|
|
March 15, 2002. Around January or February of 2002, I found out about the Southern Trans Am Regionals show that was held in Pensacola, FL on March 15-17. I was determined to make this trip, and, lucky for us, my wife said we had a three-day vacation package in Destin, FL that we had to use before April 30, 2002.
We woke up around 8:30 or 9:00am and my plan was to drive to Pensacola around 11:00am and check out the Southern Trans Am Regionals show, then come back to Destin and hit the beaches. What I didn't know was that we had to go to a 90 minute timeshare presentation in Destin at 11:30am. Yall know that didn't go over too well with me, but if we didn't go, we'd have to pay the full price for the hotel room, plus we couldn't get the $50 food coupon, and we gotta eat! Anyway, I'm figuring: We should be out by 1:00pm, we'll be in Pensacola by 2pm, and we could hit the beaches by 4 or 5pm. But of course that didn't happen. We didn't get out of the timeshare deal until 2pm. I don't know how many times I said "NO, we can't afford to buy timeshare right now", but it must have been an hour's worth. Also, the kids had to sit with us the ENTIRE TIME! A six-year old boy and a 23-month old girl. I was definitely not a happy camper. I've come 460 miles in the middle of the friggin night and the friggin fog for this! I just wanted to see some Birds! Then we had to stop by Wal-mart, then we had to feed the kids. After we finished doing all of that, it was after 3pm. Too late to drive to Pensacola, I thought. Well at least we can still hit the beach here in Destin. Around 4pm, we hit the beach. The water was too cold for us to get in, plus the yellow flag was flying, indicating hazardous swimming conditions. My wife and I played frisbee for a little bit, then I stretched out on a bed sheet on the beach and relaxed my mind and body while my wife and kids took a stroll down the beach. I'd calmed down alot, and I figured if we left early the next morning I still could get in some good time at the Southern Trans Am Regionals on the way back home. Around 5:15pm, we left the beach and went back to the hotel where we chilled for a little bit, then we went swimming in the indoor hotel pool.
Around 8:00pm, we left out to get some food. Earlier, at the timeshare presentation, we received a $50 coupon to eat at one of four restaurants in the Destin area. I chose the Lucky Snapper Restaurant. I made a bad choice. Number one: the fog rolled back in that night, and we couldn't see crap. We saw AJ's Restaurant, but we couldn't see Lucky Snapper. Turned out that the map we were given with the restaurants and points of interest was wrong. We finally got directions to the Lucky Snapper: we had to go behind AJ's. Now this is the main reason my choice was bad: It's Spring Break. It's also St. Patrick's Day weekend. We have young children with us. There were college students all over the harbor! Right before we got to the Lucky Snapper, a young lady walking with a group of people asked me ever so nicely: "Can I sit on your head?". I couldn't say anything...my wife and kids were in the car! My wife thought she asked if she could sit on the hood. Maybe she did say that, but I have a "bad" mind! Anyway, we figured that it wouldn't be a good idea to go into the Lucky Snapper with the kids. Lucky for us, we had coupons for the Olive Garden restaurant (where do we get all these coupons). We got a free meal, and we made it back to the hotel around 10 or 10:30pm. What a day! What a night!
Sunday, March 17, 2002. Around 8 or 8:30am, we got up and got ready to leave for Pensacola. I wanted to leave Destin by 11:00am; we were on US98 at 10:15. The early morning fog had lifted, and the drive to Pensacola was without incident. We didn't have any problems finding the University Mall where the Southern Trans Am Regionals was being held. We pulled up in the parking lot about 11:15am, and I was like a kid in a candy store! I think I acted more like a kid than my six-year old boy! Nuttin but Birds! Formulas! Trans Ams! The day was beautiful, and the temp was like 70 degrees. And the Birds...from 1968 to 2002...beautiful. I wish my Bird was clean, but 500 miles through rain and fog tends to take the shine away a little. But it was all good. My wife fell in love with a 1968 Firebird. I didn't know the first gens had a roomy backseat! There was a white Turbo Trans Am from Memphis, and a "Fire-breathing Dragon-Bird" that my boy admired. Of course there were a few Bandits there, and a couple of collector-yellow 2002s were present. It was nothing but the bomb!
