AFTER A YEAR AT HOME, BEACHLIFE HITS THE OPEN ROAD WITH NATURAL RETREATS…
It’s a uniquely American rite of passage, documented in song and film, from Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” to the movie, Easy Rider. It’s an idea that reminds Americans that we’re never stuck at home (notwithstanding 2020). And let’s be clear: Times like these call out for a road trip.
The impulse to develop such an article struck a number of us here at beachLIFE all at once and for the same reason. Last year our parent company, 360 Blue, partnered with Natural Retreats, a travel company very much like our own in that they too offer luxury vacation homes. But there is one important difference: Natural Retreats offers homes in 10 destinations scattered throughout the country. Make sure you read about a stellar road trip to take in the Western part of the United States.
The Return of the Great American Road Trip (Part 2: The East)
THE EMERALD COAST
We now head south, taking a detour through the Mississippi Delta—home of the Delta blues—and we keep going until we reach the beach. The sand here is soft, flour-like, and blindingly white on sunny days. And it’s made of quartz. The crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico, by contrast, are turquoise and seem lit from within. Where did the sand come from? The Appalachian Mountains.
Toward the end of the last Ice Age, the quartz eroded and was washed away and
carried south by the Apalachicola River all the way to the Gulf. Tides and currents then sent it westward. as far as Pensacola Pass, forming what is now known as the Emerald Coast.
Today, there’s more to the area than this thin ribbon of sand. The distinctive communities of Scenic Highway 30A offer a vibrant art scene encompassing live music, painting, the performing arts and, of course, architecture. This is the home of Seaside, Florida, one of the progenitors of the New Urbanism movement, along with WaterColor, WaterSound, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach. Destin Harbor is home to Florida’s largest charter fishing fleet.
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”
-–Pat Conroy
Visit our destinations pages for homes across the country to make part of your road trip plans or contact our Reservations Team for more information.
(This article first appeared in beachLIFE Magazine, a 360 Blue publication.)
