30A!

It's no secret that we love living in Pensacola.  One of the things we love the most is the ability to drive only a few hours and experience somewhere completely new!  Our favorite weekend or day getaway is to 30A.  30A is a stretch of uniquely planned beach communities located on the Florida panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico.  Each community has it's own distinct style and personality.  All of the communities are located along the same road, 30A, and easily accessed by bicycle.  One of the communities, Seaside, is the idyllic setting of the movie The Truman Show and it is easy to see why. The water is bluer and clearer, the sand is whiter, and the pace is slower on 30A.  It is only a two hour drive from Pensacola but feels like a vacation in paradise.


The first time we ventured to this area, we stayed at the Watercolor Inn in Watercolor for Valentine's Day.  Watercolor was the first place we visited along 30A and to this day is still one of our favorites!  If we were to ever own a home here, it would definitely be in Watercolor.  The people at the Watercolor Inn were wonderful and extremely friendly.  Our room walked directly out to the beach and to a heated adults only pool.  We spent our days riding bikes, laying by the pool, and drinking mimosas.  At night, we headed to Rosemary Beach for dinner (Restaurant Paradis) followed by wine and chocolate fondue at La Crema.  I highly recommend La Crema!!






Since our first trip, we have been back several times! When Rob's parents came into town, we knew we had to take them and when I finally got a beach cruiser of my own, I couldn't wait to ride it in Seaside!  There is so much to do in this area but here are some of our favorites:

Eat:
Almost every single trip, we have arrived hungry and eaten brunch at Great Southern Cafe.  The bacon and pecan waffles are out of this world good!  This last trip we tried The Donut Hole which was also fantastic!  Bud and Alley's Taco Bar, The Shrimp Shack, Pickles and the food trucks in Seaside are our usual stops for lunch.  As discussed above, fondue at La Crema is fabulous.  They have an entire menu dedicated to chocolate!  A cold treat from Poshsicles in Rosemary Beach is always welcome.



Drink: 
A 32 oz mimosa from Modica Market is a necessity. No questions asked.  I highly recommend doing happy hour at Caliza in Aly's Beach.  I'm in love with the architecture in Aly's Beach and the ambiance at Caliza is so cool and modern.  The pool is closed at night so you are able to take your drinks and relax on a hammock or in a cabana.  Finally, you can't beat the view from happy hour at Bud and Alley's, especially during sunset!

Do:
Bicycle is definitely the preferred mode of transportation--rent a couple of beach cruisers or bring your own.  We love to ride bikes through the neighborhoods and check out all of the gorgeous homes.  The beach is obviously another must do but there are also tons of cute boutiques and shops to check out, in addition to farmers markets and festivals.

I am already day dreaming about my next trip back!