2017 Vacation

USS Alabama

We just got back from vacation :)  We spent a week in Pensacola Beach, Florida with my husbands family.  My sister-in-law paid for the house and we just had to get down there and chip in on food.

On the way we stopped at the USS Alabama & USS Drum.  I have been on a battleship before but I really enjoyed the submarine.  The kids enjoyed the both.  We have an LST 325 back home but it is so plain compared to these ships.

Family Time

Then we met my husbands family in Florida.  The house we stayed in was great!  It had everything we needed, it was close to the beach, and within walking distance to some shops.    The beach was beautiful.  My husband had been to Florida as a kid but this was me and the kids first time.

Found it!

While we were there we found 3 letterboxes.  We also found 5 while going back and forth in Alabama.  Woo hoo!

While at Pensacola Beach we spent 2 days playing at the beach with sand toys, boogie boards, and a paddle board.  The 2 older boys and I walked down to the peer and did some souvenir shopping.  A few days later I had to take the little 2 back so they could get something.

Lighthouse Fun 

We also visited Fort Pickens/Gulf Islands National Seashore.  I was able to get two passport stamps here.  We took a guided tour of the fort and right when the tour ended the Blue Angels started to practice.  It was a very pleasant surprise :)

The next day we went to see the Pensacola Lighthouse.  This was a major pain :/ The Blue Angels were practicing that day too and afterward they were doing autographs.  The lighthouse is on the Navy base and we had to sit in the car for an hour waiting to get on the base.  I guess everyone and their brother was trying to see the Blue Angels.  We did finally make it to the lighthouse.  Lil Ewok was just barley tall enough to go inside.  We were able to find a letterbox in this area and get a passport stamp.

Kids on the beach

We had a great time in Florida.  The weather was nice.  The family all got along.  I hope we are able to do something like this again sometime.

On the way back to Indiana we stopped in Huntsville, Al.  We found a few letterboxes, had dinner, and checked in our hotel rooms.  The next morning we went to the US Space and Rocket Center.  The kids enjoyed walking around all the rockets and the interactive activities.

Kids in space

Even though we were only gone a week, we were excited to get back home.  Lil Ewok kept asking if we were back in America.  We kept telling him that we left Indiana but we never left America.  He is 5 and he didn't get it :D