City ❀ Country ❀ Beach
Florish is a plant based food restaurant in Tampa Bay, Florida located just 10 minutes from downtown Tampa and 30 minutes south of Busch Gardens. It is located in a strip mall, but don’t let that fool you because as soon as you enter the …
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Planning a beach vacation? Don’t know what to pack for a beach vacation? Picture yourself lounging on pristine sandy shores, soaking up the sun, and savoring the gentle breeze. To make the most of your seaside retreat, here are my recommended top 10 beach vacation packing list. It’s essential to pack wisely. Whether you’re heading to a tropical paradise, a serene coastal town, or your local seashore, I’ve curated the ultimate beach vacation checklist for you. For all your beach trip essentials, this beach list will ensure your getaway is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
Nothing ruins a beach vacation faster than a painful sunburn. Protect your skin from harmful UV rays by packing a broad-spectrum safe sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Opt for a waterproof formula to withstand ocean dips and sweat. Don’t forget a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a lightweight, long-sleeved cover-up for added protection during peak sun hours.
One of my favorite cover-ups is the Women’s Portocruz Big Shirt Swim Cover-up from Kohl’s because I like the ease of having the buttons down the front and it is lightweight. Go here to purchase: Women’s Portocruz Big Shirt Swim Cover-up
Pack a variety of swimwear options, including swimsuits, board shorts, and cover-ups. Choose comfortable and quick-drying materials that allow you to move freely. Don’t forget to pack along a sarong or beach dress for easy transitions from the sand to a beachside café.
The men in our home highly recommend the Hurley One and Only Quickdry Rashguard Long Sleeve in white because the white detracts heat, it is UPF 50, and it dries super fast. Go here to purchase: Hurley One and Only Quickdry Rashguard Long Sleeve
Footwear is key when it comes to beach vacations. Flip flops or sandals are perfect for sandy walks and easily slipping on and off. Look for waterproof options with good arch support and non-slip soles for added comfort and safety.
My top recommendation for flip flops that are durable, comfortable, and look good are Olukai Ohana Beach Quick-Dry Flip-Flops. They are water resistant and have an arch to support flat feet. They come with a one year warranty and I literally have never had to use the warranty. I currently own 4 pairs of these! I use them everywhere. There are many colors/styles to choose from. Plus, this company has many men’s choices as well. Go here to purchase: Olukai Ohana Beach Quick-Dry Flip-Flops
A spacious and sturdy beach bag or beach tote is a must-have to carry all your essentials. Look for one with multiple compartments to keep items organized. It should be large enough to fit your towel, sunscreen, water bottle, snacks, and other beach accessories. Opt for a water-resistant material that can handle exposure to sand and water.
The beach bag by iminuo is fantastic because it is a mesh fabric. The mesh filters out the sand so you don’t bring it home with you! It has many compartments for even the smallest things, it’s big in size overall, and has strong straps. It comes in 3 different colors. Go here to purchase: Beach bag
Staying hydrated is crucial under the sun. Pack a reusable water bottle to refill throughout the day. Don’t forget to bring some healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, or granola bars to keep your energy levels up while enjoying the beach.
Walmart has you covered on all your snacks and drinks. With low prices, you can afford to stock up for any impromptu beach day. And, for your beach vacation packing list, snacks and drinks are a must! The heat can make you dehydrated before you even know you’re thirsty so make sure you stay hydrated with essentials like water. Shop here: snacks and drinks
Make the most of your beach time with some entertainment options. Consider packing a good book or e-reader, a portable speaker for your favorite tunes, and a beach-friendly game like a frisbee or beach volleyball. A waterproof phone case or pouch will also protect your device while you capture precious moments by the sea.
Etsy has some really cool waterproof phone pouches that you can personalize with your name on it! What a great idea because it is see-through and handy with a lanyard. Go here to purchase: waterproof phone pouches
High quality beach towels are a must for your beach vacation packing list. I hate bringing in sand into my car and home, therefore I have found the best towels and beach blankets from Tesalate that are sand repellant! This Australian based company carries beautifully designed towels and beach blankets that are super absorbent, durable, lightweight, and compact enough to place in your beach bag. These towels and blankets are also great for water parks, theme parks with water attractions, or at your home swimming pool! Furthermore, with a lifetime guarantee you can’t go wrong. Go here to browse & purchase: Tesalate
If you’re traveling with children, don’t forget to pack some fun things to bring to the beach like beach toys and accessories to keep them entertained. Sandcastle building kits, water guns, and inflatable floats are always a hit. Additionally, consider bringing a waterproof camera to capture the fun-filled moments shared in the water.
This 18 piece beach bucket set from Sam’s Club is so cute and has many pieces to keep the kiddos entertained for a while. Let their creativity thrive while having fun! Go here to purchase: beach bucket
Shield yourself from the sun’s intense rays by bringing a beach umbrella or a portable tent. This will provide a shady spot for relaxation, especially during the hottest hours of the day. Look for lightweight and easy-to-assemble options that offer UV protection.
