Panama City Beach 2017

Since we had such a great time going to Florida last year on vacation, we decided to do it all over again. Heck, we even liked the condo we stayed in so much, we stayed in the exact same place for an even better price due to the owner being in the process of selling it - yay for us!!! So after we picked the boys up from Kerrville, we got home, finished packing and headed right back out the door a few hours later to Lumberton to spend the night before heading to Panama City Beach.

We arrived Sunday afternoon to the beautiful beach. We unpacked our belongings and headed to Avery Island (the souvenir store) to let the boys pick out their souvenir with the money Nana gave them. They each picked a stuffed animal as well as a toy to play in the water with. We then headed to Pineapple Willy's were we enjoyed listening to some live music and had a great time eating with the help of our magician waiter who kept the boys entertained.

Precious cargo

Souvenir finds

Being silly while waiting for our table.

The next morning, the boys couldn't wait to get to the beach, however we had to wait a bit for the rain clouds to pass. Luckily, the dark skies were short lived and we were able to go out and enjoy a day on the beach.

Casen wanted to be buried in the sand

Since the boys are a little older, I planned a few 'fun' things to do that we did not do last year. First up was a trip to Shell Island on Tuesday via Capt. Anderson's boat. We went on an Eco-Tour where we fed the seagulls Cheetos, played in the beautiful water at Shell Island, looked at some of the sea life that they pull aboard with a trawl net and then went looking for dolphins.

Getting ready to board the boat

Feeding the seagulls

Fun at Shell Island

Sea life including sea urchins and skate fish

All the boats waiting to see the dolphins

Catching a nap on the way home

The boys napped on the way back to the condo, where we ate lunch, and then headed back to the beach. We played out in the water, where Camden found some amazing treasures - including a lot of hermit crabs and a few sand dollars. Talk about a happy boy! After we cleaned up, we headed out to a restaurant we ate at last year and enjoyed, Hook'd, and spent some time being silly. We then headed to the fun little theme park we found last year and enjoyed some fun rides.

Camden was so excited to find a
sand dollar in the ocean

Casen posed with it too

Camden's favorite hermit crab shell he found

My happy boy

So serious (and tired)

Casen was taking pictures . . .

About to enjoy our food at Hook'd

Casen wanted a silly picture

Fun times

Casen is my thrill seeker - he LOVES rides

On Wednesday, it again was rainy and a bit yucky outside, so we headed to Wonder Works. We had an awesome time there, riding a simulated roller coaster (Casen's first ever), laying on a bed of nails, playing with bubbles, playing laser tag - where this Momma (who has never played) beat Shane and the boy, and lots more. We could have spent a lot longer there, however we headed back to the condo so we could enjoy our last time on the beach before heading home. Due to the morning rains, the water was not as clear so our shell finding was limited, however we still had a great time.

Bubble fun

Simulated roller coaster - Shane and I spent a lot of time
upside down, while Camden and Casen took it a bit easier.

Laying on a bed of nails

My boys ready for Laser Tag (this was before
Momma beat them all!)

Surfer dudes

That evening we ate at a fun restaurant, Shuckums, where there are a ton of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling and stapled to the walls. The boys thought it was really awesome and kept wishing they had all those dollar bills for themselves (wouldn't that be nice).

We headed home Thursday, despite the boys wanting to stay longer. I think it is fair to say, we all had a good time and Panama City Beach did not disappoint, yet again.

The last family pic before heading home.