Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

What were we thinking??  We booked this trip way back in September since these beach spots fill up quickly, but about 5 days before we were set to leave for our trip, we received Cora’s passport!  That meant we were slated to leave for India the same week as our trip!  Kelly and I had kind of suspected this was going to happen and we debated back and forth over what we should do.  Finally, we decided to head on to the beach and invest some quality time with Carter and Caroline before we were gone to India for two weeks.  It was a good decision on our part, but also kind of crazy in hindsight.  

Originally, we were supposed to leave on Saturday morning for the beach.  Since we were busy preparing for our trip to India, Kelly and I decided to push the camping departure back to Sunday, and then come home Tuesday afternoon before leaving the country on Friday.  (I’m stressed just writing this!)  

As usual, we did as much work the night before as possible so we could get on the road.  Carter is obsessed with leaving “in the middle of the night” because he gets to sleep more in the car and miss part of the car ride.  It wasn’t quite the middle of the night, but we did leave early.  That meant we made it to the beach around 10:30am, which was super nice because it was like having a whole day even though we travelled.  Set up was easy with Kelly and me getting things done while the kids played with their camper toys.  We then scouted out the territory so we would know what the campground was like.  This site was nice, as was the entire grounds. There seemed to be a lot of pride taken in its upkeep as well.  

We ate lunch and then loaded up the truck for some beach time.  There is a walkway to the beach but we decided to drive down to the access instead.  We really were just planning on scoping out the area and then driving around a bit, but Carter and Caroline had different plans.  I think we ended up being out there three hours!!  They were as happy and energized for the beach as I had ever seen them.  I got glimpses of those moments when you see pure joy and happiness in children, and it was pretty awesome.  Kelly and I just kind of sat back and enjoyed watching them have so much fun.  We did, as always, get coaxed into digging deep holes in the sand and jumping/running from waves.  There were many times Kelly and I said we probably need to head back, but we just couldn’t do it.

Eventually, we made it back to the camper where we cooked up quite possibly the best pork chops ever.  Not just camping pork chops, but best ever … anywhere!  Not sure what the secret was but they were incredible.  The kids worked their way into bed, Kelly and I sat around a fake fire (this night it was a citronella candle), and then we all shut our eyes for the night.  

The next morning brought a normal round of donuts and other unhealthy but worth it breakfast items.  We then made our way to the playground for a few minutes, checked out the shuffleboard court (new game for the kids), and had some downtime at the camper. 

Great form, eh??? Shuffle board or bowling?  

Then we got semi-ready and drove into Seaside so Kelly could have her meal at the Taco Bar.  At this point it isn’t so much the taste bud benefit as it is the novelty of the experience.  It’s a tradition for Kelly, even though I keep telling her there are other good places to eat.  Another tradition of Clayton camping time at the beach is playing on the green in Seaside.  The kids played a little and we managed to walk around other parts for a few minutes before we headed back to the camper. 

This place had THE BEST running paths!  I saw a doe and her baby right away but never did find a black bear! I got to wear my random Minnesota tank from Bargain Hunt- representing the birth state!  Wore my Jamaica flops from our honeymoon afterwards:) 

"Mommy take my picture in front of these flowers"

Cold pool, go fish, and chili dog kind of afternoon!

That evening we decided to go to the beach one more time, but this time we chose to access the beach ramp.  Only by intuition did I decided to take my flashlight, and man were we lucky.  For some reason we thought the beach would be closer!  There’s something about a beach “access” that leads me to believe it it easily accessible.  Not that hard to ask, no?  We walked down the path, kept walking, kept walking, starting making jokes about the distance, kept walking, and kept walking until we made it to the end.  Of course it worked great for our kids because they got more beach time and hole-digging time.  The way back, though, got interesting.  It was basically dark and the entire walk is a preserve so things are wooded.  I had my flashlight and that was great, but it was still a little bit darker than we wanted.

We actually spotted deer out here, had no idea deer roamed on dunes!

The final day brought the normal morning piddling.  Carter, Caroline, and I made our way to the campground stage where they managed to entertain me with dances to music I would play.  It was one of “those moments.”  

I made Caroline pose to show off her "Tree Hugger" outfit:)  Then we did performances on stage.  Great memories!

We left around 10:00am or so to go meet some friends (the Williams and Densons) who had arrived at the beach, and then we came back to the camper for clean-up.  The park was kind to let us leave a little later than allowed and we pulled back into Bham around 6:00.  

Great time with friends!

Topsail is an awesome spot.  The only thing we regret is not being able to stay longer- but we are already booked for next Spring Break! Can't believe this was our last trip as a family of four! Cora will be with us next time!!!! #claytonpartyof5

One tired little girl!