Finally...the beach!!!!

Thanks to my wonderful co-worker, Lara, he girls and I were able to take a little mini-vacation and go to the beach last week!!! The girls got to go with their dad a few months ago but I think it's been six years since I've been to ANY beach and even longer since Panama City.

Panama City will always hold a special place in my heart. I grew up spending countless summer days there. No matter how little money my parents had or what else was going on, we ALWAYS managed to get away for at least one or two weekends during the summer. I had the entire Miracle Strip memorized. I knew each hotel/motel and whether or not it was a great place to stay, what kind of pool they had, etc. I even remember being four and standing on a huge rock next to a mailbox in front of one while my dad checked us in and feeling a huge stinging sensation on my legs only to look down and find my feet literally COVERED in fire ants! For years, I would check that rock and mailbox out whenever we would go back! Ha, the things that stick in a youngster's head!

I remember that same year the swimming pool being across the street from the beach and we have 8 mm old home movies of my dad standing on his head on the diving board and me running around in my itty bitty bikini!

And I remember Miracle Strip amusement park and Petticoat Junction!!! Petticoat Junction was torn down years ago to make room for a Walmart (big look of disgust on my face as I write this) but Miracle Strip was torn down just a few years ago and I just found out a few weeks ago before we went and I still cannot figure out why!!! The spot where it stood stands vacant, overgrown with weeds and it's so very sad.

The beach tower was claimed by one of many hurricanes to hit the coast in recent years and many of the beloved hotel/motels have also been replaced by high rise condiminiums that now block one's view of the ocean and that irritates me to no end. The construction of those places has driven the price of rental property up so high that most NORMAL income people can't afford to go to the beach like we used to when we were growing up. But that's another blog for another time.

I still saw little pockets here and there of old Panama City that made me nostalgic for my childhood and days past but overall, I can safely say I'm more of a Gulf Shores/Orange Beach girl now. The beaches there are MUCH more beautiful and everything seems a lot less congested and calmer.

Nonetheless, we still had a fabulous time. We went to Pier Park and walked around, drove up and down the strip, got together with Angela at Pineapple Willy's and just hung out relaxing on the beach or by the pool. It was nice to spend time with my girls just having fun.