Our 2026 30A Summer Beach Trip - Days 1 & 2

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Happy Monday, y’all!  Today is my first day of beach recaps!  A quick note before I get started – we go to the same spot in 30A year after year and we never get tired of it.  Some of our favorite restaurants of all time are there so we tend to visit the same places every year which basically means that we take the same trip every year.  This means that if you have been following me for a while, you’ve probably seen this exact same trip recapped ten times with only a few minor differences each time.  Haha.  We love the area, though, and we look forward to this trip every year, so we figure – why change a good thing?!

Saturday, May 30

We can’t ever check in to our condo until 5 PM EDT, so we never rush to get there first thing.  Instead, we spent Saturday morning leisurely finishing up with the packing and getting the last of the things done around the house before departing a little after lunchtime.

We didn’t have to stop a single time on the way down, which was great, and there was barely any rain on our journey (even though it was forecast pretty much all throughout the day), so we made excellent time. 

When we arrived at the beach, the first stop was Publix to grab groceries on the way in.  We eat breakfast and lunch in the condo every day (except the one day that we go to Panama City), so we needed a few perishable items like eggs, fruit, turkey, cheese, milk, and other stuff like that.  I always pack two big bags of nonperishables like chips, protein bars, cookies, and other random snacks, so we already had all that stuff, which meant our grocery shopping trip was quick!

We headed straight to the condo after that, and it was after 5 PM EDT, so we were able to check in and head straight inside.  We always stay at the same condo complex each year because we love the location, but we stay in different units depending on what’s available when we book.  We have stayed in one particular unit numerous times as it’s our favorite, but this year when we booked, it was already taken.  We were super bummed about that since we love it so much, but we decided to try the unit next door for the first time ever, and I think I love it even more!!

Brian got the entire car unloaded and I unpacked everything and put everything in its place as he brought stuff up, and when we were done, I photographed the entire condo before it got all messy.  I took tons of photos this year since it was the first time we’ve stayed in this unit, and I really do think that I like this one the best!

I mean, just look at those rattan pendants over the nightstands in the bedroom!!!!  I love them SO MUCH that I immediately started searching for some online when we got home.  I can’t find these exact ones, but I’m going to keep on looking, and you can bet that if I find something similar, they’re going on my wish list because I want them in our bedroom so bad!!  They were even more stunning in person.  The pictures don’t even do them justice.

The condo has a Jack and Jill bathroom which is always perfect for us.  Now that the kids are older, it’s nice for us to have two bathroom counter spaces and two toilets so it doesn’t take forever for us to get ready.  And the shower was just beautiful.  The rest of the condo was, too!  And, of course, Olivia and I love the wallpaper in the hallway because it gives some serious Taylor Swift 1989 vibes.  IYKYK.

After everything was unloaded, Brian stepped out to grab Angelina’s Pizza to bring back to the condo.  It’s only about five minutes down the road from us, so we get it every Saturday that we arrive since it’s easy and yummy.  I would be willing to try another pizza place just to try something different, but Jacob looks forward to this pizza every single year, so we’ve never strayed from Angelina’s!

When Brian got back, we all sat down to eat, and then we went for our usual evening walk on the beach.  We have to get those toes in the sand on night one every single time, of course!  (My bracelet stack in the picture below can be found here.)

The weather had been really bad the whole week leading up to our stay, so the ocean was angry Saturday evening.  The flags were double red and there was a rip current warning in place which means nobody is allowed in the water in any manner.  The lake nearby was also draining into the ocean turning parts of it a dark brown which looked so gross, but thankfully, it didn’t affect us for most of the trip.  There was only one day where it started creeping down near us, but all the other days everything was clear and beautiful.  Oh, and there was tonssss of seaweed the first day or two as well… so much that people had made art out of it. 

The moon was almost full Saturday evening, too, so I got some beautiful shots of it over the ocean.  And as usual, the pictures don’t do it justice.

We spent quite a bit of time out there walking and looking for crabs, and then at dark we went back up to the condo to finish Just Go With It and eat some ice cream.

We all ended up going to bed around 11 PM EDT (AKA our time)… 30A is one hour behind us, but we tend to stay on our usual schedule as if we were at home. 

 

Sunday, May 31

Sunday morning, we set an alarm for 8 AM EDT which is 7 AM beach time, and that’s always perfect, because you have to get out there around 7 AM beach time to make sure that you can get a good spot right by the ocean.  The beaches in 30A aren’t packed at all, but there is always a line of people that runs right along the shoreline, and occasionally, there’s not enough room for everyone to be right in the front depending on how many people are out each day.

