Have you ever seen a friend’s pictures on facebook where they are sunbathing on a gorgeous Florida white sand beach, crystal clear water, and a magnificent sunset? I always saw those Seaside (a popular Florida destination) photos with jealousy. When I looked up the cost of going in the past, it was never something we felt we could afford. Let’s be honest, if I am spending $7k+, I better be going to a foreign country or an exotic island in the middle of nowhere. Well…Zach decided to surprise us with a special week long stop at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
Our plan was to travel from Austin, TX to Palm Coast, FL (which is on the northeast side of Florida) by Thanksgiving, so we had planned a week stop at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on the way there. Now if you don’t know, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is between Destin, FL and Seaside, FL on Florida’s northwest side. The park is pretty large and very impressive (it seems most Florida state parks should get a pat on the back for their A+ parks).
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park has hiking, biking, camping (in RVs, tents, or cabins), bird watching, geo-caching, paddling, and more. The beach is a good long hike or you can take their trolley. The hike to the beach is really beautiful. I did it every day with three kids and we all enjoyed it. Zach woke up early a couple of mornings to see the sun rise and got some amazing pictures. The only thing is the beaches had weird flies that would just stick on you, bite you and not fly away easily. Who knows what that is about.
Zach went golfing one day at Indian Bayou Golf Club in Destin. He said it was a great golf course, however, it is right on a flight path so he saw helicopters and airplanes take-off and land. So, if that would disturb you (not a golf expert here), then maybe not a great golf course. He said it wasn’t too bad.
We also drove into Seaside and walked around the little town square, went into shops, and ate dinner at one of the cute food trucks at the square. I love Seaside. It is such a cute town (think…The Truman Show, which was filmed here). I got the iconic “Seaside” t-shirt at The Seaside Shop. The food trucks we ate at were The Meltdown on 30A and Barefoot BBQ. They were both very good. The kids ate at the BBQ place and had kid’s meals that included a frisbee, so after dinner we threw around the frisbee on the green lawn in the middle of the square. Definitely recommend stopping for the day here.
Not only did we go to the BEAUTIFUL beach at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, but we also went to a beach south of Seaside. We were planning to go to a beach in Seaside, but they have all “their” beaches locked up. Funny story, Zach actually forgot swim shorts, so he had to go and buy some at the local grocery store. He ended up buying women’s workout pants (haha) so now they are mine. He was very stylish that day on the beach 😉
We REALLY enjoyed our time in the Destin area. It truly is an incredible place! Being in the state park with all the amenities and the beautiful beach walk. It is amazing how places like this exist. You really have to go there.
Have you been? Any other towns or beach in Florida you recommend? We would love to hear from you!
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XO,
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