Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Panama City Beach Trip

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August 19, 2024 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

We planned a family beach vacation around Alex’s baseball tournament in Panama City Beach, Florida.

It was absolutely glorious and the first time Alex has been to the beach in his memory! He was born in Hawaii, but we moved to Utah when he was just a few months old.

We left Ohio on 14 June, and stayed in Homewood Suites (super nice!) south of Birmingham. We got Zaxby’s for dinner and ate by the pool.

We arrived in Panama City Beach on Saturday evening, 15 June.

I chose Tidewater Resort for their two pools and other fun amenities like a cute bar and shop, its proximity to the beach, walking to restaurants and Pier Park, and near the baseball facilities.

It was a nice place. Lots of street construction going on, but no real concerns and they have a lovely parking garage and walk over bridge.

There are rules for where you can place beach tents and chairs. Security patrols the property and we felt safe and protected. There are kitties who live under the boardwalk!

Our condo was on the 18th floor.

Balcony beach view:

View from our front door of a lagoon and Pier Park:

I thought everything was just lovely and clean and beautiful. My only real complaint were no hooks to hang towels or wet swimwear which I thought was a sad oversight.

I had read the horrifying reviews about the elevators, and they did take a while, but we only had two or three times when we actually waited more than 10 minutes. We had to plan at checkin and checkout with the luggage trolleys which take up a lot of space and weight. Many people were irritable, but it is what it is. I thought all the staff was very friendly and helpful.

We were pretty exhausted after driving two days and unloading the cars. We just got Marco’s pizza that first night.

Sunday and Monday were fun beach days for us, and the only days the water, waves, currents weren’t that scary.

It was red and double red flags every day after that. Some people even died which was so tragic.

Sunday was Father’s Day and the evening was absolutely torrential rain! We just ended up at Whataburger for dinner. Some local bars and restaurants actually got flooded. It was a mess!

Monday, mostly the whole team ate at Sharky’s and it was just adorable.

Craig, our waiter, was outstanding! The food is great and fun drinks in cute souvenir cups! Playgrounds and sand volleyball for the kids. A lovely experience all around.

Tori and I chose to walk back to our condo and we stopped at Pier Park to walk around. We stopped in a few of the tourist shops. There are some restaurants and bars and boutiques in Pier Park, popular places like Margaritaville and Dick’s Last Resort. At the circle, there is Sky Wheel and amusements like IMAX and Dave and Buster’s and some other places. It connects to the nicer shopping mall with Target, Dillard’s and JCPenney off 98/30A.

Tuesday, 18 June, was the official beginning of the baseball tournament and the boys won both their pool play games. In the afternoon, there were very disorganized skills competitions with misinformation, but the boys had fun.

Some of the boys got a golf cart with older brothers to cruise around. Alex said that was his favorite part of the trip!

We ate dinner at Sandbar. Three generations veteran family-owned and lots of veteran memorabilia inside. It was great, with live music and delicious food.

Wednesday and Thursday was double elimination tournament play. We didn’t make it to Thursday.

Wednesday night, 19 June, was a coach dinner at Diego’s Burrito Factory & Margarita Bar, as a consolation. It’s a really cute little beach taco bar. Counter orders and then they bring the food. Order drinks at the bar. Very basic menu excellently executed.

Thursday night, 20 June, we went to Swampy Jack’s Wongo Adventure, which is built on the old site of The Miracle Strip.

They tried to keep the memory alive of the Miracle Strip fun games and rides and it was a rush down memory lane for me!

They have an absolutely beautiful putt-putt course.

Friday, 21 June, we met another baseball family at Runaway Island and I got some gorgeous flounder.

Saturday, 22 June, Aaron and Alex left early and stayed in Huntsville to see a Trash Pandas game, then home for a local baseball camp.

We went shopping at some local thrift stores.

The Best thrift store in PCB is Save the Closet that helps hurricane victims.

We found some fun and silly things, like artsy sunglasses and a vintage handmade polyester pantsuit.

The photos are from when Miracle Strip was destroyed in the hurricane Opal in 1995.

The best ice cream is at Bruster’s!

We had dinner at Salty Sue’s and the fish and shrimp were overcooked, but the okra and hush puppies were great!

Sunday, 23 June, we drove to the Destin outlet mall. There’s a Häagen-Dazs shop there! Vans and Converse!

We stopped at Donut Hole for a snack!

We stopped in Seaside on the way back and that is the most beautiful white sand beach!

We ate dinner on the boardwalk. It’s not much different than my memories!

Monday, 24 June, we found some other thrift stores and drove around. It was our last day.

We checked out Rosemary Beach for some photos. It’s a lovely little place.

We ate dinner on the Pier at Hook’d right at sunset. The food was so fresh and delicious. The staff is wonderful!

