Beach Trip! Seagrove Beach on Florida’s 30A

I didn’t realize how much I needed a beach trip until I got there. My friend, Wendi, talked me in to a girls’ weekend at Seagrove Beach. Seagrove is on the Florida Panhandle along Hwy 30A. The beaches along 30A are gorgeous. They can be a bit crowded during the peak season, but in late February before the Spring Breakers arrive, you can enjoy it without the crowds.

We were there to relax, and that is exactly what we did. Most nights we headed to the beach to enjoy a cocktail and the sunset. Clearly this was a good idea since lots of other people pulled out their beach chairs for sundowners, too.

We enjoyed lots of walks on the beach during our stay. However, the beaches near our house were highly developed. So, to escape all the development and catch a glimpse of the beaches in a more natural state, I went to Grayton Beach State Park. The dunes there are beautiful – covered with sea grass instead of houses and condos. I took the Nature Trail, an easy 1-mile loop that took me through the dunes and the trees beside Western Lake. It was a nice change from the beach.

As anticipated, we ate well on our trip. We cooked some delicious meals at our house, but got take out from some of our local favorites, too. One night we ordered dinner from Goatfeathers. The grilled grouper was good, but the gouda grits were to die for! (Their Hushpuppies are yummy, too.) Our steaks and snapper with crawfish risotto from Cafe Thirty-A also did not disappoint. The new discovery on this trip was Prema coffee. They have good coffee and an array of organic juices and ‘wellness shots’ (to give you a boost in case you had a little too much fun the night before).

No trip would be complete for me without a trip to a local farmers market. The Seaside Farmers Market was still closed due to COVID-19, but the Rosemary Beach Farmers Market was open on Sunday. They spread the tents out so that it was easy to social distance while you shop. I got some AMAZING Tupelo honey from Register Family Bee Farm in Northwest Florida. (Yes, they ship.) My lunch Sunday afternoon was homemade sourdough toast with goat cheese and their Tupelo honey. OMG. I’m addicted. The bonus farmer’s market find was Pam’s Tasty Toffee. I got 2 packages to take to a friend for their birthday, but I confess: the dark chocolate toffee didn’t make it into their gift. But I can attest, it was, indeed, tasty!