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Taking the Twins:
Destination—Seaside, Florida
“Dolphin alert! Dolphin alert!” My seven-year-old son came rushing from the water, dragging his boogie board behind him. “Look!” he commanded, pointing out over the ocean.
Obeying, I scanned the waves, shielding my eyes from the mid-day sun. Suddenly about 300 yards out at sea I witnessed a large, shiny black creature arching triumphantly through the air before splashing back down in the water. We gasped in unison with each acrobatic trick as the dolphin made his way westward along the horizon. My son said it was the most magnificent site he had ever seen. I agreed wholeheartedly. And to think, all this excitement and it was only our first day in Seaside, Florida.
Barely visible along the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s panhandle coastline, Seaside is a great spot for a leisurely family vacation. Without a high-rise, mini-mall, or Pottery Barn in sight, and delightfully deserted powdery white beaches generous in size, Seaside makes the perfect playground for kids of all ages. It’s a planned community conceived almost 30 years ago designed to capture t he essence of an old-fashioned southern town—brightly painted cottages each with a grand front porch and white picket fence radiate from the town’s center (every home is within walking distance to downtown), an eclectic collection of clothing stores, art galleries, and cafes, all anchored by a small Greek Revival post office and an open-air amphitheater where one evening we laid out under the stars for a free concert.
With its narrow bricked streets Seaside is perfect for strolling especially if you have an ice cream cone in hand (try the gelato from Heavenly Shortcakes located in the Central Square), or exploring by bike. (Rentals are also available in Central Square.)
Although you can easily get lost meandering among the sandy back walkways overgrown with sea grass and fragrant verbena, or past Seaside’s signature cottages, each an architectural gem, all roads lead to the beach. Literally. At the end of each residential lane stands an individually designed pavilion, artful staircases that guide beach-goers from street to sand while carefully protecting the area’s endangered sand dunes.
Although built as the quintessential American town, only a handful of Seaside homeowners stay year round; many instead rent out their digs to tourists like us through Seaside Cottage Rental Agency (phone: 800-277-8696). Choices range from romantic one-bedroom, beach-front “Honeymoon Cottages” to sprawling six-bedroom bungalows. Our brood—six adults and five children—opted for a four-bedroom oceanfront home called Outside the Box. Located directly next to a beach pavilion (unfortunately one of the more garish of the bunch), the beach became an extension of the home, a backyard retreat for the kids. If you’d like, the rental office will set up daily maid service (yes, thank you, we did) and room service (they’ll even pack you a picnic lunch for the beach). You can enroll the little ones in Camp Seaside, too, a daytime program of arts and crafts as well as sports.
The town also includes several community pools complete with steamer-style lounge chairs and complimentary towels, a lush croquette course straight out of the English countryside, and even clay tennis courts—all for visitors to enjoy. (They thought of everything, didn’t they?) But it’s the quiet, laid-back rhythm of Seaside that is so contagious. You instinctively unwind and begin to notice the little things like how wind swirls the sand across the sidewalk or the sound it makes rustling through the dunes.
Every morning I rose with the sun to explore Seaside solo when her colors seem to glow. First stop, downtown and Modica Market (Central Square) to watch barefoot beachcombers on bikes get their fix of café lattes and cinnamon buns. The sole grocer in town, Modica’s floor-to-ceiling gleaming white shelves burst with gourmet treats. Unfortunately, you have to pay for all that charm. ($5 for a gallon of milk?) Nonetheless, Mr. Modica’s southern friendliness (“Did ya’all find everything ya need?”) more than makes up for the big-city prices. On my way home, I’d follow families heading for a day at the beach, nearly everyone pulling wagons full of kids.
Our kids had their own daily agenda, too. By 10 a.m., prepared for their short trek to the beach, my boys and their cousins loaded with boogie boards, fishing nets, and beach shovels would dart across the pavilion and directly into the water. The Gulf’s warm temperatures and calm surf (only one day did Hurricane Erika, passing through Texas, make for tenuous conditions) were perfect for sea exploration and body surfing.
Evenings brought another favorite family pastime—lounging. We’d sit for hours on our enormous third-floor covered deck with a panoramic water view watching dozens of dragonflies dart among the sand dunes and flocks of pelicans flying by in formation as the sun dipped carefully into the Gulf. (It’s worth noting that many of Seaside’s homes have observation towers ensuring that nearly everyone has a view.) Or we’d watch in awe as huge thunderclouds would roll across the horizon and scream with joy with each mighty clap of thunder and shocking bolt of lightning. On clear nights, we’d often head to the beach with flashlights for a bit of crab hunting along the water’s edge.
With all that entertainment it was hard to leave. But a family’s got to eat. Not a problem—just a short, lazy stroll to the center of town and we were quickly satiated. At Bud and Alley’s (phone: 850-231-5900), for instance, we didn’t go wrong with a Basque style seafood stew brimming with the sweetest clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. At Shades (phone: 850-231-1950), a family-friendly eatery with a large outdoor deck, we attacked my brother-in-laws’ spicy shrimp—tender and sweet, yet packed with a fiery punch. (We had to order another.) But the real surprise came at lunchtime when I happened upon the Hurricane Oyster Bar (phone: 850-534-0376), a little lunch counter located right off the beach. “What’s good?” I asked the blonde college kid working in the tightly packed kitchen.
“Here,” he said, proudly handing me a sample of seafood gumbo. “It’s the best in the south.” And he was right—rich and buttery bursting with shrimp and crab. I came back the next day for more.
Although the sun and sand beckoned my family, so did the shops in town. (Every kid has to have a souvenir!) At bow wow meow (Central Square), a tiny establishment in the devoted to cat and dog lovers, my youngest son fell in love with a remarkably soft stuffed kitten (we call her Cosmo). We loaded up on logo T-shirts, hats, postcards, and pencils at The Seaside Store (Four Corners). It took a bribe of ice cream to get my sons out of Quincy (Quincy Circle), a shop bursting with unusual educational toys and art supplies. I, on the other hand, favored shopping the art galleries (Newbill Collection by the Sea located along Early Morning Hours was my favorite) and the open-air Perspicacity, where a collection of whitewashed cabanas and large, canvas umbrellas display fun, summer fashions and accessories.
By the end of the week, it was hard to leave. Yes, Seaside has a somewhat Disney-like contrived façade (perhaps that’s why Hollywood chose it as the setting for the film, The Truman Show). Everything from the color of the houses to the ubiquitous picket fences has been carefully created, but it certainly doesn’t detract from its appeal. Yet it does make one wonder if Seaside’s really a resort built to embody a small city, or a town molded after a five-star hotel.
Good question. But don’t think too hard about it. Just enjoy.
—Christina Tinglof, editor
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