Honestly, I always pictured my perfect babymoon (which is a pre-baby trip you take before a wee one arrives, usually in the second trimester) in Hawaii. Or in the Caribbean. Someplace tropical. But, life happens, and plans change. Yet another shift I’ve had to make due to COVID was my dream babymoon. Being the resilient couple my husband and I are, we decided to take a babymoon that was just a little closer and safer during these strange times. I didn’t want to drive more than 8 hours to our destination, so we looked at options within that range. Ultimately, my husband found a gorgeous beach house right on Navarre Beach, Florida. It was a 6.5 hours drive, which seemed doable even with my 23 weeks pregnant tiny bladder. We drove down, sanitizer and mask in hand, ready for some quality time together in a beautiful change of scenery. Here is our babymoon trip to Navarre Beach, Florida recap!
Where We Stayed
Navarre Beach is on Santa Rosa Island, Florida. It is a tiny beach town sandwiched between its two more famous neighbors, Destin and Pensacola Beach.
We opted for a vacation rental from Vrbo.com. I’ve found more selection for private beach homes on this site vs. others. It was HUGE for the two of us, it could have comfortably fit ten people. But, we wanted something RIGHT on the beach with amazing views, and this fit the bill. It was a professionally managed property with the management office right down the street. The beach theme was perfect, and the huge TV and kitchen were nice perks. We loved the deck and sat outside most mornings just enjoying the sunrise and sound of the waves. Talk about complete peaceful tranquility!
What We Did
What else is there to do but enjoy the beach! Being January, we didn’t get in the water at all. It was in the 50s and 60s during the day, which is just a little too cold for me to swim in. Since this was our babymoon and we really just wanted to spend time together, we ended up spending our afternoons just walking up and down the beach. We drove to the National Seashore and then Fort Pickens one day. I cannot wait to return to Fort Pickens to show our little boy this special place. My husband has fond memories of exploring this area as a child, so I know it will be a wonderful memory for him to share with his son! We saw dolphins, jumping cownose rays, pelicans, and TONS of shells. It was a perfect day.
Our vacation rental was right on the gulf, so we had beach access from the back of our house. The beach was just lovely, crystal clear water, not too crowded (though there were some folks out), and plenty of shells and sea life. The beach really does soothe the soul, I never wanted to leave! I see us returning to Navarre with our baby boy and having a wonderful family vacation. This was certainly the first trip of many!
Navarre Beach Eats!
Per our usual routine lately, we brought most of our own food with us. We had planned on eating out maybe once during the trip but ended up finding a great spot that we ate at several times. Though we did eat most of the food we brought down, we didn’t feel like cooking every night.
For lunch one day we grabbed fish tacos from a local taco shop, which were okay. We weren’t particularly comfortable with how the joint was handling health and safety protocols (and we honestly wouldn’t have eaten there if we knew this before ordering on the phone) but say la vie. We DID find another restaurant the next day that was FANTASTIC with their protocols, plus the seafood was fresh and amazing! Dewey Destin’s Navarre was a great find and I know we will be back anytime we are in the area. The dining area also looked relaxing, so we look forward to enjoying that too!
I insisted on donuts for my Birthday (my Birthday was the Sunday we were there). Many places were closed near us for the holidays, but my husband managed to find a great place that wasn’t too far for a special treat!
As far as our own eats that we brought from home, there was a small Birthday cake, food for breakfast, snacks, and some meat for dinners. We also made non-alcoholic sangria one day, which was so much fun! It was just sparkling water, cranberry juice, and chopped up grapefruit, oranges, and some berries. It was a refreshing way to have a special drink when I cannot be enjoying my tropical cocktails.
Something to note, it seemed like there were no food delivery services in this part of Navarre beach. So we had to go pick up anything we wanted for food. It’s not a huge deal, but it was a little inconvenient.
Was Navarre Beach Florida a Good Babymoon Choice?
While it wasn’t a luxury resort with a 5-star restaurant and spa treatments; it was a perfect escape for my husband and me to enjoy some peaceful time together before little man arrives. When it comes down to it, a babymoon is just that, a special time with your loved one to relax before life gets a little crazier. We had a very successful babymoon and discovered an area of Florida that we are excited to return to with our growing family! If this pandemic has taught me anything it’s to enjoy each moment you get and cherish them. Life won’t always go your way, but it’s how you respond to the changes that matter. Don’t let a setback or change ruin what could otherwise be an incredible experience! =)
Interested in another Florida beach trip recap? Read about our trip to Cape San Blas here!
Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Don’t forget to share “Babymoon trip to Navarre Beach Florida” by using the pin below!
