360 BLUE PROPERTIES - FLORIDA

www.360blueproperties.com

When my mom received the 50th wedding anniversary invitation, to be held in Seaside, Florida, for her brother-in-law she immediately started planning.  After much internet surfing, she landed upon the website of 360 Blue Properties and, being the neat freak that she is, just fell in love with the immaculate properties advertised on their site.  Not only were their homes spectacular, but so was the costumer service as they helped to find just the right property for her. 

So here are a few pictures from our home-away-home during our stay in Seagrove.  (Of course you can check out the website here which features much more professional pictures.)

Entry way - notice all the hooks for beach towels and bins for sandy shoes

 2nd floor Living Room - big, comfy couch in front of big, flat screen tv

Kitchen - It's not huge but it had everything we needed and then some.

3rd Floor Bedroom w/attached bath

3rd floor bedroom w/attached bath

Spacious attached bath

Bunk room w/trundle and additional double sleeper sofa

3rd floor wrap-around balcony w/ a little ocean view

Nice, right?!  I just wanted to share my pictures because I know I often wonder if a website's photos are as real as they look.  You know, sometimes they have a way of making a place look nicer or bigger than it really is.  I have no photography skills what-so-ever so what you see is the real deal.

Along with the calming, beachy decor, here are a few other things we loved about this property:

PROS

     -keyless entry to the house

     -4 out of the 5 rooms had their own, attached bathroom (only the bunk room doesn't) and 3 of those 

      rooms had king beds while the other was a queen

     -rooms were spacious with great closet space (my room actually had two closets)

     -every room had a tv, even the bunk room

     -free wifi which we had no trouble connecting to (drives me nuts when they say it's free but it costs 

      me 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get connected)

     -wii gaming console (be sure to bring your own games!)

     -my kiddos discovered a few toddler toys in the bunk room and were thrilled since we only brought

      along a few

     -kitchen not only was stocked with all appliances and cookware but also had a large selection of 

      plastic kids cups, bowls, plates, and utensils

     -4 free beach chairs and 2 beach umbrellas which were set-up by the beach boy and left up during

      our entire stay with a reserved sign on them

     -two great restaurants located just across the street for easy dining

     -customer service was excellent!  We had a small issue with the dishwasher not starting and it was 

     fixed within a few hours of our call

     

     -And here's my favorite:

     -this boardwalk is just 50 yards from the front door of the house and leads directly to the beach

And of course no place is absolutely perfect, so here are a few things we weren't too crazy about:

CONS 

     -there was no door on the bunk room.  Just kind of weird since that's where the kids were staying.

     -there were no games with the wii system.  Thankfully we had games to bring but could be a 

      bummer if you don't already have these.

     -our ocean view was limited.  This wasn't a problem for us, but if you're looking to have breakfast

      with a view, you may want to look for a different property.

     -although this wasn't a problem for our family, this is a 3 story property with lots of stairs (only one 

      bedroom on the first floor, but all other living spaces are upstairs).

     -unfortunately, some previous guests had done some significant damage to the property just a few

      weeks before we arrived (hence the dishwasher not working).  Even though 360 Blue did a great

      job replacing broken items and cleaning up their mess, we still never found the ipod docking station

      that was advertised (but that's really just being a little nit-picky).

360 Blue has properties throughout the South Walton area (which spans from Destin to Panama).  I think by now it's obvious, but I'll say it anyway, I would totally recommend 360 Blue for your next beach home vacation rental!  

SEAGROVE, FLORIDA

www.visitsouthwalton.com/seagrove

I've never really considered myself to be a "beach lover".  I'm more of a "hike along a river in the mountains" kinda girl.  And road-tripping over more than 5 hours really isn't my cup of tea.  But once arriving in the beach front town of Seagrove, Florida, I realized it was well worth the 10 hours of back-aching travel in the car AND I decided I just might be a fan of the beach after all.  Besides, just after a few minutes of relaxing on the white sands of Santa Rosa beach while watching my children giddily jump wave after wave after wave, I somehow didn't care that the wind was whipping my hair in my face or that a little sand had creeped its way into my swimsuit.  My toes were dug into the powdery soft sand, my skin was soaking up some vitamin D, and any stress I had brought along was all drifting out to sea.  

