Creating the perfect girls’ trip can often be daunting and require a ton of research and planning. Luckily for you, we’ve curated the perfect places for you to check out while you drive down the scenic Florida route 30A.
Food and Drink
Start the trip with delicious food and incredible drinks! Here’s a list of some great places to try:
Neat
Neat is a must-try for its enticing and festive cocktails. They have specialized menus with adorable drinks themed to the month you are visiting. Their October menu has specialized Halloween-themed beverages that will get you in the spooky spirit. The drinks this year are all themed after popular scary shows and films, all featuring a different stand-out spirit. These include True Blood, The Witching Hour, the Pumpkinhead, the Cabin in the Woods, and the We All Float Down Here. Of course, there is also a variety of wine, beer, and traditional cocktails, if none of the featured drinks wet your whistle. The menu also features various small bites as well as cheese and meat boards to snack on while enjoying your drinks.
In addition to the bar, you will want to check out the bottle shop that features an exceptional collection of spirits, craft beers, and wines. The staff is highly knowledgeable and will ensure you find the right product for your needs.
On Tuesdays from 5 pm to 7 pm, make sure to check out their “Neat Wine & Song,” which offers tableside wine tastings alongside live music.
Pescado
Pescado, located in Rosemary Beach, is a rooftop bar overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, giving you some of the most amazing views to enjoy while sipping delicious handcrafted cocktails. Favorites include the Cheeky-Tiki, a blend of Appleton estate rum, Pimm’s, lime, coconut, and falernum, and the Renewed Vows, a mixture of Corazon Blanco tequila, cantaloupe, serrano, and lime. Make sure to also ask for the fantastic off-menu drink, “Amy’s Special!”
If you would like to keep it more simple, they also offer an assortment of wines, spirits, and beers.
Hungry? Make sure to head downstairs to their excellent seafood grill and sample some delicious food and out-of-this-world desserts.
Bud n’ Alleys
Make sure you check out Bud n’ Alleys in Seaside to enjoy some sunset cocktails while overlooking the gulf. The popular destination, which initially opened in 1987, has something for everyone. Their extensive list of specialty drinks includes everything from blood orange margaritas, coconut mojitos, bloody marys, and lime martinis, to a Peanut Butter Bushwhacker, a ‘Horse Soldier’ blackberry smash, and a Seaside Fizz. They serve traditional drinks as well, and offer a lengthy wine menu.
You may come for the white sandy beaches and gorgeous views, but the drinks and food will have you coming back for years to come!
Citizen
The Citizen is a coastal tavern serving up some of the best Florida local fares. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, and on Sundays, you can enjoy a delicious brunch while relaxing on the coast. Their food is inspired by cuisine around the world, offering a variety of menu items.
Dinner is particularly phenomenal, with items ranging from land to sea. The raw bar includes oysters on the half-shell, a grilled Hawaiian prawn cocktail, and a yellowfin tuna poke. For appetizers, enjoy char-grilled Spanish octopus, wagyu beef tartare, pork fried rice, and whipped feta. Main courses include dishes such as smoked short rib pastrami, black grouper, mushroom bourguignon, and butternut squash agnolotti. They also offer a variety of sides like mac and cheese, creamy grits, charred broccoli, and collard greens. Make sure you save room for dessert in order to try the Atlantic beach pie or bananas foster bread pudding.
They also offer a long menu of drinks to perfectly pair with whatever dinner combination you choose.
Borago
Borago in Grayton beach is the perfect spot for delicious Italian cuisine. It is a classic trattoria with a contemporary flair, and their homemade food is sure to remind you of your nonna’s cooking. The restaurant is popular with the locals and is constantly voted one of 30A’s hottest spots for Italian cuisine.
Start your dinner with a creamy tomato bisque or homemade focaccia bread. For your main course, try the pan-seared scallops with soft cheese polenta and roasted tomato butter sauce, or perhaps a freshly made pasta dish, such as the three-meat bolognese with cheese tortellini or the eggplant lasagna for vegetable lovers.
They are also known for their signature cocktails, so make sure to order one while waiting for your food to be prepared.
