Life's a Beach! The GaDawgFan Family unwinds at Topsail Hill

[Beckers 1,136]

I don't get the beach haters either. I'm trying to convince DH we should go to ocean city this weekend. Sitig under an umbrella, feet in the sand listening to the waves is pure heaven.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I think I would actually like the beach if it wasn't for the sand, salt water, sun, sweaty people and sunblock smell. 

 

My list of reasons is surprisingly close to Dave's. 

 

I don't like Sun. I don't like Sand, I don't like crowds of people. And I don't like salt water. 

 

It's even harder to understand where I come from. Rhode Island AKA the Ocean State. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

  I am thinking it may not be a hard sell.   Of course, I hear the two of us could be Trouble together. ;D

 

Exactly. It would be fun!

 

I'm definitely in.

 

Great! Thanks for reading!

 

I think I would actually like the beach if it wasn't for the sand, salt water, sun, sweaty people and sunblock smell. 

 

Haven't we established that you pretty much hate everything?

 

What's with the beach haters? Don't like getting sand in your pants? I love listening to the surf. When I lived in NH I could sometimes hear the fog horn late at night. Lovely, mournful sound.

 

Weirdos! Aren't they?

 

I have already told Steve that it is a place we need to checkout. Looking at the map it looks to be less than a 6 hour drive.

 

We love it. I should actually probably stop telling people about it though. It's already hard to get a site.

 

We like the gulf side better too.

 

Amen!

 

I totally agree! Awesome photo.

 

 

I pulled this up and thought wait did I post already? Although it'd be well over 6 hours

 

I can't wait to see what this trip report brings. I was looking into the area as a non-camping trip but this might just be a nice camping place.

 

We looooooooooooooooooove camping here.

 

I'm so surprised to read that many of you don't like the beach!  Since I can't live at the fort fulltime, the beach would be my second choice. 

 

Looking forward to more of your TR!

 

And it's cheaper than the Fort, lots cheaper.

 

I don't care for the beach, but love salt  water. I love the Florida Keys, no natural beaches, but the water is beautiful. I likefishing and diving in the oceans. Have always lived in Florida.

 

You're only half crazy then.

 

I don't get the beach haters either. I'm trying to convince DH we should go to ocean city this weekend. Sitig under an umbrella, feet in the sand listening to the waves is pure heaven.

 

I hope you're there now. I like Ocean City a lot.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

My list of reasons is surprisingly close to Dave's. 

 

I don't like Sun. I don't like Sand, I don't like crowds of people. And I don't like salt water. 

 

It's even harder to understand where I come from. Rhode Island AKA the Ocean State. 

 

The beach at Topsail isn't crowded. And there isn't sand at the sites. That's one thing my Jason really likes about it- no sand in the RV.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We left off after the beach and naptime. When Z woke up, he wanted to go to the pool. So we did. The pool here is small, but it’s not usually crowded. Sometimes, we’re the only people there. Not today. It was pretty crowded.

 

 

Next to the pool there is a pond that you can fish in, well 2 actually.

 

 

And a building where they hold programs. For summer, they have a kids program in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I think I’m going to send Z next week, assuming he’s old enough.

 

 

Look the building has chairs you can relax in. There’s only 1 rocker, but no one is there.

 

 

After the pool, it was time to work on Z’s bike riding. He’s mastered his balance bike, so we got him a real bike yesterday. He doesn’t understand the pedaling yet.

 

 

We had a late dinner at the campsite. Yum! Crabcakes!

 

 

That’s a natural stopping point, but Z is still napping, so let’s keep going. Jason got burnt at the beach yesterday, like REALLY burnt. I’m somewhat amused by this because I’m so fair, I burn easily. He makes fun of my sunscreen obsession. He’s part Cherokee, and can you believe this…. He’s never had a real sunburn until now. He’s gotten a little sun where it’s pink and then he looks like he’s from south of the border the next day, but he’s never REALLY been burnt.

 

But he is now. So the beach was out for today. Usually that would upset me, but that’s the nice thing about extended trips. We have 13 more beach days.

 

Since the beach is out, we did one of our favorite non-beach activities, going to Baytowne Warf at Sandestin. It’s a nice shopping area with activities and restaurants, and it’s only a couple of miles down the road.

 

It’s pretty!

 

 

Lucky for us, it’s lunchtime. You can walk around with to-go drinks.

 

 

 

This place is special. I’ve never eaten here, but it’s my favorite place to grab a beer.

 

 

See why?

 

 

 

 

 

Z loves to drive these overpriced boats.

 

 

 

They do concerts and fireworks some nights.

 

 

We ate at Rum Runners. It’s pretty reasonable for sandwiches.

