Don't Forget To Do This On Your Vacation

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC provided me with compensation and use of a RAV4 for a short period of time.
The opinions I have shared about this vehicle are my own.

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It's hard for me to relax on vacation, especially since my Daddy's death, but when my best friend announced a beach trip, I knew I had to go. The destination? Panama City Beach, FL. The reason? My best friend's birthday. The group? Me, my best friend, and another friend who brought her youngest son. Having him there, and it being such a special occasion made me really want to focus on that one thing we forget to do on vacation: make memories.

Tell me if you can relate to these past vacation experiences: always in a hurry, trying to get everyone collected and ready for that day's agenda. Arguments ensue over places to eat and things to do or being lost. It's hot, and people are cranky. You hear someone say they just wanna go home. And another year's vacation leaves you lacking the experience you wanted to have. The vacations end up blurring together. But not this time! Keep reading as I share my memories.

me, in the RAV4 that I got to drive for the trip!

We left Thursday morning from ATL and headed to PCB. I had the privilege of getting to drive a 2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited. And y'all, it was one of the highlights of the trip. I am absolutely serious. If you've not seen the 2015 model, please check it out. First, we were able to fit all of us plus our belongings with plenty of room to spare. I felt completely safe having my loved ones in this vehicle. We drove down there on one tank of gas (what!). We made memories in there.

And now my techy-side comes in: I had too much fun playing with all of the RAV4 features, like the navigation system (I get lost easily) and how it showed you what awaited on the next exit. I got so excited about the Bluetooth capabilities and the Entune Premium Audio because we all know the best part of any road trip is the music!

Our condo wasn't ready but instead of getting frustrated and skipping valuable beach time, we changed in a restaurant bathroom. It ended up being a gorgeous day. It looked as calm as a lake. There was lots of laughter, relaxation, and good memories were made.

Quick pic of the group in the parking lot before dinner

After a day of fun, we got dressed and went for a celebratory birthday dinner. The restaurant lost our reservation, so a 90 minute wait it was. Again, we chose to make memories instead of complaining about it. We took pics, sang songs, played games, and embarrassed the birthday girl--a must. We put our phones away at dinner. We made memories.

You gotta get a tourist tee, am I right?

But of course we did more than hang out at the beach. We hopped in the Toyota RAV4 and went shopping (duh!) including trips to the grocery store (for snacks), to Walmart (beach toys for the boy), drugstores for makeup (me!), and to Alvin's Island for tacky souvenirs (a must). We all bought cheesy, cheap touristy-tees. I'm kinda loving that neon ombre, though!

The next day the elevator was broken, so we got our cardio in by going down 17 flights of stairs! We went to the beach for a bit but there was a storm in the distance. The waves were too rough to play in and the wind sent stinging sand on our faces. We made a group decision to pack it in. Hard to believe just a day ago it was so nice and calm. But we made the best out of it by doing more shopping (as mentioned earlier) and playing some Goofy Golf. I love retro places like this--it's been around since 1959 and features various animals and creatures on its mini golf course. My fave is the dinosaur!

The next day was Father's Day--I was dreading since it was my first without my Daddy. Early that morning the I drove the RAV4 to the pier and had a private prayer for my Dad (he loved the beach/being by water). When I opened my eyes I saw a rainbow. You can see it a little in the pic above. As soon as I took this pic, it disappeared.

And just like that, it was time to head home. We packed up, and I'm still amazed that everything (and us) fit in the Toyota RAV4, especially with the new additions of a shovel and body surfing board. We came back a little tanner, a little tired, but ever so thankful. It was a wonderful vacation, full of memories and I cannot wait until next year.

Tears and Tantrums-0
Calories Consumed-0 (calories don't count on vacation)
Legos Lost-3
Embarrassing Stories Told--7
Memories Made-Priceless

Do you have a vacation story or vacation post you'd like to share? 

Leave it in the comments! I'd love to see it.

Extra Elle:

• Speaking of Father's Day, if you saw this video, I gave shout outs to those who took pics with their dads and told me about them. My blog friend LaNae did one too and also sent me the sweetest postcard. It's been 4 months and still so many of you are checking on me. Thank you so much.
• Another way I thank you is with giveaways--have you entered these?
• $100 JCPenney Gift Card
• Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette
• IT Cosmetics Palette
• $100 Jockey Gift Card