Indian Shores Beach, Florida

For spring break last week we traveled to Indian Rocks Beach in Florida (between Clearwater and Madeira Beach). We had a fun week in a condo with grandma and Papa Beneker, Erin and Ken, and Amy and Luke.

We left Friday after school and picked up Grandma Hall, who we were leaving with Papa Jay on our way to Florida. We made it to northern Alabama before we had to stop for the night.
The next morning, we got up super early and drove for awhile before we met Papa at an IHOP. It was fun to see him for a while! Then it was on to Florida!
The first full day we were there was Sunday. We went on a nice walk on the beach, even though it was very windy because a rainstorm was blowing in. The kids, Josh, and I drove into Clearwater to look around during the rain. We found a beach souvenir shop which can always guarantee Austin and Karsen a ton of fun. Later that evening, Josh and I went to pick up Amy and Luke at the airport. We tried to eat in Tam pa while we were there, but apparently the section of town next to the mall we stopped at is super upscale and we weren't going to eat there. Some of the mall shoppers had valets and limos waiting for them outside the mall doors.
So we ate at TGIFridays in the airport and saw many odd people.
On Monday we had a beach and pool day. It was super windy and the kids' boogie boards kept hitting them in the head. Karsen and Austin both loved the condo pool. Dragging them out was not always fun! For dinner Ken, Erin, Josh, the kids and I drove to a boardwalk called John's Pass in Madeira. The kids bought these really fun surfer necklaces with dolphins on them that change colors in the sunshine. Dinner was followed by ice cream while we walked around.

On Tuesday we started at the beach and pool, and then in the afternoon rented a boat for a few hours to explore the bay. Josh and Ken had fun driving the boat. Luke took a really great nap on the boat, and the rest of us saw dolphins practically right next to our boat.

On Tuesday night we all went back to the boardwalk to eat at a bar and grill with a very enthusiastic live singer. I loved this place, it was very relaxed and Amy and I had fun deciding what he might sing next. The kids enjoyed the birds that flew around and landed right next to your table. Luke enjoyed his hotdog-less bun dipped in ketchup.
On Wednesday it was another pool and beach day...all day long sunshine and perfect temps. The kids made friends everywhere they went and as the week went on had plenty of kids to play with. Erin and Ken and Josh and I went out Wednesday night to walk on the beach at sunset and for Ken and Josh to take some awesome pictures.

On Thursday, our last day there, we hit the pool in the morning and then in the afternoon the kids, Josh, and I and Erin and Ken went to a miniature golf course. It was a fun course and there were live alligators in the water around the course. That evening we all went to dinner at a seafood/steak place on a dock close to our condo. It was really good. After that, the Morgan's packed up to drive all the way home on Friday. We had so much fun and came back relaxed and ready to finish out the school year, start summer, and soon meet our new addition, Bryce!