Home Sweet Anastasia Island!

We landed on Anastasia Island, with just a quick drive over the Bridge of Lions from the city of Saint Augustine herself and quickly adapted to the carefree, go lucky, happy attitude of island living; our month of idyllic life began the moment we pulled up to our home in Saint Augustine Beach, it was like driving into a dream. From the proximity to the sea and the charm of our adorable yellow cottage, it was almost as if I needed to pinch myself to verify it was all real; the setting was almost too perfect to believe. Needless to say, St. Augustine Beach won us over from the get-go!

Of course the beach being half a block away was the focal point of our trip, being able to wake with the sun almost every morning to watch her rise up out of the Atlantic had such a refreshing and renewing energy. It was almost like a spiritual experience for many of the locals, running into many of the same friendly faces day after day, cup of coffee or surfboard in hand, just watching the gift of vitality the sun brings at the crack of dawn, grateful to start each day anew and reenergized by its light. Acclimating to the Salt Life didn't take long, trust me, as you can tell, blog posts are very far  behind! I was sucked into the present, not wanting to miss a moment of playing in the sand or listening to the sound of the waves. 

Our First Sunrise in St. Augustine Beach

Unfortunately, Ethel didn't appreciate Tom and I’s love for the beach as much as we did and would run from the ocean as fast as her little legs in powdery sand would take her. On the plus side, we found her a great doggie daycare to play and mingle with friends while her humans took to the waves! Most of the beaches here are pet friendly, well, pretty much everything is pet friendly here. Think I am kidding? Ethel pretty much went everywhere we did, well except the market, but as far as dog friendly cities, I have never visited a city that values pets as much as this place, except maybe Black Mountain. 

Saint Augustine Beach is truly a beach town, if you have shoes on, you’re a tourist! The locals walk barefoot virtually everywhere and I can say, it is pretty easy to get used to not putting on shoes, in fact there are a couple of times that Tom and I hopped in the car realizing, oh shit, we need shoes! Everyone is friendly, kind and they live on beach time; things get done when they get done, no rush and no worries. Especially if the waves are beckoning the surfers to the sea, this is a surf town and well, surfing comes first regardless of work. In fact there are a couple of shops and eateries that would just flip the open sign to closed and you could watch the staff, surfboards in hand, running to the ocean! Now “City Bonnie” might find this annoying, but “Beach Bum Bonnie” found this enticing! Everything about this place had me wrapped around its finger!

Our Beach

The home itself was cozy and exuded the beach vibe; from the decor to the outdoor shower. The house even smelled of the sea and not in the fishy gross way, but it had that appealing scent of moisture. Imagine a cool night, waves crashing and the breeze blowing through the window, that is the smell this place emanated! Besides the fun vibrant colors in the home, the place boasted a couch with fish on it, seriously, how can it be more beachy than that! 

We have so much to share from our time here: our adventures, visitors, history and pictures, but in the meantime, here she is - the home that captivated us - the place we almost needed to be evicted because we really didn't want to leave - our Magical Beach Oasis:

Back Patio

Family room complete with a fish couch! It was literally covered with fish! 

Guest room that got used!!! 

Dining Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Shell Art for the Home

Cozy Front Porch

Our Outdoor Shower