ocean view.

Elizabeth also told us of one of her favorite places to eat and it was a place we had never heard of before. It's called Camille's and it's a little farther down the coast than we normally go but she assured us it was worth the extra couple of minutes. She was right. The atmosphere was warm and family friendly and we were able to sit at the window and have a perfect ocean view while we dined. Elizabeth had raved about their fresh Sushi so I decided to indulge and order a Super Crunch Shrimp Roll....it was heavenly! As good as Surin West (My fave sushi joint here in B'ham). For the main event I ordered the Crab Cakes and they were sooo good. packed full of lump Crab meat with a red pepper sauce on the side....delicious! The green beans that accompanied my entree were equally as delicious, slightly firm with a warm butter garlic sauce. Seriously, you can't go wrong with anything with butter and garlic!! My mom ordered the Fillet with Lump Crab meat and Fresh Blue Cheese crumbs on top served over homemade garlic mashed potato's. Absolutely Divine! We were way too full for desert that night!

We headed back to the room to get packed so we would get an early start back home Sunday and make it for the service Sunday night. Of course, Sunday morning, we stoped by The Donut Hole on the way home and picked up some donuts for Dad and Tristan....and maybe one for ourselves lol. Needless to say, I gained 5 lbs over the week and am now on a diet...but it was worth every moment and I can't wait to get back!

BTW, if any of you need a guide for your Sandestin trip I WILL WORK FOR ROOM and BOARD! haha!