10 Things About My Vacation Pt. 2

Continuing with the top 10 factors that I want to share with you about our vacation in Destin, Florida at the beginning of May. I'm going to begin this post with a story connected to the last two things mentioned in part 1. It happened on the beach next to the ocean. 

The Coincidence
On the Tuesday of our vacation, Paula and I got to the beach a little after 11AM. The first row of umbrellas set up on the beach were already taken. So we settled for one in the second row. The chairs under the umbrella to our left were empty but it was obvious that they were claimed. Soon the couple who had been down in the water came back and sat down. 

They weren't uncomfortably close to us but close enough that eventually we struck up a polite conversation. I would say they were a little older than us. I'm not going to describe them because I really don't remember exactly what they looked like. 

They introduced themselves as "Paul and Bonnie". Yes, Paul and Bonnie were sitting next to Paula and Ronnie. But that's not the most ironic thing. We found out that they were from Bowling Green, Kentucky. (For those who don't know that's the town closest to where we live). 

So what are the odds that we travel over 500 miles from home and end up sitting on a beach next to two people who live less than 15 miles away? That's amazing to me. 

We talked with them a little more and then they left. We saw them again one more time on the beach, later in the week. We were walking along the shore and they were heading to down the beach to a restaurant bar to get a drink. 

 The Movies
One of the things Paula and I consistently do as a couple is go to the movies. That doesn't change when we go on vacation. 

In the past our get away weeks have coincided with the release of some major summer movies. This year's vacation it happened again. 

Twice during the week, after we left the beach, we spent the rest of the afternoon together in the dark. 

There was an AMC theater in a near by shopping area. 

On Monday afternoon we went to the I-Max theater and saw "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in 3D. I really enjoyed the entire experience. But I wasn't very happy with what happened with my favorite character. I won't spoil it here. 

A couple of days later we returned to the theater to see "The Fate of the Furious." Although it's an entertaining movie this film is where the franchise "jumps the shark". 75% of the story is very hard to believe. But because the characters and the actors who play them are so likable you find yourself giving them a pass. 

Perhaps to some, it may not make any sense to go to the movie theater while you are on your vacation. But I'm as much of a fan of a nice theater building itself as I am of good movies. 

I like a theater that is well designed, well maintained, and logistically convenient for the customer. 

The best thing about the AMC in Destin is that it had Coke Freestyle machines that allowed you to get your own soda. I really liked that a lot.  

The Harborwalk
This is the main tourist area of Destin. The best way I can describe it is to say that it's a mash up of a carnival, a flea market, and a harbor. 

This may not be saying much about the venue but the highlight of our visit for me (other than the fireworks) was getting a parking spot just steps away from the main walkway. 

The boardwalk along the harbor is the location a tourist would go to find any of the many ocean excursions Destin offers. Among them are: a dolphin spotting trip, a ride on a glass bottom boat and even a day of deep sea fishing. 

Here you can see the boats docked for the night along the boardwalk. 

 There were several restaurants in this area including Harry T's. 

This is one of the most popular places to eat in this area. There is also a Margaritaville restaurant and of course lots of seafood places. 

The shops are more flea market than tourist. There are food stands (Paula got a pineapple popcicle) that offer not much more than you would find at a carnival. 

The attractions are mostly for kids, or at least families with kids. 

Overall, if you are looking for a place to hang out and spend some time one night during your vacation I'd recommend it. 

Now, about those fireworks. Not the best show I've ever seen (of course I'm spoiled by the ones at Walt Disney World) but not bad. Here's a link to my video. Harbor Walk Fireworks


Now that you've seen the fireworks, I can't think of a better way to end this 2nd of my 3 part series about my vacation. 

Come back again and look for the conclusion. I will talk about the great restaurants, the other entertainment we enjoyed and the best thing I brought back from our vacation.