Family Vacation on Destin Beach, Part 2
Well, I just about covered the extent of our vacation in Part 1: canopy to sun, sun to water, water to sun, sun to canopy, and repeat. There was one other highlight well worth mentioning: our evening visit with Samantha (my cousin) and Jared.
From our town-home it was about a 45-minute drive to their house. We passed through small towns like Niceville in Okaloosa County, home of the “Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival” – I kid you not. Once the highway 85 broke away from civilization, it crossed over creeks and draws, climbed rolling hills and sliced through dense piney forests.
Samantha and Jared live north on highway 85 in Crestview, not terribly far from Elgin Air Force Base where Jared is stationed. We pulled into their neighborhood tucked into a wooded hilltop just before sunset. We were greeted warmly with hugs and wasted no time getting a tour of their home. Samantha generously decorated their home in transplanted-Texas-friendly décor and rustic-contemporary furnishings. It felt like home. She impressed us with homemade Italian white-bean soup, spaghetti, and garlic bread for supper. I don’t remember if salad was offered – I’m sure it was, but the soup was so amazing it could have been offered as a single-course meal. Jared shared with Steve and me his Irish whiskey, stored in his personal white oak barrel cask. And while the kids enjoyed pies from the oven, we were all introduced to their children: Rosco and Daisy Duke. We concluded our evening with several lively rounds of Washers on the back porch. How is it I’ve lived in Texas all my life and have to go to Florida to be introduced to the game of Washers?
Our last day on the beach followed a brief morning front that blew the skies cloudless and the water clear of blooms. The waves were high and strong, perfect for body surfing escapades that rivaled adventures at most amusement parks.
That evening the kids took a car to catch a movie and dinner while the adults enjoyed an evening at McGuire’s Irish Pub, complete with a bagpiper who walked around honking his horns at 110dB.
Comments are closed.