There may be few ‘best-kept secret’ lodgings in Key West anymore, but there will always be hidden gems. With five million visitors a year on this seven square mile island, how can anything be a secret? But we’ve found a hidden gem – an oasis, really – you may not know about: Winslow’s Bungalows. Winslow’s Bungalows, Est. 1856, is part...
You know why we fiercely champion non-chain hotels, right? Our mission all along has been to stay, dine, drink, and shop at small businesses. The big guys don’t need our dollars, our input, or my long-form articles raving about how cool and unique they are. (Because to be honest, they often are neither of those.) Small boutique hotels, bungalow-style clusters...
You read that right. Beaches, Bars & Bungalows travel blog is now also a TV SHOW. Who knew when we began eleven years ago, showing you the coolest under-the-tourist-radar coastal towns in Florida to put on your next-visit list, that our mission to champion locally owned small businesses would blow up, in the very best way possible. Into a beautiful,...
There is no other destination in all of Florida quite like Cedar Key. With a population of less than 800, maybe 12,000 visitors a year, and a remote location at the end of one long road, this small town isn’t on everyone’s travel list. And that’s the beauty of Cedar Key. Visitors vacation here for kayaking, fishing, observing nature, strolling...
Immediately captivating, with fresh additions of contemporary and a whole lot of conviviality – Apalachicola. Old world charm plus new world cool. This town boasts an award-winning Main Street association and the friendliest residents. Apalachicola might even mean “the land of friendly people,” but that also may be a tiny twist of the Hitchoti Indian words, a gentle mash-up by...
And you thought America’s oldest settlement was St. Augustine. Pensacola has been drawing thoughtful attention lately, and for good reason. These days travelers are seeking fewer hot-spots lauded by mainstream trend-forecasters (which sounds to us like a horrible job.) Under-the-radar towns rich in history and brimming with bigger city amenities are coming to the fore. More of us are looking for experiences...
Where to stay in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, with its 17 miles of beach? You could choose to be close to the action on the downtown main street, Flagler Avenue – there are so many shops and restaurants, New Smyrna Beach has been named one of the most walkable small towns in Florida. Hotels and vacation rentals abound in this...
There are few secret places in Florida anymore, but now and then a town pops up that you have never heard of. Granted, some of the destinations’ addresses will say “St. Augustine” even though they’re also just down the street from (can we keep it an almost-secret?) Butler Beach. Crescent Beach. Have you heard of these beachside communities? We’ve found the...
Is it you, or is it your travel partner, who never wants to make stops along the way? Is someone in your car reminiscent of most dads when we were kids, making our little bladders stronger by making us hold it until we almost couldn’t? Is the goal reaching our destination ASAP, or is the goal enjoying the journey? (I know: how...
The resuscitation of old hotels, especially those with design-centric makeovers, has been stirring up excitement among new generations of nomads in recent years. Saving a treasured hotel from the wrecking ball so that history does not get erased inspires emotion, admiration, and a desire to see oneself in this photo-ready space – “We need to visit THIS place!” Sunburst Inn...
