A view of the Gulf at Rosemary Beach
A view of the Gulf at Rosemary Beach

Rosemary Beach trip review
Note: Just to prove that I actually like some stuff.
In October, I traveled for a stay at Rosemary Beach. It was my first real vacation in over a decade. Sure, I’d take days off, but that was usually just to get some extra sleep or recover from the flu. But, you’d be shocked what a beautiful woman can get you to do—so instead of staying home to watch a road football game, we traveled for several days to Rosemary Beach. Rosemary is located just outside Panama City Beach and is near Seaside and Alys Beach.

The cottages were reasonably priced and convenient to the beach. We stayed south of 30-A and it was worth it for the convenience of not having to cross the highway to get to the beach. The October period was a perfect time for a visit with the weather topping out at around 80 each day and going no lower than about 60 at night. This made for nice days in the sun with the cooling water and invigorating mornings while drinking coffee on the boardwalk. The nights were marvelous with a full moon illuminating the white sands as the waves rhythmically crashed into the shore. It was a perfect setting for us to sip wine on the beach. (It also made for a great party encounter with a few other Alabama fans—more on that later.) Rosemary is an excellent place for a family or couple—it has the beach and bike riding and is even close to some great shopping.

The trip from Birmingham to Rosemary included a trek through Montgomery and some interesting places in south Alabama. It was a nice drive. After getting settled into the house which included unpacking everything from some household items like detergent to all the luggage, we relaxed a bit from the drive and planned a trip to the local Publix to buy the necessary groceries to stock our kitchen. The real highlight of the first day was taking a bottle of Argyle 2007 Pinot Noir and sipping it under the stars. The winds kicking in from the Gulf of Mexico made it delightful to the senses bringing in the saltwater feel to the boardwalk area where we sat.

One of the more memorable moments from the trip followed a bike ride a mile or so down the bike trail along 30-A to Alys Beach. After riding around looking at the community at bike speed, we decided it was time to get some water before heading back to Rosemary and a chance to watch the Alabama-Tennessee game. Fonville Press was the destination of her choice, and we headed there. Upon arrival we encountered something amazing.

Standing at the counter was a beautiful woman. And she knew it. She wore designer shorts that accentuated her long, tanned legs and arched her back to make sure everyone noticed her obviously spectacular butt. Heeled boots completed her evening attire in a way that said, “I’m fancy, and yes these boots cost more than you make in a month, but I’m not too high maintenance.”

However, she was high maintenance. How long does it take to order and get a coffee? At Starbucks maybe two or three minutes. This woman ordered an exotic drink and she felt compelled to explain detail by detail just how to make the drink. The details ranged from how to pick the coffee beans, prepare the beans for brewing, and how to harvest the sugar cane and then how to optimize the introduction of the finished sugar granules into her unique drink. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. My girlfriend and I were standing there desperately wanting water, but we cannot get water until this drama concludes. Fifteen minutes. Finally. Thank God. She gets her drink. Wait. No. “This isn’t hot enough. Could you warm it or brew it again?” The girl behind the counter meekly nods and fetches the pot to warm the drink. “Careful not to put too much in and ruin it!” the lovely beach girl interjected. My girlfriend was to the point of rolling her eyes. I think she wanted to stab this woman holding up the line. She deals with her desire by letting out a gentle sigh, and as the beach girl moves away, she places our order for the desired water. We went outside and enjoyed the water in the now late afternoon.

We relaxed and then headed back to our house to watch the football game. The Alabama-Tennessee game was something we both looked forward to seeing. We made it through the game and then she cooked a very nice meal with a new wine. This time it was Dry Creek. As it got later in the evening, we decided to take a glass of wine to the boardwalk and sit while watching the ocean and enjoying the cool night. After about 45 minutes of seclusion, a few men from a nearby cottage walked out. This was a group of Alabama fans from Mobile who held a party while watching the game. The party was now spilling outside to enjoy the evening. The host, or at least he appeared to be the host, kindly introduced himself and apologized for intruding on our seclusion. Immediately, the discussion turned to football, where we were from and work. There was an interesting connection with one of his guests—a doctor from Mobile with a specialization in infectious diseases.

When the doctor arrived, the gentleman immediately brought him over to introduce to us; more to introduce him to her than me. Alas, I’m used to that. The introduction itself was funny.

“Hi. I work with (the name of a big, multi-national company that I was forced to redact under threat of my life),” she said.

“Well that is great. I work with VD,” the doctor said. Immediately the doctor looked at me and informed everyone that I was dating way out of my league. The doctor was quick with the jokes. After spending about 45 more minutes on the beach and sharing an excellent sampling of the Mobile gentleman’s wine, we decided to head back to the house. As we were heading off, the revelers asked why we were leaving. She told them “It is past our bedtime.” The doctor couldn’t let that go without a retort. He looked squarely at me and shouted “Congratulations.” The doctor was the life of the party. Any party.

The interaction with others at Rosemary was always pleasant. People were friendly and thoughtful. It is impossible to find something bad about this trip—except that it ended. The only irritation was our problem with getting the house’s Internet to work. That was a major frustration for people who need to work even when on vacation. Other than this, the trip was wonderful.

The Gulf of Mexico was clear, cool and inviting most days. Even when the wind was kicking up and the waves were swelling a little, the water was fine during our stay. One day the seaweed was sufficient to distort the water’s color a bit, but it didn’t spoil the outstanding views.

We’ll be visiting Rosemary Beach again. Soon.

A view of the Gulf at Rosemary Beach
A view of the Gulf at Rosemary Beach

7 thoughts on “Review: Rosemary Beach is amazing”

  1. Or the Smokies. Going there the week before Christmas. It’s crazy up there then, but really don’t have a choice.

  2. The mountains would be fun. We’ve talked about a trip to north Ga. for a cabin retreat or perhaps another visit to the beach. There was even talk about some holiday concert in Chicago. Probably have to decide soon. Time flies during these months of the year.

  3. Rosemary Beach and Alys beach are amazing little beach towns. Next time you’re here be sure to take time to explore further west on 30-A; there are lots of other little beach communities, (Seagrove, Grayton, Seaside, Watercolor and more) with great dining, shopping, funky art galleries and more. The 30-A bike path you were is about 18 miles long & takes you through all the beach communities. So glad you enjoyed your visit, 30-A really is a special place!

  4. We actually visited Seaside for the required shopping at Pizitz Home Furnishings and lunch with the oceanview at Bud & Ally’s.

    I agree. 30-A really is a special place. And that is coming from someone who never really was a beach person. Before.

    I may have to move there now. I’m hooked.

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