Shell, Yeah

I do so love a beach sunset.

It is August in Mississippi, and it is blazing hot. Blazing. We've had highs in the triple digits for a few weeks now, and my whole yard is crispy and brown. (I swear, I will summer in the north in the future. The day is nearly here.) I'm coping by spending as little time as possible outside, wearing loose caftans around the house and pounding Crystal Light at all times. 

But typically by this time of year, I'm growing stir crazy of hiding in darkened rooms. Right on schedule, I started climbing the walls at home. With my son already back in school, I trolled AirBnb for a beach rental, threw a few swimsuits in a bag, and hit the road for Orange Beach, Alabama. 

Sun's out, buns out!

I rented a one-bedroom condo at one of the Phoenix properties, right on the beach. From the fifth floor, the balcony had a lovely view. And between the beach itself and the pool on property, I had a few options to cool off. After a quick grocery run, I slipped into my swimsuit and hit the ocean! 

My pattern when at the beach is pretty standard. I like to hop in the sea to float and cool off. Then, I like to walk up and down the shore. Rinse and repeat. I spent a good 2-3 hours doing this before heading back to the rental for a shower and some dinner. 

I'd booked the condo for nearly a week, and I was incredibly lucky to have nearly perfect (though very hot) weather for my whole stay. Because I also worked from the unit, I enjoyed early morning walks on the beach and breakfasts on the balcony. Occasionally, I'd go out for a meal, but I ate a lot of my meals at the unit. And it amazed me how simple and satisfying that was. With only myself to worry about, if I wanted a bowl of popcorn, a glass of Prosecco and a handful of strawberries for dinner, that's exactly what I had. Revolutionary. 

I'd venture out again in the later afternoon for a dip in the pool, another swim in the ocean and a sunset beach walk. I'd admire everyone's sandcastles from the day and watch the stars come out.

I loved my sunset cruise with Sail Wild Hearts! 

One night, I booked a sunset cruise with Sail Wild Hearts. It was a great experience! You're on a catamaran, but the ride is surprisingly smooth! They served lovely fresh snacks (cheese and crackers, fruit, cookies, etc.) and drinks, and we stayed out on the water for a couple of hours. The crew took fantastic care of us, and the views from the water were divine. 

Pretty little beach morning glories

I also had the chance to try a couple of new (to me) restaurants. I had lunch (catch of the day) at Cobalt one afternoon, and I went out to dinner at Playa. (I loved their strawberry smash cocktail - so summery! And their make your own guacamole was fantastic and HUGE.)  

While the 100+-degree temperatures in central Mississippi were still waiting for me when I returned, I so enjoyed this week alone by the sea. I cleared my head, cooled off a bit, got a nice tan, ate some great seafood and can hopefully ride out the rest of the summer now. (And in the meantime, I'll be researching where to spend NEXT summer. Somewhere cooler!)