The view from our Seagrove Beach, Florida condo. HUGE balcony!

Some friends and I spent three days in Seagrove Beach, Florida last week, and it was a glorious trip. The sands were so white and soft, the water was calm and clean and our condo was stunning! We stayed on the 11th floor (can you say view?) of BeachCrest, a mid-rise condominium just steps from the beach. We stayed in unit 1101, if you’re curious – and I have to reiterate that the view from the 11th floor is beyond beautiful. Here’s a short list of what we loved about this place:

*Very close to the beach – 5 minutes from door to sand. You could easily hear the ocean with the doors cracked open – loved that. Seagrove, Seaside, Rosemary Beach and all the other little beach towns in this area aren’t like some other places in Florida where “beachfront” means seeing cars and the ocean in the distance. Here, beachfront means ON the beach!

*Two complimentary chairs and a big beach umbrella were provided every day for us. All we had to do was ask Darryl, who manages that portion of the beach. Darryl was really amazing — he even set    aside chairs for us every morning in the first row so that we had unobstructed views of the ocean. He cut us a good deal on a kayak rental too. Thanks, Darryl!

View into the living room and dining room area

*The pool. Perfect temperature and it was a lovely way to end out the day.

*The condo was a 2 bed, 2 bath, and it was quite large! The best part was the HUGE balcony — it spanned the entire width of the condo, so it must have been at least 25 feet long. And it connected to both the main living space and one of the bedrooms with no wall in between, so it was just one, large space. Awesome spot to enjoy sunsets from.

The kitchen! Lots of good meals were whipped up here as well as lunchtime margaritas

*Having a kitchen while on a vacation is the way to go! Doing a little grocery shopping up front saves a ton of money on meals, and it’s fun to cook together.

*BeachCrest is about 2 minutes from Seaside. (That being said, all the towns are super close together)

One of the bedrooms

The only problem we had was getting our cell phones to have reception all the way on the 11th floor, and we still have no idea why. Wi-Fi worked on our laptops, but nothing would work on our phones. Oh well! Who really wants to be checking email that frequently when you’re on vacation, anyway?

I would absolutely stay at BeachCrest on my next trip to Seagrove/Seaside. Part of me would love to stay in one of the cute beach cottages, too, but they don’t have all the amenities that this place did, such as a concierge service, pool and chair and umbrella service. The individual units here feel very beachy with all of their cute decorations, but if you’re looking for lodging that’s really beachy in and of itself, I’d stay in one of the smaller beach houses/cottages. We loved this place though!

BeachCrest from the beach -- see, almost on the sand!

Now, one final word — tragically, we had to stay during the last few days of high season (low season literally started on the day we checked out). What did that cost us? For three nights, the total came to about $645, or $215/person. Not cheap, but the view was amazing and we had a great time. If, however, we had booked one week later, the price would have gone down to about $525 for everything. Maybe not a huge deal, but the difference in the smaller beach cottages/houses is usually greater.

Photos: Jenny Bengen-Albert

When vacationing on Treasure Island in St. Petersburg, Florida, there are more than enough resort properties on the Gulf of Mexico from which to chose for your family vacation. Finding the best package deal for your family vacation on the Gulf isn’t a challenge, but finding a good hotel special with the amenities like those offered at The Bilmar Beach Resort are hard to come by.

Playground on the beach at Bilmar Beach Resort, St Petersburg, FL

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In these stressful times, sometimes you just want to switch off the phone, ignore the TV, and go somewhere no one can find you for a week or two to recoup from the daily grind. This kind of escape requires a place that’s off the beaten track yet has amenities enough to relax in comfort. Costa del Sol Bungalows is just such a place.

Costa del Sol Bungalos entrance and thatched-roof restaurant

This unique resort is in Punta Allen, a small settlement located at the tip of a painfully narrow peninsula that juts south into the Caribbean from Tulum, Mexico. The road begins well enough in Tulum, but after passing through the northern reaches of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve it becomes a sand track riddled with potholes literally large enough to swallow a car. Although only a 30 mile drive, the trip can take up to three hours, especially if there have been recent heavy rains. For the first 20 or so miles there is no sign of civilization but as land’s end nears, mansions begin to appear in the dense jungle that separates the road from a crystal clear turquoise Caribbean Sea. A few miles further, scattered casitas appear, until the village finally comes into sight at the tip of the peninsula.

Just a half mile before town, Costa del Sol Bungalows beckons. At the entrance is an open air restaurant where the proprietors cook up whatever fresh catch has been delivered to their door that day. After meals, guests are encouraged to retire to one of the many hammocks, conveniently strung between trees just steps from the dining tables. If complete relaxation isn’t possible, the area offers some of the best saltwater flats fishing in the world, as well as excellent diving and snorkeling.

Beach and hammock at Costa del Sol Bungalos - nothing but relaxation

The resort has only four casitas, simple but exceedingly clean rooms with 24-hour hot water that are well separated for privacy. Punta Allen is still so remote that electricity is only available until 9 p.m. each day and it doesn’t come back on until 6 or 7 a.m., forcing even the most intrepid corporate types to slow down and remember how to enjoy life. It takes a little effort to get to Costa del Sol, but when guests see the pristine white beach and immaculately kept grounds, taste the made-from-scratch meals, and experience the warmth of the host family, there is never any doubt that it was worth the effort. Departing guests grin as they negotiate the tortured road back to civilization, knowing it guarantees that Costa del Sol Bungalos will remain a secret just a little bit longer.

Photo Credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel of Cultural Travel with Hole In The Donut

Thinking about Thanksgiving dinner already?

Stop.

And think about having your entire Thanksgiving weekend vacation being pampered, fed, and treated like royalty at Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village in Destin, Florida.

Situated right on Destin harbor with a view out to the Gulf of Mexico and into the intercoastal waterway connecting to Choctawhatchee Bay, the luxury accommodations welcome you for a holiday weekend for your family to remember for decades. Book at 2- or 3-bedroom luxury suite overlooking the white sand beaches, emerald green water, and bustling harbor for your family. By staying at the Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village between November 24 and November 30, you and your family can stay in luxury and have your Thanksgiving dinner catered to your specifications in your suite.

Luxury Bathroom in Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village - Destin, FL

The best part: you don’t have to do your dishes. Take your Tryptophan nap in comfort after your meal as you overlook the Gulf, watching the seagulls and dolphins pass you by. And if you happen to turn on the TV to watch the Lions and Cowboys, you can do that, too.

Harbor Beach View from Harborwalk, Destin, FL

Each suite is accommodated with flat screen TVs, king-size beds, garden tubs, granite countertops, separate living rooms, WiFi, and full-sized kitchens. It’s a formula perfect for a family welcoming up to 8 people for an amazing Thanksgiving weekend for only $999 (special rate).