Tag: Travel

Travel

🌴 Discover Fort Morgan, Alabama: A Hidden Gulf Coast Getaway

by sweetsoutherngracesLeave a Comment on 🌴 Discover Fort Morgan, Alabama: A Hidden Gulf Coast Getaway

(This post contains sponsored links from the Revival Collective and Sassy Bass. All thoughts, views and opinions are my own.)

✨ Why Visit Fort Morgan? Fort Morgan, Alabama is all about relaxation. With wide-open beaches, unspoiled wildlife, and a slower pace of life, it’s the kind of place where you can truly disconnect. Often called the “quiet side” of Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan offers the perfect balance of seclusion and convenience. Check out my REEL over on IG!

🚗 Getting to Fort Morgan

Traveling to Fort Morgan is simple and scenic.

  • By Car: Easy access via the I-65 and I-10 corridors, making it a popular weekend getaway for nearby states.
  • By Air: Both Pensacola International Airport and Mobile Regional Airport are under two hours away. The drive includes beautiful views of pines, oaks, and waterways—setting the tone for your beach escape.

🏖 Things to Do in Fort Morgan, Alabama

1. Explore Historic Fort Morgan

Visit the Fort Morgan State Historic Site, a masonry fort central to the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War.

2. Relax on the Beaches

Fort Morgan beaches are peaceful, family-friendly, and less crowded than nearby Gulf Shores.

3. Take the Ferry to Dauphin Island

Hop on the Mobile Bay Ferry for a scenic ride to Dauphin Island, home to Fort Gaines and the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

Photo from Mobile Ferry website.

4. Wildlife Watching

Fort Morgan sits along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail and is a sea turtle nesting site—making it a nature lover’s dream.

5. Fishing & Water Adventures

Book a charter for deep-sea fishing, rent kayaks, or simply cast a line off the beach.

🏡 Where to Stay in Fort Morgan

  • Beach Rentals: Gulf-front homes and condos ideal for families.
  • Pet-Friendly Rentals: Many accommodations welcome pets, and Fort Morgan beaches are pet-friendly too.
  • Hotels, Resorts & Rentals Nearby: Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach for more amenities.

Our family stayed in the Morgantown community. And we absolutely enjoyed every minute of our stay! The family-friendly, gulf-front community of Morgantown is perfectly tucked away on the Fort Morgan Peninsula in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Photo is the front of the home with an entryway balcony.

      

As you travel west from Gulf Shores along Highway 180 toward Fort Morgan, the landscape begins to unfold like a story—offering fleeting glimpses of open water, coastal wetlands, peaceful walking trails, and stretches of sugar-white sand. Surrounded by a wildlife refuge, natural uplands, and the awe-inspiring Gulf of Mexico, Morgantown greets you with a sense of serenity and charm.

Beach Revival is your perfect getaway! Gather your family and friends and escape to Beach Revival, a beautifully updated beach house! Designed with comfort and coastal style in mind, Beach Revival is the ideal retreat for your next beach vacation, family gathering or work event. Sleeps 12, walking distance or drive your golf cart over to the pools, tennis courts and beach!! We loved staying here in the Morgantown Community! Easy access to walk to the beach, pools, hot tubs or tennis courts! 

🍤 Where to Eat Near Fort Morgan

Photo from Sassy Bass Facebook.

Sassy Bass Amazin’ Grill – Sassy Bass Amazing Grill in Fort Morgan is a locally owned and operated restaurant serving a variety of dishes, including fresh local seafood, seafood, burgers, and other options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s part of the Sassy Bass family of businesses and is known for its fun, casual atmosphere, signature Navy Cove Oysters, and live entertainment. Check out our reel over on IG of our experience over at Sassy Bass!

Grilled Sizzlin’ Oyster Platter 

Four classic toppings and crusty roll for dipping-Rockefeller, Bacon Me Crazy, Garlic Butter, or Bearnaise. These were delicious. Our youngest daughter really enjoyed these, as well!

Big Butt Steak

Classic 24 oz Porterhouse Steak offers two unique steak flavors in one… rich taste of the meaty Kansas City Strip and the tender, buttery-soft Filet Mignon seared to perfection on Sassy Bass’s flat grill, brushed with garlic butter and served with twice baked potato, grilled vegetables & garlic bread! Our whole family loved this meal!


Photo from Tacky Jack’s website.

  • Tacky Jacks – Laid-back dining with waterfront views. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are available everyday at Tacky Jacks, along with a view to make each visit a great experience. Tacky Jacks offer wonderful, casual dining for the whole family with the emphasis on FUN. The Tacky Jacks Brand stands for quality, value, family and community. Come join the experience Tacky Jacks.

