First RV Trip – Destin, FL

We just got back from our first RV trip to Florida and it was awesome.  The first day and night was mostly travel.  I got tired at about the 12 hour mark and pulled over in a southern Alabama rest stop to catch a few zzz’s.  I napped for about an hour and a half but couldnt’ really sleep so I splashed some cold water on my face and hit the road again with Terri and Taylor snoozing comfortably on the foldout couch.  When we hit Florida we decided to detour a little from our final destination in Destin and go to Pensacola.  We stopped and spent an hour or two at the beach and Taylor really like it.  The water was too cold to swim but she had a blast searching for seashells.  We took a walk on the pier and saw some fisherman reeling in some pretty cool ocean fish. 

We hit the road again to our RV park in Destin and arrived about an hour and a half later because traffic was really slow.  The lack of sleep was really starting to take its toll on me and I was glad to get there.  The RV park was really nice and right on the beach.  We parked and took a little tour and decided to go back and get something to eat and get some rest.

On Day two we went to the beach first thing and it was really cloudy and windy.  We got a little cold so we decided to go check out the sites. We unhooked the RV and took off.  Our first stop was at the Bass Pro Shop.  We looked at all the cool stuff and Taylor really like the animals hanging all over the place.  They had a really cool aquarium as well.  We then checked out some of the shops in the strip mall and had a really good time.  It was time to eat so we went to FudPuckers resturant.  We ordered alligator but didn’t tell Taylor what it was.  She scarfed it down and after a while told her what it was.  She didn’t seem to care and kept on eating it.  We left there and went to the local Walmart to pick up a few supplies that we forgot to pack.  We then checked out Henderson Beach state park and campground and decided the next time we go down there we’d stay there.  It was more like a traditional campground than an RV parking lot.  We then headed back to the RV park to settle in for the night.

The next morning we went down the beach again and it was again windy and cool.  We bought Taylor a kite at Walmart the day before and she really liked that.  It was so windy that you didn’t even have to run to get it in the air.  Taylor and I decided to try swimming in the indoor pool but that didn’t last very long.  Both of us are sissy’s when it comes to cold water.  Terri did some laundry at the park facilities while Taylor and I played at the playground.  We spent some more time on the beach that afternoon.

The next morning we hit the road again and decided to stop by my sister’s house in Camden Alabama since it wasn’t too far out of the way (or so we thought).  It was a very scenic drive and we got there about seven or so that evening.  We visited for a couple hours.  She has a place in the country with lots of animals.  Taylor got to pet some baby chicks, a horse, cat, dog, and squirrel.  We had a really good visit and then hit the road.  On the way out of Sharon’s place the emergency brake cable broke and was dragging the ground.  I pulled over and got a flashlight and some duck tape and fixed it.  It seemed like forever before we hit the interstate but finally made it.  It was late and we saw a billboard advertisement for no charge overnight RV parking with hookups.  It was an RV dealership that offered free spots in their lot with hookups.  We slept there for the night, got up the next morning, got cleaned up and had breakfast, and hit the road again. 

We decided to stop in Nashville on the way back at the Opry Mills Mall.  They had an aquarium there where you could feed and pet sting rays.  That was really cool.  We walked around and checked out all the shops and then hit the road again.  It was late when we got home and Taylor was already sleeping.  It was nice to be back in our own beds.  Taylor woke up the next morning and was amazed that we were home.

Overall it was one of the best vacations we’ve had and it’s safe to say we are hooked on the RV life.  We’re already planning our next vacation.