Anonymous wrote:OP here- I have two weeks off in August. Thinking of driving down from D.C. area to Florida, spending a week with family in Jacksonville. Then driving from Jacksonville to Destin, spending 3 nights in Destin and then driving back to D.C. We would do the trip to and from Florida is two days. Is that too long to drive with children (7 and 8 years)?

15 hours is not too long for a two-day trip. We do it once or twice a year since we moved far from family. We started when then kids were 1 and 4, they are now 4 and 8. Normal screen-time limits are suspended during our road trips, we bring lots of books and little action figures, and we stop at a hotel with an indoor pool. No matter how small the pool is, it helps to exercise and relax everyone's bodies when we get there at night and/or before we leave the next morning.

Anonymous wrote:Do you drive to Destin? I see it's nearly 15 hours from our area. Do you break it up? Where is a good place to spend the night on the way?

We spend the night in Savannah and typically bring a stray animal home with us as there are many there.
It's like the humane society hotel over there (any of them).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go down the street to Santa Rosa Beach - much less crowded.
It's inbetween Destin and Seaside. Seaside is gorgeous and fun - if you can afford it rent a cottage there.
If not:
https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/florida/north-west/beaches-of-south-walton/santa-rosa-beach/old-florida-cottages

Shhh. We try to send all of the Washingtonians to Destin and Seaside. That's why Santa Rosa isn't crowded.

Yes, you are right, sorry.
Hopefully they never put an airport in!