TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Leaving the Beach…Oh No!! It’s that time…our month is up here at Topsail. May zoomed by! We were just too busy having so much fun to notice how fast it was going! Until, Boom! Where did it go! Time to pack up and leave!





This year we had lots of people to help us have all that fun. Matt and Beth flew in from San Diego for a week‘s stay; our friends, Dave and Durrie from Cape Cod, along with their little sweetie, Molly, were here for our last two weeks at Topsail. Unexpectedly, we were camped right next to each other! I haven’t told them yet, but we are going to be neighbors again next May. Our reservations are already in the works! Oops! Guess I just let the cat out of the bag?? Surprise! Dave and Durrie, you’re stuck with us again!!

FUN TIMES....DINING, SHOPPING, WALKING,
SWIMMING, COOKING

About three years ago, we met the nicest family from Louisiana…Doug, Lisa, and their son, Brennan…Wow! Is he ever growing up! A friendship with this family evolved from discussing how to build a beach cart. Every May, they rent a cottage here and just like clockwork, we run into them, beach cart and all!! Frank and Doug still like to look over their carts and ponder how to build a better “Mousetrap”!
Then there are always new friends! This year we met Michael and Bridget along with their cutie, Roscoe (I wanted to dog nap this one!!). They are from Jackson, Mississippi and in the family furniture business. Michael has this amazing talent for drawing caricatures. So during an afternoon Happy Hour…turning into four hours…Michael drank and sketched while we sat, drank, nibbled, and chatted! Amazing what he can do!

THE ARTIST AND OUR CARICATURES

More newly made friends are Aubry, Shelia, and their Schnauzer, Max. Seems each couple had a dog and every man, Dave, Michael, and Aubry, had goatees…Coincidence or Twilight Zone!! Come on Frank…grow some hair and get a dog!! Anyway, Aubry and Shelia are from the Atlanta area. Shelia is a retired school teacher just like Dave and me…Aubry is still a working man looking forward to retirement and more travel someday.
It’s always hard to leave Topsail, but we have lots of places yet to see this year…this was just the first stop! We also know that we will be seeing these “old friends” and making some “new friends” again next year! Safe Travels Everyone!!

San Diego Meets Destin…AGAIN

Matt and Beth arrived May 9 for their weeks’ vacation in Destin. We all had such a good time last year that we decided this was a great meeting place since we only get to visit once or twice a year; it’s a long way from California to Florida!

This year their flight took them into Gulfport, Mississippi where they rented a car and drove the three hours to their condo at Journey’s End, Santa Rosa Beach…just a mile from us…so convenient!

It was a fast week of sun and surf, shopping…t-shirt buying high on the list…just how many each?? And we can’t forget the eating…going in search of their favorite bar/restaurant...I think they decided The Boathouse as the one…the locals' hangouts are always the best!

BEACHING IT!

EATING IT!

ELMO'S AND BAYOU BILL'S

PEG LEG PETE'S

SUNSET AT THE DEWEY DESTIN

THE BOATHOUSE AND UNDER WHERE?

SHOPPING IT!

The new Harbor Walk has opened since last year’s visit and that was a fun way to end their last night here. The Walk has many restaurants…Harry T’s has reopened there!…and interesting shops to browse. The perfect birthday present, we had been searching for all week, was finally found and purchased for them!! I forgot to take the picture of the picture!!

Another quest added this year was finding Elk Clubs in the area. Now, I know that sounds a bit odd, but Matt recently became an Elk and he was sent on a mission to bring back pins of the lodges he visited. Well, we found three. Two were great…Pensacola and Ft. Walton were right on the water with great views and terrific happy hours! $1.00 martinis…couldn’t beat that! The third was a dud. Destin allowed smoking at the bar; hence, we didn’t tarry long there! Matt suggested Frank become an Elk so when we are traveling, we could find the “cheap” happy hours…then we could become “ELKIES”!!

HAPPY HOURS AT THE ELKS'

What a great week we had… the perfect week ending all too soon! Next year’s vacation is already being planned to return again in May 2010!!

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TOO MANY DRINKS AT THE ELKS!!