Florida 1981

This was our first trip back to Florida as a family since we were young. The year was 1981, we met in Alexandria, where Melanie and Randy lived at the time, and then traveled on from there. Becky was living in Cincinnati and flew into Florida to meet us. We stayed at Sandestin Bayside because the units they were building at the beach were not completed. We had to drive to the beach every day and pack mule everything along with us......you really had to be committed. At night there was no jump up and run out to the beach for a moonlit stroll. But we did have an alligator come try to make friends. We shunned him. You can't be friends with gators anymore than you can be friends with sharks. Every year we went to Florida, until the place closed, we went to eat at Perry's, a local Italian restaurant. It was so yummy.

While we were at the beach 1981, Charles and Diana got married and we missed the whole thing because in ancient times, there were no VCRs or DVDs or Blue Ray nothing. There were literally 2 channels with bad TV on both of them. One night we were trying to squeeze out one good show and the only thing on was a movie named Motel Hell. Frank insisted on making us watch it. It was so bad and the plot was disgusting. These people ran a motel and they would kidnap stranded motorists and then take them back to the motel, bury them in the ground and make "world famous" ham out of them. I KID YOU NOT! Rory Calhoun was in it and the movie people today call it a cult classic. It was classic crap. But Frank Meredith refused to acknowledge just how bad it was. In fact many years after that trip, any time we'd find it on TV, one of us would call to tell him and once again we'd argue the point that it was pure crap. His response was ALWAYS, "Oh that's a great movie." We knew he was lying.

This trip was 29 years ago!! Oh my goodness. The passing years just keep on passing. Have a look see at the peeps on the trip. No kids were with us this time.....bummer.

That's Lydia harassing me, completely unwarranted I'm sure. Suzie's sitting next to Lydia and of course that's Billie June in the backyard at Melanie and Randy's in Alexandria.


We borrowed Mickey Humphrey's van for the trip. It wasn't a trip to the beach if the top wasn't loaded down.


Frank and Dale still packing


Before our night on the town. Melanie was pregnant with Lindsey here. We didn't know. It was definitley the 80s for reals.


Billie and Big Frank enjoying the water.


Beach baby Becky


It was desolate back then. I would LOVE that now as well.


The gator in our backyard we didn't make friends with.

There's more to come hopefully sooner than later.