Photo from Florida Panhandle Website.

  • Local Seafood Markets – Grab shrimp or oysters to cook in your rental. Our favorite place to grab seafood is at Joe Patti Seafood. Our family has shopped here for 25 plus years!

🌅 The Perfect Gulf Coast Escape

Whether you’re planning a family vacation, couples’ getaway, or weekend trip, Fort Morgan, Alabama is the Gulf Coast’s best-kept secret. With pristine beaches, rich history, and natural beauty, it’s a place you’ll want to return to again and again.

You can check out our reel on IG, about Revival Collective & Morgantown, here. I’d love to hear your experiences about coming to Fort Morgan! Please share in the comments below! If you have any questions about a Ft. Morgan Vacation, please feel free to reach out! I’d love to hear about your experiences here! Where are your fav spots here in Ft. Morgan and Gulf Shores? Please let me know in the comment box below!

Travel

Charter Your Dream Day at Crab Island with Juicebox Charters

by sweetsoutherngracesLeave a Comment on Charter Your Dream Day at Crab Island with Juicebox Charters
Charter Your Dream Day at Crab Island with Juicebox Charters

(This post contains sponsored links from Juicebox Charters. All thoughts, views and opinions are my own.)

What is Crab Island?

Crab Island is a massive sandbar located on the Emerald Coast in Destin, Florida! It is one of the most popular attractions in all of Destin! With it’s shallow, emerald green waters, dolphin sightings and floating restaurants Crab Island is one of the most favored activities, in the area! Did you know that Crab Island been featured on HGTV and Good Morning America?!

How deep is the water on Crab Island?

On Crab Island, the depth of the water is about 1-4 ft. It’s the perfect place to anchor your boat and enjoy the day! Check out my blog post here to read more about Crab Island and local spots in Destin/Ft. Walton Beach area’s.

My husband and youngest daughter had a blast paddle boarding! My number three daughter and I, relaxed on the 2nd tier of the boat, up top! We also enjoyed walking around on Crab Island, visiting with restaurant vendors and vacationers. These views have blown my mind. I am constantly awe-struck of what an incredible place we live in! It’s absolutely beautiful here on Crab Island!

Floating Restaurants on Crab Island 

There are many floating restaurants on Crab Island! From boiled peanuts, to grilled burgers and pizza or Chick-Fil-A! You won’t go hungry on Crab Island!

The General Store

The General Store on Crab Island has floats, sunscreen, googles, dry bags snacks, drinks and more! I think I even saw that they sold T-shirts!

Gulf Stream Ice Cream & Shaved Ice

Gulf Stream sells ice cream on the water, sort of like a boat ice cream truck! They will drive their boat, right up to your boat, on the water! So fun! They also have shaved ice!

 

Pirate Porky’s Pizza & Grill

For lunch, we did pizza & burgers. We decided to take one of the paddle boards over (included in your charter) to one of the floating restaurants! Such a fun experience!

Reef Burgers

Hungry for a 1/2 pound burger at sea? Reef Burgers did not disappoint!

My husband and I tried a burger a it was great! Their employees are super sweet, too!

Kluge’s Barbecue 

They seek turkey legs, pulled pork barbecue sandwich’s, tacos and more! 

Kick’n Chicken

Kick n’ Chicken sells tenders, sandwich’s, wings, ice cream and boiled peanuts!

Chick-Fil-A

You can even get your favorite chicken out here on Crab Island!!! Chick-Fil-A serves you in a boat and will deliver right up to your boat!!

Juicebox Charters

Sail away to the best sandbar in America with a private pontoon charter, guided by a USCG-licensed captain!

Let’s Plan a Trip

Planning a family outing day, a girls weekend, or a couple’s trip? A cruise through Destin Harbor, is the perfect way to explore the beauty of the Emerald Coast. Book your adventure today and let Captain Justin create a tailored and memorable charter for you!

Why choose Juicebox Charters?

The waters are pristine on the Emerald Coast and with Juicebox Charters, you can experience luxury on the open water. Their expert team is dedicated to providing an unforgettable adventure-whether you’re snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, island hopping, or simply relaxing aboard their comfortable, well-equipped vessels.

With a variety of customizable packages, Captain Justin will cater to your every need, ensuring your time with Juice Box Charters is as seamless, as it is memorable. 

Experience and Affordability 

 With over 5 years experience operating a charter boat, rest assured that they have a track record of success in hosting your group.

Competitive pricing without surprise fees.  The cost of your charter includes a luxurious, modern Harris Solstice double decker slide boat, two paddleboards, a full complement of Bote floats, a large cooler with ice and bottled water, an upgraded Bluetooth sound system, beer pong float, games, snorkel masks, net. You really only need sunscreen and towels! Check out my IG Reel for a complete video of our trip, here.

