Living a tasteful life

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Babymoon in Destin, Florida

Ah babymoons — a great excuse to take a well-deserved break and relax with your spouse before the life changing craziness begins! I wasn't sure if Whit and I were going to be able to find time to escape but we managed to do so, just as I was nearing the end of my "travel cut-off." I actually had a doctor's appointment the day we were set to leave. I sat in the office knowing that there was a chance that I could be told I wasn't allowed to travel but thankfully my Dr. gave me the green light. We had booked a trip to Destin, Florida and had planned to drive. I was advised that we would need to make frequent stops for me to move around. I packed all my fluffy pillows and a blanket to make myself comfy and surprisingly the eight hour car ride wasn't that bad. 

Whit booked our stay at The Henderson, a luxury spa and beach resort in Destin, Florida. The resort is located just across the road from a white-sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico which to no surprise, is where we spent most of our time. We had the most wonderful stay at the resort, with top notch service and excellent accommodations. The private beach was one of our favorite things about the resort. The cabana service set up our chairs at the location of our choosing and there we sat, soaking up the sun and sipping on frozen beverages (the non-alcoholic version for me.)  
The resort also had two amazing pools, one for the adults only and one with a lazy river that was the main attraction for children. We chose to spend most of our time at the beach simply because of how beautiful it was. You can't beat digging your toes in sugary soft sand while staring at the emerald green water. The pool was a nice spot to lounge and enjoy a bite to eat (without a side of sand), after a long day at the beach.
I'll admit, when we first arrived in Destin Whit and I were both a bit concerned that it was a glorified Myrtle Beach. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that's where Whit grew up and we were looking for something a little different. Our resort was tucked away from the craziness but yet close enough to restaurants and various other attractions. We arrived on Thursday evening, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to our room relax. 
Friday morning we woke up and had a lite breakfast at Primrose, one of the four places to dine at the resort and headed straight for the beach. 
Typically, I have a hard time relaxing when I'm at the beach, but ironically it was different this time. It felt so good to unplug, sit back and enjoy the sounds of the ocean without a care in the world. Later that evening we ventured out for a drinks at Marina Cafe followed by dinner next door at Boshamps, both of which came recommended to us by multiple people as well as our concierge. Both places were definitely more on the casual, relaxed, touristy side but that suited us just fine after a day in the sun.
I enjoyed a rich dish of lobster mac and cheese. All the carbs were consumed on this trip, and I blame it on the pregnancy cravings. 
Whit, unbeknownst to him, had booked the spa room which we discovered when we checked in the night before. Because of the length of our stay, this meant we got a nice little spa credit which I gladly welcomed. I woke up early Saturday morning to enjoy a relaxing prenatal massage. And afterwards treated myself to donuts from the infamous Donut Hole. It was the perfect way to start the day. I will note, the long wait for a table that I was warned about at the Donut Hole proved true. We tried to wait it out for a seat but decided to get ours to go. The red velvet donut was by far my favorite and I'm currently researching how to get some shipped to my house.
One of the beauties of being pregnant is devouring donuts and not having to worry about looking bloated before you hit the beach. I fully embraced the bump.
We decided to head out to Alys Beach for dinner that evening, with a stop at Rosemary Beach for drinks. I had been to Alys Beach before, but never Rosemary. The moment we arrived, I immediately fell in love with the vibe of this area. We stopped for a drink at Havana Beach Bar and Grill, the signature restaurant located inside The Pearl.
We had been advised to make it to a rooftop to enjoy the gorgeous sunset before dinner, so that's exactly what we did. Per a recommendation, we went to Pescado, a casual fine dining seafood grill with a rooftop bar overlooking Rosemary Beach. I could have stayed there all night. Not only was the inside adorable, but the views of the all white architecture of the surrounding homes were gorgeous. I loved everything about this place! We enjoyed some drinks and an amazing small dish of pan-roasted pork belly with humboldt fog cheese, fig compote and balsamic creme. I can't wait to go back some day when I can enjoy the cocktails and their raw bar.
Our dinner reservations were at George's, a restaurant located just a quick car ride over on Alys Beach. We enjoyed yet another delicious meal and hit the road back to our resort. It was nice to have one super casual evening near the resort and to enjoy our last evening, fine dining in a more upscale area. 
We loved Rosemary Beach so much that we decided to spend Sunday afternoon there before we headed back home. We checked out of our hotel and made the 40 minute drive out to Rosemary Beach, where we enjoyed a fabulous brunch at Wild Olives



I did a little shopping and we took in a few last views of the beautiful beach before hitting the road to go home. Whit and I both agreed that there will be a future trip planned back to Rosemary Beach. It is such a charming, picturesque community that feels so inviting.  I'm looking forward to going back one day. 
I'm so thankful that Whit and I were able to spend such a special time together and enjoy our last vacation as a family of two. We talked about how we envisioned our lives will look after welcoming our new little one and it's crazy to think we will be living that reality this week!



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