Sam’s Club again has you covered on this. There are 2 choices that are great. If you want a beach umbrella, the vibrant color of the 8′ blue/green umbrella is a great choice for an extra large coverage of shade. Go here to purchase this one: beach umbrella
If you want even greater coverage, Sam’s Club has the 10′ x 10′ canopy that will do just the trick. This canopy only takes one person to set it up! It’s water resistant, fire retardant, and UV protected. If you have a large gathering, this canopy will serve for up to 12 people! Go here to purchase this one: canopy
Accidents can happen anywhere, including the beach. Prepare for minor injuries by packing a basic first aid kit. Include band-aids, antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, pain relievers, and any necessary prescription medications. It’s better to be safe than sorry. And, although this may sounds a bit odd, pack a mustard packet. If someone were to step on a jellyfish, and at certain times of the year they are populated, mustard will ward off the sting. You just never know and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Go here to purchase: First Aid Kit, On-The-Go from Walgreens. I recommend this one because it has everything you can think of for peace of mind. Just add the packet of mustard!
Plus, right now for a limited time, this product qualifies for a special perk! If you spend $30 on Healthy Summer products you receive $10 Walgreens cash reward!
A beach vacation is a time to relax, unwind, and enjoy the natural beauty of the coastline. By incorporating these top 10 beach vacation packing list travel tips you can ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience under the sun. From sun protection and swimwear to beach entertainment and first aid supplies, all these items will have you fully prepared for a memorable beach trip. So, gather your belongings, embrace the salty breeze, and get ready to create unforgettable memories on the sandy shores.
For an extra special touch to your summer this year, check out the Pura Vida products that are perfect for the beach! I personally wear them and love them so much that I became a Brand Ambassador. 🔆 Click on the photo below to check out all the awesome products! My favorite are the anklets!
Are you planning to take your pet with you for an exciting vacation out of state with the rest of the family? While some pets love to travel, it can be stressful if they are not properly prepared for the trip. Long car and plane …
This bakery beat Bobby Flay with their empanadas on the Food Network! When I found out they had a location in my hometown, I just had to try it for myself. This is the view from the street when I arrived. I wasn’t expecting the …
If you’ve never been on a cruise and just want to try one out, I highly recommend going on the Margaritaville at Sea cruise where it’s 5’oclock all the time. It’s Jimmy Buffet’s themed cruise and it is so much fun! If you do your research you might run into pros and cons, but as someone who has cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, I will attest that this was a great, short, and fun cruise and I highly recommend it! It is smaller overall from other liners, but it has all the bells and whistles you’ll love.
The Margaritaville at Sea cruise only does 2 night/3 day cruises and they do have sailings throughout the week. They also have many affordable packages. The down side is that you do need to read what’s not included because you will pay for taxes, fees, port expenses, fuel charges, gratuities, and valet. I call these musts. Then there are extras like soda, bar beverages, casino, excursions, specialty dining, and phone calls. On our cruise, aside from the musts, we paid for one soda package and one cell phone device to make calls.
If you are either an educator, military, police, or first responder, make sure you check out the Heroes Sail Free program! You will get a free cruise per year, minus the musts and extras. I got approved as an ACSI valid certificate holder and substitute teacher!
Let me start at what we did at the port of Grand Bahama. You do not need to make any excursions directly with Margaritaville at Sea cruise unless you really want to. When we arrived at the Grand Bahama island (the only port Margaritaville by Sea docks at), there are many locals who you can tell what you want to do/experience. Since we live in Florida and only 10 minutes to the beach, we wanted to explore the island and what Freeport has to offer.
Unfortunately, Grand Bahama was still recovering from the destruction of many hurricanes. Therefore, tourism is their main source of income and Bahamians want you to experience the best that the island has to offer. It made sense to help them directly, so along with two other couples who also wanted to see the island, we hired a driver. The driver we hired for our city tour guide was Pamela. She was super friendly and knowledgeable.
Pamela made stops throughout our tour so we could get off to visit the beaches and shop. One of those places was a small beach in which the locals poke a hole in conch shells, remove the meat inside, and throw the conch shells back. We were allowed, by Pamela and legally onto the ship, to take a conch shell home!
Another stop Pamela made was at a small lighthouse at a beach. It was so tranquil there. There were benches facing the ocean that I could have been at for hours!
This marketplace was fun to explore because you could shop and eat here. It’s not as busy here as you may think because they’re still rebuilding from hurricanes, but nonetheless, the vibe here is welcoming and fun.
As you can see Pamela did an amazing job taking us through the island. It doesn’t stop there! We went through taino beach (the t is not capitalized) and got off at Pirates Cove to check it out. This is a beautiful beach with food, shopping, and beach activities. In fact, this is where both my husband & I tasted conch fritters for the very first time. I have to be honest. I wasn’t a huge fan. They were crispy, but it was just ok to me. They kind of reminded me of hush puppies.
As soon as you debark the ship there is a restaurant in which you can feed sharks. The sharks are not in a special tank. They are in the ocean swimming around. They hang out there because they know they get fed by the tourists. Although we did not feed them (ask inside the restaurant if you want to do this), we were just mesmerized by these creatures. It also makes for a great picture spot!