Beach Weekend Marina

Beach Weekend Marina in Fort Walton, is where you set off for your adventure, to Crab Island! The marina has a wrap around patio, which is an excellent way to enjoy a cold drink and enjoy an Emerald Coast Sunset.

Final Thoughts

Crab Island was a blast with  Captain Justin from Juicebox Charters! The best pricing, which INCLUDES all you need for a trip to Crab Island! The boat is super clean and nice, no worries with being uncomfortable. The team from Juicebox Charters was amazing! Friendly, nice, very accommodating!! Our family loved it so much, we plan to go back again before the summer is over!!

Travel

Florida Keys Vacation Guide

by sweetsoutherngraces4 Comments on Florida Keys Vacation Guide
Florida Keys Vacation Guide


[This post contains sponsored links. Our Home Exchange is linked in this post is provided by Home Exchange -all opinions and reviews are my own.]

Picture description: This bridge is the Old Seven Mile Bridge, in The Florida Keys, between Marathon and Big Pine Key.

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The Florida Keys are known for clear crystal waters, incredible coral reefs, key lime pie, Key West roosters, and a laid-back, sunny weather, kinda-life! This slice of USA paradise is a bucket-list destination and a trip that you will remember for a lifetime.

Bahia Honda State Park

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The Florida Keys are comprised of multiple different islands, or Keys, and are found at the most Southern part of the continental United States. Get ready for fabulous weather, snorkeling, water sports, great food and more in The Keys!

We spent 8-days in The Florida Keys, staying in Marathon and we ended up exploring most of the Florida Keys, Key West and The Everglades. Now we’re here to share our epic adventure itinerary to help you plan your own trip and discover how to spend 8 epic days in The Florida Keys!

How To Get To The Florida Keys

Miami is a very convenient way to travel and you’ll likely find a direct flight to this major city. From Miami, you will drive for 1 hour 20 minutes on Highway 1 to reach The Keys. We drove our Jeep to the Florida Keys. We even had a flat tire on the way! 

Do I Need A Rental Car?

From the Miami International Airport, you will need to rent a car or arrange for a shuttle to drive you, 1 hour and 20 minutes to the Keys. I  recommend renting your own vehicle. The drive down highway 1 has plenty of incredible views and multiple stops along the way.

Key West is very easy to get around without a rental car-hiring  a taxi or Uber will only take you a few minutes to get around Key West. You can find cart rentals, bike rentals and scooter rentals all over Key West!

How Many Days Do You Need In The Florida Keys?

The Florida Keys had over 800 Keys in total, stretching over 180 miles! You can expect to spend 5-7 days or extend your trip to 10-14 days and still have plenty of things to do! Our itinerary is 8 days in the Florida Keys and although we were able to do a lot of exploring, we still have so much we’d love to see and will do in the fall, when we visit again!

Where To Stay In The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are comprised of multiple different islands, or “keys”, which means, you’ll have plenty of options on where to stay. We stayed in Marathon, which is directly in the Middle Keys. Since we explored a lot of the Florida Keys, this was the perfect spot for our family.

We use the Home Exchange program, so our 8 night trip was free, with guest points on Home Exchange. Yes, you read that right. Sign up for a Home Exchange account-You can use my code and add me as your sponsor, then you will receive 250 additional guest points, which means 1-2 nights for free!! My code: C3A81

Check out this blog, where I share how to sign up for the Home Exchange Program.

When is the best time to visit?

One of the best things about visiting the Florida Keys is the year-round sunshine and good weather! Whether you’re planning your visit in the Winter or Summer, you’ll enjoy beautiful weather in the Florida Keys.  

Our visit was in the fall and the weather was perfect! The humidity was down, but still warm enough to enjoy the beaches! The water was a tad chilly, especially after it rained but there were tons of people snorkeling, us included! 

8 Day Itinerary in the Florida Keys

Our 8-day Florida Keys itinerary includes some of the best views, best beaches, best restaurants, and best tours/activities to get you out on the water in The Keys. We split our time between Marathon and Key West, with stops along Highway 1 throughout the other Keys. We also stopped by The Everglades, at sunrise! If you’re looking for the best way to spend your time in the Florida Keys, keep reading y’all! 

Day One: Arrive in the Florida Keys

On day one, we packed up the car and headed towards the Florida Turnpike, with the destination of the Florida Keys!! We lost about two hours time due to a flat tire in Florida. Our first real stop was at the Whole Foods in Miami, grabbing a late dinner and a few groceries. We finally made it to our destination in Marathon around midnight! 

