This day started out just as beautiful as the one before. Still shacked up at the Seafarer Beach Resort, we slept in til sunrise, started packing up our things, and took one last stroll down the beach before heading out to see Siesta Key, the world famous beach nearby that is known for its powdery white sands….(and oodles of people!!).👀 I’ll also talk about St. Augustine in this post, and why we would consider one day being enough to explore there.✨
Siesta Key vs Manasota Key: A Completely Different Beach Experience
It was bitter sweet to leave the resort, as it was truly one of the best places we’ve ever had the privilege of staying. (Check out my last post on Day 12 to hear more about this hidden gem!) But, as we said goodbye, we looked forward to seeing a completely different beach just about an hour down the road…only to realize that we were super grateful for finding Manasota Key instead!
Sure, Siesta Key has some highlights of its own. It’s got the kind of sand that makes you feel like you’re walking in a sandbox as a kid again. It’s got the incredible cityscape behind and surrounding the beach that I’m sure make the nights feel lit up in the best way. And, it also has a HUGE beach area that allows you to bring friends, families, and loved ones while giving plenty of room for activities like frisbee or room for your pup to play along without getting too close to anyone’s spots or the water.
BUT.
Day 12: A Relaxing Beach Day in Manasota Key and Why We’re Already Planning to Go Back
Siesta Key Beach Is HUGE
Again, it was just one of those places that was a little too crowded for us. The further we got to the water, the more we realized that we actually got super lucky with finding the best place on Manasota Key that fit our vibe instead of feeling crowded here again like we did in Miami.
When I say the beach is huge, like, I mean huge. Siesta Key can reach widths of around 0.5-1 mile!! While Manasota Key for reference, only stretches to about 0.25 mile at its widest points. However, I did like that the water seemed better to swim in if that’s what you wanted to go for, since it was shallow much further out and a bit more calm. Manasota Beach drops off after a few feet into the water, while Siesta continues on for a while allowing space for things like water sports and other activities.
…It also smelled like sulfur from the rotting seaweed. So, not great. 😅
We really wanted to make time to see the Kennedy Space Center during this trip. We thought it would be super cool to see a rocket launch from Cocoa Beach, and spend the day visiting the space center. But, since we thought we’d be short on time doing this, we decided to keep it for our next trip, (or just fly down for the weekend to view the launch!) so that we could spend ample time actually enjoying the space center in its entirety and allowing enough time as well to get good spots in the sand when it came to be launch time. (Hooray for thoughtful planning instead of rushing!)😂
Therefore, we continued on northeast toward the oldest city in the US, St. Augustine, Florida. It was nice to actually arrive in daylight again, (something that wasn’t happening too often especially since it was the winter season with daylight savings making dark arrive more quickly). After arriving around 3pm, we decided this is where we’d spend the rest of the day and evening, so we parked, found a park bench near the bay to sit down at, and booked a local Airbnb overlooking a marina.
Southern Series Day 11: Theme Park Detour and a Hidden Gem Airbnb
Exploring St. Augustine: Castillo de San Marcos & A Hidden Gem
We grabbed some INCREDIBLE hot chocolate from Kookaburra, (I really wish I’d have bought a whole bag! But yay because you can do this from their website!! Check it out here!), and then continued on toward the local touristy sites. We stopped at a pretty cool shipwreck museum, that offered a lot of info on the Titanic as well, and then headed toward Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a 1600s Spanish fortress that still stands tall today.
It was incredible to see the views from the top, and walk around inside where they had tons of information lining the walls about the past here. (I shared a few videos and pics of this on social, so check it out if you want a better idea of what it was like to walk around there!)
Hours & Pricing:
Adults 16+: $15 (which is valid for 7 days!)
Kids 15 & Under: Free! Woohoo for learning!
Open: Daily 8:45 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (Dec 25)
Now. Make sure if you have one, to bring your America The Beautiful Pass, so you can save on entry! If you don’t already have one however, check out this link for REI to snag one online before your next trip to one of the 63 national parks! (It also includes 2,000 federal recreation sites!)🤯
Southern Series Day 10: Everglades, Easy Days, and Slowing the Pace
Once we got our fill of being tourists for a bit, we headed back to the Airbnb and changed for dinner. It was chillier here, much different than our beach days the last week, 😩 so we got dressed and took the advice of the locals to try out Caps on The Water. Guys. This restaurant was yet again, one of the best.
Pro Tip: Always get food recommendations from the locals! They never disappoint!
There was complimentary valet parking, impeccable service, and the food was literally to die for. I wish it wasn’t like a bajillion states away because it was one of the best seafood dinners I’d ever had. (And I’m not even a huge seafood person!!) They also had a mocktail selection which is 🤌, and delicious dessert options as well.
Once we finished, we realized that St. Augustine is one of the best places known for its “Nights of Lights!” It’s supposed to be one of the largest in the world…but we were kind of surprised there wasn’t more than there was. 🤷♀️ Still, it was super pretty to walk around and listen to the Christmas music still playing outdoors, and of course, we had to grab some more hot chocolate from our new favorite drink joint.☕️
Like most touristy towns though, it had one main street that reminded us again of places like New Orleans, Miami, and Key West. This was cool, but we were kind of burned out from this scene, so we took off back to the room and settled in for the night.
Check below the next set of pics if you’re interested in seeing today’s expenses! It was a little more than expected, but looking back, it looks like a pattern formed of the touristy places stacking up more spending for those days. It was great to experience, but again, if you’re on a budget trip like we were, (since we were trying to extend the days spent away), it’s best to just pass through these towns and leave the tourist trips for long weekends or when you want to spend a little more time and moolah in one place. 💁♀️
Southern States Road Trip Expenses for Day 13:
- Chick-Fil-A: $13.57
- Buc-ee’s (Fuel): $75.00
- Hot chocolate: $14.45
- Hot chocolate (again): $18.70
- Parking: $2.00
- Park pass: $30.00
- Sprouts: (grocery restock): $22.50
- Airbnb: $132.69
- Caps (dinner): $172.39
- Valet tip: $20.00
- Parking for lights: $20.00
- Shipwreck Museum: $31.95
- The Shell Shop (souvenier): $14.80
- Museum: $21.30
- Total: $589.35
Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with us. Whether you’re planning your own trip or just enjoying the ride, we’re so grateful you’re here and can’t wait to share what’s next.
