The end of March is always our "spring break" and our annual trip to Grayton Beach in the Florida Panhandle. Grayton Beach is about a 13 hours by car from Central Indiana, so although it's a long trip, it is driveable. We have been going there since our oldest has been in school and has gotten a week long spring break at the end of March.
I never have considered myself much of a beach person, having more affinity toward mountains and woods in general, but I love this spring break trip and look forward to it every year, and, for that week, I am absolutely a beach person.
It is the one trip that we take where it is just the four of us (all our other vacations are centered around visiting family since we do not have any family nearby where we live), and we have started to get to know the town and even some of the people of Grayton Beach . . . especially at our favorite restaurant there: the Pickle Factory, which has my son's favorite pizza he has ever had in his life. It is nearly the Pickle Factory alone that makes him look forward this this trip each year (sun and sand are not necessarily his thing either, though he does always have fun; vacations from school, no matter what, ARE his thing).
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Besides the beach and the restaurants, we find many other things to do there as well, such as bike riding on the many miles of bike paths, kayaking, and visiting some of the lovely state parks. Also we do a few more touristy things (which a part of me loves despite the ultra-tourist vibe) like going to see alligators or play mini-golf at major tourist traps in the town of Destin. (My daughter got to cross something off her bucket list this year when she got to hold a real live alligator at one of these places.)
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| Grayton Beach State Park |
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| Eden Gardens State Park |
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| Western Lake in Grayton Beach State Park |
The water there is like nothing I have ever seen before--a clear, fresh green. I know why this area of Florida is called the Emerald Coast.
Playing with the sunlight and water to make abstracts is always fun.
We are home again in Indiana after a great week with perfect weather (not a spot of rain)--and already looking forward to our spring break next year.
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This post is part of the 10 on 10 collaboration (a blog circle). Please follow the circle of women photographers, starting with Kim Bajorek.
