Our trip to the Gulf Coast was ideal. We found the perfect condo (Siesta Sands) for the family, although it wasn't quite big enough for us all, we were able to get another unit right across the street, so that everyone could use our place as headquarters for beach time, cocktails, and meals. Beachpoint, I think is the name of the colorful, funky, fun place right behind Siesta Sands, it was exactly what we needed, and very friendly.
And there was a retaining wall for our resident yogi to work out on.
The reason I chose this place to return to, after staying there with my sisters in October was that it is very laid back and comfy, not fancy, and the front yard is a giant, open expanse of sand leading to the Gulf. The sand is pure white, made from quartz crystal, so is cool to the touch. The kids could play right by the condo in the never ending sandbox playground, without burning their feet, or without us worrying about them slipping into the water when we turn our heads.
This was how they spent the majority of their time.
That is, when we weren't doing this.
Or this.
Well, there was some of this too.
Sugarwings got pretty good with the boogie board.
And we had a troupe of entertainers with us to put on acrobatic shows at sunset.
It was all very peaceful, and relaxing on the beach, but it wasn't exactly a restful vacation. Any time you travel with a group of ten, there are lots of details to keep an eye on and lots of meals to handle. There was grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry to keep up. And the never ending sweeping up of the sand.
The family pitched in, I had simple breakfast items around, but they ended up cooking eggs, and the Hippie Chick made her famous gluten free, berry pancakes. Then at dinner, everyone was busy chopping and stirring, and the big girls were in charge of trash and recycling. It was a lot of food for a lot of people, but we did a pretty good job of making a special dinner every night.
Of course, when you have a porch over looking the ocean, and a cocktail in your hand, dinner will taste pretty good no matter what it is!
The condo we stayed in had a decent kitchen, small, but complete, and we ate "at home" as much as we could. I made daily trips to Trader Joe's and the seafood market so that we always had fresh fish, and also so that I didn't over buy. I didn't want to end up with excess food that we couldn't eat, so played it day by day. That was much more affordable than trying to go to restaurants, which we knew we'd have to do once we checked out and went to Orlando.
I think that my favorite meal was the tilapia. I marinated it in an actual margarita, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, a bit of sugar and some sea salt. Oh my, it was flavorful and juicy. Not having a full cupboard of spices and essentials and not wanting to over buy, I had no breading for it, so I ground up cashews in the blender, with a little bit of cayenne pepper, and baked the fish with a little olive oil drizzled over the cashew coating.
Another favorite was fresh, gulf shrimp, sauteed in garlic, olive oil, and sea salt, then served with tortellini. Sometimes, the simple meals are the best aren't they?
My sons, Miss Tree, and the Hippie Chick all went out to the water after the rest of us were tucked in and got to experience the glowing water. This phenomenon is caused by tiny bioluminescent plankton, and when movement occurs, streaks of blue light shoot out like glitter.
I hate that I missed that, I remember my grandma telling tales of skinning dipping in the glowing water there and I'd always wanted to see it. Not my grandma skinny dipping, the sparkles in the water.
But after Birdsong, I was pretty well worn out, and I wasn't exactly a late nighter on this trip.
We kept out of the sun in the middle of the day, doing out best to get Dewdrop to nap then, while the bigger girls watched shows, and I ran errands.
My Handsome Husband and Ry Guy actually bought a temporary gym membership and worked out while everyone else rested!
It surprised me to see how quiet the beach was. There wasn't a crowd at all.
The temperatures were perfect, I'd been worried about the heat in Florida in June, but by the water, the breeze was lovely. uhm, not so lovely in Orlando at the hottest happiest place on earth….
We made use of a lot of umbrellas, scarves, and kept an eye out for shade too. Mr. Zen managed a whole week outdoors without a sunburn, not even using sunscreen.
A couple of us brought small umbrellas, and one of the condos had some to borrow. They worked so well, I used mine at Disney too. Instant shade, where ever you go. Plus, it felt very festive to be walking under a parasol.
Dewdrop was enamored with the "kid waves" but didn't care as much for being out deeper. Sugarwings on the other hand was a little too brave and would have swum to the other side of the Gulf if we'd let her.
All of us were sad when it was time to go, but knowing that Disney was waiting for us helped. Although, it was much more crowded and hot than the beach, I'm always thrilled to go there. Still, I was happy that most of the trip was spent in our cozy little condo, where life took on a Jimmy Buffet feel, and the world was not as hectic as it was in the land of Walt.
It really can't get any better than this.
