In Search of the Perfect Family Vacation and Dolphins-Part 3

Disclaimer: A portion of our trip was sponsored by ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals  and Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce. All thoughts, opinions and memories are explicitly my own! #sponsored

With the help of Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce we  were able to take everyone on a dolphin cruise. If you have never been on one I urge you to go. Just being out on the ocean and seeing the sights along the shore was entertaining. We booked the Southern Star Dolphin Cruise and here’s a tip for you, book two to three days before you actually want to go. It was full when I called and we had to wait three days. I’m sure it is easier to book if you have a smaller party. Taking 16 people anywhere calls for advanced planning.

The cruise was a hit with everyone except the oldest granddaughter. When we hit choppy water she was not a fan and strongly suggested (yelled) that I go tell the captain to turn the boat around and take her back. I distracted her with my cell phone and she calmed down. By the time we docked she was fine.

I have no doubt that we held the record for most family members on the boat. This is our son handsome son Grant and his gorgeous girlfriend Christy right before we boarded.

This is our daughter and her family. If you notice Little Man has a sad face. He had a double ear infection, which brings up another point about multi-generational travel. Always count on someone getting sick. I felt so sorry for him. Even though he got medicine from an urgent care close by, he just wasn’t himself. The little hat he is wearing is probably now being worn by a shark because Little Man threw it in the ocean.

This grandson loved the boat, the dolphins and the seagulls. The captain allowed passengers to feed the seagulls corn chips and the birds loved it. The grandson did too, he ate the chips! They flew alongside the ship and once actually took a chip from my son-in-laws fingers.

This is another one of our handsome sons with his girlfriend. Aren’t they a cute couple? They enjoyed the dolphin cruise on the front of the boat. I asked them if they posed like Leonardo DiCaprio and his lady did on the Titanic. They assured me they did not.

Even the youngest member on the dolphin cruise had a great time. Isn’t she adorable? And FYI-We did see dolphins. Lots of them. It was a fun night made even better by sharing it with the whole family. Some of them aren’t pictured due to the photographer being at the wrong place at the wrong time but I can assure you we all had a great time.

This is the pier down below Waterscape. My husband and I walked down to it several times from our condo. This is what it looked like the night of the dolphin cruise. It was a gorgeous night for a boat ride.

Why You Should Try Multi-generational Traveling

Multi-generational traveling is more complicated but with planning and patience everyone can enjoy the trip and enjoy each other. I highly encourage it. It’s a way to make memories with the whole family. Cousins become closer and their parents are reunited for a week sharing memories of when they were the children and past family vacations. My husband and I raised 5 children and many of our trips involved taking some of their friends, so we are very accustomed to traveling in large numbers.

I love hearing them talk about those past vacations.

“Do you remember the time we all got the stomach virus and spent the week fighting over the bathroom?”

Not one of my favorite memories.

“Do you remember when mom helped us collect star fish and then the ranger came over and chewed her out and told her she was going to be fined if we didn’t put them back?”

Why do they always remember when I goof up?

One Last Tip

One more tip and then I’ll close; try to vacation at a spot that offers the things your family enjoys doing the most. We were close to shopping malls, golf courses, had a great selection of restaurants and a choice of several pools and the ocean. There was something for everyone and no one ever said the dreaded vacation words, “I’m bored.”

I hope you have enjoyed my series on Fort Walton Beaches and I hope you get a chance to visit there some day. If you do check out ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals.

You can read Part 1 to this series here.

You can read Part 2 to this series here.