Oh Florida...I think I might be in love with you.

Maybe it was the time of year we traveled (late April after all the spring-breakers had left to sober up at home and the weather wasn't too hot yet).  Or maybe it was our beautiful accommodations (I'll write a separate post all about it).  Whatever it was, I know I want to go back.  And here's why...

SISTERLY LOVE - they had so much fun there was no time to bicker or fight (at least while we were on the beach). 

SAND CASTLE BUILDING

Even Grandma couldn't help herself from joining in on the fun.

WAVE JUMPING

WILDLIFE FINDING

My step-neices with my two kiddos.

Grandma gettin' crabby.

FAMILY BONDING

Me and my little beach bums

My munchkins with my mom and stepdad

 

Me and my mom just before the storm rolled in 

And, I can't end this post without a little shout out to these two...

my step-uncle and his lovely bride

They are the reason we made this fun little trip to Florida as it was their 50th wedding anniversary.  Congratulations Uncle Raul & Aunt Judy!! 

(If only I had pictures of them re-enacting their very first dance together.  Or of Aunt Judy as she led our conga-line around the beach house...priceless.)

So which do you prefer...smelling the salty ocean breeze or fresh mountain air?  And what is your favorite beach?

Hiking Devils Bridge

Sedona, Arizona
www.greatsedonahikes.com/devilsbr/devilsbr.htm

While visiting my dad in Phoenix during spring break, we set out on a day trip to Sedona to take in the gorgeous red rocks and a little bit of hiking.  Had I known any of the following points, we would have NEVER attempted this journey:

     1. Despite what mapquest or any other navigational device told us, our driving time was 3 hours instead of 2.  (But 20 minutes of that was due to a pit stop as a result of point #2.)

     2. My dad drives likes a drunken looky-loo who can't stay in his lane to save his life in fear he may miss spotting a wild animal roaming the countryside.  Therefore, he slowly drifts into a neighboring lane and then quickly jerks the vehicle back into his own lane inducing motion sickness in all the members of my family.  (Granted, it doesn't take much for my weak-stomached family to experience nausea, but my dad is a seriously awful driver.)

     3. The road to the trailhead was temporarily closed to vehicles due to a parking lot being paved so we had to hike a total of 4 miles instead of what should have only been 1.4 miles.  Doesn't sound too terribly bad unless you are hiking with a 7 and 4 year old.

With all that complaining being said, I am so glad I didn't know any of those facts ahead of time because we would have missed out on a truly incredible day!

Simply driving into and through the town of Sedona is a sight in itself...absolutely beautiful!

Finding the road to the trailhead was very easy, but since we couldn't actually take that road, we parked along the main road and hiked the 1.3 miles to the trailhead.  It was a rugged, pot-hole filled dirt road with little to no shade.  Thankfully we packed in a ton of water because the temperature rose a good 12 degrees from the time we started till we arrived back at the car.  

My munchkins taking in the view.

We also packed in lunch which we ate once we arrived at the trailhead while sitting on a shaded rock.  It was a great refueling break for the kiddos.  

And then it was time to hit the trail.

Although most hiking sites will consider this a "moderate" hike, I found it to be quite easy.  When starting at the trailhead, it's only a 1.4 mile roundtrip hike with most of the elevation gain being towards the end.  Now that last part does get a little tricky, but my 4 year old daughter and my 74 year old father both maneuvered the terrain with only minimal assistance.  

Being that it was a short hike, there was plenty of time for frequent stops and lots of picture taking.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

My dad and I were the pack mules for the trip. 

