Seaside Honeymoon Cottage: The Cure for an Empty Nest

Written by Grayt 30A Guest Bill Neiland

The dictionary defines “Empty Nest Syndrome” as:

Suddenly having an empty, quiet house after 18+ years of activity, noise and maybe a little chaos can feel strange. There’s definitely a vacuum there … at least for a little while. 

Over time, those suffering from ENS start to realize that the empty nest is also full of opportunities. Of course we’ll miss the school events, sports calendars and the occasional family meals, but with this newfound flexibility, travel just became a whole lot simpler.

Honeymoon Cottages

For our family, the perfect “home remedy” for empty nest syndrome has been Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage from Grayt 30A Vacations.

The town of Seaside is full of iconic pavilions, towers, community buildings and houses designed by accomplished architects. At this point, I should probably point out that besides Frank Lloyd Wright, Mike Brady and George Costanza (who always wanted to pretend to be an architect), Scott Merrill is the only architect I know. He is responsible for many of the most recognizable structures in Seaside and along Scenic Highway 30A, including 12 striking honeymoon cottages situated right on the water just a block from Seaside’s Central Square.

Interestingly, these cottages were inspired by the “honeymoon cottage” Thomas Jefferson lived in with his wife, Martha, during the early years of their marriage while he was building Monticello.

Scott Merrill designed these cottages with the goal of offering a “unique and secluded” experience for visitors. When it comes to Grayt 30A’s Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage, mission accomplished!

Amenities for Two

As soon as you walk into the upstairs living room of Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage, all you see is the emerald blue water of the Gulf. It feels like you can reach out and touch it. And if that wasn’t close enough, a covered porch with comfortable seating and a two-person swing is right off the living room. The upstairs kitchen has everything you need, including a bistro dining table just for two.

 The huge Master Suite is downstairs. And, just like upstairs, there is also a dune-level porch with a soaking tub and shutters that you can open to let in the gulf breeze or close for complete privacy. Either way, the calming sounds of the surf and waves are the perfect relaxation cherry on top.

Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage has over 1,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space. And, while it may be hard to pry yourself away from the views from the living room sectional couch and the comfortable porches, don’t forget the town of Seaside is literally right outside your doorstep.

When we arrived at Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage, two complementary bikes were waiting for us at the front door (thanks Grayt 30A!). We spent the next several days walking to our favorite Seaside Restaurants like Bud & Alley’s and Great Southern Cafe, riding our bikes to explore dining in Watercolor, Grayton and Seagrove, and spending a few hours each day enjoying our complimentary beach chair setup (thanks Grayt 30A!).

It really is the perfect location. The house is luxurious, quiet, and full of amenities. Right outside the door is Seaside and all the things we love about this area that make it unique. After our first experience at Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage, we knew we would be repeat visitors. We’ve booked different times of the year. It’s always been great, and each trip has its own unique memories.

A Super Bowl Feast

A few years ago, we accidentally booked our trip over Super Bowl weekend. When we’re home, we always have people over to eat and watch the game. When game time rolled around, we weren’t sure what to do until it hit us: What better place to have a Super Bowl Party?

About 15 minutes before the game, my wife and I decided to divide and conquer. In a coordinated attack, we invaded the food stands, restaurants and food trailers of Seaside. We got back just before kick-off with hot dogs from Wild Bill’s Beach Dogs, tacos from the Taco Bar, a lobster roll from the Shrimp Shack, French fries from Pickles (an absolute must!) and a huge piece of cake from Modica Market.

The two of us barely put a dent in all that food, but it definitely ranked as one of our best Super Bowl parties!

A Beach Trip for Adults (Who Still Want to Act Like Kids Every Now and Then)

As our kids were growing up, we went to the beach almost every summer. Those trips were great and full of memories we’ll all cherish forever. But family beach trips change over the years as kids get older and become more independent and responsible. Lugging carts of toys to the beach and organizing crab hunting expeditions at night can be replaced with a little more relaxation and even indulgence.

Of course, you don’t have to be an empty nester to enjoy Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage. It’s also a great choice for honeymooners (duh!), anniversaries and couples celebrating that grandparents are keeping their kids!

Ready to book the Magnolia Honeymoon Cottage? Book now online or contact the Grayt 30A team.