Salt and Sand

Because who doesn’t need a beach right now?

I recently took a family trip to a private beach on the panhandle in Florida, in a small city known as Cape San Blas. It was pretty much everything I could have dreamed of— sun, sand, and a salty ocean.

Florida, oh Florida! As soon as you land, you know you’re on vacation. People are passing by in Hawaiian shirts, walking into grocery stores in bikini tops, and everything smells of sunscreen and humidity. It was quite the change from dry Texas heat, and that is just what I needed!

To be clear, we weren’t boozing it up at a beach party (it was a family vacation)! In fact, there was not a soul in sight. Private house, private beach, and no visitors besides the turtle patrol.

Without further ado, here are a few of the things that made this isolated vacation super special!

BEACHIN’

Well, this should be obvious, but here we go. Cape San Blas has gorgeous beaches, with white sand and teal water. In fact, it’s nicknamed the Emerald Coast! My pictures don’t really do it justice, but the scenery was second to none.

I spent a majority of my time with toes in the sand, book and vodka cranberry in hand. The sound of the waves crashing provided a beautiful soundtrack to a relaxing day.

There’s something about the sound of the water and seagulls that puts your heart at ease. I felt like I could stare at the water and just mentally check out a bit. There is so much stress, anxiety, and unknown right now. But sitting in the sand, student loans and college apps were the last thing on my mind.

EATIN’

Let’s talk about the food.

When I say I have consumed more seafood in this week than I have in a lifetime, boy, do I mean it. Think shrimp, both grilled and stuffed. Think oysters. Think buttered crab. Think fish dip. When you are done picturing it, do it again.

I am a major seafood fan, so you can imagine this as my happy place. One spot in particular that we loved was Indian Pass Raw Bar, which had a huge variety of shellfish and crustacean, all made to order. We ordered maybe three or four times, brought it back to the house, and dove in.

We did our own fair share of cooking, as well. The house came with a fully equipped kitchen, so there was plenty of grilling, coffee grinding, and sautèing. In short, enough food to feed an army.

On the way back home, we stopped at a kitsch little place known as Pineapple Willy’s, in Panama City. Now, this place was cool.

We were sat right on the beach. It was like a little balcony overlooking the ocean, sand, and beachgoers. I had my fill of fried food and specialty drinks.

Did I want to get on a plane? Absolutely not. Did I have to? Yes.

SHOPPIN’

Shop until you drop? Maybe not exactly, but close enough. We hit up a boatload of souvenir shops getting things like Christmas ornaments, ankle bracelets, and my personal fav, temporary tattoos.

I never liked the super corny knickknacks and commemorative items. I prefer super memorable items, such as pictures, as you may have noticed. But when in Florida…

… do as the tourists do! I managed to find a cute little jar with a big ole’ crab on it. I spent a day or two searching for shells on the beach in order to fill it up. It was something small, entertaining, and to me, very special.

We stayed out of the major shopping areas, for obvious reasons. Still, twenty minutes here, and ice cream run there, it broke up the time spent at the beach, especially since we avoided going out.

Overall, I feel more refreshed, relaxed, and just generally happier after this little beach escape. It was nice to spend time with family. I really underestimated the power of a relaxing vacation, especially since I am the sort who tries to “see” everything.

If this sounds like just what you need right now, go ahead! Be responsible, take precautions, and you can definitely have a little fun!