After hiking nearly 2 miles, they are still smiling!

It wasn't long before we reached the top and the views were just spectacular!  The bridge itself was only slightly terrifying at first glance, but once we actually got out onto the bridge, it was a little wider than we expected.  

Me and dad braving the bridge.

My dad and I were the only ones in our party to actually go out onto the bridge.  My husband took one look at it and there was no chance he was going out there.  Of course he said he was staying back because he didn't want our girls to go out there, but I know he has a serious fear of heights (don't mind the fact that he flies a jet at 42,000 feet.  It doesn't make sense to me either.)  So, this fear of heights is the reason our picture kinda stinks.  I should have entrusted my camera to a complete stranger who was willing to risk life and limb for sake of a good picture.  Oh well, it's a good excuse to have to go back one day.

Here's the photo I wish he would have taken:

DEVIL'S BRIDGE

 (not my photo, but much better than the one my scaredy-cat husband took)

Pretty spectacular, right?!

One of the other really cool things about this hike was that there was a short cut-off in the trail just before ascending to the bridge.  This cut-off trail was less than 200 yards and took us below the bridge for a totally different perspective.  I think the kids liked this part even better than the top-side of the bridge.

My little family under the bridge.

Unbelievably, we survived the hike with no major falls and little whining from the kids.  They were pretty tired by the end (ok, we all were), but they really were quite the troopers.  I do have to say that my husband carried our littlest one on his shoulders, in spurts to give her a break once in a while, for probably a 1/4 of the trip.  So with that being said, I'll forgive him for the lousy picture-taking.

***********************

Even though this is the only hike I have done in Sedona (or even Arizona for that matter), I'd have to say it's my favorite!  

What's your favorite Sedona or Arizona hike? 

Oh heck, give me your favorite hike ANYWHERE.

TIM HAWKINS - I'd travel to see this guy!

www.timhawkins.net

Tim Hawkins Comedy Tour

Feb 10, 2013 at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, TX

When I say this is THE funniest guy I have ever seen, I am not kidding.  And I have absolutely no reservations to say you are going to think the same thing (unless crude and obscene humor is more your style but even still I'd bet you couldn't help but bust a gut when hearing this guy).

Two years ago I happened upon some of Tim Hawkins' material when I was looking for a video of a female Christian comedian to play at a ladies event for church.  When I came up with NOTHING, and was desperate to find something, anything, funny, a friend recommended Tim Hawkins.  The first video I watched was pretty good.  I giggled to myself several times as I sat alone previewing it in my bedroom.  But watching a 10 year old video of this guy by yourself versus seeing him live with a crowd of a couple of thousand people is a completely different story.

My husband and I first saw him last year in Houston and I literally thought the chili I had for dinner (and the bread bowl it was served in) was going to come back up from laughing so hard.  Half way through the show I was begging for a break and a breath of air.  If you've never seen Tim Hawkins live, I know you think I'm exaggerating.  And that's ok, because I would have thought someone else was stretching the truth too if I had never seen him.  But this dude is crazy funny!  And it's non-stop the whole show.  I dare you to see for yourself and prove me wrong!

But for now, just check out this sneak peak of funniness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ieOOJwYttok

And here's a look at some specific Christian comedy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TK2_ezOBa2A

The best part about Tim Hawkins (besides the fact that he's so stinkin' funny)...his comedy is completely clean, from start to finish.  It's totally a family show.  I mean your kids might not understand his jokes but at least you won't have to cover their ears for most of the show.  Even though we would be completely comfortable taking our kids to a show, we don't.  And that's because it is the perfect date night for us!  This is one of those shows that both of us enjoy equally.  It's not like when I have to drag my husband, kickin' and screamin', to a broadway show or something similar that he despises.  If he knows Tim Hawkins is going to be anywhere near our area he will hound me until I buy the tickets. (And that's HUGE for my husband.  He travels by trade so getting him to go anywhere is a big deal.)

