There’s nothing I love more than a super good walk and a gluten free, low-cal lunch… and on Friday I got both! I meticulously planned an afternoon road trip as a little end-of-the-week treat: no stress and a detox from the work week. Sometimes I really can’t believe that I live in South Florida—a place where people can’t wait to visit every year for a warm, sunshiny vacation.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”  —Jacques Yves Cousteau

One of my favorite things to do is take the drive on A1A from Boca Raton straight to Palm Beach. There are canopies of trees covering part of the drive and Australian Pines lining the highway. There are beach side golf courses and massive Banyan trees. The speed limit is 35 mph, and if you open the sunroof and put the windows down, you momentarily feel like you are on a vacation, too—just like the tourists who visit every year like clockwork. I totally get why they come here, and am incredibly grateful that my dad decided Florida was a great place to live when I was 16yo.

Once I got to Palm Beach, the first stop was lunch at a classy little diner with nice staff and amazing salads called the Surf Side. I highly recommend it! Their Latin Salad with grilled chicken is healthy and fresh, and if you order it chopped—even better!

I lunched first because the Surf Side closes at 3p everyday, but truly enjoyed the spectacular drive back—with the windows down to feel the salt air, and views of the turquoise water and meticulously landscaped yards to admire. There’s a cool sandy trail in Palm Beach County called the Lantana Nature Preserve with Gumbo Limbo trees and Sea Grapes, to name a few. It was easy to fit in a mile hike, though I was happy I had walked earlier because it was a pretty short trail. I’ve been averaging three miles a day for the entire week, so I’m ecstatic and am going to keep planning accordingly as to not miss a beat!

The best part of the day was knowing I made the effort to kick some butt by going someplace simple and easy—no lines or chaos—with an honest-to-goodness break from reality. My Ford truck Jade was especially lovely for this trip. She’s a smooth ride. And thanks to cruise control, no speeding tickets!

I love sunshine. And Florida is a fantastic place to be most of the year. In late summer, I like to escape to a lovely, mountainous spot for less humidity, but winters here are a dream. No icy roads or frozen pipes! But, don’t get me wrong… a snowy Christmas is dreamy, too. 🙂