We arrived at Henderson Beach State Park around 2:30 p.m. after a 242 mile
trek from Louisiana . The park is
fantastic! It is situated right on the beach. The campsites are large with lots
of foliage between for plenty of privacy. Each site is either paved or has
gravel that seems to be tamped down or smoothed out between each departure. The
sites are very natural looking yet neat and tidy…very well maintained. Ours was
site 44.
We got checked in, set up and out on the road to explore
before it got dark. It was already after 3:00
and there was a store I wanted to check out before they closed at 5:00 since they would not be open the next day
(Sunday). It was a really cute coastal gift shop/home décor store Kathleen's Kottage. The owner
and his dog greeted us and were very friendly. The owner makes all the
furniture in the store and sells at very reasonable prices. If you are in the
area definitely check it out.
From there, we explored Scenic Hwy 30A which offers tons of
coastal boutiques, cafes and leads to charming towns and beaches like Grayton
Beach Seaside ,
Seagrove Beach Seaside and looked
around a bit popping into a couple stores. I would definitely like to check it
out in warmer weather.
We decided to eat while there and ended up at The Great Southern Cafe for some warm and cozy comfort food! We both got the beef which was like pot roast. The yummy beef was so tender and had tons of broth with it. Add black-eyed peas, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy and it was the classic southern meal! Yum! We actually somehow resisted dessert that night! Seriously need to go on a fast when we get home!
We decided to eat while there and ended up at The Great Southern Cafe for some warm and cozy comfort food! We both got the beef which was like pot roast. The yummy beef was so tender and had tons of broth with it. Add black-eyed peas, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy and it was the classic southern meal! Yum! We actually somehow resisted dessert that night! Seriously need to go on a fast when we get home!
After dinner, we drove the rest of 30A then headed back to
home base to turn in for the night.
Sunday morning was still very chilly but bright and clear.
We got up and around fairly early and actually went to visit our neighbors in
the next loop over. They are actually our neighbors from Apopka who happened to
be there at the same time as us! We need to give them a big THANK YOU for
giving us so many great RV travel tips…thanks guys!!
We headed back over to our site and logged into the The Xchange (Family Bible Church online service). So great to be able to still ‘go’ to our
church even while traveling!
We needed to check out by 1:00
but wanted to explore a bit more so moved Winnie from our camp site to the
public parking within the park. We took a walk on the beach...it was beautiful!
We hopped in the car and checked out some of the 30A towns and beaches and stopped for lunch at McGuire's Irish Pub. This is a place not to be missed if you are in the area!! It is fantastic!! I was on sensory overload though! I’ve been to little beach dives that have dollar bills taped to the walls, but here they are not only plastering the walls but hanging from the ceilings too. We were seated near the fireplace and also close to the musician who strummed his guitar and played relaxed classic songs. Tons of choices on the menu overwhelm and tempt you! We started with Senate Bean Soup...a local favorite for only 19 cents! It is patterned after the original soup which has been served in Washington D.C. since the early 1900s. Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day! The Senate Bean Soup at McGuire's was delicious! Portions here are large and they seem to bring you tons of ‘extras’ that you didn’t order at no extra charge. Dave’s brunch came with a Baily’s Irish coffee, they brought us warm, fresh beignets that we did not order (twice) and on and on like that. Everything was fantastic!
We hopped in the car and checked out some of the 30A towns and beaches and stopped for lunch at McGuire's Irish Pub. This is a place not to be missed if you are in the area!! It is fantastic!! I was on sensory overload though! I’ve been to little beach dives that have dollar bills taped to the walls, but here they are not only plastering the walls but hanging from the ceilings too. We were seated near the fireplace and also close to the musician who strummed his guitar and played relaxed classic songs. Tons of choices on the menu overwhelm and tempt you! We started with Senate Bean Soup...a local favorite for only 19 cents! It is patterned after the original soup which has been served in Washington D.C. since the early 1900s. Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day! The Senate Bean Soup at McGuire's was delicious! Portions here are large and they seem to bring you tons of ‘extras’ that you didn’t order at no extra charge. Dave’s brunch came with a Baily’s Irish coffee, they brought us warm, fresh beignets that we did not order (twice) and on and on like that. Everything was fantastic!
With just a little time left before we had to pound the
pavement back to Apopka, we drove the coastal roads and took photos and made
notes of places to come back to in warmer weather.
Hated to only stay one night but we must get home to the kitties
and I guess to reality, lol!! It has been an amazing trip and now we have 7
states on our map!!
Excited to see how many states we can get on our map by the end of 2013!
Excited to see how many states we can get on our map by the end of 2013!
Until Next Time~
Blessings~
Misi and DaveHenderson Beach State Park
Reading this brings back memories of when we lived in Destin. The aqua water and white beaches... Beautiful!! When Rich worked at the hotel's and managed the gift shops, one of his employee's husband was a Park Ranger at one of the national parks, and they lived on site. I will have to ask Rich,if it was this park.
ReplyDeleteWe loved it there, it was not built up at the time. I bet it is different now!
Your blog makes me want to go back! :o) Love,Terry
Hey Terry! Thanks for checking out our blog! It is beautiful there but yes, I'm sure very built up compared to when you and Rich lived there. If you ever go back there is a hotel or 'Inn' on the beach called Henderson Beach Inn which is supposed to be one of the most romantic Inn's in the U.S.Guess I should have mentioned in the blog, lol!
DeleteLove, Misi