You know we’d rather tell you cool places to go in Florida than talk about ourselves. We’re not even comfortable with humble-bragging. But now and then we like to give you updates on our sometimes-bumbling, often-two-stooges efforts at redecorating, and living the beach life, with our two dogs and a squirrel. And now with my youngest daughter living here temporarily...
Southern Living Magazine has been highlighting the beauty and culture of the South since 1966 and has become one of the largest lifestyle brands in the country. And so when they say something, we pay attention. And when their readers and editors awarded Florida Top Ten in seven categories of their 2018 “The South’s Best” we lovers of The Sunshine...
You hear about Sanibel all the time. Sanibel, Sanibel, Sanibel. (Yes, it does bring to mind poor middle child Jan on The Brady Bunch.) Captiva even has to share the Chamber of Commerce, and in the title they come second. Also, other tourism sites don’t mention Captiva until you click around on their site for a bit. Of course no...
Is it because pink flatters every complexion? Because Millennial Pink is a thing? Or just because when we vacation in Florida we want to stay somewhere bright and cute – and yes, snap a pic of ourselves in a pretty summer dress, standing in front of our little pink house for our Instagram feed. The color pink speaks to our...
Surfing Santas in Cocoa Beach has become so huge it’s drawn international media coverage. Wow. An event that started out tiny – just one guy, George Trosset, and his family dressing up to surf – this year drew over 10,000 spectators and 837 Santas riding the waves (how DID they get that exact figure?) With temperatures in the upper 70’s...
Total transparency here: You may be afraid to enter just about every single dive bar on this list. We were. Whether it’s a dank, seedy exterior, or even the name (The Wet Spot!) dive bars are a world wholly unto themselves. With beach bars – our specialty – you know what to expect. The big parking lots and the colorful...
Often “upscale” means we need to scrutinize our wardrobes before packing for a trip, making sure we up our game from merely “Make sure your t-shirts don’t have stains” to “I’m bringing my Old Navy sandals, not my Old Navy flip flops.” You know the feeling: walking down a sparklingly well kept, tree-lined main street filled with boutiques and hip...
“Heaven’s a little closer in a cottage by the sea.” Everybody knows that. But most of us can’t go out and buy one for a million dollars. Even better is vacationing in one that someone else swept the sand from and hung clean towels in your bathroom. On this small island (12-ish miles long and 3 miles wide) with many...
Because my mother was an old-fashioned, gentle lady, the “f” word was forbidden at our house. And even though Mom has been gone for four years now, Dad still creatively uses “fracking” and “forking.” To be completely transparent, not so I. While we feel extremely grateful that Hurricane Irma wasn’t any worse for us in Brevard County, and our hearts...
When you’re seeking an excellent craft beer the sensation you’re going for is, of course, taste. Not a visual. We’re thinking that’s why most brewpubs are dark and intimate as if you’re hiding from the world while turning inward, eyes closed, sipping that delicious hoppy and bitter, or malty and roasted, cold brew… But this is Florida. And Florida is...
