Pensacola Beach 2012, Day One

We're on our traditional post-Christmas vacation, this year in Pensacola Beach, Florida. (This is a long-standing tradition: Anna and I started coming here after Christmas about twelve years ago, and this is, we believe, our eighth or ninth trip to just about the same spot.) We drove down Wednesday, taking most of the day to do it, so today, Thursday, is our first full day here. We're staying at the Hampton Inn right on the beach. It's a little cold--the high today was only about 50 degrees--but it's still nice to be on a vacation to the beach. Last year after Christmas we went to Helen, GA, which was good but just not the same. (Though, of course, last year before Christmas we went to Orlando, FL, with Granny and Pa for an epic visit to Disney World, so we weren't really up for another long drive to Florida just a few days later.)

We spent a lot of today doing various shopping errands in Pensacola: we went to Dollar Tree, Barnes & Noble, and Kohls. We did go for a little walk on the beach this morning after breakfast, and Anna and Jessica went out to feed the seagulls and walk along the beach this afternoon. (I stayed here with Elyse, who was napping...in fact, she's still asleep, having resisted every attempt to rouse her. We hope she's out for the night, because if she isn't, she'll be up until midnight.) I went for a walk tonight to take some sunset pictures, which, since I forgot my tripod, didn't come out as well as I'd hoped.

In any case, here's one picture from this morning and another from tonight:

Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for rain and wind, though a little more warmth--a high of 64--so there might not be a "Day Two" blog entry. We'll be leaving Saturday, doing the drive in two days probably, and getting home Sunday afternoon.

(Click here to read about the next day of this adventure.)