Since I flooded my instagram with our Florida trip recently, I wanted to share more here. I love to travel, and I can always get excited about going somewhere new. Though it’s 100x easier to travel without kids, taking this family trip with our boys and my family was so great. The drive is long, but I’d say that 9+ hours in the car is completely worth it to end up in this gorgeous place. And p.s. I shared some road trip ideas in a recent blog post with some tips on how to keep your kids entertained in the car.
On the way down we stopped for the night in Auburn to see my cousins and their families. It was such a sweet time, and I’m so happy we were able to spend some time with all of them!
We headed down to Florida on Sunday morning. We rented a home in Seacrest that had plenty of room for us, my parents, and my brother. The beach was right across the street, we had a pool in the back yard, and we were a short bike ride away from Alys Beach. The house was just a short drive from Seaside in one direction and Rosemary in the other direction. I would highly recommend that area if you want to spend time on the beach.
I called our trip “paradise without a passport,” because the 30A area of Florida has clear blue-green water, white sand, fabulous restaurants, and captivating architecture, all within the US.
The first day it stormed, so we made trips to the grocery store and got unpacked until the rain cleared. We were able to spend a little time on the beach, and then my dad picked up dinner from Pizza By the Sea.
On Monday we were outside while it was nice out, then had dinner at The Hub at 30A. It was a little chaotic, but really cool. Back to the Future was playing on the big screen! I had rock shrimp and veggies, the boys had burgers, fries (which came in a sand bucket!), and the grandparents treated them to ice cream.
It was cloudy again on Tuesday morning, so my mom, todd, the boys and I rode bikes up to Alys Beach. They got a donut from Charlie’s Donut Truck, played in the splash pad, and ran around on the green.
We rented a few bikes for the trip, one with a toddler seat on the back for Ridge. We brought Davis’ bike from home, and my parents brought their bikes. We rode them almost every day! There is a bike path that runs along the whole stretch of 30A, and it’s such a nice way to get out and explore.
The middle of the day was chilly, so I “swam” with Davis. AKA, I sat on the float like a total diva while he swam. 😉
By the afternoon it was warmer, and the gulf was GORGEOUS. We took the boys in the water and really had a wonderful time.
My mom, dad, and brother offered to watch the boys that night so that Todd and I could go on a date! We got dressed up and headed to George’s at Alys Beach. Oh my goodness, the food and service were wonderful! After dinner we headed to Rosemary Beach and had a cocktail at the outdoor bar in The Pearl hotel. The views and the drinks were so great, and we just sat there gushing about how great the area is.
Our room at the house we rented was on the 3rd floor, and these were our views. I was obsessed!
On Wednesday Todd and my dad had arranged for my mom and I to have a special day out for Mother’s Day! We had lunch at La Crema, then massages back at the Pearl spa. We felt so pampered and spoiled. Lunch was fantastic, and the day was just really relaxing.
That night my brother made dinner: shrimp scampi! He taught himself to cook, and also learned from watching my mom, and he is truly talented. We have dreams of having a family restaurant or food business.
I will share the second half of our trip next week. I know that was picture overload, but I want to remember everything. I also read plenty of blog posts about 30A before we went, and I hope mine can help someone else in planning a trip to this beautiful place!
How fun! We are doing a family beach trip in September and I can’t wait!
What a perfect vacation with your family! Those pictures are beautiful and your white bathing suit is killer!