Five Days Till Florida!

     With fall break just five (eep!) days away, I am dreaming of all the things I am planning on doing, wearing, and cooking while I'm there.  It's no secret that temperatures in the low 50s with steady rain is my favorite kind of weather, but when the opportunity to head to sunny Florida comes around, I can't help but get excited about wearing shorts and sandals one more time. October in Orlando is wonderful. It's sunny and warm during the day, but at night, the weather turns mild, and I can bring out the trousers.  The wonderful thing is that in Florida, you can wear linen and white pants all year round. I am super psyched because I snagged a pair of white trouser-style pants at Gap last month for $14. Alas, it was past Labor Day and couldn't wear them in Memphis any longer.

Do

I am so excited to visit here. This is Clearwater Beach, Florida. It is a little over an hour and a half from Orlando, and a couple of minutes from Tampa, my hometown.  I lived in Tampa from birth till I was about two. My grandma owned a beach house in Panama City, so we used to go all the time. When she sold her house, we stopped going. Until April of this year, I hadn't been to the beach for four years. Now, this'll be my third time this year, and I am beside myself. 

There will be tons of laying beside the pool at our condo. How awesome does this pool look?!  I can't tell from the picture, but I'm hoping there will be an opportunity to jump off that waterfall! I cannot wait to spend a lot of time getting as tan as my little white body will allow. 

And last but not least, this is Wekiwa Springs.  Google it. Seriously. It is gorgeous. The water is translucent.  You can rent kayaks and canoes, swim, picnic, and much more. Kayaking is one of my all-time favorite things. Plus, it doesn't cost a whole lot. Woohoo!  

Eat

When we head over to Wekiwa Springs, we will be taking a picnic. These caprese sandwiches look so perfect for a day spent outside in the fresh air. 

A trip to Florida wouldn't be right unless you downed more than a few fruity drinks.  I am a sucker for drinks with complex flavors.  This toasted coconut limeade makes my mouth water just looking at it. 

One other thing about having a condo in Florida is that one doesn't want to slave away in the kitchen day after day. For me, I don't think that spending hours and hours preparing food after a fourteen-hour drive is a great way to spend my vacation.  Plus, I would rather be outside enjoying Florida. Something that fits this description is the salad. Whether it be an orzo or quinoa salad, the combination of grains, fruit, veggies, and dressings can't be beat.  These can be made in excess and can be grabbed whenever you're hungry. 

And finally, the quintessential Florida food (in my humble opinion) is a good fish taco. The unmistakably fresh taste of the grilled fish on a corn tortilla with corn, avocado, cabbage, etc. is my absolute favorite vacation food. When I go on vacation, I tend to focus on one food item and eat it wherever I go. My mouth is literally watering thinking about sinking my teeth into the first fish taco (or taco pescado for those of you who speak Spanish--sorry, linguist nerd moment). 

     Tomorrow, I'll be sharing my favorite way to style in Florida. It'll get the creative juices flowing so I can start packing! Yay!!