Brian went straight out to put our chairs and umbrella out, and he was out there so early he beat the company that sets up the chairs and umbrellas that you can rent.

After that, he headed to The Donut Hole to grab donuts, and we were all excited because The Donut Hole is our favorite place to get donuts.  They’re the only ones who have Dutch crumb which is my faaaavorite donut of all-time.  Brian got a dozen, so each of us got to choose three for the week ahead, and I chose Dutch crumb for all three of mine!  They are SO good and so satisfying.  Brian and Jacob also love the red velvet donuts, Olivia loves their double chocolate, and all of us love their blueberry.

When he got back, we ate breakfast.  I always have a scrambled egg with my donut so I can get some protein.  Then after we were done, we all got in our swimsuits and headed to the beach.  There was a double red flag yet again so nobody was allowed in the water, but later in the morning, they changed it to a single red flag which meant that we could go in the water, but we needed to be extra cautious.

It was cloudy all morning Sunday and there was still a ton of seaweed, but thankfully, the weather and the water conditions gradually improved all week, and it was stunning for the last few days we were there.

Olivia immediately got in the ocean to boogie board as soon as she could, and Jacob and I went for a walk.

We had lunch in the condo and then headed back down to the beach afterward.  The sun came out for a while in the afternoon, so that was nice, and we spent the rest of the day lounging around.  I read my book most of the afternoon and it was glorious.

We headed up to the condo around 2:45 PM beach time because the kids wanted to go to Seaside for our first night there.  Seaside gets packed the later it gets, so we always like to get there early and beat the crowds.  And we always eat at Great Southern Café and they have happy hour priced cocktails until 5 PM beach time, so we like to be seated at the restaurant before then so we can partake in the lower prices for drinks. 

After everyone was showered and dressed, we left the condo around 4:10 PM beach time and we arrived in Seaside a few minutes later since it’s just right down the 30A strip from where we typically stay.

The weather looked very questionable as a big thunderstorm was hovering just off the coast, but thankfully, it never came our way, and we ended up having beautiful weather all evening, although, it was a bit on the hot and humid side.

Brian and I had a round of happy hour drinks, and then we went back for seconds so we could try something different.  Then for dinner, I had their grilled chicken sandwich with gouda cheese grits… it was delicious!  Brian got his usual veggie plate with the gouda cheese grits (yes, grits are a veggie here in the south!  Haha), garlic green beans, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes.  Mmmm mmmm good!  Jacob got the cheeseburger and Olivia got the mac n cheese with her beloved fried okra.  That girl could eat her weight in fried okra!

After dinner, we walked over to Duckies to look around, and then we browsed Seaside Sport and Central Square Records.  I love the record store because they have so many unique things!

We had to take our annual pictures in front of the post office (yes, it’s a real working post office), and then the kids wanted ice cream from It’s Heavenly.  Brian and I were too stuffed, so we didn’t partake. 

It’s Heavenly is similar to Marble Slab because they fold in whatever toppings you want into the ice cream flavor you want, and Jacob asked what “fold it in” means, so Brian and I went through the entire “Fold in the cheese” scene from Schitt’s Creek and we were dying laughing.  Jacob asked again, “But what does it mean to fold it in?”  And I was like, “I don’t know, Jacob, YOU JUST FOLD IT IN.”  (IYKYK)  Hahahaha. 

But seriously, I finally told him that it basically just means to mix it in gently and then we showed him and Olivia a clip of that scene from the show and they thought it was funny, too.  I cannot wait until they’re a little older and we can watch that together.  It is one of my favorite shows.

After they were done with their ice cream, we stopped in one of the boutiques and then we walked around one of the little park areas behind Seaside.  We’d never been around that whole area before and it was so quaint!  Just look at all the cute facades!  I can’t imagine owning a place there.  It is so beautiful.

We had a brief stopover in Sundog Books, and I was so excited to see that Allen Levi’s book was front and center right when you walk in the door! 

We ended the evening seeing the house from The Truman Show.  We’d walked over to see it a few years ago, but that was before the kids ever saw the movie, so we wanted to walk over and let them see it again now that they’ve seen the movie and know what we were referring to.  Seaside had also installed a new sign to commemorate the movie being filmed there. 

We got back to the condo at 9 PM our time, and then we watched half of Meet the Parents with the kids before heading to bed around 10:45 PM our time.  Gah, I’m loving watching all these old 90s and early 2000s movies with them now that they’re older.  It’s so much fun!

And that was our first two days!

Happy Monday, y’all!