3 0 A : a Family Adventure Guide
New Year, New Adventures!
As you guys know, traveling and being more intentional with our family time has been one of the biggest reasons we decided to downsize.
Less house to clean and less rooms for our family to be alone in meant more time together & more time for fun and ever since we made that change we have traveled and adventured more as a family than we ever have before.
It's been the most life changing 5 years of our life and with a new year ahead of us, we are so excited to share with you some of our favorites adventures in the whole wide world, (family guide and all), starting with our most favorite place ever- the beaches of 30a.
30a is such a beautiful place. Not only is it the place we got married, but this little stretch of beaches is where Ray and I made the decision not just to renovate our first small vacation rental property but also get into the Airbnb world of hosting vacation homes. It's what we now do full time and it's provided a way for us to not only work together doing what we love, but also take our kids along and travel, allowing for more opportunities to be together family wise.
If you're not familiar with 30A, you are in for a treat! Located on the Florida Panhandle, 30A is highway (well, more like a really pretty beach-front scenic road) that possesses some of the most unique little beach towns on the Florida Coast.
From the all white town of Alys Beach that makes you feel as if you have left the country
to the New Orleans inspired architecture of Rosemary Beach that evokes a
sense of happiness and calm
Each little town is uniquely different than the last, giving you as a traveler a diverse amount of experiences without ever leaving 30A itself.
But the best part? How well thought out each little town is. Not only are they unique and beautifully designed, but the builders of each town made it a priority to include
the bike riding style as a way of life.
From restaurants, to grocery stores to the cutest little shops, everything can be accessed by just riding your bike. And not in an exercise kind of way, but in a leisurely, everything is so close to you, you just hop on a bike and get there. That alone is our favorite part. We get to park our car, and not get back into it until it is time to go home which is an experience that automatically unplugs us from everyday life.
That being said, we are so excited to have come up with a winter guide, since it's one of our favorite seasons to visit in, but all things included in the guide below can easily be done in Spring, Summer or Fall.
Hope you enjoy!
(& if you're familiar with the area and know of any places we missed,
let us know in the comments below and we'll add them to this guide!)
-Ray & Karla
A F A M I L Y W I N T E R G U I D E : T H I N G S T O D O I N 3 0 A
1. Eat a maple bacon donut at Charlie's Donut Truck
Address: Somerset Street, Alys Beach, FL 32413
2. Explore Alys Beach Nature Trail
(& see who's the first one to spot the trail's carnivorous pitcher plants!)
On your way out, pretend to be dragon slaying knights (or warrior princesses) as you pass by our boys' favorite Artist-Made Sculpture of Alys-
The Metal Dragon
Address:
Alys Beach Nature Trail, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
3. Head to Fonville Press for a coffee + pastry break
and while you there, enjoy their expanded all day menu, which includes some of our favorites: fried green tomatoes, mac n cheese and the most delicious shrimp n' grits that will ever touch your mouth!
Our favorite part about Fonville?
How family friendly it is.
There's indoor dining, as well as outdoor but their outdoor space contains
the prettiest and most innovative playground we have ever seen
From whimsical serpents and hand carved logs your kids can play in and climb on
to beautifully designed mounds that inspire even the biggest of kids to run barefoot in
and roll down on
The whole area of Fonville was clearly designed with families & little ones in mind and it's become a daily place of rest and fun for us.
Address:
147 West La Garza Lane, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
4. Explore the Timpooche Trail located behind the town of Seacrest
5. Head down to Rosemary Beach and enjoy an ice cream break at our favorite ice cream spot:
The Sugar Shack
Address:
5 Main St, Rosemary Beach, FL 32413
6. Head down to the beach and have a "Who's-The-First-To-Catch-5-Different-Sea-Creatures"
Family Contest using just a net
From sand dollars eating actual tiny crabs, to crazy looking sea cucumbers that have left us wondering what in the world stood right before our eyes- This little activity is probably our most favorite winter beach activity while we are in town.
7. Visit Seaside's "Airstream Row" & have everyone try something different from
each airstream food truck
From ice cream to shrimp to grilled cheese sandwiches, experiencing airstream row at Seaside is our only exception to our "leave the car and don't get back in until you leave" rule.
Address: 2235 E. County Hwy 30A, Seaside FL
8. Grab a loaf of bread and head down to the beach to feed the seagulls (If you're a picture taker, be sure to have your camera handy for when all the birds fly away at once!)
9. Visit the Farmer's Market at Rosemary Beach & get to know some of the local businesses and craftsmen
Address:
28 N. Barrett Square Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
(open on Sundays 9am-1pm year round)
10. Walk through the stone covered streets of Alys Beach
enjoying the Bermudan inspired architecture
and intentionally designed landscaping.
Address:
9581 E County Hwy 30A
Panama City Beach, FL 32413
11. Head back to Fonville & Treat your kids to the yummiest kid's dinner there ever was
"The Fluffernella"
(but who are we kidding, it's not just for kids, it's one of our favorites too!)
& eat it outdoors while gathered together around the fire
Address:
147 West La Garza Lane, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
Well, there are some of our favorites. Hope you enjoyed this guide. We wish you a Happy New Year full of adventures, experiences and memory making moments with loved ones!
Love, Ray & Karla
