NOLA and Destin 2019! (11th week of summer)

In the morning, we got up and had the banana bread that Riley and I had made a few days prior and that had been sitting on ice in our cooler along our journey!  We enjoyed our balcony a bit and then checked out.

Then we started the drive to Destin!  Riley napped!  And we stopped at the first ever Buc-ee's outside of TX that just opened in Alabama in January!

When we arrived, we went down to the beach for a little before enjoying the happy hour and food at the hotel.

Tuesday we spent the whole day at the beach and pool.

jelly fish!

In the evening, it was back to happy hour in the lobby.  Riley and Roy made up some crazy nose tickling game that had us all laughing like crazy!

Riley and lost track of time so missed the best light at sunset, but still made it down to the beach for a little bit and some fun pictures.

Wednesday we met up with the Ripper family for a day on the pontoon.  We have done it on our own the past two years and really enjoyed it.  We thought it would be fun to get the bigger boat with water slides this year and go out together!  We also met up with the Joseph family, too!  We had hoped the Gentry family would also come, but their beach house was 2 hours away, so it was just too much driving for them.  It was funny that so many of us were all in the Destin area the same week!  We had a great day!  The only downside was that there were jellyfish in the water and the majority of our group, including Leighton and Roy, got little stings.  It was annoying and painful but everyone powered through.  I had seen a product you can purchase to spray on stings a couple years ago, but of course never bought it!  The jelly fish were pretty and pink though!  But the substance they were secreting into the water would float over and cause a burning sting.

Thursday was more time at the beach and pool. We also went to Grimaldi's for dinner, as is our tradition when visiting Destin!

jelly fish some guys took out of the water - it was huge!

Friday we loaded up the car and went back to New Orleans.  We stopped for Culver's milkshakes and cheese curds on the way out of town first though!  We ate at the hotel and relaxed that evening.

Saturday we walked to see the Saints stadium and team store before leaving down town New Orleans.  We stopped for lunch in Metairie at the gumbo shop we had eaten at with Grandma and Papa last year.  And we also stopped for one last beignet indulgence!

oops - wearing his Seahawks shirt when we visited the Saints stadium!!

We drove as far as Baytown and then decided to stop to use some ice cream sundae coupons we had gotten at the baseball game for a place called Freddie's.  Leighton and Roy were hungry enough to taste test the burgers, too!

And then finally we were home to Houston!