So if Tim Hawkins happens to be performing in an area near you, I highly urge you to go.  It's funny stuff, people.  So, JUST DO IT.  I promise you'll thank me for it.

Here's the link to his tour dates:
http://www.timhawkins.net/tix.php

For my friends in Indianapolis, he'll be there in March so plan your date night NOW!  Boise friends, he'll be in your neck of the woods in June.  And Modesto peeps, Big Valley Grace will be hosting Tim in July.  Don't miss it!!!

Have YOU seen Tim Hawkins LIVE? 

If so, am I lying when I say this is the funniest dude around?

THE INN ABOVE ONION CREEK

Kyle, TX
www.innaboveonioncreek.com

The last two months (which include the two busiest holidays of the year AND our daughter's birthday) have been a whirlwind of cookie baking, present wrapping, and party planning.  Having survived another year of the madness, my husband and I were in serious need of a get-away.  If I was a bettin' kind of gal, I'd bet you could use a get-away too.  And nothing says relaxation and rejuvenation quite like a quiet bed and breakfast tucked in the Texas Hill Country, surrounded by a 100 acres of shady oak trees.

Are you ready to escape?  Well, read on friends because I know you'll fall in love, like we have, with one of our favorite places...the Inn Above Onion Creek.

Last week, the hubby and I returned to the Inn Above Onion Creek for our 3rd visit to celebrate our 13th year of wedded bliss (I ain't lyin'...it's been that good).  And just like our past stays, we enjoyed every minute of it!  We just can't seem to get enough of the wide open spaces, incredibly delicious cuisine, and superb hospitality that comes along with every stay at this rustically-luxurious inn.

AROUND THE INN:

We arrived to find that although the ownership of the Inn has recently changed, all of the things we love have remained the same.  Fresh produce and flowers blossomed in the garden.  Upon entering the Inn, Amy, the InnKeeper, greeted us with a welcome smile.  A vast selection of hot tea waited to be brewed.  And the mouth-watering scents of supper filled the air in anticipation of an unforgettable meal.

A winter garden. One of the great things to love about TX.

One of two buildings for lodging.

Our room was on the second floor on the far right.

The backside of the main lodge.  The dining room and kitchen on the first floor 

and three guest rooms above.  

Dining room - where the food coma begins!

We love how the dining experience is communal, but the lodging accommodations are extremely private.  We find we have plenty of space and time to ourselves during our stay and then look forward to meeting different folks at mealtime who come from all parts of the country.  At one point, we dined with a couple of Floridians and Alaskans and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation (unfortunately I can't say the same about our conversation with the Houstonian lawyer and his psycho-therapist girlfriend, but that's a different story).

Relaxing back porch with an endless view. 

 New fire pit and seating to enjoy a cool Texas evening (we do get those every once in a while).

WHERE WE LAID OUR HEADS:

After our first stay at the Inn nearly 4 years ago, the hubby and I made a plan to try a new room (out of the 12 different rooms available) with each visit.  But, sometimes plans don't always work out the way we think they will.  After staying in the Hayes room last year we just knew this is where we wanted to return.  Being located on the second floor lends to incredible views from the private balcony.  Inside, we cozy up by the fireplace or on the king size bed where satellite TV with a DVD/VCR player and wireless Internet are available.

Snuggling by a warm fire.

A wider view of our fireplace and sitting area.

The most comfortable bed we've ever slept in aside from our Tempurpedic at home.

All the rooms at the Inn come with a fireplace, over-sized room with seating area, plush bedding for either a king or queen bed, porch seating with hill country views, and more.  (My worries begin to fade just thinking about it all.)  Although every room comes with these amenities, each one has its own unique decor and layout.  But it's the Hayes room that has something that none of the others possess.  And this is it...

OK, I know, it doesn't necessarily look all that spectacular from this angle.  But stepping inside this double shower with large bench and oversized window is so refreshing and relaxing.  The view never ends.  And neither does the hot water. Trust me, we let that water run over us for a looooong time.