Where to Shop
Shopping while on 30A is an absolute must, and most of the shops are bikeable from one end to the other on the “Timpoochee Trail” that lines the highway. Some favorites are:
Willow
Willow is an upscale boutique in Rosemary Beach and their clothing style is city-meets-beach. They have everything you need for a casual day exploring the coast or for spending a night out on the town. Their color palette ranges from mutable tones to bright and flashy. Their clothes are trendy but with a vintage look and feel that will be sure to get heads turning.
Alongside the clothes are stunning accessories and shoes to help complete your outfit and have you leaving the shop in perfect style.
Disco
For fun and apparel and accessories, you will definitely want to check out Disco. They stock a variety of trendy brands including Fresh Laundry, Auguste, Lack of Color, Jeffrey Cambell, Crosby, Indah, Cecelia, and more. They offer hip and classic clothes with bursts of color that are beautifully crafted.
Along with clothes, they feature a variety of handbags, shoes, and accessories to finish off your look. No matter what pieces you choose, everyone will want to know where you got them.
Oko
Oko at the Hub features gorgeous kaftans and on-trend pieces as well as their exclusive line, which is sustainably made in the Dominican Republic. Oko stands for equipped to Overcome, demonstrate Kindness, and give Opportunity, and was created by sisters Katie Frankum and Abbie Boatwright in pursuit of creating something that was bigger than them both.
They offer unique and trendy items that will definitely have you standing out in a crowd. They are a bit on the pricier side, but it's worth it for the well-crafted clothes and accessories that will last a lifetime.
They also provide personal styling for those who need it and carry other brands that are complementary to their own in their stores. You can even subscribe to the OKO box to have personalized items sent to you at home through their style quiz.
Mercantile
Mercantile is located in Seaside and has cozy staples, gorgeous dresses, options for men, and a few home goods! Their store is always stocked with the latest fashion trends and offers hip clothes that are also comfortable to wear.
Along with clothes, you can also find tons of specialty items such as mugs, signs, ornaments, notebooks, and more. Whether you are buying for yourself or shopping for gifts to take back home, this store has everything you will need.
Becasa
Becasa is a new and notable store on 30A in Inlet Beach. Designer Emily is a native Floridian who hopes to share the magic of the coast she experienced as a child through her clothing. Each and every item is a personal expression for Emily as each pattern and fabric she uses tells a different unique story. Her clothes are meant to enrich her clients' everyday lives and make them feel amazing and confident in their own skin.
You can shop at Becasa for beautiful home goods, jewelry, and beachy linen staples. Their featured garments are all made in the United States, while the other pieces of the collection are hand-selected by artisans and merchants all over the world.
Where to Relax
Obviously, the beach is always a must when enjoying the sun, but nothing is more relaxing and rejuvenating than a day at the spa. Some great places to unwind include:
Vivo
Vivo offers a variety of different treatments that are individually suited to reflect your needs. They offer everything from facials, peels, body scrubs, cellulite reduction, sunless tans, waxing, and a plethora of massages. Each treatment has the ability to be enhanced for an extra cost, and you can even book an in-home massage. You can easily spend a whole day being pampered and relaxing to your heart's content.
Hotel Effie
Hotel Effie is a new and notable hotel in Sandestin, and one thing they give major attention to is the luxurious Spa Liliana. They offer personalized experiences including signature wellness treatments, skincare, body treatments, massage, treatments for two, a gentleman's spa experience, enhancements, nail care, waxing, hair, and make-up.
Block off your full day to try a variety of different treatments, leaving you relaxed and revitalized. End your trip with getting your hair, make-up, and nails did and you’ll be instantly ready for a night out on the town.
Henderson Beach Resort
The Henderson Beach Resort’s Salamander Spa is perfect for a day of lounging and recuperating after long days in the sunshine with your best girls. They offer a unique health and wellness journey tailored to your specific needs. Their experienced staff members use some of the world’s most innovative modalities and healing techniques to leave you feeling restored, revived and inspired.
They offer private treatment rooms, a wet area with an experiential shower, a whirlpool tub, a Himalayan salt suite, and a full-service salon. The wide array of treatments will leave you rejuvenated; body, mind, and soul.
If you are interested in real estate along 30A, contact Sarah Davidson at Twin Palms Luxury Collective to book an appointment.
