Why does vacation go so fast? We wrapped up our first camping trip the gulf a couple of weeks ago and we had SUCH a good time. It was our longest road trip with our camper so far and I thought I would do a quick little recap!
We stayed at Camp Gulf in Miramar Beach, Florida. It was really close to Destin, without being right in the middle of all of the Destin busy-ness. This was our first time to the gulf, and obviously our first time at this RV resort. We did camp on the Outer Banks last summer, so it wasn’t our first time beach camping.
I will say this – without having anything else on the gulf side to compare it to, we were really pleased with Camp Gulf. They do have spots literally RIGHT on the beach (those book up FAR in advance), but we had a spot that was near the pool (they have 2), and near a bathhouse. They also have glamping tents and tiny houses on site that you can rent, too. We thought that would be ideal if you were traveling with friends or family that didn’t have a camper.
They had a basketball court, small playground, and a food truck there that we took advantage of. They were supposed to offer kids activities, but they didn’t have anything because of staffing issues. We had a 3-4 minute walk to the beach that wasn’t too bad, considering we were still inside the RV park, and the kids road their bikes a lot.
We were really close to the Grand Boulevard Shopping Center which was great because there were a few eating options there that weren’t crazy crowded (if you get there early). We recommend Tommy Bahama and Cantina Laredo. It also had a grocery store, and some other shops. We ordered pizza a night, and cooked dinner a time or two as well.
We had planned to do a fishing charter while we were there for my oldest, but they were all booked up. And they were pretty pricey. So we decided to rent a pontoon boat for the day and it was THE best decision! We rented ours through Xtreme H20 Watersports and it was the best of both worlds! We rented it for 8 hours and cruised around the Destin Bay and made a stop at Crab Island. It was really pretty and definitely something to see, but honestly, our favorite part was finding the secluded beaches along the way. We packed a cooler for the day, and brought some sand toys and snorkeling gear. We were able to see several dolphins, too. We would 10/10 recommend it!
I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about camping at the beach. Yes, there is SAND – ha! And a lot of it. But we take a leaf blower with us, and always try to keep our parking pad blown off. We also try to keep storage buckets and totes lying around outside to keep up with our toys.
We’ve been camping now for 2 years and its our favorite way to travel with kids. One thing we have noticed is that as camping is increasing in popularity again, sites get booked up pretty quickly – so booking ahead is important!
Miramar, you were beautiful – we will see you again soon!
I’m also linking up several of my vacation outfits too!
