We knew that there was a
really good chance that Day 4 would be our last chance to spend the day at the
beach because there was lots of rain in the forecast for the rest of the week,
so we were up early to get the day started!
We didn’t want to waste a single second of the sunshine!
Since Charlie’s Donut Truck
in Alys
Beach is
an outdoor thing to do, we decided to head there for breakfast. We threw on our swim suits and coverups and
made the two minute drive… once the kids are a little older and are more
proficient bicycle riders, we’ll probably end up riding bikes everywhere
instead of driving since everything is so close.
Charlie’s was jumping, as
always, and we all picked out some flavors to try and we headed to a picnic
table in the square. While Brian was
paying, I heard someone call my name, and lo and behold, it was my friend’s sister-in-law
and her baby taking a morning walk! The
world is such a small place, y’all! I hugged
her neck and chatted with her for a sec, and then joined B and the kids at a
table to eat.
Olivia wanted to play at the
splash pad in the square, so when we were done eating, she went out to play. Jacob wasn’t interested in playing because he
didn’t want to sit in the car all wet (even though it was only a two minute
drive back – LOL) so he hung out with us while she played. We let her play for a few minutes, and then
we headed back to the car because we were all itching to get to the beach!
Everything is just so
picturesque in 30A – pretty much every corner is a photo-op – so I did have B
snap a quick pic of me in my cute lil’ beach cover-up that I got at Walmart
last summer for, like, $8! It’s amazing
that I literally rolled out of bed and got ready in, like, 10 minutes, and I
love this picture of myself. Everything
is just better and easier at the beach!
Haha.
We made it down to the beach
a little after 9 and it started out a bit cloudy. We could tell that the rain was getting
closer because some seaweed was starting to form in the ocean, too. The Gulf water is typically crystal clear
with an emerald tint and there’s usually not a stitch of seaweed in it, so that
was different!
Because of the whole debacle
the previous day with those ladies setting up in front of us, we set up our
stuff right at the edge of the sand, so there would be no possible place for
them to get in front of us unless they were in
the water. Lol.
I got a good bit of reading done that day
and B did a good bit of sunscreening that day since he had burned the tops of his feet to a crisp the previous day. Just look at how much sunscreen he put on his feet that day. LOLOLOLOL.
The kids and B also worked on an epic sand castle… their biggest one to date! At first, they made the
whole thing out of sand.
And then they eventually
added a bunch of sprigs of seaweed and decorated it with the beach toys,
too. They were so proud of themselves
and they kept asking me to take pictures of them with it every time they would
make another change. Side note – doesn’t
Jacob look adorable in a baseball cap? I
wish he would wear them more often.
We went up to the condo for
another quick lunch of sandwiches and fruit, and the whole time we were up
there, I kept looking out the window and stalking our spot on the beach to make
sure those ladies hadn’t tried to sabotage us.
Lol. They did end up going down
there again and they sat up just to the left of us, right in front of some
other people’s chairs. Sigh. Better them than me this time. I would have lost my mind. Lol.
After lunch we headed back
down to the beach and stayed there the rest of the afternoon. It ended up being pretty sunny all day, so it was nice to get in another sunny day instead of clouds.
We finally headed back up to the condo around
4ish and got ready for the evening ahead.
We knew this could possibly be our last night to do something outdoors,
so we decided to head to Seaside
for the evening.
We stopped in the parking
lot for pictures on the way out because we had the cutest little fence
separating our condo from the house next door, and it made for the perfect
little backdrop for pictures. Another
couple who was staying in our condo saw that we were taking pictures, and they
offered to get one of our whole family.
Wasn’t that so sweet? I love it
when that happens!
We also snapped a few more after the couple left.
When B and I ask Jacob or Olivia to snap a few pictures of us, they always hold the button down and snap, like, a hundred, so B and I always run to them to grab the camera as they're still snapping away. That always results in pictures like this one. Lol.
