I know. It’s never a good thing when a vacation post is titled “Part 1.” I’ve been living out of a suitcase (a carry-on, mind you!) for 14 days. You’re just gonna have to bare with me on this one. Plus, I promise a couple of good house tours! Here we go…
Day 1: (Awww…them’s just jokes. I won’t torture you that much.)
In case you didn’t know, we went to Naples, Florida to visit this guy. No, not the dog (but he is a cutie!). He has been my best friend since birth (he’s also my first cousin), and he abandoned me moved away a few years ago for the sun and sand.
I’ll give you a little tour of his place later, but our first stop? The beach, of course! I’ve been to a LOT of beaches in my life, but the Gulf Coast just blows all other beaches out of the water. Get it? Water?
Because I’m a sneaky photographer, I didn’t forewarn my subjects of the impending wave. Great shot. I prevailed.
When I look at this picture, I think of two things. 1. My husband knows better than to be a sneaky photographer. 2. I can NOT look attractive on the beach. How do women make their hair all cute and effortless??
“What about the little one”, you say? She’s been watching too much of the Discovery Channel. Her dad’s girly fear of sharks has rubbed off on her, and she was quite apprehensive to enter the water.
Here’s a little photo representation of how our beach time generally looked.
Of course, I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this topless sunbather. Some people run into Marisa Miller on the beach. I run into this guy.
Vacation sure is wonderful, but I am GLAD to be back. Is it normal to want to “nest” when you finally get home? I’m almost excited to vacuum, and I can barely wait to wash some windows.
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I love the text on the ocean pic and the old man, haha. Oh vacations!
I nest after vacay too, hehe. I like your ‘typical beach time’ diagram, too funny! I have an irrational fear of the water too, which sucks because I really love the beach.
What? No overweight aging fellow in a speed-o? We always see one whenever we go to the beach! Great pics! Thanks for sharing them with us.
My dad lives in Naples and we go there every year for spring break. It is GORGEOUS and so friendly. My daughter did comment last time we were there, “Daddy, there sure are a lot of old people in Florida.”
I live in FL, and can tell you that Naples is BY FAR the best beach 🙂 Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Oh my goodness you made me laugh tonight!! “Them’s just jokes” LOL and then the topless guy. 🙂 hahahahahahaha!! Looks like a beautiful place besides him 🙂
What a beautiful beach! The sand is so gorgeous there! Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Looks like you had fun, but I know what you mean about the joys of getting home again!
This is fantastic. First of all, the shimmer you captured on the water is amazing. Secondly, you look adorable, third . . . can’t not stop laughing about the larger gentleman basking in the sun! So funny. Thanks for sharing.
He stayed like that for the whole two hours we were at the beach! It was too funny!
HA!! The standing in chum thing made me laugh out loud. You do know it’s shark week, right? 🙂 Glad you went BEFORE that. Glad you had fun, I miss the Gulf! We haven’t been down in the longest time.
I am literally watching my 4th hour of Shark Week right now. I’m obsessed. It’s like a freaking holiday around here! 🙂
You are too funny. I live at the beach… sort of… I live NEAR the beach in Honolulu.. and I have the same problem with un-cute hair always!! You are not alone. Hahaha.
And I also agree that gulf coast beaches are fantastic!! I love Destin, FL way more than I love HI beaches.
Anyways.. you look beautiful, despite what you said about yourself!! And I heart your hubby’s tattoos!! My hub has a giant dragon on his back too! =)
beautiful beach photos! i grew up in florida and you are right… the atlantic coast is NOTHING like the gulf coast. however, once you have been to a hawaiian beach…the gulf pales in comparison. lol i’m off on my own florida beach vacation next week. can’t wait!
Hi – just found your blog and love it! Great pics. We also vacation on florida’s gulf coast ( sanibel) and LOVE it. Is your BFF’s dog a havanese by any chance? Looks just like my little guy.
It’s my opinion that if you come home rested then it wasn’t much of a vacation! Beautiful pics and I can’t blame your daughter for being scared. I would be too! My niece just moved to Naples a few months ago so I see a trip there in the future some time!
I am right up there with the daughter and the husband!
Looks wonderful though.
You look lovely with your son.
Enjoy being home.
Melinda
hahahahaha!
That is all I have to say.
Well, no, I also have to say, thank you for making a post about Part I of your vacation so entertaining. 🙂
Okay, that comment was funny. You’re welcome, Erin! 🙂
LOL about the water diagram! We live in central Florida and for the past 2 years we have been visiting different beaches around here (other than our normal Anna Maria). Your right on – there’s nothing like the gulf! Destin is one of my favorites with it’s sugar sand and crystal clear water.
Great pictures. So glad you had such a nice vacation.
The Emerald Coasts of AL/FL are fab! But so is returning home to the vacuum and dirty windows. Welcome.
Make that one less dirty window, Dayle. One. I was a little less motivated to wash windows than I thought. 😉 Perhaps today will be the day! Thanks for stopping by!
You are so pretty — and your entire family looks like a catalog family! Seriously. We were in Naples last summer, so pretty. We just saw Soul Surfer yesterday, and we’re leaving for the beach next weekend….not a good combo!
Hi…may I ask, what kind of dog is that? What is the breed? So cute!
Great vacation pics!
Hi Terri. He’s a bullmastiff. Thanks!
Hi, Chris, I love your blog. Your beach trip looks fun!
I was wondering if you knew the breed/mix of your BFF’s dog. We adopted a dog last year who looks exactly like that, and everyone’s always asking us what mix he is. We have no idea.
Thanks!
I live in Destin and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only been to the beach MAAAYBE 6 times?…since moving here a year ago.
I have a ton of pics just like you’ve got. But I’m usually like your daughter…warily going into the water while my man and the kiddos plunge into the waves and dig their feet into the sand looking for sand dollars and shells.
I’m with you…I have short hair..and even with short hair…I can never seem to look “cute” at the beach. By the time I leave, my hair stands straight up and I look like a fuzzy duck…*sigh*
I like your beach diagram and pictures, Its too interesting .So glad you had such a nice vacation tour.