Day Two: Explore Marathon Beaches

We started day two with a slow morning and breakfast on-site at our Home Exchange home, in Marathon, before heading out for the day. We decided to take a slower day and explore Key Colony Beach and Marathon. My husband and I watched the sunrise, while drinking coffee. 

 One of our first stops was at a local Walgreens and we loved seeing the chickens and roosters that are like regular locals! They just hang out in the parking lots of area businesses!

We spent our day at our local Beach Club in the house we stayed in, in Key Colony Beach. We enjoyed the weather and meeting many people from around the world! 

Day Three: Drive to Hwy 1 to Key West

We decided to spend the day in Key West, at one of the local public beaches (it did not disappoint), in Key West, called Smathers Beach.

As one of the four beaches within the City, Smathers Beach is well-known by visitors & hosts approximately 150,000 patrons annually. Smathers Beach is the largest public beach in Key West, Florida, United States.  It is approximately a half mile long and located on the island’s south side, along the Atlantic Ocean and State Road A1.

After spending most of the day at Smathers Beach in Key West, we headed to the Southernmoist Point. The buoy was erected in 1983, by the City of Key West, to establish, from the corner of South and Whitehead Streets, is a mere 90 miles to Cuba. 

The Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West is an anchored concrete buoy marking the southernmost point in the continental United States, the lowest latitude land of contiguous North American states.

Time to head into Downtown Key West for an early dinner to Key Lime Square!

The Cuban Coffee Queen was our next stop for an dinner! They have delicious Cuban coffee and sandwiches!

Definitely worth a stop!! Delicious!

After dinner, we headed on over to The Shops of Mallory Square. We purchased a hand painted rooster ornament, as one of our souvenirs.

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried the famous key lime pie, here in Key West! And boy, it doesn’t disappoint! The Key Lime Pie Bakery is located right in The Shops of Mallory Square!

After pie stuffing, head over to Mallory Square for the sunset and watch local performers like jugglers, local musicians, artists, and food vendors that combine for an incredible cultural experience.

The iconic phrase “See you at Sunset!” has embodied the history of Key West, since the nightly event took off in the late 1960’s. Iconic figure, Mark Twain, in the 1800’s came to see the Key West sunset.

The Key West Sunset Celebration invites everyone to partake in watching the glowing pink and red sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico horizon.

Day Four: Exploring Bahia Honda State Park

Day four started us off with watching the sunrise with our youngest daughter. The sunrise is not to be missed in the Keys!  We decided to spend the day, exploring and snorkeling in Bahia Honda State Park. 

Stunning, brightly colored, palm trees with white sand beaches, clear waters and magnificent sunsets — the park is known for its balmy breezes, all year long. The water feels amazing and snorkeling was our favorite here!

There was a storm the day before this and there was a multitude of sea life! We found brightly colored coral reef from turquoise blue to emerald green! We found sea sponges and all kinds of wildlife!! 

The park is an excellent place to observe wading birds and shorebirds, along with the island’s plants and animals.

Kayaks and snorkeling gear can be rented, and boat trips to the reef for snorkeling excursions are available.

Day Five: Girl’s Day, Exploring Historical Key West 

Day five concluded a girls day trip to exploring the historical Key West, but first, we headed to Marathon Bagel Co. 

The bagels are pretty good! Definitely worth a stop! 

The Key West Lighthouse

After the U.S. Navy established a base, in Key West, in 1823, the need for a lighthouse became evident. A lighthouse was essential for both military and commercial vessels navigating the shallow, reef-laden waters, off the Florida Keys.

Today, you can climb 88 steps to the top of the Lighthouse Tower to get one of the best views of the island and its surrounding turquoise waters. Nerve wracking? A but for us gals but we pressed through!

Next up lunch at the Moondog Cafe & Bakery. Wonderful service and lunch!! We definitely worked up our appetite’s after climbing and exploring the lighthouse!

Next up, the Hemingway Home & Museum!

The Hemingway home was built in 1851, a Spanish Colonial style. It was constructed of native rock hewn from the grounds. The home was in bad shape when the Hemingways took ownership, but both Ernest and Pauline could see beyond the ruin and appreciated the grand architecture of the home. The restoration and remodeling began in the early 1930s turned the home into the National Historical Landmark that thousands of tourists visit today.

Kino Sandals was our next stop! What lady doesn’t like shopping for sandals?!

Kino Sandals offers over 17 different styles of leather sandals. They are all hand cut, assembled, and glued in their traditional sandal factory since 1966. It is Located in Kino Plaza at the corner of Greene and Fitzpatrick Streets in Key West Florida.

One of the best things about these sandals is that they are budget friendly at under $30 a pair!!! That’s almost unheard of for leather sandals! We all love our sandals!

