Our Top 7 Must-Haves
We’ve been roaming coastal Florida in search of that lesser-known funky, friendly vibe for quite awhile now, and have had so much fun we want to share what we’ve found. If you’re like us, you work really really hard during the week, so when you have some time off, you like to just park it.
Park yourself in a beach chair and then maybe go float on your back a bit. Perhaps find the energy to do a little boogie boarding or stand up paddling. Then go park it on a bar stool and listen to good live music with a chilly glass in your hand, a plate of something irresistible in front of you that someone else cooked and served. Then finally park your sun kissed and satiated self in a comfy bed that you hopefully walked to and won’t break your bank. And isn’t some impersonal chain motel where you walk down a long hallway behind bratty kids and adults wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
Here are our Top 7 Must-Haves for the Beach, the Bar, and the Bungalow:
THE BEACH
1. Clean.
2. Not super crowded.
3. Free Parking.
4. Easy walk to the beach from the car.
5. Facilities. And hopefully a snack bar. And hopefully one that sells beer and wine!
6. May we bring our adult beverages out onto the sand?
7. May we bring our dog? (This will be important to those of us who love our dogs, and to those of you who don’t.)
(May we build inappropriate sand sculptures?)
THE BAR
1. The best around.
2. Happy people abound.
3. Live music.
4. Good food, not just bar food. If the food is just ho-hummish but the atmosphere is convivial, we’ll let you know. Sometimes just the feeling of bonhomie and quick service of beverages with a smiling face wins out.
5. A view of the water, some water; doesn’t have to be the ocean.
6. A short drive from the beach and the bungalow.
7. Attentive, pleasant service.
Squid Lips Overwater Grill, Melbourne Florida
THE BUNGALOW
1. Not far from the bar (having to designate someone is so boring!) A short walk is ideal.
2. Welcoming, friendly proprietors.
3. Offers a sense of privacy and seclusion. If a separate cottage or bungalow can’t be found, we’re happy with a clean, nicely kept mom-and-pop or non-chain fixed up oldie. We will never look for The Ritz; if you are, ritzy friend, keep on looking!
4. Affordable. We usually stay low-key (around $100 a night, or less, if possible.)
5. Updated furnishings and bedding. A place someone has taken the time with and has an eye for design and comfort. Yes, you’ve come to spend most of your time outside the room. But the 70’s condo art and the slippery shell-printed bedspread should have been replaced thirty years ago, Grandma. The room doesn’t have to be chi-chi to be pleasing.
6. Clean.
7. Did I mention clean?
Sea Aire Motel, Cocoa Beach
So sift through our recommendations. And join us on our journey to find more of the best Beaches, Bars, and Bungalows in off-the-beaten-path coastal Florida.
What are your favorite Florida beach towns to visit? Tell us your top picks of beaches, bars and bungalows – we may need to go there, soon!
