We recently spent five glorious days with our hubbies along 30A on the Florida panhandle, sans kids. Can we just say- take the damn trip.
Life gets away from us, things get busy. Can you believe it took our husbands about seven months of planning to make sure this trip happened? It's not always easy or simple, but man is it worth it. If you're interested in taking your own vacay to the 30A area, here are our favs to add to your list!
Eats
We're from Louisiana, so you know we need good food. 30A has no shortage of delicious options, with amazing views to boot. We kicked off the trip with a group dinner at Vue on 30A. The chef is originally from Jamaica, so the food is flavorful with different cooking techniques. And it's called Vue for a reason- the beachfront view is top notch.
Seaside was our favorite stop, one Angelina doesn't miss with every trip. Fun fact: this is where The Truman Show was filmed. It's the cutest little slice of heaven you can imagine. Grab a crepe and a frose' at Crepes du Soleil, or walk across the street to Bud and Alley's for wood fired pizza, tacos and margs. They also offer a beautiful view of the beach. For date night, our top picks are in Rosemary Beach. This town looks like it belongs in Europe, with cobblestone streets and tons of places to pause and just enjoy being there. Paradis is consistently the best meal every time we visit and the drinks here are also A+. For a rooftop, head to Pescado. The vibe here can't be beat, and you can end the night downstairs in the piano bar. There is a noise ordinance along 30A though, so know most places wind down no later than 10 pm. Which we don't usually mind, after being at the beach most of the day. If you do bring kiddos, Alys Beach has a great playground next to Raw and Juicy to let them run around.
Beachin'
Our favorite beach along 30A is actually Deer Lake State Park. While there is a long boardwalk to get to the beach, it's unlike any other you've seen. 30A is one of the only beaches in the world with protected sand dunes, and you walk past all these on your way. Coastal Dune Lakes are rare worldwide, and many occur on the Gulf Coast of FL. This is the chosen resting spot for sea turtles, which are also protected. Once you reach the beach, it is pristine. There's no beach service so it's less disturbed and absolutely peaceful. If you prefer traditional beach access with service, head to Santa Clara. They have ample parking, nice restrooms and it's a short walk. We promise you this will be some of the most beautiful water you've seen! I've seen the water so blue it rivals the Bahamas.
Favorite Pastime
We highly recommend grabbing a bike (many units that rent have them, we stayed here, at the Recovery Room) and heading up and down the 30A corridor. We will ride all the way from Prominence to Grayton, stopping when hungry at various locales for small bites and drinks. It's like our own food and pub crawl! Great Southern Cafe and Chringo make good stops.We usually end the day at The Big Chill with live music or a football game, depending on the season.
Head to our social to share your favorite vacation spots, we love hearing from all of you! If you can't make it to 30A, we hope you can find time for just a night away somewhere. It's important to remember who you were before kids and as one friend told us, "that you still actually love your spouse and married them for a reason." ;) Cheers!