Local Tourism - Seaside, FL

You may be familiar with Seaside, Florida, if you've ever seen the movie The Truman Show.  They used the unique architecture of the town as the set for the movie, though in real life it looks completely different.

We had heard rave reviews about Seaside, and we've been meaning to go for awhile.  Spring break seemed like a great time.  We were pretty dumb, though, because we went when I had just caught a nasty cold, and Peter was fighting off a bug as well.  So we didn't enjoy it as much as we would have.  It's a two hour drive from Dothan, and when we started out I felt fine, but once we got there, the body aches and fever really hit me.  So we didn't stay for very long.

Overall I was somewhat disappointed with the town.  There are a ton of homes and condos, but not much in the way of shopping.  I was expecting more of a Laguna Beach (CA) type of feeling, but it was more of a residential place.  Also, every building is solid white or very pale pastel colors... which got a little tiring on the eyes.  I actually didn't get many pictures of the town itself because I didn't find it to be very inspiring.  The few shops that are there are very expensive.  There are some good places to eat, but again, very expensive, and only one restaurant has an ocean view, due to the high dunes that are covered with bushes.

HOWEVER, the beach is gorgeous.  The water is crystal clear, the sand is white and smooth, and the sky is vivid blue.

All photos are taken with my iphone and most are not edited because I don't have any fancy technology.  :(

Smiling through the body aches and fevers

The dunes that are covered with shrubbery

Pathway to/from the beach

We did find one small park area that was super cute.  Sadly, it was a Sunday, and most of the stores in this area were closed.

View from the second story of a book shop, overlooking the amphitheater which is a popular picnic spot

Peter's shoes make for a great hands-free beverage transporter

Crystal clear water

We went in March and it was still pretty chilly.  The highs were in the mid-60s, which is too cold to swim, in my opinion.

Even though we didn't fall in love with the town, we will probably go back once summer hits and it starts to get really hot in Dothan.  A 2 hour drive isn't bad, although we do miss the days of living a 10 minute walk from the beach!

Thanks for reading!  Sorry the posts have been so sporadic lately.  I've been super busy with work.  I am also working on a new website that I hope to launch once school is out for the summer.  The plan is to change the name of this blog (to better reflect the travel and lifestyle aspect of it) and transition the "alone with my tea" brand into something else... I've been mulling it over for a few years and have finally decided to do it... more details to come soon, I hope!

XO,
Julie

Llamas

I was going through old photos and I stumbled upon these pictures.  These are at least 2, probably 3 years old.  My brother used to have llamas on his farm... not sure if he still does or not.  They were quite friendly.  I love llamas, especially furry, baby llamas.

I also realized that I resemble a llama.  I have the narrow face and poofy hair!

Well, hello!

Hope you enjoyed these random pictures!

XO,

Julie

Local Tourism - Landmark Park, Part 2

Continuing with pictures from our time at Landmark Park.  After we browsed the historical buildings, we went in search of nature.  We wandered around and saw a beautiful gazebo, a sun dial, and then finally asked a worker about where to find the trail that goes around what looked like a lake on the map.  It's actually more of a swampy area.  The worker told us that the trail was "very adventurous" and we should be very careful... (she obviously hasn't been to the Amazon, hiked Wayna Picchu, or lived in Rio.)  But we assured her we would be very careful.

I really love trees, so I took lots of pictures of trees!

The very adventurous trail

After a long meander through the woods, we ended the day back in the drugstore where we ordered a root beer float, and the lady gave us change out of this vintage machine.  So fun!

Stay tuned for some pictures from a day trip we took to Seaside, Florida.

XO,

Julie

Local Tourism - Landmark Park, Part 1

When we lived in Rio, Peter and I utilized every chance we could to explore the area and do touristy things.  We wanted to soak it in, knowing it wouldn't last forever.  Now that we've found a place to settle down for awhile, we have gotten quite lazy.  Our weekends are spent sleeping and working out watching Netflix.

But recently we had a gorgeous Spring day.  It was sunny, mild, about 70 degrees, with a slight breeze...  AND it was the first day of my Spring Break!  Woohoo!  Time for the beach!

So, naturally, I was extremely sick.  Fevers, congestion, aches and pain, the whole shebang.  Our plans for going to the beach were pretty much ruined (I just wasn't feeling up for a 2 hour drive.  Man, I really miss living 10 minutes from the beach!)

So we decided to explore a local favorite called Landmark Park.  This park aims to preserve the traditions and history of the "Wiregrass," a large land area that includes southeastern Alabama, southwestern Georgia and northern Florida.  The area was given that name because the early settlers found it overrun with ugly, wirey grass.  But it doesn't grow anymore, now that cotton and peanut fields have overtaken the place.

Landmark Park features historical buildings, farm animals, educational events, and a walking trail.  It's a beautiful place and we were even happy to pay the $4 entrance fee.

Here are some pictures of the historical buildings, which are pretty much museums - which I love!  I'll post pictures of the flora and fauna in a separate post.

The Drugstore

I love the packaging of vintage products!  And I've always wanted to own an apothecary filled with glass bottles and tiny containers.

The General Store

The School House

Peter said, "I bet all the naughty little boys would hide under the building when it was time to go back to class."

The Church 

Not Baptist?!?! Are we not in Alabama?!?! :)

Ok that's it for Part 1 of Landmark Park.  Check back soon for pictures of our "adventurous" walk through the trails.

XO,

Julie