A 25th Birthday Celebration in Seaside, FL!
As you all read in my last post, you know that I love getting out of town and going places. So when my 25th birthday was coming up, my sister and I decided to pack up the doggies and head down further south to the breathtaking little town of Seaside, FL. If you’re from the south, it’s known as one of the best places to go, and also one of the priciest places. However, there are so many ways to save money and still get the Seaside experience. (which is exactly what we did!) And don’t worry, you’ll still be able to snag yourself one of the legendary Seaside t-shirts without having to take out a loan to pay for everything.
First off, we went during one of the BEST times of the year. When planning a vacation, the first thing we always think of is the crowd levels and the time of the year. This goes for any vacation you may have coming up no matter the location: always research the busy seasons. For us personally, we ~hate~ being clumped in with the large masses of families and kids and people rushing around trying to beat each other who are all headed to the same place. No matter where you go, the times of the year we’ve learned to avoid are spring break, summertime and fall break. So for us, we ended up hitting Seaside about 2 weeks after the wave of high school and college spring break crowds left. You would have thought it was a ghost town it seemed like. Early morning when we would grab breakfast, ride our bikes, walk the dogs or shop around, crowds were slim pickens and it was awesome. Around lunch the crowds picked up maybe a little but still it was nothing overwhelming. Then on into the night around dinner time, more people would come out for the activities and events they had going on at the square, which was when all of the families with kids showed up. But overall, the end of April to the first of May was a great stretch to go to Seaside! 10/10 recommend!
The House
We ended up staying right in town which allowed us to walk everywhere and we didn’t have to drive until we left to go home at the end of the trip! We stayed in a 1 BR 1 BA guest house to one of the main houses in town. It was super convenient because since it was just my sister and I, (plus the 3 weenie dogs) she slept in the bed and I slept on the pull-out couch. Of course if you have more than 2 people, you just have to do some searching for other places that are bigger. But for 2 people and some doggies, it was the perfect size. It also wasn’t your typical Seaside fancy-shmancy 6 mil beach house. It was older, a little dated and smaller – but it put a roof over our head, had AC and good lighting in the bathroom for getting ready. But in my opinion, those are some of the best places to stay. Not to mention it was one of the original houses built when the town of Seaside was established! The price was not bad considering everything it came with such as 2 complimentary bikes, access to all 3 pools, private parking spots, awesome complimentary guest gifts from the owner and not to mention just the location of the house in itself. So a pro tip to anyone saying no automatically to staying actually in Seaside: don’t knock it until you’ve searched all over for different options. VRBO and Airbnb spike up the prices so it’s important to try to find those outcast websites, like the one we booked through which was www.homeownerscollection.com. Through websites like these, you tend to find SO many more options without the hidden fees on the main booking websites.
FOOOOOD
After coming here quite often now, we’ve created a hall o’ fame foods list. We also decided to explore more food options and go to places we had not eaten at yet. The food trucks in Seaside are your best friends. They’re convenient, give you a bang for your buck and not to mention all of the food options offered are DELISH. They have everything including BBQ, hotdogs, grilled cheeses, doughnuts, burgers – ok, my mouth is watering just typing all of that. Our main favorite is The Meltdown On 30A which offers all types of grilled cheese concoctions. The Smokin’ Turkey is the most mouth-watering thing I’ve ever eaten and I would literally sell my right kidney for a lifetime supply of this sandwich.
I mean just look at that golden-brown toasty goodness right there.
To save money, a nice option is to just eat from the food trucks for dinner some nights, (or every night if you like) which is what we did. Since Seaside is more on the low-key & chill side, it doesn’t call for the going-out-to-eat-at-the-beach-every-night ritual. (which I LOVE, don’t get me wrong – it’s totally a vibe) But if you just want to throw on comfy clothes, walk up to the food trucks to grab a grilled cheese & beer and sit at a table and people watch, then you certainly can! Honestly, that’s what we did at least once a day the whole trip. Along with the food trucks, there are amazing local quick-service places. On our first night we wanted something tasty and easy, so we decided on Pickle’s. It’s a place that offers everything such as burgers, shakes, breakfast, signature sandwiches, ice cream and yummy drinks. We decided to grab a couple of appetizers to graze off of and a margarita for each of us, because what else to do you drink to kick off a birthday trip?! We grabbed the pimento cheese dip and fried pickles and then some tasty frozen lime margaritas. The last night of our trip, we decided to have one last night cap there and went with the Tequila Sunrise…need I say more.
Yes, she was DELIGHTFUL.
One of the best meals we had the entire trip was breakfast at Bud & Alley’s. We actually ended up getting breakfast there 2 other mornings on the trip because that’s how good of a place it is. It’s a cozy little restaurant that sits right on the water where (if you get there right at opening time at 8 AM like we did) all you can hear are the waves crashing. (ok maybe the cork pop of a champagne bottle)
The breakfast menu provided a lot of options, yet I got the same exact thing every time we went here…oops. I got the scrambled egg and bacon sandwich with gouda….which is my favorite! (everyone obsessed with She’s The Man gets it) It was super fluffy and flavorful, and not heavy at all. My sister got the omelet of the day which had crab in it…YUM. She loved it and it definitely wasn’t one of those overflowing omelets where you can even make it through half of it. It was a perfect size, and well worthy of ordering again. Then we both got some mimosas, which were delightful and gave a 10/10 champagne to OJ ratio. So definitely hit this place up specifically for breakfast if you’re looking for a great meal along with a chill atmosphere.
Retail Therapy, Please!
The shops in Seaside are some of my all-time favorite places to go to. They’re all unique to the town and none of them are the same. There is a great variety of different stores that fill almost every need you could have. Kids & baby clothes, a food market/mini grocery store, lots of boutiques, art shops, a bookstore and even a shop dedicated solely to the merchandise of Seaside are all some of the great places you have to shop at. The Seaside Style, which is home to the famous Seaside shirts, also contains so many trendy and stylish items from home, to men and women’s clothes to even pets. Since the mascot of Seaside is a dachshund, (one of the main reasons we love it down there) the place is filled with things marked with weenie dogs making everything 10x cuter. So definitely swing in here and grab you some great souvenirs!
Beach Must-Have’s!
Being avid beach visitors, my sister and I both have our go-to things we can’t live without while at the beach. Here are some of our top favorites:
(the links to buy are under each of the pictures!)
(None of the items on this page are sponsored)
- Simply Southern/Bogg Bag – it is the BEST bag every because it’s basically a giant Croc bag. It washes off so easily and hold a ton. I have the SS Large size. No matter which brand you go with, the bags are the exact same!
- BruMate Slim Can Cooler – This thing is the best when you want to keep any canned drink cold. It’s so sturdy and comes in tons of different colors.
- CeraVe Face Sunscreen Stick 50 SPF – This is one of my favorites because it is made from a skincare brand so it is not as harsh on your skin and the other. It’s packaged like deodorant, so you roll it up and swipe it all over your face without having to get it on your hands. Super handy! I found that it covered so well and did not leave a sticky film either.
So overall, it’s a bit of an understatement to say that I had an absolute blast at the beach for this special birthday celebration trip. I was able to experience all of my favorite things with my favorite sister and favorite weenie dogs! Seaside, FL is a beautiful place that truly embodies the concept of a simple and graceful lifestyle. Oh to become a local down there one day…fingers crossed! I hope everyone can experience this place, or at least pass through just to catch a glimpse into what all it offers. I hope all of my tips help y’all and I believe everyone deserves to vacation down there every once and a while.
with love,
Shelby
