For Thanksgiving break a couple weeks ago, we had the pleasure of taking a road trip up to Rosemary Beach with some of our family and friends. Beth and Lawson had their wedding <see more on Town & Country and Southern Weddings> in Rosemary Beach 5 years ago, so it was the perfect time to head back to the FL Panhandle to celebrate their anniversary and the holiday. And since it’s one of our favorite family-friendly spots in Florida, we wanted to share some of the best things to do with you today!
One of the great things about traveling with family or a group to Rosemary Beach is their selection of luxury rental homes. They are all so beautiful and conveniently located to the beach, shops and restaurants, so you are close to all of the action but can retreat to your own space. When we were planning our trip, we went through their options and found the “Vintage Cottage” to be the best fit for us. And the minute we walked in, we were in love!
The shabby chic main house is almost 1500 square feet and has a kitchen, dining room, living room, sitting area, four bedrooms <2 with king beds + 2 with bunk beds = perfect for 2 families>, three bathrooms, a plunge pool, and summer kitchen. We also rented the separate carriage house that is nearly 500 square feet and had it’s own kitchen, dining space, living room, and loft area with a queen bed. Together, they were perfect for guests!
The house also came with six bikes, and we rented a couple of trailers, a tag along and bike helmets for the kids from Bamboo Bicycle Company. They conveniently brought the rentals to our home and set them up for us, and we returned them to their bike shop located in town just a block away. On this day, we rode our bikes up to the yummy new donut shop called The Daughter’s Kitchen and then bounced around to all of the adorable local shops!
Vacationers can find so many great shops up and down Main Street. Some of our favorite stores that we spent time in were the Bombora Sun & Surf Shop <for the cutest kids surf clothes and a fun mint VW bus out front!>, Rosemary Beach Trading Company <for great “Rosemary Beach” goodies, like the ornaments above>, Gigi’s <a fab kids’ toy store where the kids each picked out a toy>, The Hidden Lantern Bookstore, and Tracery Interiors.
After we shopped for a bit, we stopped for tacos at Cowgirl Kitchen. They are one of many delicious restaurants along Main Street, and they also have a super cute gourmet shop called Feed and Supply right across the street. CK is one of their most family-friendly restaurants, and we catered a fantastic and complete Thanksgiving dinner from them, too!
Our other favorite dining spots were Amavida Coffee Roasters for the best coffee, tea, morning treats, and a full selection of 30A apparel, the Sugar Shak for ice cream and candy, Southside Slice for huge pizza pies, The Summer Kitchen Café for salads and wraps, and La Crema for tapas and rich chocolate desserts. You also don’t want to miss the spectacular rooftop view from their fine new seafood restaurant called Pescado!
There were plenty of other fun things to do during the day, too! We loved to play games like football and bocci ball on their spacious lawns, and the guys enjoyed working out at the Fitness Center and Racquet Club. Our whole group would also head down to the beach to watch the sunset. It’s one of our very favorite beaches because of their super soft, powdery sand <it squeaks under your feet!>, beautiful dunes, peaceful water and beautiful sunsets. Guests can also arrange to have a bonfire right on the beach and bring along s’mores to roast by the fire. And to top it off, one evening under the stars, we watched a Christmas movie on the main lawn under a bunch of blankets and drank hot cocoa from La Crema!
Credits:
Photography: Brenna Kneiss
Location: Rosemary Beach
Cottage rental: c/o Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company
Clothing: c/o J.Crew and Lands’ End
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