Traveling through on I-10, I observed a tree standing green in the middle of a body of water. Odd. And the next tree is within a few meters away. From afar, they appear man-made just like these rock sculptures in Remic Rapids Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. But upon closer inspection, they are indeed trees. No, not mangroves. They are tall.
We drove by multiple long stretches of these bridges in Louisiana on our way to Florida. These must be the swamps. I wonder if we could find alligators popping its head out of the water.
Early this month, we vacationed in the Florida Panhandle for one week. A friend tipped us about it last month. Why not? This is the nearest white beach we could visit, which is, ahem, 11 hours away.
Here's our Roadtrip Itinerary...
Day 1 (Saturday)
- Stop by Houston for lunch at Jollibee and bought snacks at Red Ribbon.
- Stay for the night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Day 2 (Sunday)
- Arrived safely in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn. I like how convenient it is to work out at this hotel. The gym is accessible and pretty safe since everybody could see you from the outdoor courtyard. I prefer people around when the family is not.
- Dinner at the hotel. You could never go wrong ordering seafood in Florida. Everything is served fresh. Gosh, I miss it!
Day 3 (Monday)
- Breakfast at the Waffle House.
- A quick stop at Target for essentials
- Free and easy stay at the resort.
- Dinner at Old Steam Bay Restaurant. Must try! I have this mindset whenever we go to a different place: Must eat at food places we haven't tried before and probably will never again.
- Got souvenirs from Alvin's Island.
Day 4 (Tuesday)
- Brunch at the Donut Place Destin, Florida
- Visited the Destin Harbor Broadwalk. Stalls for boat cruises line up the harbor which makes it convenient to compare pricing.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Day 5 (Wednesday)
- Brunch at JJ Chago's. Next to it is a small souvenir shop. We had a good chat with two wonderful ladies in there. One of them, stationed at the cashier, recommends the book, The Noticer by Andy Andrews. Without hesitation, I add it to the cart. I do appreciate it when others recommend a book.
- Move to a different hotel at Spring Hill Suites By Marriott Navarre Beach for a change of scenery. It's quiet out there as compared to that in Destin and Fort Walton Beach. Not much traffic and you need to get out of the island to eat and shop. If you drive westward, you'll reach Pensacola.
- While waiting to check in at the hotel, we head back to Destin Harbor Boardwalk for a caricature of my son by Cartoons by Deano.
- Dinner at the Beach House Social. Oh dear, it's the best!
Day 6 (Thursday)
- Brunch at Dewey Destin's Navarre. You could enjoy your mouthwateringly fresh seafood at the beach. They have picnic tables outside. From there, you get to see Navarre Beach and the bridge that connects to the mainland.
- Visit the Gulfarium.
- Late afternoon is spent in the lazy river at the hotel.
- For the last time, dinner at the Beach House Social. Thank God for good food.
Day 7 (Friday)
- Drive back home to Austin, Texas.
- Stopover at Lafayette, Louisiana, and stayed for the night.
Day 8 (Saturday)
- Stop at Houston, Texas for late lunch at Jollibee and bought snacks from Red Ribbon. ;)
Road trips are nice. We get to notice places we'll not otherwise see while flying. Just like this body of water separating I-10.
We pass through the George Wallace tunnel in Mobile, Alabama where teenagers squealed to try the acoustics. A NASA space center somewhere in Alabama. Resort Casinos in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Where to next? :D
Are you looking to visit the Florida Panhandle soon? I hope this itinerary is of value to you.