USA

Our Weekend in Singer Island!

05.31.2018

Crashing waves, salty air, sandy beaches, and sea breezes- we love you, Florida! Back here in Austin feeling refreshed and recharged after a weekend getaway with some of my favorites.

Before this trip, I hadn’t been to Florida in ages. When I was pregnant, we visited Santa Barbara to get our beach fix without putting me at risk for Zika. It was an amazing trip but after Charlie was born, I was anxious to do a full beach weekend in a sandy resort destination, with a pool and the ocean nearby so we could soak up family time without having to move around too much. We found the perfect spot in Singer Island and took my sisters along to help us with Charlie.

After a series of issues with flight departures and cancelations with the incoming Storm Alberto, we almost didn’t make it to Florida! Just as we were waiting to ask how we could get our checked bags home, “Dunigan, party of 3” was called for final boarding of a flight we weren’t aware we were even on. We scrambled, resumed our plans, and landed in rainy Fort Lauderdale.

Last minute, we switched our stay to the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island resort after our previous plans were canceled due to construction. And it worked out for the best! This new spot was super family friendly with a kiddie pool, waterslide, and plenty of board games to enjoy during the rainy weather. It’s right on the ocean too which is exactly what I wanted! No driving or long walks to get to the beach :)

It rained the majority of our trip but we sure made the most of it. And as we pulled up to our hotel, there was a gap in the rain so we immediately changed and walked down to the beach to dip our feet in the ocean.

What I loved about our little condo in the Marriott we stayed in was the wrap around porch and full kitchen. It was so nice at night to sit out on the deck, have a homemade dinner, listen to the rain, and drink wine. It got me so excited about our upcoming move and having a back patio to hang out on!

The warnings for Tropical Storm Alberto made us think we would have zero sunshine or time in the pool over the weekend, but the weather gave us a bit of a break. We woke up to an overcast (but not rainy!) morning on Saturday and immediately put on our suits to get back to the ocean and also try the waterslide at the pool. We were there a good hour before the rain set in and we had to figure out a game plan for the afternoon.

Since we cooked in our dinners, we adventured out for lunch. We were experiencing a little cabin fever but Eric always finds a solution to a rainy day problem and we found great activities to do in the area!

We had lunch at a fun restaurant called The Catch which was totally unassuming as it’s located in a strip mall and looks out at a small pond. But the ceviche and sangria were delicious and we got to enjoy creature watching from their covered back porch. If you’ve got kiddos, they might enjoy the large iguanas that live in a tree right by the restaurant. I may be 30, but I’m a total animal lover, and seeing these creatures out and about was so fun! I didn’t snap iguana photos but I did get the cutest photos of C in his high chair!

Another activity we enjoyed when we thought there would be no sunshine was afternoon tea. There’s a really neat hotel in West Palm Beach called The Chesterfield Palm Beach. It’s quaint and the area has a totally 50’s feel. The inside of the hotel has beautiful decorations and we sat in their tearoom by the fire (ha!) to enjoy some scones and champagne. If you haven’t tried High Tea before, I highly recommend it. Eric isn’t a tea drinker but he may have enjoyed the experience the most! They really do a good job with their different tea flavors and assortment of sandwiches, and you also get some great desserts and scones. I ordered English breakfast because I love having that with cream. It feels so authentic!

And yes, you can bring your baby to tea!

After tea, we drove over to The Breakers to get a cocktail and enjoy their views of the ocean. The sun finally made an appearance and the views were gorgeous. The cocktails were pretty delicious too. If you haven’t been to this hotel, I highly recommend visiting it, even if you don’t stay there while in Palm Beach. The decor is immaculate with high ceilings, painted walls, ginger jars everywhere, and beautiful sculptures and windows. We were in a hurry due to Charlie’s nap so I only snapped a couple of pictures. It’s totally worth a visit!

The best part of the first family vacation with Charlie was seeing him discover the world. He was totally mesmerized by the ocean. He’d be all giggles as we made our way down to the beach but the second we put his feet in the water, he couldn’t be distracted from the crashing waves, sounds and smells of the ocean air. It was Heaven!

If there is anything I have learned in life with Eric and my sisters, it’s taking those sour lemons and painting them gold. It may have rained 85% of the time we were there, but nothing a good dance party (or two) and tea time adventure couldn’t fix. We made the most of our weekend, and it turned out to be one I’ll never forget.