It was my 1st time to the Panhandle of Florida and I fell in love instantly. We vacationed with friends in Rosemary Beach last week and the 30A area is an absolute dream. The beach was beautiful, we rode our bikes or walked everywhere, and there were plenty of spots to eat, drink, relax, and shop! All things I love. Turns out Rosemary Beach is an excellent spot for your family vacations too, but we opted to leave the kiddos at home and enjoy an adult getaway.
STAY
The town is full of Old World European architecture, and has the most adorable ambiance. We stayed at The Pearl, that sits right in the middle of Rosemary Beach, and brings the ultimate luxury boutique hotel experience, just steps away from the beach and some amazing restaurants and shops.
The Pearl – a trendy, adult-oriented hotel with excellent service
The pool at The Pearl was for adults only, which offered a peaceful spot for relaxation in a lounge chair!
Boys & Arrows (top & bottom) Suit // Krewe sunglasses
My drink of choice on every beach vacation: Miami Vice. 🙂
Bella Dahl set (top & shorts) // Earrings // Marc Fisher Wedges
WINE & DINE
The 1st night we walked right across the street to Edward’s for a great dinner in a casual atmosphere. My favorites were the Beet Salad and the Scallops Entree.
We rode our bikes over to Alys Beach a lot and one day we headed over to have lunch at George’s. This restaurant was set in an adorable beach cottage with great outdoor and porch seating. I had the fish tacos which were absolutely delicious- I cleaned my entire plate. Like, so good, that I dove right in and forgot to take a picture.
Pescado is a newer rooftop restaurant to 30A, but the moment you step off the elevator, you will LOVE this place. The ambiance and decor are beach perfection and the food does not disappoint. If I had to vote on best food of the trip, it would be a tough call, but this would probably be it. I love raw tuna and we had a few fantastic raw dishes – Seafood Salad and the Pepper-seared Tuna and Blue Crab. We also had the Cantonese Whole Lobster to share for the entire table and it was like nothing I’ve ever had before – flash fried lobster with stir-fried noodles. This dish was phenomenal and a must-try!
The view from Pescado – STUNNING!
A short little bike ride over to Alys Beach for a delicious latte in the morning was totally worth it for this latte lover! The Fried Chicken Biscuit is also really good.
Alys Beach also has a few great shops and pop-ups for snacks or for boutique shopping. Currently, there is a Krewe Tiny House pop-up which might have been the best purchase of the trip. And, surprisingly it was for my husband and not myself (but only because I already have a few pairs). I’ve been trying to get a trendy pair of sunglasses on my husband for years and finally succeeded! The little shop was so great because they literally almost had every single style of Krewe sunglasses on their shelves. It was fun to try on all the different styles, with different shapes, frames, and lens in them. So many of their glasses look great on all kinds of face shapes and are unisex. The Tiny House is in Alys Beach until August 31st, 2018.
Yet another gem of the beautiful Alys Beach area, is Caliza, a poolside dining experience (which TRULY was an experience). The open-air restaurant was like paradise.
Seriously, THIS is the “kiddie” pool.
Not a single meal of our entire trip was disappointing. Our last dinner was just a block up the street from The Pearl. The food was absolutely delicious.
Filet cooked in duck fat. Enough said.
BEACH & PLAY (aka workout)
All of my suits from the trip are from Splash on Main
Tory Burch Suit (top & bottoms)
We rode our bikes up to Otium for a great Power Flow yoga class one morning.
And then walked across the street for a fresh smoothie from Freshii.
So many fun spots to visit and never enough time!
Our Rosemary Beach getaway was a fun and relaxing trip all in one! I would highly recommend adding it to your Vacation list. If without kids, 100% stay at The Pearl, and if with kids, Watercolor Resort is a great option. We didn’t hit up every single restaurant that was suggested to us by friends, but every single one of our experiences we had was a GREAT one. Rosemary Beach is a special little town and we hope to make it a family trip next time around!
XO
Shana