So here's a view from inside the shower.  The picture doesn't quite do it justice.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  In the mornings, we showered with a view of the sun rising over the horizon.  And in the evenings, we allowed the water to wash any stress away as we gazed out at the lights of the neighboring towns.  

Now that's a great way to begin and end a day.

WHAT WE FEASTED ON:

To say we feasted is no understatement.  During our stays at the Inn, we've always had a breakfast so filling that come lunch time we were no where near hungry.  So we skip lunch and simply snack on the cookies provided in the dining room to get us through till dinner.

Although the cookies are quite tasty, I'm gonna be honest...we didn't come here for the cookies.  We came, and will continue to return, in large part because the food is amazing!  Unlike most B&Bs that only include breakfast in the room price, the Inn Above Onion Creek also provides dinner.  

I'll just let the food speak for itself here...

DINNER

Menu included:

-Romaine Salad with Beets, Candied Walnuts and Cheure

-Grilled Pork Chop with Cranberry Ginger Compote

-Spaetzle with Brown Butter and Sage (picture shows rice as I had asked for a dairy-free diet)

-Glazed Carrots with Dill

-Dinner Roll

-Croissant Bread Pudding with Orange Vanilla Bean Sauce

Don't worry if you aren't sure about what a few of those things are because neither do I.  I just know it was good!

BREAKFAST

Menu Included:

-"Eggs in Purgatory" (Baked Eggs with San Marzano Sauce)

-Bacon

-Maple Sweetened Yogurt with Cinnamon Apples

-Fresh Buttermilk Biscuit with Jam

-Fresh Fruit

-Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

BREAKFAST ALL GONE

One of the things I really enjoyed about this stay (besides the darn good food) was how well the kitchen staff accommodated my food sensitivities.  Since I've developed these nagging but unavoidable tummy troubles over the last couple of years, this is the first time out of five stays that a lodging facility (that advertised the willingness to accommodate food allergies) actually did it!  Only once, when our first appetizer was served, did I have to remind the staff of my request for a particular diet and from there on out I didn't have to repeatedly ask "Is there dairy in this?".  I was perfectly taken care of and really appreciated it!

HOW WE PASSED THE TIME:

Normally, when we arrive at the Inn it's for the soul purpose of seeking rest for mind and body.  We almost hope for a few rainy days so we have no excuse to leave our little home away from home.  I've finished a handful of books, lounged for several mindless hours in front of the fireplace, and have napped in a dreamy state of mind following a massage, all from the comforts of our room at the Inn.  And we've been perfectly happy accomplishing next to nothing during past visits.  

But this trip...this one was to be different. We planned to venture out to the quaint, little town of Wimberley for a high-flying adventure in order to put a check mark next to an item on our bucket list.  Our plans included soaring over canyons and creeks while taking in 15-mile views of the Wimberley Valley.  Just like this...

But it was cold.  And windy. And rainy.

So instead, we did this...

...drank hot tea and put together a 1,000 piece puzzle.  Call us nerds.  Call us old fogies.  But we call ourselves refreshed and relaxed and free from all responsibilities.  Our only obligation was to show up for dinner and we had no problem fulfilling that commitment.

At one point we did actually make it out of our room and ventured a quarter-mile down the road to the Inn Above Onion Creek SPA for an hour massage.  "Worth. Every. Penny." is all I have to say about that.

The entrance to the Spa.

 I intended to have our picture taken for our side-by-side massages, 

but once my face hit that pillow I forgot all about my good intentions.

Once we returned to our room in a near comatose state, we knew we were worthless for the next few hours, so we called it a day till dinnertime and then hung this sign on the door...

***************************

The next time we have an opportunity to zipline through the Wimberley Valley or simply need to get-away and feel a million miles away from it all, you'll know where to find us...

...The Inn Above Onion Creek.