Misc.

I went to Florida!

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

You guys, this little weekend getaway to Florida with my lady friend was the most fun ever. I think it has to do a little bit with the whole summerland beach-ville situation, and a lot to do with the fact that Kathy and I have the EXACT same idea of what makes a vacation fun. We are on the same page with beach runs, naps, calzone emergencies, big breakfasts, and pitchers of beer with lunch.

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

We flew into Tampa Wednesday night and stopped at Datz for dinner. Kathy found it online and chose it based on their food names. (Things like a sandwich called a Havana Hottie, and more.) I was craving a salad like whoa so I ordered the Cuban. It had ham, swiss, and cuban bread on top! It was GOOD. (I’m going to make a remix for the blog soon!)

Thursday we gazed at the beach (Watching the ocean made me feel so happy. Like I wanted to compliment or hug everyone I saw.), and then headed down to St. Armand’s Circle to get breakfast at the Blue Dolphin Cafe. This place is so good! They had tasty specials like crab benedict and banana’s foster french toast. (Totally making that soon too.)

Le Macaron has the prettiest chocolates! Vacation means dessert after breakfast, right? I got the freckled Cookies & Cream chocolate and Kathy had the heart-topped raspberry chocolate.

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

After breakfast, we drove over to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and fed the cray-cray coy, wanted to hug bonsai trees, sipped on strawberry smile iced tea, and had lady talk among super tall bamboo shoots. We then hopped in our little champagne-colored Corolla and headed to Treasure Island to hang with one of Kathy’s long-time friends. This is where the night gets ridiculous. It included tasty shaved ice, a few big beers, a super-weird dancing singer dude trying to get me to sing along to Brown Eyed Girl (never going to happen, I rolled the microphone down the  bar), giant jenga (I lost 3 out of 4 times), and singing along with Mariah Carey.

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

On the way back to Sarasota, Friday morning,  I took this photo of the Bilmar because it is just so pretty! (That type! That yellow, those palm trees!) We decided to carb-load calzone-style at lunch, ice cream it up, and buy earrings. We drank sparkly sangria with dinner and it made me remember that I can’t wait to make this watermelon sangria and that I just want it to be summer, ya know? There was also a fella there who looked JUST like Johnny Bravo, and there were these pickled white asparagus of doom that we sent back for being super ugly and moosh-ville.

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

Saturday was the most perfect day. I think sometimes, you just need to have a touch of summer in winter to remember it exists. We went for a run, beached it up, and kayaked. Kayaking was my favorite, I think! (There are no photos of this adventure since our phones were locked up in a dry box, but we saw a manatee noggin, held a starfish, spotted Judge Judy’s house, and bugged the hell out of the guide, probably. You see, we couldn’t see the manatee so I called it a mana-tease, and when he mentioned the part of the water known as the “manatee highway” we asked if it was for their work commute.) BUT it was so fun! We went through tunnels and sunburnt our left sides, and didn’t even fall out.

We should’ve brought snacks kayaking because about 10 minutes after we left our stomachs were rumbling like whoa. Good thing the Daiquiri Deck could seat us right away out no the patio after because I needed a crab cake sandwich like you wouldn’t believe.

I went to Florida! // take a megabite

Sunday morning we woke up at Kathy’s friend’s house only to find she’d picked oranges from her neighbor’s tree and was making us freshly picked and squeezed orange juice. (Why don’t I live somewhere where that can happen? Imagine the mimosas!) We stopped at Dough on the way to the airport for cruffins (english muffin, bacon, baked egg deals), red velvet and nutella lattes, and a blueberry donut. We mustered up some singing along to Lady Gaga, but mostly we felt super sad to head home. That’s how you know it was a good vacation, right?

P.S. Photos were all taken with my iPhone and edited using VSCOcam, Afterlight, and Instagram. One or some or all.

P.P.S. Check out my trip recaps for New York, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco if you want!

13 thoughts on “I went to Florida!”

  1. I loved this post! I grew up in Florida (although on the opposite coast), and this made me totally nostalgic. Honestly, I feel the need to compliment your vacationing skills! You really know how to enjoy it properly! I’m dreaming of special breakfasts and leisurely adventuring.

  2. So glad you were able to enjoy a brief, sunny, carb-filled,WARM few days away…it makes coming home to snow..ok. Because we know it won’t last and the sunshine reminds you it.is.coming.someday!! LY

  3. Oh, looks like you had so much fun! So happy for you, that you were able to get away from this terrible weather for a little bit 🙂 Any trip with calzone emergencies is worth remembering. What those cardboard juicebox things you’re sipping at the beach? Coco something? Cocktails?

  4. I’ve been meaning to stop and say, I’ve been mentally planning a trip to Florida since you went. Because, you make it all look so appealing. I can’t wait! Goodness we’ll be missing the ocean, you know. 🙂

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