We couldn’t end our girls day without one more piece of Key Lime Pie and on the drive home, we decided to visit Sunset Park, for the sunset!

Day Six: Complete Rainy Day Wash Out

On our 6th day here-it was a complete rain out! We found a few thrift shops to get us through our day, then came back to our HE property and played cards.

It finally stopped raining this evening and we decided to head to Sparky’s Landing. This was literally walking distance from our HE home. We tried their coconut shrimp, conch fritters and their fish platter. It was all absolutely delicious!! We ordered their pizza, for take out, a couple nights before this and we loved it too!

Day Seven: Travel to Everglades & destination Orlando 

It is time for our next adventure to the Everglades!!! We decided to leave early for the Everglades, stopping at a Cuban place that was open at 4am for the best Cuban breakfast sandwiches we’d ever eaten!!

We arrived in the Everglades at sunrise and it was a sight to be seen!

Everglades National Park protects a landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the Florida panther.

A World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, and a specially protected area under the Cartagena Treaty.

We saw lots of alligators and crocodiles, right out the gate! We were surprised! Very enjoyable experience and we would definitely recommend the Everglades as part of your vacation!

After spending a couple hours in the Everglades, we had a surprise planned for our youngest two daughters-a trip to Legoland!

I decided that surprising them with a trip to Legoland and staying a night in the resort would be the perfect way to end our trip and an early Christmas gift for our girls!

We spent the remainder of the day at the park, then headed to the resort for our dinner reservation and bedtime!

The resort also has an awesome pool (pretty sure they had more than one pool), complete with floating legos and a slide!

Day Eight: Travel Home & Final Thoughts 

On our eighth day, it was time to head home! We had a wonderful time but ready to be back to our own home and fur babies! 

The Florida Keys might just be the most gorgeous part of Florida-this tropical vacation destination in the USA is popular for a reason! There is so much to do and see in The Florida Keys! Don’t forget that we want to help be protecting the coral reefs with reef-friendly sunscreen.

This is a bucket-list trip in the USA that I think everyone should explore and I hope we’ve inspired your travels to The Keys!

If you have any questions about traveling to the Florida Keys, please feel free to reach out! Definitely a place to visit in your lifetime! 

P.S. Don’t forget!! Sign up for a Home Exchange account-You can use my code and add me as your sponsor, then you will receive 250 additional guest points, which means 1-2 nights for free!! My code: C3A81

Lifestyle, Travel

30A Travel Guide

by sweetsoutherngraces1 Comment on 30A Travel Guide
30A Travel Guide

[This post contains sponsored links. The product featured and linked in this post is provided by Home Exchange , Big Kahuna’s and Vivo Spa 30A – all opinions and reviews are my own.] 

This photo is the gorgeous home we stayed in, in the Blue Mountain Beach area in 30A.

We recently had a fantastic family vacation in 30A, Florida! My family rented a house for the first time, here in June, and we loved it so much! We would love to make it a yearly tradition!

Our youngest daughter made a sand turtle and wrote 30A on it.

30A is a collection of small, unique, gorgeous Florida beach towns. They are nestled quietly between the much busier areas of Panama City and Destin, along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A.

Blue Mountain Beach

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Within this area, you’ll find the beach communities of Blue Mountain Beach, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, WaterSound, and several more! If you’re looking for a vacation destination that has stunning ocean views and white sand, pools, restaurants and is kid-friendly, you pretty much hit the jackpot with 30A! 

How To Get There?

This airport is in Panama City, FL, just a short drive from the coast. Flight options include Delta, Southwest, United, and American Airlines. Once we arrived at the airport, you can pick up a rental car or cab. From there, it is about a 30 minute drive from the airport. 

This is the beautiful home we stayed in, in 30A. I love the aesthetic of the home!! 

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Where To Stay?

There are several different beach communities within 30A! It’s home to Rosemary Beach, Seacrest, Alys Beach, Seagrove, Seaside, Watercolor and Grayton Beach – to name a few. The entire highway stretches 28.5 miles,  so you can check out all the beaches, since they are so close! ALL of the beach communities are stunning, we stayed in Blue Mountain Beach.

The home we stayed in had this gorgeous plunge pool!

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How do I find a house? We use Home Exchange to find homes to rent, while on vacation. We can use our guest points, which means, we get to stay for free! Free in 30A? Yes, all the details are in this blog-The Complete Guide to Home Exchange. You can also check out our reel on IG, about Home Exchange.

Photo of Red Fish Tacos, from their website.

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Where To Eat?

There are tons and tons of great restaurants in the 30A area! Here are the ones that we tried and loved:

Photo of Red Fish Taco’s Fish Tacos, from their website.

