Three Days on EST

It’s Monday, and I’m settling in after a whirlwind getaway.

When my brother told me that he and his family were heading to Florida for a week with my dad, I knew I wanted to get in on the action.

I hadn’t seen my dad since my trip to Florida in 2011, and I always love the opportunity to see my brother, sister-in-law and their adorable kiddos.  I booked the flight and planned to be there!

Now, I couldn’t  pull off a whole week off, but I was able to take two days off to spend here. Any time I visit family in Eastern Standard Time, it’s a bit of a challenge.  It takes FOREVER to get there by plane.  10 hours of travel on Thursday, to be exact (including airport and travel times.) But, so worth it!

My dad is a total beach guy.  When he retired, we all knew he’d be beach bound.  His days of shoveling massive amounts of snow in Wisconsin were over.  He now lives in a tiny beach town, where the snow never falls, and the beach is about 10 minutes away.  How lucky is he??

While I love living in Colorado, if I ever leave, I’m heading to a coastal area.  There’s something amazing about being close to the water and having the option to go the beach whenever I’d want to.

I have to tell you, I packed lighter than I do for most trips… Two bathing suits, a pair of flipflops,, and frankly, the suitcase I packed was carry-on size!  (Yes, mine!)  I left behind extra accessories, the hot rollers, and extra shoes.  Seriously impressive, I know… but it’s a beach trip… what more did I really need except for the bathing suit and some sunscreen.

We spent both days at the beach, but the weather wasn’t that great.  Friday was super cloudy, but we made the best of it!

The water was warm, and all of us got in there to enjoy the waves.  And, frankly, got smacked by them!  Boogie Boards, tubes, and body surfing… we loved every minute of it and came home quite waterlogged.

Now, Saturday was crazy… I mean, check out this sky!

We spent as much time as we could on the beach, retreating to the car once to wait out the rain… and then finally escaping to the Golden Lion for lunch under the deck.

The grilled asparagus appetizer was an awesome healthier choice… but on the last day, I went for the red curry chicken tacos with coconut-fried plantains (so good!)  My brother and the kids at the oysters pictured in the middle.

The best part of the trip is we had plenty of time to just visit.  There wasn’t a holiday to rush around for… just time to chill and catch up.  I even took a few naps (which rarely happens and was DELICIOUS, btw.)  And, as you can see… I played around with my camera a bit taking some fun pics of the kiddos with the fam.

Like all good things, the trip had to come to an end at a certain point.  Jason and Beth had to head home to Virginia and I have a feeling my dad was about ready to have his quiet house back.  Great weekend though, despite the rainy weather!