When we drove into the resort beach town of Seabrook, this view of the ocean was the first thing that I saw and I was hooked. It had been a while since I had seen the Pacific Ocean and it surprised me just how different it looked from the East coast of Florida that I know so well. I had saved a Seattle Magazine article about the growing town of Seabrook and thought that it would be perfect for a Sunday driving trip. Dan announced that he wanted to "put his feet in the ocean" and I thought a sweet oceanfront town (within a 2 1/2 hour drive) with pizza, gift shops and ice cream would be perfect. I was right, but in so many other ways too. Watch this 2 min promotional video about Seabrook and you'll see why the setting spoke to me.
The planned community has Nantucket style cottages - gray shingles, crisp front porches, window boxes. It looks like a town of dollhouses and it really felt like a lovely escape. The longer we stayed, the more I was considering booking a week's vacation. It was clean, new and on a bluff right over the water.
Our first stop was for a late lunch - a Margherita Pizza cooked in a brick oven at Frontager Pizza Co. The restaurant had great style, big windows and a delicious food.
It was a cool and cloudy day and you can't go wrong with hot, gooey pizza - yum!
After lunch, we walked down to the beach with chairs-in-a-bag and braved the wind in order to get a real moment on the beach. It was great to see two families out with kites that were dancing over the broad hard sand beach. By positioning the wind at our backs, we were comfortable. I can only imagine a full beach full of vacationers when the sun is out and the temperature is near 80.
As I considered Seabrook for a future getaway, I noticed the homes along the bluff. That is where I would want to book a getaway, where I could see the sun set over the ocean every night from our accommodations.
After the beach, we walked up to look in a few shops and ended up getting two large ice cream cones at Sweet Life Candy store. Dan chose a pretzel cone for his scoop. I had never seen that as an option before and he loved it. It's not often that you can improve ice cream, but I guess they did!
We really enjoyed our visit to Seabrook. I applaud the creators for designing a picturesque getaway that celebrates the kind of summer fun I want: a casual family setting, bike rides, porch sitting and water, water, water. #seabrook #summerinwashington #vacationspots #finddelight
I was able to visit the original American Spoon retail store, located in the gaslight district of Petoskey, Michigan. Are you familiar with the brand? It is a jam and jelly company that has a cult-like following. Their products are of the highest quality, their packaging is gift-worthy and, as per their website, "we still prepare fruits by hand and cook them in small copper kettle batches under the watchful eyes of our skilled cooks." Nice! They have slowly expanded their offering to include salsas, fruit butter and condiments. What I think is really interesting, is that they have an American Spoon Food Cafe next door. My mom, aunts and I went there for lunch and it was perfect. Most of the menu items feature an American Spoon Food sauce or jam (genius!) and I was very impressed.
I love my whitefish tacos which featured their roasted tomatillo salsa. The salsa was bright and tangy and delicious.
The super cute cafe serves 24 flavors of house-made gelato. Order a cone, grab a stool and watch the vacationing world walk by.
Sometimes I see fabric and I simply must use it - immediately. I haven't had this fabric in the house even 24 hours yet and it has already become a super cute tote bag.
One of my more genius discoveries is that I can take a standard-issue $5 tote bag from the craft store and slipcover it to make a knockout accessory. I loved this navy print called Alentejo Floral (you can buy it here at Hobby Lobby), but it requires just the right project to show it off. It certainly is too bold for many household items, but as a tote with a classic outfit, it can really be admired. The most basic instructions are: I make a sleeve that is a little too big for the tote. I place right sides together and sew down both sides and across the bottom. Then I turn it right side out and (folding over the fabric to make a smooth edge) I sew the top of the sleeve all the way around the top of the tote, folding and overlapping at each end of the bag to make a pleat. Then, at the bottom side of each end, I fold up the bottom corner and tack the flap up. I sometimes sew buttons at the place where I tacked the flap and at the top of each pleat - that way it looks like it is really slipcovered that that the cover is "removeable." So cute!
PGA National Resort is getting it right. When guests arrive in Florida anytime between November and April, odds are they are getting away from the reality of a cold winter. What do I think these guest want? As many opportunities as possible to be outdoors. To feel the sun. To breathe. No thumping soundtrack. No digital screens required. Look at this beautiful space I found to sit and relax. It has a large gas fire pit surrounded with handsome outdoor couches and chairs. I'd love to sit here at night under the stars, with ice cream drink in hand! I found it to be just as enjoyable during the day. My dad and I were checking out the pro shop (He gravitated to the Honda Classic apparel. I was drawn to their great selection of Lilly Pulitzer - some day I'm getting one of those big beautiful scarves!) and afterwards we wandered into this lovely open space. We sat and talked, watched the golfers on the putting green and felt the sun on our face. I knew right away that I wanted to bring Dan back for here lunch on another day. It was so relaxing.
This is the view of the pool area - you can have a casual lunch here too - isn't it pretty? I have been coming to this resort to lunch and shop for years, and I must say that the renovations have managed to make this resort feel even more special. Well done!
Sometimes technology is a delight. When I saw this kiosk and realized that it would snap a digital photo of us and post it to Facebook, Twitter or in an email, I couldn't resist. Dan and I were walking through Mandalay Bay on our way back from dinner at Border Grill when we took this photo. Cute, eh?
You simply stand in front of the screen, tap to take a picture (and, yes, you can do retakes) and then log into your email/Facebook/Twitter to send it out to your friends. What a great idea! It gives a plug to the source (Thank you, Mandalay Bay) and shows your family and friends that you are having a great time on your vacation. It also reinforces Mandalay Bay's new branding of guests as "resortists," rather than tourists. Interesting.
