Early 2017 was a busy time of year for us, filled with long weekend trips for various family obligations. I longed to find time alone for the four of us to unwind and be together without the hustle and bustle of extended family and stress of family functions. I had heard about the turquoise water and the powdery sand beaches of the Emerald Coast but had not experienced it first-hand. My husband and I agreed to make a trip to the area and see what the hype was about.
We packed our favorite beach toys and made the direct flight to VPS from our town in Illinois. I must admit, we did have high expectation based on what family and friends had talked about. However, what I did not expect was for this beautiful beach to completely blow away all our expectations and capture all of our hearts! After all, we had visited beaches on the East Coast, West Coast, throughout Florida, the Caribbean, and even the Mediterranean, but none were quite the same as the beach we called home for our family vacation that year.
It all started with the drive from the airport to the Tops’l Resort in Miramar Beach. As we crossed the bridge into Destin, we were greeted by the sparkling of a million stars across the bay as the water glistened in the Florida sun. It only got better from there!
Arriving at our condo, we caught our first glimpse of the white sand and that breathtaking view of the Emerald Coast. The kids could not wait to hit the beach, so we dropped off our bags and made our way to play in the sand in our street clothes! To say that our first step onto the powdery, white sand was magical is truly an understatement. Nothing we previously heard could possibly describe how soft and inviting the sand was. The first day ended perfectly as we watched the sunset, taking in the view as the vibrant yellow and orange colors painted the sky like perfect brush strokes.
My husband grew up near a beach town along the Mediterranean, so yearly beach vacations were a must for us from our first year together. We would carefully explore our vacation spots and look at real estate in the area as we knew we wanted to retire to the beach one day. But there was always something missing in the other locations. I remember looking at my husband and saying, “This is it; I feel like I am home,” within 10 minutes of being on the beach. That week turned out to be the most memorable family vacation we have ever had. The kids could occupy the entire day on the beach, splashing in the water, playing on their boogie boards, tossing around a frisbee and football, even befriending baby fish! We would tear ourselves away after sunset and couldn’t wait for the next day.
When our last day came, I remember shedding a few tears as we left. I had never felt so connected to a place that was purely a vacation spot for us. I had finally found my place in the sand!
My dream is to help you have the same experience with your families!
As a courtesy, I will continue to provide short snippets into what we have enjoyed most in family fun, great food, and general information about the area at various times in the year. I will always keep it real and will always be happy to answer questions to the best of my ability!