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Red Fish Taco

We tried their Grilled Red Fish Tacos and they were amazing! And I’m not a fish taco person! 5 stars!! We also tried their Goat Cheese, Spinach & Black Bean Quesadillas and they were delicious! 

Photo from Red Fish Tacos website-Quesadillas.

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We also tried their Taco Salad Bowl with Tortilla bowl, crisp greens, corn salsa, cucumber, tomato, avocado, cotija cheese, RFT pico, chili lime aioli, black eye pea vinaigrette. Photo below is from the Red Fish Taco’s website. Delicious! Perfect flavors of summer!

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Raw & Juicy

This is a great place to find vegetarian and vegan options with the cutest decor in Alys Beach! Their menu is filled with healthy options like açaí bowls, coffee and cold pressed juices. Open air seating with white and black umbrellas & string lights-inviting atmosphere! Right  past the patio tables, you’ll find a fun playground for kids! 

We tried their Sweet Kale Caesar Salad. It had kale with in-house caesar paste, roasted garlic chickpeas, shiitake mushroom bacon, shaved cashew parmesan and cranberries. It was so good!!

We also tried their Lavender Matcha with Oat Milk with one extra pump of lavender. My taste buds were happy!

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What To Do?

VISIT THE BEACH: 30A is unique in that most houses come with beach chairs and umbrella rentals!  All we had to do was bring a beach bag, back up our e-bikes and head down to the beach.

The picture below was our first day at Blue Mountain Beach. A small, yet, beautiful white sand beach with magnificent clear emerald green Gulf Coast water!

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When To Do?

VISIT THE BEACH: 30A is unique in that most houses come with beach chairs and umbrella rentals!  All we had to do was bring a beach bag, back up our e-bikes and head down to the beach.

RENT A BIKE: Some of the rental houses come with bikes, but if not, you’ll definitely want to rent one for the week! 30A is a  community with bikers, where you can bike from one beach to the next. There are wide sidewalks in between each of the little towns that double as bike paths. One of our favorite activities was biking from our house to the beach!

GO SHOPPING: There are tons of shops along 30A, and you’ll definitely want to reserve a few hours to visit them. Our favorite day was the day we went into Seaside! While you’re shopping, you can pick up a frosé or a snack from one of Seaside’s many food trucks. You’ll definitely want to stop into The Seaside Style, which is known for its corded pullovers and preppy classics. We had a blast and I came home with a few Seaside tee’s!

VISIT THE SPA: You’ll definitely want to take a trip into Rosemary Beach specifically for The Vivo Spa 30A. Vivo Spa 30A is a boutique spa in Rosemary Beach, FL offering a variety of tailored services for guests to feel rejuvenated and relaxed. Vivo Spa focuses on personalized attention, offering a curated selection of services, designed to pamper and uplift every guest. Treat yourself to an exceptional vaca experience! Indulge in their customizable facial treatments, using only the finest Image Skincare or FarmHouse Fresh products. Vivo Spa has expert estheticians that will  work with you to create a personalized experience tailored to your specific skin concerns-fine lines and wrinkles, improve the overall tone and texture of your skin, or simply unwind! Each treatment includes a thorough skin analysis, deep cleansing, exfoliation, mask and moisturizer, and a relaxing massage for the face, neck, and décolleté. You will leave feeling refreshed and revitalized. You can see more in depth of the spa experience with our reel on IG! Mention my name, Shae and receive 10% off!

VISIT BIG KAHUNA’S WATERPARK

We decided to head to Big Kahuna’s Water Park for the day to escape the beach and embrace the cool water!  It was perfect! 

Big Kahuna’s has multiple areas for all ages.  Twister slides, mat slides, tube slides, wave pool, two lazy rivers, and lots of small kiddie slides, sprinkler pads, water toys, and zero entry areas.  

Life vests and tubes are available complimentary. Cabanas and lockers are available for rent.  You cannot bring in a cooler, but there are concessions that have snacks, pizza, drinks, ice cream and beverages.  

We had a great day! Big Kahuna’s is the biggest water park on the Emerald Coast and what a perfect way to cool off this summer! Check out all the fun, here!! 

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Visit Blue Mountain Beach Creamery

Our Pastor and his wife told us about this little ice cream place and it was literally walking or biking distance from our house! Blue Mountain Beach Creamery is run by sixth generation locals. As a small family business, they take pride in the quality of their fresh, homemade ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt. Our favorite flavors were chocolate, bourbon, turtle, and blueberry cheesecake! So, so good!! We may or may not have visited them twice, while we were there! 