We walked the beach back to our condo.

We left Tuesday, 25 June, stayed a night in Athens, AL, then home. It was hot in Alabama – 105°!

We loved the beach and Alex can’t wait to go back. I have done a good job raising him right.

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Filed Under: Travel, USA Tagged With: beach, familytravel, travel

Gulf Shores

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June 19, 2023 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

I took a little beach trip with two of my kids to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The kids haven’t been to a real beach in so many years.

We lived in Hawaii for three years when they were toddlers.

When we lived in Germany, we traveled to Normandy, Netherlands, and Bruges, but those beaches were cold and windy.

We’ve been to lakes in Utah and Ohio, but there is nothing like the ocean.

We won’t travel to Florida for political and personal reasons, so Alabama is a great choice.

I have fond memories of beach vacations when I was growing up. My parents and I took a week every summer to visit Florida, the Gulf, or the Atlantic coast.

My daughter attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, so we picked her up and headed further south.

We left Huntsville right after Space Camp graduation and ate an early dinner at Whataburger.

We arrived at our condo at 9:30 at night.

We couldn’t get in.

The codes didn’t work.

I called the 800 number and after the agent did some research and called me back, they gave me a code that worked. The instructions for entry were all outdated and it should not have been complicated.

We were so exhausted and stressed out for our first evening. We unloaded our bags and rushed down to see the shore in the dark.

The condo building was right on the beach, at the end of the strip, right before the state park.

The beach was so beautiful!

We had an easy schedule:

We ate breakfast in our condo, then spent every morning at the beach, walking, looking for shells, playing in the sand and waves.

Early afternoon, we packed up our beach stuff, ate lunch in our condo, and went out for the afternoon, shopping and exploring, then ate a nice dinner out.

Tori and I walked the beach at dusk each night and saw little sand crabs and mole crabs and minnows. There is a protected area where a sea turtle laid her eggs!

We crashed pretty early every night! I remember having more energy when I was younger, and we would do mini golf, or get ice cream, or walk around, but whew, not this week.

Day 1

The first morning, after looking at the beach and playing in the water a bit, we went to Walmart and Publix and stocked up on breakfast, lunch, and snack foods. We also got Publix subs because those are amazing.

We got sand toys and boogie boards. Just because they’re 16 and 17 doesn’t mean they can’t play!

Then the code to the condo stopped working the next afternoon. Seriously? One of the codes from my notes worked the rest of our stay, whew! I did not write a good review on their rental site.

We hit the tourist trap stores near our condo and got shirts and some fun pictures.

We got the best shaved ice. Very generous servings for only $3 cash only.

The first night, we ate at Caribbean Grill, right across the street from our condo. It was a fun place; food was ok. Tori got crawfish and shrimp pasta. Akantha got chicken strips. I got shrimp scampi and a festive fruity drink called What the Duck. It came with a little rubber duckie that the bartender squeaked before plopping in the glass.

Day 2

We went to the super cute town of Foley and shopped in the used DVD/CD/books stores. Got caught in a little thunderstorm.

Then we shopped in the Tanger outlet mall (kinda sparse compared to 20 years ago). We got Mellow Mushroom pizza for a “snack.” It’s not quite as good as I remember and very expensive.

The second night, we ate at Mikee’s. It was a little bit better, nice ambience.

My kids got red snapper and fried shrimp. I got the local redfish. Huge portions.

Day 3

We went to Alligator Alley, a rescue center for gators. There are about 700 gators in the park and a little zoo of other reptiles.

We got feed them nuggets; we paid for a bucket.

We got to hold a baby!

We got to see the big feeding time and hear about their preserve.

The kids said it was the highlight of the trip!

The third night, we ate at DeSoto’s and it was absolutely amazing!

They had adorable little mini loaves of bread and honey butter.

I got the flounder amandine with shrimp and scallops and I got very emotional because I haven’t had such fresh seafood in so many years. It was so beautiful.

My kids got the Caribbean triggerfish and fried fish and shrimp combo.

Day 4

We hit some thrift stores. Most are closed Sundays and Mondays. They all close pretty early – between 3 and 5 in the afternoon.

The last night, we ate at Lambert’s Cafe…because throwed rolls!

It was great fun and amazing food, generous portions, fun atmosphere. We got lots of souvenirs.

They serve some meals in a huge frying pan. I got country ham. My kids got catfish and chicken dumplings. They have the best fried okra I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Day 5

We headed towards home and hit a couple more thrift stores on our way out of town.

We stopped off again in Huntsville to rest a night on our way home to Ohio. There is just no way I can drive straight through for 12+ hours.

We got Zaxby’s for dinner and it’s so good. We only have Raising Cane’s in Ohio, and the kids agreed that Zaxby’s is very good, and certainly way better than CFA.

