2020 Seaside, Florida Vacation Recap

Over July 4th we spent a week in Seaside, Florida which we have officially deemed our family’s “Happy Place.” It was a wonderful physical and mental escape and I am grateful beyond words that we got the chance to take the trip this Summer. I did get flooded with questions via Instagram while I was there and I wanted to take a chance to recap the trip and answer your questions in this post. I’ve done yearly Seaside recaps here, which are also great resources: 2014 Recap | 2016 Recap | 2019 Recap

2020 Seaside, Florida Vacation Recap:

We weighed our options and decided to fly there with the girls. We flew American and felt very safe. Everyone wore a mask, there were no food or beverage services and the patrons were really really kind and compliant. We plan to continue flying and supporting the airline industry. Otherwise, the drive to Seaside from Dallas is around 12 hours if you’d like to tackle it by car.

MALLORY: DRESS| SHOES | SUNGLASS | PURSE STRAP

LANDRY: SHIRT | SHORTS | SHOES | BACKPACK

LAWSON: DRESS | SHOES | BOW

SUITCASE | BACKPACK

We stayed in Watercolor (a neighborhood just north of Seaside) and really really enjoy staying there. There are many amenities and pools that you have access to in Watercolor and it’s a short bike or golf cart ride to Seaside and the beaches. The rentals in Watercolor are pretty pricey, so we usually try to go with family or multiple friends who enjoy vacationing together. If you’d like to read more about our specific rental, here’s the link: 478 East Royal Fern Way

Lots of people asked if the beaches were crowded and the answer to that is yes and no. There were plenty of access points that allowed for 10-20 feet between families. You had to go down a bit further east towards Seagrove and there are multiple entry points off of 30A that were not crowded at all (keep in mind, we were there during the traditionally busiest week of the year). If you wanted to access the Seaside beach access points, you had to rent and reserve chairs for your family. This really allowed them to control how many people were on the beaches at a time, but it’s definitely pricey to do every single day. The Watercolor beach access (down from the Watercolor Inn) were open to all Watercolor guests staying in the neighborhood. Mind you, Watercolor is HUGE and can occupy thousands of guests at a time, so we found that these beaches were the most crowded since you weren’t required to rent chairs. Just as an FYI of what to expect if you are staying in Watercolor.

SWIMSUIT TOP | SWIMSUIT BOTTOM | JELLY BANGLES |HAT | TOWEL

This was from one of our days down on the beaches in Seagrove. It was so beautiful! Y’all, I wore this hat the entire time and absolutely loved it! Score it on Amazon HERE.

MALLORY: SWIMSUIT TOP | SWIMSUIT BOTTOM | HAT | SUNGLASSES

LANDRY: SWIMSUIT (SIMILAR)

LAWSON: SWIMSUIT (SIMILAR) | BOW

DAN: SWIMSUIT

Frequently Asked Question: What were restaurants like?

We were with a large group of over 10 people, so we really went in with the mindset that we wouldn’t be going out for many meals anyway, but here are a few things that we noticed:

Nearly EVERY one of our favorite restaurants required reservations and most were already booked. We did luck out by grabbing a few spots that had been cancelled when our family snuck away for a few dinners. If you want to eat at places like Great Southern, they are booking reservations through their website and told me that quite a few are cancelled day of and up for grabs if you keep checking.

On the same noted nearly every single restaurant had takeout menus and processes down to a science and also had outdoor, more distanced tables to dine in.

The food trucks in Seaside were OPEN and even had mobile pick up options.

We certainly never went hungry and thought that they did a great job. Here are a few of our go-to spots that are more central to Seaside: Great Southern, Stinkys Fish Camp, Seagrove Market, Perfect Pig, Pizza by the Sea, Donut Hut, Pickles…lots more, but these are family favs!

MALLORY : DRESS | SHOES | HEADBAND| SUNGLASSES | PURSE STRAP

LANDRY: SHIRT | BAG | SHOES

LAWSON: SHOES | BOW

Frequently Asked Question: Were stores open?

Yes, everything was open but most had a customer limit in place and a mask mandate. There were long and tedious lines to get into stores like Seaside Style and Duckies, which I did feel like prevented us from spending money in Seaside. Of course, I understand why, I just wish that we could have better supported the local businesses.

LANDRY : SWIMSUIT (SIMILAR) | SHOES

LAWSON: COVER UP | SHOES

BEACH TOY

Frequently Asked Question: What were grocery stores like?

They were crowded, but again there are options. You can still use services like Instacart there and schedule grocery delivery. Otherwise, we did not note that anything was sold out or that shelves were empty. We were able to get any and everything we needed and felt like the grocery store there was doing a great job!

LAWSON: FIRST SWIMSUIT (SIMILAR) | SECOND SWIMSUIT | PUDDLE JUMPER

Frequently Asked Question: What’s the place with the water slides?

That’s one of the pools in Watercolor called “Camp Watercolor” and it’s absolutely amazing! It’s newly renovated as of last year and is probably one of the girls’ favorite things! There’s a lazy river, 2 story waterslide, smaller waterslide and 2 huge pools. There’s also a full service bar and restaurant there and is a MAJOR perk to staying in Watercolor, especially if you have younger kids as it’s a great alternative to the beach.

MALLORY: DRESS | SHOES | HEADBAND | SUNGLASSES | PURSE STRAP

LANDRY : SHIRT

LAWSON: BOW

DAN: SHIRT

MORE FAQ:

MALLORY: DRESS | SHOES | SUNGLASSES

LANDRY: SHIRT | SHOES

LAWSON: ROMPER | SHOES | BOW

MALLORY : CREAM SET | SHOES | NECKLACE (SIMILAR) | EARRINGS | SUNGLASSES

LANDRY: SHIRT

LAWSON: SHIRT | BOW

DAN: SHIRT | SHORTS

Frequently Asked Question: Do you need bikes and a golf cart?

If you are staying within 100 feet of 30A, no I think it’s totally walkable. If you are staying in Watercolor or a surrounding neighborhood or at over 1/4mile from the beach—my answer is YES! I prefer a golf cart, but bikes are always fun too. There are tons of rental companies that will drop off and pick them up at your actual address too, so it’s really painless.