Five days. 120 hours. And then I’m on vacation. Sort of. On Wednesday Roger Gardner and I head for Seattle and three days (for me…RG will probably get geek toxic after a day or so) of Gnomedex. I’ll get back just in time for the long 4th of July weekend. I’ll rest up a few days after that and then it’s off to Destin with the lovely Barb where we gather with her clan for a week. While I won’t be completely off the grid, I will be away from the office and I’m really looking forward to it.
Hope to see my pal Jim Mathies, who lives in Destin. Search for some open wi-fi. And try to get better acquainted with the Mac Book. I feel like the guy that’s due to be released from prison in three or four days and is afraid to leave his cell for fear of getting shanked so close to freedom.
Tagged as:
prison
I was last in Destin back in October and the beaches had been savaged by the hurricanes. Just six months (and $5 million? $22 million!) later, they look pretty damned good. Amazing. Barb and some clients are going down for few days in a couple of weeks and we’ll get a first-hand report and more pix. And I’m told the cottage is all booked up through May and June, and part of July.
Barb and I took a long walk along the beach yesterday and, yes, I was the only one wearing jeans, shoes, socks, etc. Still a nice walk. I’m not sure where Destin and Sandestin start and stop or the names of beaches but I think the beach closest to our place is Miramar Beach.
Still a lot of trash to be picked up. Things like 40 foot pilings, concrete swimming pools and a few things a person could actually lift. The beach is pretty much gone in some places but looks okay in others. High surf (from Wilma?) the last few days seems to change the beach almost daily. I’ve never actually seen Gulf surf this high.
Once again, having the Casio in my hand made me see the beach a little differently than I used to. Sea shells and jelly fish; what a beach house should look like; what it should not look like (last shot, I promise).
While I couldn’t find the discipline to stay off line, I have enjoyed this long weekend. This is the time of year to come to the Gulf Coast. Jim says spring break is good too, but that’s more about co-ed’s than climate. Found a great bar (Theo’s) and made a new friend. Let’s make it Mother Nature 7, Man 3.
From the Grand Dunes website: “18 story Gulf front rental restricted condominium villa homes; 89 huge, well designed, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom floor plans; dramatic 2-level penthouses; Private Beach; Secured gated resort.”
You know I’m not a surf-and-sand guy, so can you exlpain how this is any kind of beach experience? I’m just asking.
Speaking of beach-front property. Back-to-back hurricanes destroyed the house so the lot is now for sale. Inquiring minds want to know why leave the pool? The few folks I’ve spoken to about this are tyring to put a good face on things, but from where I stand in my Levis and long-sleeve shirt, the beaches have taken a pretty big hit. [flickr set]
Not sure if you can call 30 hours in the car a vacation but Barb and I are heading down to Destin for a long weekend (next week). There’s some kind of home-owners meeting at Gulfside Cottages and I’m tagging along because I desperately need to get off the grid for a couple of days. Uh, yeah, I’ll probably take the Thinkpad. But I’m pretty sure I won’t be online for the 14 hour drive down and back. I’m eager to see how Destin is recovering.
Barb’s vacation cottage survived Hurricane Dennis amazingly well. Early photos left you with the impression the beach would take a long time to recover but these photos are reassuring. And the Gulf was crystal clear.
Barb and her family spent part of this afternoon on the beach in Destin. The effects of Dennis are still visible but things look much better than she expected. I assume she’s taking photos but we probably won’t have them until her return.