I love Gulf Shores so much that I could buy a beach house there. Maybe in 5-10 years when I have no more pressing responsibilities.

My kids were glad to be home and one said it is really not their thing; they prefer city trips. I love all the trips: beach, mountains, cities. There is always something fun to see and learn.

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, God’s Growing Garden, Pinch of Joy, Silverado, Grammy’s Grid, Simply Coffee, Lisa notes, Monticello, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Try it Like it, Imparting Grace, Slices of Life, Life Abundant, Joanne Viola, InstaEncouragments, Ridge Haven, Fluster Buster, Suburbia, Random Musings, Jeanne Takenaka, Jenerally Informed, Mostly Blogging, Create with Joy, Pam’s Party, Pieced Pastimes, LouLou Girls,

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Filed Under: Travel, USA Tagged With: Alabama, beach, travel

Kalamata Beach Weekend

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Please see my suggested resources.

January 6, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 4 Comments

Kalamata is a darling beach town.

We rented a van with CarRentals.com to explore the Peloponnese. We drove from Athens to Kalamata.

As we drove through, it reminded me of the Destin, Florida, area with its shops, boat dock, and oceanfront restaurants.

We wanted to stay on the beach and we loved the Akti Taygetos Conference Resort. It was just far enough from the strip to feel secluded.

We played at the pool all afternoon.

Akti Taygetos Pool

The restaurant at the hotel was sufficient.

Pasta, pizza, salad, hamburgers, and grilled pork. All fresh and delicious!

And that gorgeous sunset.

Hotel AKTI TAYGETOS

Alex loved romping on the steps and petting the kittens.

Sunset at Akti Taygetos

The breakfast buffet was to die for.

A hot and cold bar, pastries, and drink station. Local delicacies and universal favorites. Something for everyone!

I really loved the steamed milk on the hot plate. Café au lait!

Breakfast Buffet at the Hotel AKTI TAYGETOS

We took some sunset photos on the little beach.

Kalamata Beach Couple
My Girls at Kalamata Beach
Royal Little Lambs Kalamata Beach
Royal Little Lambs on Kalamata Beach
Beautiful Sunset

We loved the beach and climate, food and people! We long to go back to Greece!

Check out our Eating Through Greece post! See our whole Greek trip itinerary here.

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Filed Under: Europe, Greece, Travel Tagged With: beach, Greece, Kalamata, travel

Beach Unit Study

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Please see my suggested resources.

July 29, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

This month for Poppins Book Nook, the theme is Beach and Ocean.

beach-and-ocean-unit.png

It’s kinda hard to teach about beaches in the landlocked state of Utah.

We went to a reservoir camping and they had a rocky beach and the kids had loads of fun. It wasn’t the ocean, but the kids got to play and didn’t notice really.

Liz with her friend in the water.

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I just loved this view!

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It was too rocky to go barefoot! Alex and Tori loved collecting pretty rocks. Alex put them in his pocket for her!

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Dad got some great portraits of the kids!

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Tori’s eyes are sensitive to the bright light.

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I got to go kayaking!

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My baby boy

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We read lots of books from the library and our shelves and talked about the ocean.

Alex doesn’t remember when we lived in Hawaii for three years, but the girls do.

Resources:

  • Gift of Curiosity Beach pack
  • 3 Dinosaurs Beach pack
  • 3 Dinosaurs Ocean pack
  • Homeschool Creations ocean pack
  • 1+1+1=1 girly ocean pack
  • Itsy Bitsy Learners Under the Sea
  • 2 Teaching Mommies Ocean unit
  • Hello Ocean lapbook
  • Mr. Seahorse unit
  • Deep Blue Sea Kindergarten Kit
  • Jenny’s Surprise Summer unit (we have Kittens for Keeps)
ProSchool Membership - Productive HomeschoolingVisit the other bloggers in Poppins Book Nook to see how they learned about the beach and ocean this month.
Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – Royal Baloo – 3 Dinosaurs – Monsters Ed – Chestnut Grove Academy – Growing in God’s Grace – Royal Little Lambs – Life with Moore Babies – Teach Beside Me – The Usual Mayhem – Mum Central – Fantastic Fun and Learning – Kathys Cluttered Mind – Play Create Explore – Toddler Approved – Growing Book by Book – Adventures in Mommydom – B-Inspired Mama – The Fairy and The Frog – Edventures with Kids – Learning & Growing the Piwi way – A Gluten Free Journey – Mom to Crazy Monkeys – No Doubt Learning – Preschool Powol Packets – To The Moon and Back – Our Craft ~N~ Things – Farm Fresh Adventures – Proverbial Homemaker – Look Were Learning
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Filed Under: Poppins Book Nook Tagged With: beach, camping, PoppinsBookNook

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