We made the 10 minute drive
to Seaside and
found a place to park, and then we walked around for a bit taking in all of the
sights and sounds. If you’ve never been
to Seaside ,
then you should make it a point to go some day.
It’s perhaps one of the cutest little beach towns I’ve ever been to, and
we love it so much! There’s a huge green
in the middle surrounded by shops and restaurants on three sides, and food trucks
and the ocean on the other. It’s such a
unique little place and I just can’t say enough good things about it!
We decided to try Bud &
Alley’s Pizza Bar for dinner, and they seated us on the back deck. The benches on the deck were covered in big,
plush pillows and the ceiling was covered in string lights so it was beach
perfection, y’all. I could have stayed
there all night.
B and I ordered a couple of
cocktails, a Moscow Mule for him and a Tropical Lemonade for me (Vodka,
Lemonade, Cranberry Juice, and Orange Curacao) and we got some cheesy bread as
a starter before our pizzas came out… which were divine by the way. The kids colored the evening away and we all
talked about our trip so far. It was
just the most peaceful dinner in one of my favorite places and I was feeling
particularly grateful that evening.
When our bellies were full,
we all headed down to the beach to watch the sun set and to take some family
pictures. We take family pictures every
year while we’re there because the back drop just can’t be beat. We usually bring the tripod down with us to
get our group shots, but we had left it in the car that evening, so I offered
to take some group shots of another family in exchange for their services to
take a group shot of us. It was already getting pretty dark by the time we got down there, so the lighting wasn't ideal, but they still came out beautifully.
I also couldn’t resist
getting some pictures of our lovies together.
Gosh, I just love them both so much!
We headed back up from the
beach to wash our feet off after that, and then it was time to do some
shopping! Side note, see that cute
little restaurant area behind Brian and the kids in the picture below? That’s just where we had eaten dinner… soooo
stinking cute and cozy!
Our next stop was The
Seaside Style to get some Seaside
sweatshirts for the kids and me. I’ve
been wanting one for forever plus I also hadn’t brought anything warm on our
trip, and I needed something snuggly to wear in the condo. Good thing I did, too, since the next few
days were rainy, windy, and a bit chilly for June. We also let the kids pick out some souvenirs. Jacob chose a tube of sea creatures and Olivia chose some glittery lip gloss. Lol. Not very souvenir-ish but it was her choice!
We walked over to Dawson ’s Yogurt and
Fudgeworks next, for frozen yogurt. When
you get different flavors besides vanilla or chocolate, they put the flavoring
all along the edges of the yogurt and it looks SO COOL. I can’t really explain what it looks like and
I have no clue how they do it, but it’s really neat! Messy, too.
Haha.
We carried our frozen yogurt
out to the green to listen to the band that was playing, and we stayed there
for the rest of the evening. Before we
knew it, it was 10:30 PM back home, so we called it a night and made the walk
back to the car (which we almost couldn’t find – LOL) and then we made the
short drive back to the condo to hit the hay.
If you’ve missed any of my
recaps you can see them below!
I’ll be back with another
beach recap hopefully on Thursday if time permits and I can get my act together
and get it up! In the meantime, stick around for What's Up Wednesday tomorrow!
I am going to crash your beach vacation next year - it just seems like the best! Days at the beach and great food - what else do you need?!
ReplyDeleteYou're making me want to plan a trip to Seaside!
ReplyDeleteThis trip just sounds so amazing! I love seeing all the pictures.
ReplyDeleteAll the family photos are so great! I have not been there since 2016, it has been too long, Seaside is the best.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun beach day! Ha! I can't stand when people setup their things right in front, or right next you, especially when there is plenty of beach to share! Heading to your last post to hear the story. That Airstream food truck might be the cutest food truck I've ever seen! Sierra Beautifully Candid
ReplyDeleteSounds like a perfect day at the beach!
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly was! One of the best!
DeleteI can't believe how white that sand is. So pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteI love living vicariously through your trips! You recap everything so well and show the prettiest pictures of the little beach towns!
ReplyDelete