I've decided to make my trip report a daily report that will last all week. Kind of like Cork and Alli's Yurapeean adventure. There's just too much information.;-)
Part 1
So last Friday we set off on our 10 1/2 hour drive to Prattville, Alabama. We were loaded with ipods, gameboys, and bunches of movies. Mr OL decided not to use the car top carrier and loaded everything up in the back of the van. Yep, beverly hills here we come.
on the drive we enjoyed watching Spring blossom right before our eyes. Everything got greener and greener as we drove south. The flowers/trees and rocky cliffs in Kentucky were really pretty.
We stopped at a very nice Chick-fila in Cool Springs Tn for lunch. I would have liked to have stayed and gone shopping in the area but we had to get back on the road!
I think our next stop was the big Rocket at the Alabama welcome center. This one is a can't miss for us every trip.
We were happy to be almost to our hotel for the night. I had made a reservation at the Jameson Inn. Mind you, we don't have those here in Ohio and I thought it was going to be a quaint little inn.
We arrived and Sam said ..this is a motel not an inn. Oh, thanks dear one, I hadn't noticed. :roll: 
It was fine for the night but I don't think I'd want to stay there too long. The bed was nice and comfy to that was a plus. It was a good stopping point with lots of restaurants, hotels and stores. The next morning we slept in and loaded up. Check in at the condo was 4:00 so we have plenty of time. We only had a 3 1/2 hour drive to paradise...We took our time, stopped and bought a few necessities that we forgot to pack and arrived at the rental office at 1:30. We checked in early ( thank you Seagrove on the Beach) and headed out to the walkover at the Palms. It was really windy and overcast but breathtaking none the less. Oh, we were back to my favorite place and no matter the weather, were happy to be there.
We headed upstairs to check out our accomodations for the week. The Palms is a really nice place and we really enjoyed our stay there. We were in the second row of buildings on the third floor. We had a lovely view of 30-a and the Mer's place on one side and an amazing view of the parking lot with a sliver of the gulf off the balcony. I could hear the sea roaring and the palms wisping through the air. We were just thrilled to be there.
I was unpacking when I got a call. The Dargs were heading to Grayton. I stopped what I was doing and we started getting ready to hit the beach.
We arrived at Grayton with the wind whipping and sand blowing. We started walking down the walkover and Jenny and Mermaid we standing there waiting for us. It was so exciting to meet both of them! I thought Mermaid would have been gone and was so surprised and happy to see and meet her! Both gulls are cuter than words can say.
We walked over to their "camp" and met the boys and Kate. Bdarg & Merman were wonderful. I think I could listen to Merman talk all day. The kids played in the outflow and we talked and got to know each other. Mermaid was telling me about all the funn things they did during their week. I couldn't believe that this was our first day here and we already got to meet so many sowallers! You have to remember---I had met no one before this trip!
The Darg children are just darlings. Will is such a tall, handsome, sweet and patient young man. He had caught a beautiful blue crab and stood there freezing while I fumbled for my camera and had to get just the right shot.
Princess Kate is the kind of girl you can't stop looking at b/c she is just breathtaking. They both take after their parents. The Mer's were incredibly sweet and yes, the cutest couple eva. It was a grayt day.We went back to the condo, settled in, had sandwiches for dinner and rested up for the next day at the red bar.
For some reason, I cannot insert pics in my posts. I added pics for this day in my photo album. http://www.sowal.com/bb/gallery/browseimages.php?c=5&userid=483
You said everything I felt but only summarized about the Dargs and the Mers. I too felt so lucky to be able to meet so many on our trip! Can't wait to hear the rest.
I made it as far as Blue Mountain Beach on my bike & decided that "coughing up a lung" would not be a good first impression & figured you would not want to share my germs. Probably a good decision as I am fairly certain I did share my germs with 3 others in our beach house, one of which ended up at the ER on Saturday. 
It's kinda crazy inside so we finish up and go out. We say goodbye to the SM family and hope to see them again. It was so grayt meeting them. 
