This time last week 
I had been to Navarre Beach once before with some girlfriends (I even wrote a post about that visit), but when I went previously the weather was not really great and we only stayed for less than 48 hours. Given it is an easy drive from Atlanta and I wanted a second chance to enjoy the quiet beach, I figured why not book a place and keep it simple going somewhere I was at least somewhat familiar with. As much as I love to explore new spots, some trips the comfort of knowing what to expect is just as important. Luckily
Our rented condo was less than a quarter mile from the beach, making it an easy walk to get over to take that first step onto the sand as soon as we got down there on Friday. There's nothing quite like dropping your stuff off and breathing in that sea air after being in the car all afternoon!
I'll probably repeat myself multiple times in this post, but the weather was absolutely PERFECT. Seriously. I don't know how we got so lucky, but I couldn't have hoped for better weather for the visit. Cool in the evenings, nice breeze the whole time, and plenty of sunshine during the day with some cloud cover at times to keep it from getting too hot while still allowing for comfortable bathing suit temperatures.
The first evening we walked over to the Santa Rosa Sound side of the island, as it is nice to be sandwiched between water on two sides. The sunset was lovely, though it was pretty crazy to see some of the damage left over from hurricane season. Another tropical storm is blowing through now, so I hope there's not too much more damage with this one.
We got up and had breakfast in the condo Saturday morning before heading over to the beach to pick our spot for the day. There was a decent amount of people around, but it is getting into the off season so much more quiet than it can get in the height of summer travel. Which is exactly how we like it.
Did I mention yet the weather was stunning? Saturday was especially calm, so the water was so relaxing to just sit and watch. Though we did get excited to see dolphins again! We saw one jump totally out of the water Friday evening when we got down there, and continued to see them every day we were there. I know for people who grow up on the water it is a normal occurrence, but I was tickled to see them so often. You can just see the fin of one in the picture above.
We pretty much spent the whole day outside under the umbrella or walking along the beach with a midday break to eat some lunch. We went back up to the condo in the late afternoon to shower before heading out to grab some food at the grocer store and coming back out to the beach for sunset. You can't go to the beach and not catch a few sunrises/sunsets.
The hardest part about going on vacation as a couple is having to take selfies to get photos of both of you. He's a good sport at least, and I try not to get totally obnoxious about it.
One of the great things about Navarre is the running/biking path along the main road. I don't mind getting a run in on the beach, but the sand there is quite soft and challenging to run in so the path is a great option. You still get plenty of nice beach vibes while actually being able to get in a good run. I took Saturday morning off but got up with the sunrise Sunday for 6 miles and Monday for some sprints.
The running definitely gets you thirsty for some beach mimosas later on, though. 😉
The last night we drove down to the pier to take some sunset shots from a different perspective. A nice lady was kind enough to offer to take our picture so we actually got one photo with both of us in it!
It was a beautiful final evening, with plenty more glimpses of the dolphins getting their dinner. I took so many photos, but I tried to only pick out the ones I liked best to share so this wasn't a ridiculously long post. Sunsets are always fun to take a lot of shots and see the progression of the sun falling below the horizon.
The birds like this pelican enjoy the pier since there are a lot of people fishing of off the end, as well. It is kind of fun to see them so close and they are very used to being around people.
All in all it was a great trip. Just long enough to really relax, but not so long that I started getting antsy about coming home. Three full days at the beach is just about right. Much needed after the stress of this year, though it is something that is always beneficial. Since I am essentially self-employed with no vacation or sick pay when I take off, it really is a challenge to force myself to take time away. I hope this trip broke the seal again to make me get back in the habit of planning even just short trips to recharge my batteries.
Up next--a girls weekend in the mountains coming soon!
Join The Best Natural Health Community on Hive