The weather is getting colder around home, and the girls have a long weekend, so we decided to take them to Palm Coast (right outside of St. Augustine) for some warmer sunshine. Palm Coast is a small town, with several resorts dotted along the coastline. The weather is noticeably warmer on the east coast (than the gulf area) so this was exactly what we were looking for.
We stayed at the Surf Club Condo, and booked our room through houfy.com. The rates were amazing and the location couldn’t be better. Our room is on the ground floor, with ocean views and a direct walk to the beach. I really enjoyed the fact there are no stairs to climb. The condo has in-unit washer and dryer, a king bedroom, and another bedroom with bunk beds, two bathrooms (one in master), and full kitchen. It was perfect.
THINGS TO DO:
This is a worthy stop if you are spending a night in Savannah like we did. This is right outside of Savannah, in Pooler, GA. Since Teddy was in the Air Force, we decided to visit this museum to learn more about history. The museum had lots of movies and exhibits, even a whole simulation movie with multiple projectors and sound effects. The museum also had a nice gift shop, and we even bought a book on the restoration of the B-17, whose author was in the shop, signing our book with a special shoutout.
2. Marineland Dolphin Adventure
This place looked really fun and if we had more time, we would have signed the kids up for some dolphin encounter. We did stop by, but did not realize they closed at 3pm so we had just missed it. From the look of it, I would definitely recommend stopping by here if you are in the area.
Ok, if you haven’t realized by now, we are kind of escape room fanatics. It doesn’t mean we are any good at it, but we love it. Or at least, my kids and I love it, and I hope Teddy loves it too because I drag him along. Twisted Minds has many rooms available, which is quite surprising for a small town. We tried the easiest one (typical for us), which was called Diggers. The story goes: You and your team are headed to Calico CA where John Digger built his store in 1840. John became a millionaire while the town went bankrupt. It is you up to you to put on your detective hats and figure out if John really was a crook or just a good business man who was framed. But beware, the bulldozers are coming in 1 hour to level this ghost town and all its secrets will be lost forever. Remember team, no one knows we are sneaking in, so when those bulldozers get here, you better be gone or you better Run.
The owner/manager of the Escape Room was very nice and believed in helping you escape instead of giving you “only so many clues”. You are allowed to have unlimited clues, although they urge you to try your best first. We were absolutely challenged, but did figure some things out, and had some much needed hints along the way, and, thanks to their “unlimited clues”, we actually ESCAPED, with seconds to spare. This almost never happens (we usually do not get out), so this was very exciting for everyone.
4. The Beach
The beach here is a private beach owned by the Surfside community. The closest public beach to us is the Flagler Beach. What makes the beach special around here is the cinnamon colored sand. However, the beach is rocky, so even if the water was warm enough, I would not suggest swimming. But it does make very beautiful photos. The sun rises right over the water as well.
PLACES TO EAT:
The biggest letdown of this trip was perhaps the food. One of the major reasons we like to go to coastal areas is for the food, as both Teddy and I love seafood. Combined with the fact our vacation was over Valentine’s Day, we were really looking for some upscale seafood experiences. Sadly, most of the restaurants we tried this weekend did not deliver.
1. Rodie’s Place
This was a very local breakfast place that was very close to the condos. The food was great, and the menu was wonderful as well. Sadly, the service was SO SLOW that it became a very frustrating and stressful experience. It took literally 45 minutes for us to get water after sitting down. I would avoid this place at all costs on weekends.
2. Portugal Wine Bar & Grill
After much research, this is the nicest restaurant I could find within an easy driving distance, so I booked a reservation for Valentine’s Day dinner. Reservation was confirmed by phone. It still took us about 20 minutes to be seated. The menu was exciting, with lots of seafood choices, but the service felt distant. Each course took a very long time to arrive. No itemized bill was given at the end, and the bill seemed about $20 higher than expected. Fortunately the food was good and the portions were large, but like most of the other restaurants we had on this trip, it was not a pleasant experience due to very long wait times and unattended wait staff.
3. Atlantic Grille
Atlantic Grille is an onsite restaurant at the nearby Hammock Beach Golf Resort. The restaurant overlooks the ocean and the pristine golf course. I was also decently impressed with the food. But, like most other restaurants we tried on this trip, the service fell short. We sat outside, which had beautiful ocean views, but the temperature dropped quite quickly, and if we had decent service, we could have finished and left before it got so so cold. Like most golf resort dining, this restaurant is a bit overpriced.
WHERE TO STAY:
1. Surf Club Condo
This is where we stayed and I must say that for the price, the value is great for a small family. Our 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo’s floorplan is perfect. There’s ocean view from the master bedroom, the living room, and even the kitchen. The outdoor patio area has a nice size hammock and table for 4. The amenities that were included were impressive as well, even an outdoor heated pool and BBQ grill just steps away.
2. Hammock Beach Resort & Spa
We drove by this resort on our way to most of the attractions in the area. It’s practically next to the condo we stayed. The resort reminded me of The Resort at Longboat Key Club. The golf courses looked amazing, and the grounds were beautiful and spacious. The biggest shortcoming of this resort is the dining options. While there are several “options”, there is only ONE upscale restaurant, which is the Atlantic Grille, and based on their Yelp reviews, we can safely say that it’s “lacking”.
FINAL TAKEAWAY OF PALM COAST…
My family and I enjoyed our short stay at Palm Coast. This was one of the cheaper destinations, and looking back, we should have treated it as that. The mistake we made was trying to find the nicest restaurants in a town that is more catered to casual dining. Upon our departure, I noticed a nicely written list of nearby dining recommendations provided by our host. Sadly we didn’t have a chance to try any of her recommendations but it was interesting to recognize that NONE of the restaurants we did try (which were all restaurants that I had carefully selected by reading online reviews) had made her list. Of course, I had become familiar with every restaurant on her list due to all my previous research, but they didn’t make the “final cut” for me because they were of the more “casual” options, and this was a trip to celebrate our Valentine’s Day, and my daughter Alice’s birthday (day after Valentine’s Day). Also to note, the beach at Surf Club is rocky so I don’t recommend anyone to swim in it, even if the weather was warm. They are beautiful to look at however, especially during high tide, as the water babbles through the rocks like a beautiful waterfall. The closest public swimmable beach is Flagler Beach, which, like many other nearby attractions, require you to go through a toll booth. The toll only charges you one way (free to leave, but pay to come back), $2 per vehicle, but it is annoying and it does add up. Overall, this is a great destination if you are looking for a small beach town with warmer weather than the gulf, yet only about a 6 hour drive from Atlanta. Additionally, this is only an hour and a half from Orlando, so if you have small children, it’s easy to combine a beach trip and a Disney trip, which is what we did!