Little Leesburg, GA to Panama City Beach, FL!
Jay and I at their place!
Jay & Perry
This vacation started like most of the others - a wild idea that came true! My dad had talked about going down to visit Uncle Tom's Cabin - no not the book - in Panama City Beach. I wasn't sure how far it was from Jay's house, but after giving him a quick call we realized he was the perfect distance away from the beach - how fortunate! It was going to work! I decided to fly into Georgia first to see their place and spend a night at Jay and Perry's new home! I few into Albany and Jay met me at the airport by jumping out from behind a wall to greet/scare me. We made the short trip back to their place!
Dinner out with friends at Wisconsin Bar!
Their house was beautiful! Perry is doing an amazing job picking out the colors and all of the decor, man I wish I had a knack for things like that. It's like their real people with jobs and a house and stuff?!? I didn't think that was going to ever happen to us! After getting settled we head to town for dinner at a bar that was owned by a Wisconsinite! The food was great, however they didn't have Diet Mountain Dew, so their roots didn't run as deep as Mt. Dew! We went to bed far too late after getting pulled into a tense movie and woke up early so we could hit the road early to get to FLORIDA!
Curty with raw Oysters!
The drive wasn't bad at all! We were there in no time, just in time to beat the rain to the restaurant. We shopped around and then got some snacks during the downpour! We watched as the fisherman came in from the pier with a look of defeat - they were absolutely soaked! After the rain calmed down we went over to Dusty's Oyster Bar for some of the best raw oysters in the area. They were absolutely delicious and just as good as the last time I was there in high school! We slurped them back and made our way back home to relax for the evening.
Seafood special - a mix of everything tasty!
Raw oysters at Dusty's Oyster Bar!
On Sunday we convinced Jay and Perry to stay another day so they could relax and enjoy the sun with us. It turned out to be a warm and windy day! We let the boys sit in the sun as we dashed away from the wind to get some refreshers... when we came back George, Curty and Jay were covered from head to toe in towels and clothing in order to spare any last inch of skin that hadn't burned to a crisp! We quick gathered our things from the windstorm and went back to base camp to avoid the elements. That afternoon was filled with stories, laughter, and some fine grilled foods. We had such a fun time spending the afternoon together! We walked down to catch the sunset and take pictures on the beach. Jay and Perry are pretty photogenic!
Curty taking pictures of the sunset and burnt to a crisp!
Amazing sunset over the gulf...
Monday Jay and Perry had to head out early to get back to work and we took a trip down to the shopping center to get some more crocs! We had a great time walking around, and mom and I stumbled upon some perfect signs for Joel's cabin - one actually read "Buck Stories Told Here" - it can't get any more perfect than that! I also bought Paul a sign that said, "Good Morning, Let the Stress Begin" which he enjoyed and now is hanging in our kitchen. Later that day we stopped by a place that Uncle Tom recommended to try their red shrimp. Excellent choice, the shrimp were amazing and tasted of small lobsters! That evening George and Kay took us out to dinner at an Italian restaurant and we were all stuffed to the brim!
Wisconsinites on the beach in the cold!
Tuesday came all too quickly and I got up early in the morning to pack my clothes so I could spend every last minute in the sun. I also had to get a new suitcase because my trusty pink suitcase finally busted after much abuse and travel around the nation. That morning, mom, dad and I went down to the beach with a Starbucks (to stay warm) and catch the last bit of sun! It was too soon before I was sitting in the Beaches International Airport working feverishly on an assignment and trying to catch up before meeting the neuroanatomy course that was waiting for me upon my return to Pittsburgh.
This is the life...
I had an amazing time meeting up with close family and friends in Georgia and Florida. Joel and I are blessed to have some of the truest friends I have ever known - and we feel even more honored to consider all of our close friends an extension of our family. I cannot wait until our next adventure - thank you so much to Uncle Tom for having us at his wonderful home. Also thank you to Mom, Dad, George and Kay who ventured down in the minivan and to Jay and Perry for letting me stay! What a blast!
Me, Dad and Mom before I head home to Pittsburgh - thanks for the Vacation!