Delray Beach // 2017

Throwback Trip!

I cannot express to you how much my heart is ACHING for some beach time right now!! As someone who considers traveling to be a big part of my life, this past year of isolating and lockdown have been incredibly taxing.

I had become used to flying down to Florida to see my family whenever I wanted, even just for a weekend getaway, and not being able to do that has been quite sad. I miss my baby cousins a TON, but I know that staying put until I am fully vaccinated is the right thing to do to keep everyone safe. Some days are just harder than others.

BUT, to keep looking on the bright side, I thought it would be fun to revisit one of these quick Florida getaways I took (4 years ago) this week!

Setting the Scene

Okay, it’s March 2017. The world isn’t on fire and we are not yet living in some sort of dystopian nightmare. I took a few days off of work (as was my MO) to hop on a plane and fly down to see my family. At the time, I was living in Jersey post-graduation and everyone else lived in various parts of Florida, so it wasn’t unusual for me to have to fly somewhere just to see the people I love.

After spending some quality time with everyone, my mom and I hopped in the car and drove a few hours down the coast to Delray Beach. Only a few hours away from where she lived at the time, but just far enough to feel like an adventure! In fact, this was the first mini-vacation Mama D and I had taken just the two of us in a long time.

We were lucky to have some family members down this way too! My one uncle had a gorgeous condo he let us borrow for a few days, and we were able to make time to catch up with that side of the family for the first time in years. If memory serves, we had dinner with them twice because there were so many things to catch up on! Especially looking back now, that was really the most amazing opportunity from this trip.

Beach & Food

Whenever I go somewhere warm, my main priorities are beach and food. I rarely go seeking anything wild on vacation, though I cannot deny that ridiculous situations tend to follow me (despite my best efforts)!

The big determining factors of me having a good time? How long I can spend reading on the beach and lying in the sun (with ample sunscreen of course- I’m pale AF year-round). AND how many delicious food options can I explore while I am here!

Mama D and I did protein shakes each morning before hitting the beach (when the weather agreed with us!) and really gave ourselves time to decompress. The one day it absolutely POURED we found an alternative afternoon plan that worked just as well…

El Camino

El Camino is an amazing Mexican restaurant located right off the Main Street in Delray. As soon as it started to rain, we found a place to park and walked speedily down the road in search of something delicious. We settled on this adorable spot which, mercifully, had just started Happy Hour!

Mama D and I both found fun margaritas to try (Sangria and Blood Orange!) and got some made-to-order guacamole. The restaurant is open-air style, so we could sit at the bar and enjoy the sounds of the storm. All the while keeping an eye out for when the rain stopped and we could return to the beach of course!

Though El Camino was an amazing spot for a snack, nothing could have prepared us for the PEAK of our dining experience this week. Our equally spontaneous stop at…

Mussel Beach

Good LORD. Just look at that picture and you can see why we were obsessed with this place!!! This was by far the best seafood meal either of us have ever eaten, bar none. If we go back to Delray Beach in the future, it will be in hopes of recreating this experience!

We are both big seafood fans, so of course this restaurant caught our eye as we walked back from the beach. We stopped on a whim and grabbed martinis while we checked out the menu. Much to my delight, they had kettle specials and we settled on the Mussel Beach Kettle (which was definitely enough food to share)!

The pot is filled to the brim with jumbo king crab legs, snow crab legs, mussels, clams, jumbo shrimp, corn on the cob, and potatoes all soaked in a mouthwatering white wine garlic sauce. Not only did we finish the ENTIRE thing, we asked for more bread to make sure we didn’t waste a drop of that delicious sauce. 😂 

No regrets. That food was BOMB and thankfully Mussel Beach is still open despite this year of chaos. So, if you are in the area- do me (and yourself) a favor and put this spot on the top of your “must-try” list!!

*Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post, no items were gifted, and all opinions are my own.

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What has been your all-time favorite travel meal?