Skip to main content

Missing the Beach


Fall is slowly giving way to winter. The cooler weather makes me reminisce about warm summer days and beach vacations. Not much beats the feeling of warm, soft sand between the toes and the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing softly. For me, the ideal vacation involves renting a condo on a white, sandy beach and spending my days under an umbrella, reading book after book.

My husband and I have found one spot that we both love to visit, Perdido Key, FL. It's about 20 minutes from the hustle and bustle, family attraction of Gulf Shores, AL. It's quiet, with no "main" strip of bumper to bumper traffic. There are only a few restaurants to choose from, and the condos are all on the beach and not towering.

We typically try to go over Memorial Day weekend. It's still very calm and quiet. The weather is pleasant with no threats of hurricanes. Renting a condo is ideal; it allows us to cook in almost every meal. This saves money and is also healthier. We also choose a condo with some sort of gym. Even though we are on vacation, we do try to stay healthy and active (for the most part).

The first day is usually our first "eat out day." We'll hit the grocery store (and liquor store), then indulge in pizza (typically). Then, it's all about relaxing on the balcony, listening to the waves. In general, we make no set plans. It's vacation; it's about relaxing and not worrying about time, timelines, timeframes. The only agenda we have is to relax.

We typically get in a run in the mornings, allowing ourselves to sleep in if we choose. Breakfast is overlooking the ocean from our balcony. Then we head directly to the beach with books in tow. Lunch is back at the condo, on the balcony of course. Dinner is usually had on the balcony, again. We plan for 2-3 meals out, all others in. One day, usually on a rain day, will be shopping at the outlet mall in Foley, AL. I am a sucker for an Ann Taylor Outlet store.

While most people use vacations as an excuse to eat out and put exercise on hold, we do try to hold true to our typical routines. We both enjoy cooking, and nothing beats cooking your favorite meals and enjoying them with a bottle of wine overlooking the peaceful ocean.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Mid-Week Mix-Up - Disconnecting to Reconnect

Another Double Workout This morning I got up when Jason got up to go to swim. The plan was to do Cathe's MMA Kickboxing DVD then do back and triceps at lunch or after work. I really needed a day off from running - I had run 5 days straight. And wouldn't you know it that my cross-training day also happens to be the first morning in months that it was in the low 60's. Really? Talk about bad timing. I almost feel like I let the universe down by not taking advantage of the crazy cool temps. And of course they go right back up the rest of the week. Humph.... But, I listened to my body, my feet, my piriformis...all telling me to not run. So, I didn't. I did my kickboxing workout (sulking just a bit I won't lie). But it was a good way to "kick" off the morning. During lunch, I ran home to get in my back and triceps weights done. I went with my same back and triceps workout as last week. No gym means no assisted pullups or barbell rows. So, I do worry a bit

Workout Wednesday - Body Blaster Tabata

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post: Be Kinder to Your Body. Calories are Not the Enemy . It sounds like it resonated with many of you. Today I wanted to share a new workout with you. I've been working on interval workouts for some of my clients. I try to give them the most bang for their buck (time). I know that in an ideal world, we would all have time to do longer workouts. There would never be scheduling conflicts, sick husbands or kids, or sick us. In reality, workouts need to be effective and efficient. And they don't have to be lengthy to be effective and efficient either. There's no need to spend hours in a gym to get in a good workout. Interval workouts like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or tabata, or even interval running are great ways to get in a fantastic workout in a short amount of time and have many benefits. You can read more about Tabata workouts  here . The benefits of this type of work