A Sandestin, Florida Getaway With The Family At Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort

This summer was very mild here in Georgia, so I knew that meant much colder weather in the fall and winter. Sure enough, November arrived and so did the cold weather, wind and rain. It just so happened that Josiah's fall break for Thanksgiving provided the perfect time for us to go on a trip as a family! During the summer we always go to the beach, but the area is always crowded, you have to wait in lines everywhere you go and sometimes the weather is just too hot. The fall proved to be a wonderful time for a vacation because there were less people and we could sit back, relax and recharge for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, Papa ended up having to work, so the boys and I jumped in the car and headed for Sandestin, leaving the 40 degree weather in the dust. As soon as we arrived at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, I had to get out short sleeves for the boys because it was over 70 degrees, sunny and absolutely beautiful. The boys couldn't wait to hit the beach, so that is exactly what we did after checking in and bringing up our luggage to the condo.

A view of the living room, dining area and kitchen!

Our 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo was gorgeous, clean and very spacious. Upon entering the front door, we immediately saw our kitchen, which already had everything needed (except food) to cook our meals! The dining area, complete with bar-style seating and a table, was followed by the living room. Sitting on the comfortable couch, we could look out directly to the beach for a gorgeous view, but it is even better when sitting on the balcony, feeling the wind in your hair.

The master bedroom was definitely my favorite room of the condo, complete with a king bed, bathroom, walk-in closet with plenty of room, access to the balcony and windows all along the wall facing the beach, which could be opened to let in the fresh beach air and listen to the sound of the waves rolling in.

The guest bedroom was perfect for kids and had two bunk beds, a tv, and a dvd player. The boys have a bunk bed at home, so they felt right at home in their room.

After checking out our condo, we headed down to the beach and stayed there until sundown. The clouds were starting to roll in and the weather was getting cooler, but that didn't stop us.

The boys could not have been happier, especially with the shovel and bucket left for us in our room! They played in the sand, making sandcastles and dipping their feet in the water until it was time to go inside. We also stopped by the pool and hot tub for a few minutes to stick in our feet. The pool was heated and it felt great!

I think we brought some of the cold weather with us because the next day it was around 60 degrees, which is still warm to us. We decided to make the most of our trip and explore the area. I had no idea there was so much to do! The boys weren't very excited because I took them shopping at the Silver Sands Premium Outlets, but when the saw the Disney Store, they perked up a bit. I found some great deals, including flip-flops for $.50 each. Then, we went to The Market Shops at Sandestin where we found the Bass Pro Shop. The boys, of course, wanted to go there, so we did and they were very excited to see not only fish, but Santa, too. That was an unexpected little treat for them.

When we got back to our condo at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, we were absolutely famished and in need of some delicious food. Luckily, we had the perfect solution. Even though the weather was a little cooler, most everything in the resort was in full swing, which meant many fun activities and options for us to do. Golfing, shopping, eating and playing tennis are just a few of the activities. There is even a bonfire at the Marina on designated nights. Looking at the resort website, I found several restaurants, including Roberto's Pizzeria, which could actually deliver straight to our condo, so we ordered pizza that night and it was so good that we ate the entire thing. We'd also rented some movies and watched one in the living room while eating. The boys were in heaven!

The most beautiful sunsets I'd ever seen!

The next day we went to the Village of Baytowne Wharf to see what all it had to offer. The village is actually inside of the resort and there was plenty of parking for us, so we drove over and walked around, taking in all of the Christmas decor! The boys found out about the Blast Arcade, so that was our first stop. The kids had so much fun playing all of the great games and, after earning hundreds of tickets, they got to cash them in for some great prizes.

My silly boys!

Right across from the arcade was a shooting gallery, too, and the boys had to take their best shots there.

In addition to all of the great shops in the village, there were also tons of activities to keep the kiddos happy. Besides the arcade and shooting gallery, there was also a seasonal ice-skating rink, a ropes course, golf challenge, and zipline. Josiah wasn't up for the zipline, but the next time we are definitely going to do it because all the people zipping across the village had a blast. There was also a carousel and we, of course, had to check that out. The boys loved that it actually had race cars to sit in! Right next to the carousel was a remote control boat area, something the boys had to check out, too.

For snack time, we went to San Gelato & Yogurt for a blood orange gelato smoothie that was delicious. The boys devoured it in no time at all. We went to several shops, including Wharf General Store and Island Clothiers. I found some great Christmas gifts and souvenirs for family while there. Then, Liam had to get his picture taken with the huge hamburgers we saw outside of Hartell's Village Diner.

Liam pretending to eat the hamburgers!

Since the boys enjoyed Roberto's Pizzeria before, they asked for it again that night, so we put in our order and walked around the village for a little while to explore further. By the time we left the village, it was dark and the boys were getting sleepy, but we had such a great time. It was definitely time to go back to the condo, eat our bread sticks and pizza, watch a movie and relax.

Hi Santa!

The next day was out check-out day and we were in no hurry to leave. We'd had such a wonderful time that I really hated for the vacation to end. That's why we stayed until later in the afternoon to enjoy some time on the beach. The clouds were trying to clear up and the sun was peaking out that day and the weather was getting warmer, so we headed to the beach one more time.

The boys looking at the beautifully clear water.

They played in the sand, made sandcastles and dipped their toes in the chilly ocean water one more time. Even though the water was cold to us, there were several people swimming in it. In fact, there was a huge sandbar out in the water and people were walking all along it. Then we had some big excitement when someone spotted dolphins!

I cannot say enough about the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. We definitely stayed busy the entire time we were there, but I can't help but feel like there was so much we still didn't get to see. We honestly just scratched the surface of what Sandestin Golf & Beach Club has to offer. There is always something to do, whether an activity or shopping and eating, and we were able to see a part of what goes on each week. The boys are already asking when we can go back and I hope it will be soon. There really is so much to do and see for the entire family! Seasonally, there is even a club just for kids called Club KZ, where kids can make new friends, explore and learn about the area and, of course, have a great time. It also gives parents some time for a date night or a walk on the beach! Wouldn't that be wonderful? Be sure to check out their calendar to see what is going on each week.

Another great photo taken from the balcony.

I hope you enjoyed our post! We had such a wonderful time and cannot wait to go back! Have you been to Sandestin, Florida before? If so, we'd love to hear all about it!

Disclosure: This post was written for Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. Stay at the resort was provided in return for an honest review of our experience. No other compensation was provided and all opinions written are my own.