Destin, FL 2007

This year we took our family vacation in Destin, FL. Katie was here two years ago, though she was too young to remember it.

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Katie, who’s almost three this time, liked the beach, but was a little afraid of the ocean. Natalie was fearless, as one year olds tend to be. Katie has become afraid of some things (like Santa Claus) that didn’t bother her before. I think it’s a phase she’ll grow out of and soon she’ll be back to her fearless self.

Destin has nice sand and beaches, and we could walk out of our condo right onto the beach, so the girls got to go to the water three times a day. It’s a clean town, and very quiet. A little boring, to be honest, but for a trip with kids that’s not a bad thing. Melissa’s parents and aunt came with us and stayed in a condo on the same floor, so everyone got to spend some time with the kids.

Destin is pretty generic. Judging from the few original buildings that are left, Destin obviously used to be this quaint little beachtown. Then money poured in, all of the original property owners sold out, and now it’s miles of immaculately-manicured brick and concrete chainstores and franchises. It’s a place that looks like it was built last week. It’s the story of a lot of Florida towns.

We’re looking for another beachy town for next year. Something with more character, more places to walk, maybe a boardwalk. Any ideas? It doesn’t have to be in Florida as long as there’s good beach access for the kids.

Also, I always thought it was crazy to go to Florida in July and August, and this trip didn’t change my mind a bit. It was hot, bubba. The heat wasn’t too terrible mornings and evenings (and it was actually cooler there than in Knoxville), but it discouraged you from wandering far from the swimming pool.

There’s also the potential hurricane problem, which is more acute in those months. Because of Hurricane Dean we went down two days early and came back two days early to avoid any problems. Next year we’re shooting for a May trip.