Maybe the Best Festival Ever

This weekend, the big thing to do on the Emerald Coast was the Destin Seafood Festival.

We, being the kind of family we are, were NOT going to be left out of anything involving seafood.

So, this afternoon we headed out to Destin to see what the big fuss was all about.

I'll tell you what it was all about. It was an "I've died and gone to heaven" festival that should have come with about fourteen disclaimers that all say something about "Attending this festival, in all likelihood, will increase your cholesterol and blood pressure and your risk for all things related to heart disease, obesity, larger pants sizes, and a need for Weight Watchers, but you will leave feeling full, satisfied, and ready to take on the world...after a recovery nap."

Oh, and all of this gloriousness is set right on the water, so the view isn't bad either.

Seriously, I was walking around in complete sensory overload. There were tents set up one after the other with trays piled high with grilled this and that and fried this and that and it was all so beautiful. If you were there and you didn't like seafood, you might have had a problem. I wish I had more pictures of the pure carnival-like insanity. It reminded me of a county fair minus the rides and freaky clowns but with really classy food. That doesn't even make a lot of sense, so just trust me. It was delightful.

I nibbled to my heart's delight on a cold tuna dip with crackers and some fried alligator on a stick. Danny had grilled Mahi-Mahi with some sort of homemade potato chips and macaroni and cheese. I'll tell you what, though, if that grilled lobster tail hadn't been $18, it would have been mine; it looked divine.

As with most things around here, the highlight of the festival for Tyler involved the garbage truck that was on-site to manage all the seafood waste. For Lydie, the highlight involved lemonade. I was so occupied with her guzzling the super-sized cup we had that I didn't even get a picture of the momentous occasion. Needless to say, I'm sure we'll be changing her diapers frequently over the next 24 hours.

It was a lovely afternoon, albeit extremely hot, and I desperately wanted to jump off the docks about a gazillion times. I refrained. I did, however, try my best to get Danny to go talk to the yacht salesman about buying me a yacht, but, for some reason, he doesn't think he can afford my taste in such things.

What can I say?

If you're ever in the area in the fall, I would suggest not missing the Destin Seafood Festival. You will not regret a single bite.