There’s a reason people like to travel to sunny places. It’s fun! With that simple idea in mind, a plan was hatched to offer a Florida vacation to the people we serve. On October 12, 2025, a group of fourteen people headed to Florida for some time away. Here’s a recap.

We flew to the Destin/Ft. Walton airport, picked up our rental vans and headed to Majestic Sun Condo Rentals in Destin. We stayed in a penthouse suite, which was everything we could have wanted and more. It was spacious, had plenty of bathrooms and amazing views of the Gulf! After getting settled a bit, we unloaded some of our gear and then took off to stock up on a few groceries and grab dinner at Firehouse Subs.

Our first full day was focused on the beach. After some breakfast on Monday morning, we packed up for the beach… which was literally across the street! Our suite came with six reserved beach chairs and a giant umbrella right next to the water. We spent time looking for seashells, watching fish swim by in the crystal-clear water and sifting through the sugary sand. Later that afternoon we tried out the indoor/outdoor pool at our resort and spent some time sitting in the hot tub. Who knew a hot tub would feel so good when it was 80 degrees outside?! That evening we went out for an early dinner, did a little souvenir shopping and then visited Gator World where we saw some baby alligators.

On Tuesday we went to Panama City where we ate at a Waffle House – a first for many of us! We explored their downtown area called Pier Park and then headed over for our airboat gator ride. There we learned a little about alligators, held a small alligator and then road in an airboat. It was loud, fast and so fun! After our ride, we returned to Pier Park where we ate dinner and took in a beautiful sunset on the pier. 

The next day, we headed to Pensacola Beach where we caught the Blue Angels doing a practice flight. It was pretty cool to see them up close! Due to the government shutdown, we were unable to go onto the Air Force base, but we were thankful we could still see them fly. We then ate a picnic lunch at a wildlife sanctuary and saw several animals that go through rehab or now permanently reside there. Afterwards, we visited the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Rescue. We learned about sea turtles and met Sweet Pea, who had been rescued. Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin, just a few minutes from our resort, was our next stop because there are a variety of shops there, including a candy shop. Unsurprisingly, that was a favorite!

On Thursday everyone was able to sleep in a bit before we began another beach + shopping day. One of the places we checked out was Pecan Jacks where we tried some homemade brittle, ice cream and other goodies. A little souvenir shopping followed and then it was time for the beach to enjoy the water and beautiful weather. 

We spent our last full day at St. Andrews State Park where we had a picnic lunch, explored the beach and enjoyed a catamaran dolphin cruise. During the cruise, we stopped at Shell Island. There some tried snorkeling while others walked to the Gulf side of the island to collect shells. Others just enjoyed the water and view. Following the cruise, we returned to the resort and ordered pizza, packed our suitcases and went to bed early to prepare for our early morning flight home.

In summary, we're thankful for a fun week that was full of sun, seafood, beaches and no fingers or toes missing from the alligators!