Where do I even begin! There was so much to do on the Gulf Coast, we did not even come close to fitting it all in…but we loved what we did do and see! We spent several days at the Stump Pass Beach State Park in Englewood since it was so close to our house and has a gorgeous long beach with tons for the kiddos to do. You have the Gulf on one side and the Bay on the other, so the kids would run back and forth between both with their boogies, collecting shells and hunting for sea glass and sharks teeth.
There is also the coolest nature trail that runs about a mile long in between the Gulf and Bay. We walked that several times and saw Egret, Heron, Turtles, Osprey, Crabs, and tons of different natural vegetation. The boys even saw two different fisherman each catch a shark!🦈
At the end of the trail is a huge ‘point’ beach where boats can easily go in and out of the Gulf and Bay. So many boats, dolphins, shells and endless white sand. I can see why my in-laws love it here. We were all loving the warm sunshine in December.😎
Since there are so many places you can only access by boat, we decided to rent a boat one day which ended up being one of my most favorite days. We cruised for miles and miles all through the bay and its nooks and crannies, and I loved the change of scenery that you only get from a view on the water. One of our favorite stops was Don Pedro Island. The water was even warmer, crystal clear and you had nothing to do but run free…or sit and do nothing.
My father-in law got tons of dolphins to ‘bow ride’, which is when they ride the waves and wake your boat makes. Dolphins are so amazing…we loved their curiosity and playfulness!🐬
We capped off the day anchoring off another island only accessible by boat, and the boys had the perfect shallow sandbar to play on while we ate, drank and were merry. My mother in-law was my white claw and champagne drinking partner in crime.
We were all sad to have to bring the boat back at the end of the day, but so thankful we got in a day on the water. She was a beauty!🙌🏼
Now for Drum Circle. Just to preface, my in-laws are a couple of old hippies (I say that in the most loving way!! 😆), so Adam and I knew this was going to be interesting. We got down to the beach right in front of where the sun would be setting over the gulf and circled around a group of locals who each had brought their own drums, hula hoops, shakers, tambourines, etc. The boys had a blast, and we saw the most gorgeous sunset of the entire trip. My father-in law was cracking me up…he takes drum circle very seriously…and it was quite a show.😉🥁
On our last full beach day at Stump Pass we had walked to the end of the trail one last time, and as the boys were boogie boarding the tiny waves, dolphins swam past right behind them. Pretty cool…and a sweet way to end an epic week in Florida.☺️
We hope to come back next year when my in-laws decide to snow bird it again for 2 months. We made the most amazing memories, and I will always cherish our sweet family time. The boys are growing up so fast, so we just need to remember to soak in every minute of it as much as we can. Until next time, Florida!✌🏼
Love,
Gret, Adam, Heather, Crew (6), Levi (4) and Bob Sakers
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