Very Vivid

Going to Rosemary Beach is typically an all day affair. Keeping this in mind, when me and my friend, Joanna, decided to take the hour-long trek, we came prepared to be swept away in style as only Rosemary Beach can do.

Not knowing our exact course, the original plan was to check out the breakfast and giveaways at Dr. Weiner’s Aesthetic Clinique. Situated on the second floor of Rosemary’s central retail stores, we enter the studio which branches out to a balcony to one of the most beautiful ocean views around. Sipping coffee and chatting it up with the other ladies, Dr. Weiner makes his way into the bunch and quickly makes himself  available to anyone who wishes to share in the ocean view and good conversation. I found Dr. Weiner to be extremely personable and down to earth. We discuss work, friends, and the joys of being in Santa Rosa Beach. Thus, our Girls Getaway day began.

Not actually realizing the magnitude of this weekend, we meander through the boutiques and make our way to the crystal shores of the quiet beachfront which has yet to be covered with the many happy travelers that will adorn these shores come spring. At Wild Olives, we dine and sample caprese salad, warm olive bread and oil, and a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. After lunch, we run into friends who were waiting to see Virginia Willis, a renowned chef, who was preparing to demonstrate her cooking expertise and artisanal delights as part of the weekend’s agenda.

Chef Virginia Willis debuted her new cookbook, Bon Appetit Y’all which showcases her Southern heritage and French culinary training. While cooking warm southern grits, chicken fricassee, and rich brownies, she became the storyteller of growing up in the South and standing on a chair beside her grandmother watching as she baked her famous fried chicken. We learned briefly about her 3 years traning in France, and more about her crazy experiences working in the TV kitchens with Martha Stewart and Paula Dean. It amazed me to see her enthusiasm for the comforts of home, yet her ability to meld her culinary expertise into her love for Southern cuisine. All in all, it was an unforgettable and delightful treat.

Finishing the day, Joanna and I made our way down Scenic Highwy 30-A, which in itself, will soothe the soul. Every beach cottage with its own personality somehow speaks to the child in each of us. Something about 30-A makes you want to kick off your flips-flops and jump in the ocean. Not only forgetting your worries, but reverting back to the days of being 5 years old and being happiest with nothing but a bucket and sand shovel in tow.

Stopping at Seaside for the last bit of brief scenerity, we leave our girls getaway and make our way home. I learned that the Girls’ Getaway is aparently a big event at Rosemary Beach. With almost 160 women signed up, the weekend was booked with dinners, entertainment, activities, and friendship. Knowing that these women have come from all areas of the map, I feel fortunate to have been so close. Perhaps next time, I’ll book a room and stay for the weekend…but then again, sometimes the best adventures are the ones that are never planned….