The Dwyer Patch: Navarre Beach, Florida

We just got back from a week of rest and relaxation at the beach. Well, the R&R is a bit different from the days before kids, but it was still present. Growing up we would go to Navarre, FL every summer with my dad’s side of the family, and since my dad was one of nine, well that made for A LOT of fun with A LOT of cousins.

We continue the tradition today with all various generations attending. Navarre FL is about 650 miles away from Houston so we broke it up by stopping in New Orleans both ways. The trip down was bittersweet as we woke up in New Orleans to learn that my Uncle Andrew passed away of a heart attack. My cousins Andrew and Elizabeth were still able to come, and I hope that being around family has helped them, in some way, begin to get through this difficult time.

As far as traveling with a three year old and 22 month old, it was not bad at all. Catherine had an occasional I need to get out of this car seat melt down but for the most part did very well. Logan has continued to impress me with his traveling skills. He loves the adventure. He anxiously waited for the next sight, whether it was a water tower spotting, the Lake Charles refinery, Tiger Stadium, the Mobile Tunnel, or the blue Angels, it really did not matter. He just wanted to talk about it and know what was next and when the car was stopping next. He would tell us when we needed gas, or if Catherine wanted Chick fil a, or even if Winston needed a break. He was all about participating in the travel and that was a whole bunch of fun.

For those of you with children that are driving to the sunshine state, I highly recommend stopping at the Florida welcome station. And this is coming from someone who generally does not like rest stations/welcome stations, as they are a bit unpredictable in regards to safety and cleanliness. These are my two main concerns when I stop on the interstate with two young children. The Florida welcome station is a 5 star attraction. Amenities include: spotlessly clean lobby and bathrooms, free orange juice, blue angel statue outside in main parking area, free coloring books with colors and free balloons. I don’t know if they give the balloons to everyone but my little red head gets a lot of nods and a janitor came up to her and asked her if she wanted a balloon to match her hair. She clearly was down with that.

Of course, for the next five stops on the road, we had to explain, and re-explain, to Logan that there was not going to be an airplane in the air, or free orange juice or coloring books. He was a bit let down by that.

It was so much fun to visit with family I had not seen in a while. Catherine and Logan loved the sand and the waves. They never wanted to leave and neither did we.