 

 

They have a candy shop.

 

 

I saw this sign, and it made me wonder….. (do you know what I’m wondering?)

 

 

If you guessed I’m wondering if any of those homemade caramels are dipped in chocolate and salted, you’re right!

 

And guess what? They were.

 

 

I’m still so full that I haven’t tried them yet. I promise to report back.

 

There is also a playground of death. Why?

 

 

There is no shade. None. And it’s hot. Really hot. Hot enough to need lots of warning signs. AVOID, unless you go at night.

 

 

And who says Disney is expensive? I’m pretty sure that’s a $100 stroller that you can rent for 4 hours for $40. Great deal!

 

 

My next update that might just be in a few minutes depending on my napper will include some pictures of the campground and sites that I’ve collected over the past couple days.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

That looks like a cool shopping, eating, and drinking area.

No thanks to the POD.

I was hoping when you said POD that it was going to have a slide of death.

The caramels made my mouth water......but so did the beer.

Will definitely have to put all these places in my memory bank.

[CoachClough 12]

Crabcakes eh?  As everyone from MD cocks an eyebrow....

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

That looks like a cool shopping, eating, and drinking area.

No thanks to the POD.

I was hoping when you said POD that it was going to have a slide of death.

The caramels made my mouth water......but so did the beer.

Will definitely have to put all these places in my memory bank.

 

Yep, POD. And do you see Z running to it. We knew how hot it would be from going there before. We let him play for 3 minutes and made him promise no slides. It was 3 minutes of torture, even with a cold beer.

 

Crabcakes eh?  As everyone from MD cocks an eyebrow....

 

I don't get it. LOL. It's my grandmother's recipe. She was from NJ though.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Here's update #2 for the day. Then, that's all I've got for now. This is mostly for those interested in visiting Topsail, trying to give you an idea of what it's like.

 

There’s a sand sculpture when you enter the park right now.

 

 

Some people (and you know who you are) think Grayton Beach is as nice of a campground. That person is deluded. But what can you expect from a Gator?

 

Here’s the one of the lakes near the front of the campground.

 

 

Shuffleboard near the pool

 

 

Let’s look at some of the sites. They’re nice. I’ve only taken pictures of sites that were empty when I walked by, so that’s why they skip around. The campground is full, and sites are usually only open for a few hours, so I’ve started to take pictures of some empty ones when I see them.  

 

108 is a really cool site. It has a fountain. For some reason the fountain was on yesterday, but it’s not today. Does the person at the site have a way to turn it on? I don’t know.

 

 

 

Here’s 119.

 

 

Here’s 126.

 

 

138- With the exception of the picnic tables and grills, these back-in sites remind me a lot of premium sites at the Fort.

 

 

139

 

 

140

 

 

159-

 

Well, that’s all for now.  I should mention that all of these sites are in my favorite part of the campground. There are some that are better than others for sure. The ones at the front are smaller and have less privacy.

[CoachClough 12]

I'm just kidding anyway, if they're tasty, I don't care who made them and where that person is from :)

[DaveInTN 3,247]

The beach at Topsail isn't crowded. And there isn't sand at the sites. That's one thing my Jason really likes about it- no sand in the RV.

 

I agree on that!  I loved the campground.  And I loved the close proximity to Watercolor and Seaside.  So THERE!  I don't hate everything. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I'm just kidding anyway, if they're tasty, I don't care who made them and where that person is from :)

 

The important thing is that I'm anti-mayo, so no mayo in my crab cakes. Butter!

 

I agree on that!  I loved the campground.  And I loved the close proximity to Watercolor and Seaside.  So THERE!  I don't hate everything. 

 

Wait, we found some things you like! Yay!!!! Oh and beer. You like beer!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

 

Wait, we found some things you like! Yay!!!! Oh and beer. You like beer!

 

Wrong again. 

 

I LOVE beer.  :) 

 

In fact, I was just drinking one of my homemade brews on the back porch watching a strong storm blow through.  Another thing I like to do. 

[alexwyattmommy 181]

That was pretty cool, taking photos of the empty sites.  They look nice.  Looks like a great place to spend some time.

The photos of the town were good.  Definitely looks like some place to put on the to-do list.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Right now Steve would probably gripe about towing the camper down there due to the cost of gas (we end up having to take the truck and the minivan), but I noticed they have cabins.  Do you happen to know much about those?  Where are they located.

 

The wheels are turning in my head.  DS is going to play baseball this year for school.  Last year the team played in a tournament in Orange Beach over the first weekend of spring break.  According to the map this campground is not too far from there.  Hmmm this really might be a possibility in the near future. 

