We left Christmas Day at noon for Panama City Beach. After opening presents, we told each kid they could grab one toy and we headed for the airport. The morning didn't seem too rushed (as we had done a lot of prepping the day prior) and the kids had gotten up a little extra early since it was Christmas morning and all. Based on the below pictures of the only napping child, can you tell which one woke up first???
We took a plane to Atlanta (our first time all flying together!) which went very smoothly and then rented a car and drove the rest of the way to Panama City. The tickets were WAY cheaper this way (thank you Mimi!), but the 5 hour drive we had in a tiny rental car definitely sounded better in theory. We were all ready to be in Florida after the first hour and it was hard coming up with stuff for the kids to do with the limited resources I had (you can't pack the same for a road trip when your first leg is spent flying)!
Nonetheless we made it! And it was all worth it in the end to get to spend a few days in 70 degree weather and to see the sunshine almost every day! The weather wasn't perfect and we ended up having a few mornings with really thick fog, but overall it was warm enough to get outside, swim (in the heated pool and hot tub) and rent a golf cart (of course).
This picture taken just before we got a mile down the road and our golf car completely died... Fortunately we got a new one and spent our foggy day exploring! Mom's condo is really close to a ton of shops and food so we got ice cream, walked around and road up and down the strip. Ben's idea of a perfect vacation day.
We didn't spend a ton of time on the beach since it was a little chilly, but we did fly a kite one day and walked home form Sharky's one night after dinner.
On the way home our flight from Atlanta left pretty early so we headed to Atlanta the night before and stayed at the Embassy Suites, which was amazing! My friend Amy gave me this tip - all of their rooms are suits and they have a free cocktail hour with drinks and snacks and a free breakfast! I highly recommend going there for any families that need a stopping point on their vacation or just want a fun night away!
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