Indian Rocks Beach 2023 Part One
We ventured back down to Indian Rocks Beach for our annual spring break trip and I had only one thing in mind, doing nothing for a week. For several years we’ve been coming down to the same condominium complex. We love it there although we’re noticing rates are going up and there seems to be more people down here. IRB doesn’t have quite the tropical feel that you get just a hundred miles south, and its not around a spring break destination so I was surprised to see it getting more popular. Of course it’s been named on a few best beaches list, and it was spared the wrath of the most recent tropical storm (we only saw some mild damage on the building), so hopefully the upswing is only temporary. To think just a few years ago, we were paying $150 a night for a beach front condo and could book it 90 days out. Now you have to jump on it a year out, as we recently learned (we were still able to get another unit for 2024 although we preferred the one we stayed in this trip).
The weather was of course absolutely amazing but the drive down was a little rough. We made great time down through Chatanooga and stayed at the same exit we always stop at, but this time chose the Spring Hill Suites instead of the Hampton Inn. We did this because we usually stay at the Spring Hill in Columbus when we visit, and were hoping to start combining some points, and it felt good to change it up. The hotel was OK, the breakfast was decent, although my stomach was still roiling from dinner we had the night before at the Waffle House in Lexington KY. I should add that was the best meal I’ve ever had at a Waffle House, the hashbrowns and chili were on the spot but perhaps someone didn’t wash their hands because I caught some gastro that didn’t let up until the next day.
We opted this time around to skip the Ole Country Buffet and instead eat at Buccee’s. We loaded up at this store and got a ton of beef jerky, burritos, and sandwiches. This was my wife and son’s first visit and we loved it. We ended up buying all of our food there and ate at the next exit down. This worked out OK, it had rained and the tables were wet but ate and were on our way. It did take us forever to get through Atlanta, and we ended up taking the toll road. L signed up for the Peach Pass on the go and this saved us a ton of time but alas it was stop and go all the way almost to Florida. We opted to skip my planned stop in Gainesville at the children’s park and instead swung in quickly for some Starbucks and dinner.
We made it to our condo in good time and unpacked after getting an amazing meal at a local pizza place we wanted to try right before you cross the bridge into IRB. We usually try to get pizza at a coal fired restaurant there but they closed right when we got into town. I’d say Mike’s there is amazing. I got my first hot Italian beef with cheese and peppers and it was very good.
The next day, Sunday, we do what we always do and that is go to Target, then groceries at Publix, grab sushi burritos and the boys lunch and go back. We opted this time to also pick up donuts, which were amazing. I will add that at Target I also purchased my own Nintendo Switch, which I’ve wanted for some time. I was afraid it would rain and we’d be stuck inside but that didn’t happen. I still played some Zelda Breath of the Wild and it was a lot of fun. I should add we are starting to feel like locals down here. We knew where stuff was in the grocery, and recognized the butcher and someone working the cash register. How funny is that? This was in Largo by the way.
Back at the condo we unloaded and went right to the beach. This would be modus operandi for the next few days. I didn’t plan on leaving the beach until later that week when we would grab dinner out and then take our customary local trip to putt putt but more on that later. I will say the weather was absolutely amazing these couple of days. Sometimes we get down there and we lose a day to rain, or it’s a little chilly, but it was perfect for us the entire time.