 

Except for the youngest none of us are real beach people, but this doesn't seem to have your typical beach feel to it.  It seems very relaxing.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

We're not beach people either. Too much sun, and Rick has to be super careful.  Not a big fan of soft, hard to walk in sand.

 

We did enjoy walking Cocoa Beach before our cruise. Hard packed sand, and it was just before dark, really pleasant. 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Right now Steve would probably gripe about towing the camper down there due to the cost of gas (we end up having to take the truck and the minivan), but I noticed they have cabins.  Do you happen to know much about those?  Where are they located.

 

The wheels are turning in my head.  DS is going to play baseball this year for school.  Last year the team played in a tournament in Orange Beach over the first weekend of spring break.  According to the map this campground is not too far from there.  Hmmm this really might be a possibility in the near future. 

 

Except for the youngest none of us are real beach people, but this doesn't seem to have your typical beach feel to it.  It seems very relaxing.

Doing some more research on where the baseball games were actually played and it seems like they were in Mobile, not Orange Beach as the schedule indicated.  Still hoping to get a trip down there before DS graduates next year. 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

 

139

 

 

 

 

139 was our site when we went.  My parents were next to us in 138. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

That was pretty cool, taking photos of the empty sites.  They look nice.  Looks like a great place to spend some time.

The photos of the town were good.  Definitely looks like some place to put on the to-do list.

 

Glad you liked the site photos. Since you can pick your site when you book, they are helpful. That have pictures of the sites on reserveamerica too, but you never know how current.

 

We love it here!

 

Right now Steve would probably gripe about towing the camper down there due to the cost of gas (we end up having to take the truck and the minivan), but I noticed they have cabins.  Do you happen to know much about those?  Where are they located.

 

The wheels are turning in my head.  DS is going to play baseball this year for school.  Last year the team played in a tournament in Orange Beach over the first weekend of spring break.  According to the map this campground is not too far from there.  Hmmm this really might be a possibility in the near future. 

 

Except for the youngest none of us are real beach people, but this doesn't seem to have your typical beach feel to it.  It seems very relaxing.

 

I've heard the cabins are pretty nice. The big ones don't have any trees around them. Not sure if that would bother you or not. They all have screened porches. It's important that you book 11 months in advance if you want to go during peak season, not soon after that otherwise. This is a very popular park.

 

We're not beach people either. Too much sun, and Rick has to be super careful.  Not a big fan of soft, hard to walk in sand.

 

We did enjoy walking Cocoa Beach before our cruise. Hard packed sand, and it was just before dark, really pleasant. 

 

I love walking on the beach in the evening.

 

139 was our site when we went.  My parents were next to us in 138.

 

Cool! Both are very nice sites.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We tried a new place for dinner last night. It's called Local Catch, and it's GOOD. Apparently the building was something else before, but I'm not sure what. It's a short drive down 30A from the campground. Here's some food. Both of our dinners also came with salad.

 

Shrimp and Grits.... if it's on the menu, you can guess I'm ordering it, so I'm kind of an expert. This version was tasty!

 

 

Jason got the roast beef po boy with pan dripping gravy. The gravy might make it look a little gross, but OMG it was good.

 

 

For dessert, we had to try the fried Oreos and cream. I'm pretty sure this should be illegal.

 

 

After dinner, we took a little walk on the beach and went to bed early.

 

Today was a beach day! It looked cloudy behind us when we were on our way down, but it turned out to be beautiful. It started out as a red flag day but moved to yellow. Yay!!!

 

Here are the bike racks where people park.

 

 

They've added 2 new showers.

 

 

I mentioned you walk over a boardwalk over the dunes to the beach. Here it is.

 

 

 

 

You can see in that last one that the beach was pretty crowded today. A lot of people set up right at the end of the boardwalk. If you want more space, you can just walk a very short distance.

 

That's Destin in the background.

 

 

Our spot for the day.

 

 

He's going to get me.

 

 

Then the wave got him!

 

 

Ahhhhh......

 

 

Our slice of heaven!

 

[CoachClough 12]

I should have applied spf30 before reading!

[alexwyattmommy 181]

The food looks really good.  I have a hankering for shrimp and grits now. :D

[MicknMin...Holly 54]

Wow! Topsail looks beautiful! We're going to have to check it out some time. Great trip report so far. :)

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

Wow... what a beautiful place and it is in TCD's backyard.    Is the water as warm and inviting as it looks?

[Ok Grumpy AKA Cindy~~ 9]

It is very pretty!  I'm from Navarre which is closer to Pensacola.  I love the beach getting the clean sand between my toes!  We really have some beautiful beaches here in the panhandle of Florida!