First Vacation after Coronavirus: Long Weekend in Destin and Crab Island

We just came back from an incredible long weekend with some of our closest friends. We originally planned to visit Drew’s best friend and his family, who welcomed a new baby girl in January, in March. However, with the coronavirus in full swing we decided to postpone until May. While I was super hesitant given that restrictions had just been loosened, I am very happy that we decided to go. I did not realize how much our entire family was craving some normalcy and socialization with close friends.Many of our friends in Atlanta travel to 30A for family vacations. We always go to South Carolina beaches, and never experienced the green water and soft, pure white sand that 30a offers. I really cannot believe how pretty the beach is and clear the water is on the gulf coast! I highly recommend giving 30a a chance if you have never been.We arrived in Destin around lunch time on Friday. Our kids spent the day running around together and playing with trucks. It was amazing to see how well the kids all played together–there were no fights and very few tears the entire weekend. Our boys played extremely nicely together and there was no rough housing between them (amazing for this mama who plays referee throughout most days, ha!!). We rented a pontoon boat for both Saturday and Sunday (as we thought it would be easier to social distance on a boat versus the beach AND we all love being on the water). We spent the majority of the time anchored on Crab Island, which is a huge sandbar in the middle of the bay. Our boys enjoyed long naps on the boat while the other kids swam and played. It was refreshing to be around people (at a distance) and made life seem normal again. We were all very cautious to keep our distance from other groups. On Monday, it stormed but the boys had a great time riding a four wheeler and bikes in the neighborhood. I think we all needed a chill day 🙂 Before we headed home on Tuesday, we took the boys to Miramar Beach to run off energy before the 5 hour drive home. Reid loved splashing in the water and Walker had fun playing in a giant sandbox!All and all, I am so happy that we went and enjoyed our time with close friends. My hesitation is valid, but I am glad we were able to be cautious while being able to socialize. This trip was so good for the soul and amazing to see our kids create bonds and friendships just like us!