We stayed in room 6146 which is on the 6th deck. Excitedly, we were surprised with a free upgrade to an ocean view room! The cabin didn’t feel cramped at all. It was clean and the décor was beautiful. Our cabin steward was very nice as well. He greeted us every time we saw him.
It was meant for us to be on the 6th deck because it was appropriately named the Flip Flop deck. I literally wear flip flops all the time! I thought to myself “The Margaritaville at Sea cruise was meant for me!”
This was our itinerary for day 1. However, I’m sure these change with every cruise.
We were one of the first ones to board the ship so this gave us ample time to take photos of the ship and we even had a private tour of the spa! We were very happy to see that the ship was so clean and beautiful.
The food on board was very good! There are a few places you can eat. There are some things I would recommend and some I would not.
One place you will want to visit time and time again is the buffet. We ate breakfast and lunch there. There is something for everyone at the buffet. From salad bar, pasta station, hot foods, soft serve ice cream machine, drinks, to desserts, they have it all. In my opinion though, the desserts were much better at Fin’s than at the buffet. For dinner, we went to Fin’s (the fancier dining room where they serve you).
Fin’s restaurant is a must. All the food was absolutely delicious, including the desserts! I will strongly recommend to go to the second seating as opposed to the first seating because the service will be much quicker on the second. We went to the first seating the first night and we were there 2 hours! It took a long time between each dish to come to our table. When you order, you tell your server everything at once including the dessert. The starter will come out first, then the soup or salad, next the entrée (this is where you can pay additionally for entrée enhancements if you so desire to, but we didn’t because it wasn’t necessary), then dessert.
If you are a soda drinker, you might want to get the soda package in which you’ll get a choice of refillable cup. You can walk up to any bar and they will refill it for you. My husband chose the shark head! I wish they had a parrot head. It would just make more sense. The other choice was an alligator.
The ship also has a pizzeria called Frank & Lola’s. You have to pay for the pizza. However, they do have 1 complimentary slice per person, but you’ll only get one slice once you’re in line. You’d have to wait for them to make more pizza before getting a second slice. We waited 25 minutes for just one slice! It wasn’t worth it so we didn’t go back. And why pay for pizza when you can go to Fin’s for a delicious sit down dinner?
The coffeeshop and liquor-infused ice cream were also not free. But, they are available if you’d like to go. This is on the same floor, next to the pizzeria.
There is entertainment all throughout the Margaritaville at Sea cruise. You will pass at least one thing happening on the way to wherever you’re going. There is never a dull moment. There are two things that I say you shouldn’t miss. The first one is the sail away party and the second is the main show that happens on the second night called “Tales From Margaritaville: Jimmy’s Ship Show.”
Like I mentioned, there are many other kinds of entertainment and these are a couple of others that we enjoyed.
Overall, I highly recommend that if you’ve never been on a cruise and you just want to try one out, I highly recommend going on the Margaritaville at Sea cruise where it’s 5’oclock all the time. Even if you are a seasoned cruiser, go!
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Joseph’s Tea Room is a unique & beautiful restaurant experience for any occasion especially for a girls get-together such as a bridal shower, baby shower, gift for mom, or child’s party. I took my mother to Joseph’s Tea Room as a Christmas gift for brunch and we both absolutely loved it! If you’ve never been to a tea room, you’re in for a treat here.
The color scheme is the first thing that drew my attention. I love the colors they chose because it reminds me of a seaside escape near the French side. The outdoor sitting area also makes it feel this way to me. It is very inviting.
When you walk in the first thing you see is the layout. This place is bigger on the inside than what you can see on the outside. If you wish, you can purchase their own products that are displayed and yes, they have tea! A lot of thought & effort was put into the tiniest details such as the floor (who would have thought to make a custom floor?) and the border in the dining room.
Welcome to the dining room! Once again, the decor is coordinated with the color scheme, wall art, teal chairs, and fresh roses! I said fresh roses! Most places you go to have fake flowers, but not Joseph’s Tea Room. Oh, and did I mention the crystal chandeliers? Gorgeous!
The place settings are top notch. I especially loved the small teacup spoon! They also have an array of tea pots (see behind us in the photo) so delicately displayed and used for their delicious teas. They have a multitude of teas to choose from!
The Food
The food deserves its on section because it was so delicious and beautifully displayed. The first thing that comes out are the pots of teas. Hot pots of teas are chosen by you and each person gets their own pot! This is a great way to taste more than one kind of tea. See what I mean about the spoon in this close up shot?
Next is a berry delight salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was fresh and delicious!
Lastly is the masterpiece! The 3 tiered serving stand comes with your choice of 1.5 sandwiches for each person (bottom level), savory bites & spreads such as scones (middle level), and sweet bites (top level). I am a foodie and at first thought I didn’t think I would get full, but that was not the case at all! In fact, we had a few leftovers to enjoy further at home.
If you want something unique, beautiful, and different than your usual restaurant experience, I recommend trying Joseph’s Tea Room. Joseph’s Tea Room is especially a great for a special occasion. Go ahead. Check them out. And best of all, you’ll be supporting a small business!
To make your reservation (not required, but recommended) click here.
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