La Belle Mer...with pictures

Okay, pictures! There are a lot of bird pictures because, let's face it, birds are funny. And seagulls are one of my favorite things God created. They're ridiculous. And ever since Finding Nemo, you can't not look at one and not think, "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine." That's EXACTLY how they are. And they're pretty when they fly, so I took a lot of bird pictures. Bear with me.

When Mom and I got there Thursday night, I went outside to the dunes in front of the condo...sea oats. They're sea oats, but I don't know if you can actually use them for food. I dunno, though.

Mom and I went to eat at Bud and Alley's Taco Bar in Seaside. I highly recommend eating there if you're ever in the area. I highly recommend eating anywhere in Seaside. It's where they filmed the Truman Show. Super cute community. Great coffee house. A whole street of airstream trailer food trucks filled with some of the greasiest, most Southern, most food-trucky, most delicious food you'll ever eat. We ate at the taco bar. Their guacamole is to die for.

Fresh shrimp and corn salsa taco.

Before Dad got there, we went for a walk on the beach.

I never realized how squatty my feet are. It's like I have child's feet.

I don't know why I like this picture so much. It's nothing spectacular. But if you look in the reflection of the water, there's a bird flying overhead. I just noticed it this morning.

About a half mile from the condo is the inlet where the bay drains into the ocean. That night, it was like a class-5 rapid. Maybe some rain a few nights before made it like this, but I've never seen it so rough. We used to play in it when we were little and catch crabs. Mom and I didn't try to get in.

You can see where the bay water mixes with the Gulf.

Friday and Saturday, the weather was perfect. The water was crystal clear with hardly any waves at all. It was beautiful. There were a lot of crabs in the water, but they scurry away pretty fast, so not an issue. Well, not an issue for the humans. The crabs were being corralled by every kid on the beach. I passed one little boy who had caught about 10 of them and he was going back into the water for more and his mom yelled out, "Don't you leave me alone with these things!" He responded with, "Moooooom! They're not going to get you!," as the crabs were fighting each other, claws raised and snapping, gladiator style.

This is a house you can rent. Four bedrooms, three and a half baths. It's called "A Place in the Sun." I thought it was super pretty. Kind of looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright house.

Hermit crab trail.

Stand up paddleboarders.

"I'm sitting...I'm sitting...where are my feet?!"

Two baby twin sand dollars.

At the intlet, you know how the water was really high...well, fish from the ocean swim up in the little wade pools and get stranded when the tide goes back down. Poor, poor fishes.

Sunset walk...

This is one of the gross rain/bay water pools, but I liked the way the sand looks.

I kept looking this picture thinking, "Is that a shark?! How did I not see it!" But, it's a bird's wing.

We did see some dolphins, though.

This is how the inlet normally looks.

We ate at the Donut Hole, another place I highly recommend. I've eaten there many, many times, but I've only ever ordered two things. These amazing cream cheese blintzes with sour cream side, brown sugar, and fresh fruit. And their BLT. They have good donuts, too. Ooooh, and key lime pie. Also, you should eat at The Back Porch in Destin. Get their crab cakes.

I woke up super early Sunday morning to try to get some sunrise pictures. HUGE disappointment and waste of time. The sun was rising behind the buildings. I should have known that. Took two pictures and went back to bed.