A Walking Tour of Seaside

I think somewhere in my line of ancestors there must be a sea captain, or a mermaid….at the very least a pirate. I am never happier than I am at the beach. The crashing of waves is the song of the sirens for me. We just returned from a wonderful week in Florida which is, at least for now, unspoiled by oil.

We have been vacationing in Destin FL for many years, but decided to try something new this year. We rented a fabulous house (a craftsman bungalow you can see here) in Seagrove just a few miles away. Water Color, Seaside, and Seagrove are all beautiful planned beach communities that run into each other. Right away we loved the sense of community we felt. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and got settled. On Sunday morning we walked about two blocks to a good old fashioned Fourth of July parade filled with children, bicycles, and politicians throwing beads and candy.

I took a few pictures of the homes in our little neighborhood. We were a short walk from the beach.

Most of the homes were beautiful pastels with privacy provided by lots of natural vegetation. I loved this one.

Each house had wonderful porches on at least one level. Look at the starfish in the transom above the front door in this home that was a gorgeous shade of blue.

Lots of attention was paid to the details in this planned community. Much of the 1998 movie The Truman Show was filmed here because of the idyllic setting.

We spent our days on these sugar-like beaches. Groups of two or three scouts for tar balls came by at least once an hour.

Lots of bocce ball on the beach!

When we had had enough sun for the day, we walked to town which was built like a town square with a common green. There were shops, restaurants, art galleries…..but my favorite…..

Air stream trailers with food! I regret to say that I was not there long enough to try every flavor from the Frost Bite snow cone trailer, but I can personally recommend the lemon meringue pie with a shot of cream :)…..no make that :0) :0) ….double big happy faces! There was also a cupcake trailer!!!! I had the best key lime cupcake ever!! And then I waddled home :)

The sun has set on this vacation. I am glad to be back home (no dogs allowed at the beach house :(! But we came back with enough memories to last until next year.

I am joining Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer for Outdoor Wednesday. Please join her for more of this wonderful world we live in! Thanks for visiting….leave me a note!

Bungalow at the Beach

I’m back from the beach where thankfully there was no oil. We were able to enjoy beautiful white beaches and mostly gorgeous weather. For years we have rented a three bedroom condo on the beach---a bedroom for us, and girls’ bedroom and boys’ bedroom to accommodate our children and the friends they took. With the addition of a son in law to the family and the need for more room, we tried something new this year. We move several miles down the beach to a quaint community called Seaside, Florida..

Seaside is an idyllic community designed in 1979 with easy walking and bicycle access to diverse shopping, restaurants, and cultural events. We felt more like guests than tourists! To top it off, we rented a totally unexpected treasure that was perfect for our needs.

We found this craftsman bungalow amid all the pastel “beachy” architecture. All on one level it was a perfect fit for our crew which included me, Beloved, three children, a husband, a girlfriend, and a boyfriend. We had three regular bedrooms and one bunk-style room.

The kitchen was a dream! Concrete countertops, heart pine floors, top of the line appliances, and well-equipped open shelves. We are a family of cookers and eaters, so this gave us lots of room.

The kitchen was open to a large dining area and a breakfast bar. The tall ceilings and open rafters are just so unexpected in a beach house! We ate several meals and played lots of board games at this table with great wicker chairs.

Look at this gorgeous fireplace. We’ve already decided it would be a great place to spend Thanksgiving!

Now, take a look to the left and you’ll see one of my favorite parts of the house. These doors open completely to almost double the living space.

This was everyone’s favorite spot. If I were building a house, I would certainly incorporate this into the plan. The living area opens into this covered loggia—the perfect place for morning coffee or waiting out a rain shower.

The loggia was two steps up from this beautiful salt water pool, deck and grill area. My job was to rescue the small frogs I found swimming every morning.

Now this porch off the master bedroom was my private oasis. I have a tendency to wake up very early and this is where I had my tea and read every morning. I watched the sun come up and begin peaking through the shutters. It was a perfect vacation in a perfect house for us!

***We found this home on VRBO and I do not know the owner or property manager. I just thought you might enjoy the tour :). I’ll be back later in the week to give you a walking tour of Seaside and some of the other homes and architecture!

I missed you and I’m glad to be back home! Thanks for stopping by—leave me a note :)!