So, where did I leave off? Oh, yes… Rob was supposed to bring me back a chocolate shake.
Well, he decided the “ice cream was just not very good, so I just drank it all. You wouldn’t have liked it anyways.” So, yeah… no ice cream.
But, the next day we definitely went on a bicycling adventure. We started at Big Daddy’s Bicycles where we had the others rent their bikes. Rob and I brought our own bikes and gear. Of course, my family did not wear a helmet… but rest assured that Rob and I did. We then travelled 6 miles east and had to do the 6 miles back to where our car was.
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| Notice Rob and I are the only two with helmets. Tsk, Tsk. |
It was a great little ride. Okay, little might be a bit extreme. It was a bit warm as we started around 4 o’clock.. but we had to start early so we could make sure we had time to stop and eat dinner and ride back before dark. It does get dark really early in Destin… I guess it’s because its right there on the edge of the Eastern time zone, but its still in the Central zone.
It was really funny during the renting of the bicycles. Kate somehow ended up with a bike that had white tires. Now, who invents a bike that has white tires? In case they didn’t notice, the road is black. Not a good mix, I tell ya. Mom’s on a bike but every so often you’d look up and she’d be zooming down the parking lot going, “I can’t turn!!! Help!” Kirstie’s tires were flat. And dad just sits on his bike while drinking his Diet DP. Kyle & Trav are zooming around on their bikes with this look of “I’m definitely cooler than this, but I’ll just show you how awesome I am instead.”
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| I love you Kate. |
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| Oh, yeah.. see that look on Trav's face?! :-) |
At any rate, we get going. Kirstie and Trav, the track stars, are at the front and Kate makes up the rear. Poor Kate… she’s just not as athletic as the rest of us… but she does try! I’m the one that that offers water to everyone because I know if someone faints or gets dehydrated, it will quickly become the biking trip from hell. So, I make sure we are all drinking something. I can’t help my dad who would prefer DP to water. J
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| See what I mean? Bike & DP in one hand. |
We bike through some rare coastal dune lakes (made up of fresh & salt water) and some really cool coastal communities. These little communities were very touristy and right on the beach. Made up of mostly condos and townhouses. There are also all of these little vendor places out on the street and with loads of bike parking. This path we were on was completely dedicated to bikes (and walkers). But it didn’t share the road or anything… it was its own little path that went for 20 miles. Kate manages to keep up but in the background here her saying the little villages that have names on them in her best British accent. “Oh, let’s stay in at the Water Hole.” On a bike… with white tires. Comical nonetheless.
We checked out the beach and stopped at the Shrimp Shack. Most people had cocktail shrimp, but I got myself a grilled cheese from a dedicated grilled cheese vendor and Kirstie got her a hot dog from a dedicated hot dog vendor. Trav also got a sandwich from the grilled cheese vendor, but it wasn’t a grilled cheese… too manly for that!
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| At the Shrimp Shack along the beach. This was after the first 6 miles. |
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| Here's the grilled cheese vendor! |
Then, we made the long trek back. I’d have to say we made good time coming back, we didn’t linger as much and we just plain lost site of Kirk and Trav who left the rest of us slow people. Alas, Barbie & Ken are just too much for us.
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| Notice: Trav & Kirk are nowhere to be seen. |
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| Aren't they cute? |
That pretty much summed up that day. At night, I baked chocolate chip cookies and Kirstie & Trav went and got their Henna tattoo’s. Sorry Gretchen (Travis’ mom), I think this fake tattoo only gave further steam to him getting a real one! (Side bar: Since Trav is a Track All-American, its tradition that they get a hog tattoo.)
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| Kirstie got a fish. |
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| If he gets one for real, it will just be an outline, not filled in. |
The next day everyone but mom & dad went jet skiing for an hour. I’d have to say jet skiing for an hour is a little long in the gulf when you have all that salt water hitting your face. We had to stop every few minutes to wipe our eyes and dry our faces. But I will say we saw a school of dolphins! Is school the appropriate term? In any event, there were about 8 of them swimming together at a leisurely pace. Rob and I just stopped for a while and watched the swim. We were actually so close to one that we could have jumped off and touched it. But, if you know, I’d never do that. Animals are okay to look at, but not touch!!
Yeah, yeah, I know… Flipper is not likely an animal to attack… but if a dolphin ever decided to attach a human, I’d probably be the first human to experience it with my track record of animals. I don’t really have a track record with fish or mammals in the water, come to think of it.. but I do have this intense story that involves a petting zoo and a goat that has scarred me for life when I was like 6 years old. Anywho…
The jet skiing adventure was quite nice and we spent the rest of the day sitting out on the beach and picked up a quick game of sand volleyball. The other team was no good. Combination of drunkenness, little athletic ability, and the heat did the other team in. I believe the scores were like 21-11 or something like that.
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| Let's kid yourself not, I'm not putting a picture of myself with a life jacket on in this blog. This was after we finished jet skiing. |
Those were our main activities for the rest of the trip. We made a hog in the sand… it almost looks like one, too. We realized our project was slightly ambitious a quarter of the way in. Each couple did cook a meal and they were all fantastic as well. Many card games and domino’s were played in the evening, too. Kate and I are learning how to solidly beat Kyle and Rob in spades. Take that yo! On our last night there we played a good game of Monopoly where I won, if I do say so myself. Kyle also broke a chair during monopoly b/c he was so intense into the game!
Overall, it was a really great trip. Substantially more crowded than last year and a bit hotter too, but definitely just as fun. I have a great family. Check out some beach pics we took... I could put up about 10,000 of Barbie & Ken because they are so good looking, but I don't have time for that and this is MY blog, so they will only get a few just like the rest of us.
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| I love my parents. |
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| Love this picture of Kate & Kyle. |
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| Phew, Rob doesn't look like he's in TOO much pain. |
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| The whole clan! Again, don't worry about those giants on the left. |
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