Conclusion 

This concludes our 30A Travel Guide. I am so happy our family visited 30A. It’s such a quaint little beach area that definitely hit the spot with our family!!

We took the photo below, as we were leaving and headed back to our own little peninsula. Such a beautiful place to visit!

Let me know if you have any questions about 30A! Or please share your 30A experiences in the comments! We’d love to hear your suggestions of fun places to visit!
❤️~Shae


Travel

A Complete Guide to Home Exchange

by sweetsoutherngraces5 Comments on A Complete Guide to Home Exchange
A Complete Guide to Home Exchange

[This post contains sponsored links. The product featured and linked in this post is provided by Home Exchange -all opinions and reviews are my own.]

I am excited to introduce y’all to a company that makes traveling, easy, safe, fun, and affordable with Home Exchange. If you decide to sign up, please add me (Shae Roberts) as your sponsor in your account-More info below, plus you get 1-2 nights FREE, by adding me as your sponsor and Use my CODE: shae-c3a81!

We began being doing home exchanges last year and it’s our family’s favorite way to travel now. It taps into the economy and offers an authentic opportunity to truly live like a local, which means, often in a home full of beautiful character and personality, like our recent trip to 30A!

It’s also our number one tip for affordable travel tip, as it offers such a unique way to stay, in beautiful homes around the world, without exchanging money with your hosts. 

What is Home Exchange?

Home Exchange is a website that helps you find and swap houses with other people. Home Exchange has over 160,000 homes in 140 countries!

How does it work?

There are two different ways to do exchanges on the site –Reciprocal and Guest Points.

If you want to join Home Exchange, sign up for an account, pay your membership and add me as your sponsor in your account (Shae Roberts) PLUS use my CODE: shae-c3a81! and you’ll get a bonus 250 guest points when you join (enough for around 1-2 nights somewhere!). Use my CODE: shae-c3a81!

You pay $175 a year to be a member, which allows you to create a profile for your home(s). This gives you access to all the other profiles and the chance to exchange with them. You can do as many exchanges as you like each year, and you can list multiple properties.

Reciprocal Exchange

A reciprocal exchange can be either simultaneous or non-simultaneous. You can also off people a spare room in your home, called a hospitality exchange.

Simultaneous Exchange

A simultaneous exchange is where you do a direct seat with another household, at the same time. For example, we can go to a home in Paris and that family can come stay in our home. We could even exchange cars!

Non-Simultaneous Exchange

A non-simultaneous exchange is where you swap directly with someone, but your trips are different travel dates. For example, we went to stay a couple’s Florida Keys home last year and a year later, that couple can decide to come stay at our home.

Guest Point Exchange

Guest points-With Home Exchange; each home on the site has a point value. For example, our house is worth 145 points per night. If someone wants to stay at our house and doesn’t want to do a reciprocal exchange, they can offer to ‘pay’ in guest points instead. We then collect 145 points per night, which we can use to ‘pay’ for other Home Exchange properties.

We’ve used the guest point system a lot. We can open our home to Home Exchangers when we go away, collect points through that. We can then turn around and use those points to stay in all sorts of places, from The Florida Keys to Destin, FL to a historical two week trip, up the East Coast! We would love try traveling internationally soon, too!

Hospitality Exchange

A hospitality exchange is where you offer a room in your house while you’re still living there. You’ll likely share the same living areas, depending on your home situation. The exchange can be reciprocal or non-reciprocal. You can specify all the details of the exchange before finalising it. For this type of exchange, you need to create an individual listing for the room in your home, that’s on offer.

Solidarity Exchange

The solidarity exchange program is if there is a natural disaster or war, you can offer your home or a room in your home, to people affected, and they don’t have to pay any guest points in return. Instead, Home Exchange will offer you some guest points for your home. To be part of this, you join the Solidarity Group.

Why do we love Home Exchange?

I love the community of sharing aspect of it. It feels good to share our home when it’s not in use. I also love experiencing other people’s homes and ways of life. It’s really an incredible experience.

Guess what?! It is an incredibly affordable way to travel! We’ve saved thousands of dollars by using the site, sometimes in a single trip. Spending 9 nights in a 2 bedroom family home in the Florida Keys would have cost us a fortune, if not for Home Exchange.

It’s also amazing for families, especially if your host has kids too. They’ll likely be set with all you need from toys to high chairs to beds! It’s one of our best tips for traveling with littles!! PS-We’ve traveled with all four of our kiddos when they were little! Core family memories!

Where have we stayed?

We’ve done 2 exchanges so far and we have a huge two week trip across the East Coast planned this fall. We will have 3 exchanges total for that trip. Here are a few of the highlights & upcoming trips

Highlights:

  • • Florida Keys Home, right on the water, in the beautiful Marathon! Beautiful marine and sea life! Absolutely stunning views!!
  • • 30A in Blue Mountain Beach, FL, in a charming farmhouse beach neighborhood! Complete with E-Bike’s!

