The Okie College Girl

We do love our Aunt & Uncle, but after being gone over a week it was time to get back home.  Don’t get me wrong, spending a week in beautiful Destin, Florida was amazing.  But, there comes a time when you’re ready to sleep in your own bed – without sand and 6 little feet poking you in the back, where the springs don’t poke through the mattress and gouge you when you sleep.  Our vacation was perfect otherwise.  I got all the sun and sand I could wish for.

Ever bought a car off eBay?  My Uncle has!  Although, I can’t remember where he had to pick it up from.  I’m pretty sure it was Florida, but then again I could be wrong, very very wrong.  It’s a pretty neat little car, only a 2 seater and hummmms when you go down the road.

Since Oklahoma is such a long drive from Destin, FL we stayed over night with our awesome Aunt & Uncle.   We just had to cross Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and then make it to Arkansas to our destination.  After 8 hours of driving, which included stopping at Dairy Queen, a few gas stations and of course for dinner we made it Arkansas.  The drive home wasn’t near as fun as going.  Chalk that up to never going to Florida perhaps, but when you’re ready to get home, you’re just ready.

Coming home to Oklahoma from Florida, you go through these awesome tunnels.  I say awesome and guess they are, but maybe only to the passenger.  I was better prepared for these tunnels coming back than I was going to Florida.  Roomie just wanted to fly through them as fast as possible, something about claustrophobia or something?  Poor Roomie, she’s afraid of so many things.

Hold your breath!  We’re goin’ in!  Back to Oklahoma we go.  The tunnels just symbolize being home or closer to home.  I miss home, but these tunnels are really something to see.  Especially if you’re not used to seeing things like this back in your home state.

What happens when you have a car wreck inside the tunnel?  Well that was one thought that crossed my mind while we were driving through.  I’m thrilled we came out on the other side without having a wreck of any kind.

I see light!  There’s light at the end of the tunnel.  The saying is actually true.  I believe this is the very first time I’ve been through an extremely long tunnel like this one.  It honestly was sort of scary coming out because we had a hill to climb and it made you think that you were going to hit the top of the tunnel.  I mean we didn’t, it just appeared that way.  I’m very very ready to get home. Can you tell?

Tommy Boy looks confused, doesn’t he?  Well, he’s not.  I promise.  He actually changes colors according to if it’s daylight or not and even when you’re underground!  He looks sort of cool being underground and all.

….and we’re out!  We came out of the tunnel with flying colors.  Making it out alive with Roomie still driving.  This is a huge accomplishment, making it out of the tunnel.  We’re that much closer to home, to sleeping in our own beds and to seeing Ellie.

Being the big History nut I am, I really wanted to see the USS Alabama.  On our way back, we planned that, just didn’t follow through.  Who knew it would cost $30 for Roomie & I to tour the ship?  Really?  She isn’t into history like I am and I knew she wouldn’t enjoy it, so I snapped pictures from inside the park.

I really wanted to eat here.  The parking lot was packed, but I was saving all of my hunger strength for Copeland’s.  Yes, their food is speechless good and if it were anywhere near me, I’d eat there on a daily basis.  They have the best Crawdad tails a girl could ever wish for.

There it is.  The USS Alabama.  I was thinking I was about to tour this awesome ship, instead all I got was shock over the cost to tour it.  Maybe some day I’ll make my way back to the USS Alabama and tour the ship.  One day.

The entrance to the USS Alabama.  There were so many planes inside  the park it was unreal.  I don’t think I’d ever seen that many planes in one location that were just on display.  I just snapped photos of all the planes and then looked each one of them up just as soon as I got home.

A gunner just inside the park.  The thing was massive, I mean even more massive than what you would think of in the movies.  I have no idea how you could control a gun like that in battle.  It’s hard enough turning some of the knobs and wheels they have, but ones built 60+ years ago I can’t even imagine what it would’ve been like to fight in a war like that back then

The Coast Guard plane on display.  It was a change to get to see some of these planes on display, especially after seeing The Guardian with Kevin Costner.  Yes, I saw an actual Coast Guard plane, maybe next time I’ll take a tour of the ship too.

Thankfully the only day it really poured was the day we left.  Florida is beautiful, but we were ready to get home.  Although, I can’t wait to go back again.  It had already rained a lot before we could get out of the state.  It even came a torrential downpour while we were loading our car to go home.

Getting out of town.  Driving out of Destin was much easier than driving into the town.  The roads were soaked and so were Roomie & I.

This is where all 4 kids wanted to go.  I had to ask them why they wanted to go to a water park when they had a beach and 2 pools to jump in anytime they wanted.  Little Man replied “because it’s cool”.  Yeah, Little Man it looks cool until you actually go and freak out over the massive slides that look so much smaller from the road.

My dear ole’ cousin Nicole misread the sign earlier in the week, which led to a very heavily detailed explanation about the Pubic bone and Pubic hair.  I wish I was kidding!  Poor Nicole for misreading the sign.  Maybe she needs to get glasses, because I can’t see how you could just throw out the “l” in Publix.  Although Pubix has a nice ring to it.

In Florida, the water meets the edge of the road.  I would’ve thought there would’ve been barricades or something separating the road from the ocean.  Nope, not here.  However, I’d love to see what would happen if a hurricane came, do the waves come crashing into the road?  That’s something I’d like to see, I just don’t want to be in the hurricane while it’s happening.

The Blue Angels in Florida.  They’re amazing in person, I’ve seen them perform once.  I was amazed by them, I even think my jaw dropped while watching them.  I love watching planes, especially those that do acrobatics and crazy things in the air.  I would hate to be the one riding shotgun, I’m sure I would throw up everything.  Even the take off when flying makes me a little green.

Goodbye, Ocean.  See you again some day soon.  Hopefully that’s before I decide to tie the knot or have my house full of kiddos.  I definitely might have to talk Roomie into going back or at least a few friends so we can have a few wild nights.  I still have those left in me, you know.

Thankfully, I didn’t leave town without collecting some of this stuff.  It’s now sitting in my garage and there is some in Roomie’s trunk.  …Wonder how long it will be there until she decides to vaccum it up.