Upcoming:

  • • Fall Florida Keys to East Coast Trip- First stop is the Florida Keys! We are staying in the same home that we stayed in, last fall! Such a sweet family and host!! We plan to stay a week here!
  • • Savannah, GA is our second stop! We plan to spend a weekend here, seeing historical sights.
  • • PA is our 3rd stop! We plan to spend 4 days here, visiting everything historical!!! We head home and plan to drive straight through!!

How do you find an exchange?

The search function on Home Exchange has lots of filters that allow you to hone in on the perfect spot for your exchange. You can be specific and search for exact dates, number of people traveling with you, amenities you’re looking for and the size of the home.

Preferred Destinations 

You can save your preferred destinations in your profile-which means people can see your preferred destinations and offer their home to you. Plus, Home Exchange alerts you when things pop up!

How to confirm an exchange?

Once you’ve sent a message to a host about exchanging their home, the host will reply if it’s available and then you will iron out the details-length of stay, amount of people staying, if it’s a reciprocal or guest points, key, and cleaning arrangements. The guest points are transferred to you immediately. Then it is as easy as approving the exchange! 

How can you trust the people your home exchanging with?

Home Exchange is a community! There is a verification system-to be verified you must send Home Exchange your proof of residence, complete your profile by 100%, verify your email and phone number.

Home Exchange Guarantee

The Home Exchange team accompanies their members and protects all exchanges in case of unforeseen events.

→ Home Exchange commitments to guests : cancellation protection, compliance guarantee, damage coverage

→ Home Exchange commitments to hosts : $500 security deposit, property damage, theft protection

 

Questions about Home Exchange? 

If you have any other questions about Home Exchange, please feel free to reach out!

Decor, DIY, Lifestyle

Sweet Southern Grace Antique Booth

by sweetsoutherngracesLeave a Comment on Sweet Southern Grace Antique Booth

Our family recently embarked on a new adventure together: opening a vintage booth at one of our favorite local antique shops, in Lillian, AL. This is something I’ve dreamed of trying for quite some time, and I’ve got a meeting with my boss today, so I’m a bit nervous to see how they think our first month went! Wes & I already have plans to build modern wood planters, antique wood spindle candle holders & farmhouse tables.

It’s no secret that this gal has a love for all things chippy, & repurposed through antique shopping for my home. Actually, a lot of our vintage pieces throughout our home have great meaning & most have come from our Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. Now the time has come! I’ve come across many vintage treasures that have meaning to me…(we are keeping all of our family antiques) but I’m running out of room! I wanted a place to part with some of my treasures & pickin’ finds (you know, the ones with the really cool history behind them) where I could rest assured they were going to good homes. 😊 I have previously been donating to our local thrift stores.

I can’t help but see that God is in this story…Doors opened>>>with the sweetest antique owners, Joe & Wanda, we then obliged the nudge and our family decided to make this a group effort. That has been my favorite part of the whole thing: working as a team with my favorite people! It has opened up so many stories from other family members that had a dream for an antique booth too, like my Father-In-Law & Late Mother-In-Law. Our 2nd oldest child even has an antique booth of her own, with a 20’s something spin to it! My youngest two girls help me with cleaning our antique finds, labeling, tying tags and “styling” pieces in our antique booth. They also love using Ms. Wanda’s vacuum to help keep our antique booth in tip top clean shape! The hubs is a true hero here, hoisting and loading, unloading and hoisting all the goodies for me. Our oldest two (adult) daughters offer kind thoughts, prayers and congratulatory support from afar! Our oldest is coming for the 4th of July and we can not wait for her to see our booth in person!!! Que the high pitched girly scream!!

It’s already been so cool to teach our younger two girls by SHOWING them what hard work means. I mean, I know they know what hard work is, as we’ve spend the last three years, self-building our barndo, but this is on different level. They are also learning about how to earn money, being patient while they wait for their own booth contributions to sell, and the value of being part of a family team.

The Sweet Southern Grace Booth has been a whole lot of hard work up front but I truly feel God placed this little moment in our family’s story, and I am excited to continue working as a team with my favorite humans.

If you are ever in the Gulf Coast area, stop by Blue Sky Trading,  in Lillian, AL. If you visit the booth or style a piece from the booth in your home, tag me on IG! I’d love to repost and share how you style the treasures in your home! Thank you for stopping by! Oh and stay tuned! Our booth will be getting a farmhouse coastal makeover soon! We will catch y’all up on here!

❤️~Shae