Happy happy weekend!! Y’all it has been so (good) busy, but I’m taking forever to get these vacation posts out. I suppose it just prolongs the reminiscing on such a special time, yeah?!

Today I will be sharing our third day in Clearwater, FL! Quinn got a great night sleep and woke up with a little extra pep in her step.

Quite literally.. this girl was enjoying practicing her walking all week long!

We met up with my mom and Pete in the lobby and then walked across the street to Clear Sky Beachside Cafe.

Photo op!

We picked Clear Sky out of convenience, but the local dive boasted as a Yelp “Top 100” brunch spot in the USA!

We sat on their patio, which enclosed us from the threatening wind that morning. We put in orders then entertained Quinn with books and the little table creamers while waiting for our food.

I had the crab Benedict sans hollandaise because of the dairy. It was tasty, sure, but not the best benny I’ve had. (Of course, the sauce could have been a game changer!).

My mom had their avocado toast, which came out with a nice presentation!

For Quinn, I ordered scrambled eggs (which she barely ate), and mixed some of her kite Hill yogurt with fruit and a little peanut butter. She did enjoy that!

It was a solid breakfast overall, but maybe a bit surprised in top 100 in USA? All depends on what ya order these places too.

We headed back to the hotel, an easy walk back across the street.

I went for a run while my mom and Pete watched Quinnie. Unfortunately DJ wasn’t feeling 100% after getting a little sun poisoning, so it was nice he was able to just sleep for a bit while I ran.

It was a great run!! I got in 5 miles, which I rarely ever have the time to do anymore.

After my run, I got ready for the day, went back to my mom and Pete’s hotel room and nursed Quinn.

Then for her nap, we did the same thing as the day before! My mom just had Quinn nap with her, while DJ and I lounged at the pool. I had a glass of rosé that was very refreshing and yummy.

I continued to read my thriller, Flicker in the Dark, SO GOOD. Then for lunch ordered this scrumptious hummus and veggie wrap. I usually don’t care for chips (if French fries are an option I usually would rather have those), but these chips were soo good!!! Why does food taste even better after sitting in the sun and poolside? 😋

Then DJ and I went for a short stroll on the beach together.

My mom and Pete came down after Quinn’s nap and lunch, and we took over so they could enjoy a lunch poolside too.

Making sure to stay hydrated, I refilled my water frequently. The lobby had two big dispensers with fruit infused water- this was such a treat! I always forget just how refreshing fruit-infused water is.

Back to the hotel to get ready for dinner!

For dinner that night, we went to the Original Frenchy’s Cafe. My Uncle Pat recommended this place, and it also falls on pretty much every list of best places to eat in Clearwater.

There are a couple locations, but I think going to the Original was the best decision!

It has an old school diner feel, which I always am drawn to. The staff was exceptionally friendly too.

Quinn was a bit fussy (it was creeping close to bedtime), so DJ took her outside to walk her around in the fresh air before the food came. At one point, he walked back and forth across the window with Quinn, and she was very entertained by us waving to her through the glass.

I had to take the opportunity to grab a pic with my mom and Pete!

Ok ok you’re saying get to the foooood. First things first- Frenchy’s Garlic Crab fries with garlic butter and parsley, garlic aioli, old bay seasoning and snow crab 🦀. I couldn’t have these for obvious delicious reasons (I’m looking at you garlic butter!), but those that did said they were very good.

Another appetizer shared was the smoked whitefish dip. This dip was good, there is no denying it. But I’m convinced no smoked whitefish dip will ever be better than Apache Trout’s in Traverse City, Michigan!

For Quinn’s meal, I got her some of her favorites: black beans and tomatoes. This girl could eat probably beans and tomatoes for every meal. They’re my sure fire way to get her to eat something if she’s being picky.

One happy camper.

Photo fail! I tried to get a pic of DJ’s Cuban sandwich (a staple of Clearwater cuisine), but I didn’t realize I had on portrait mode and ended up emphasizing the black beans instead. So here’s another close up of some beans 🤪.

Ok so now for one of my favorite dishes the whole vacation- this Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich. Oh my lantaaaa.

I paired it will a Heineken 0.0 and it came with perfectly crisp French fries… I don’t think I left a crumb behind. I was tempted to go back the rest of our time there to get this whole meal again.

As we walked back to the hotel we were struck by the beauty of the sunset that evening. We stepped out to the beach side of the resort to get a good look before heading up to bed.

Oh also just a fun tidbit from that night- My mom and Pete stayed out a little after us and texted us – “Did you all see Hulk Hogan?!” . Apparently he was at his bar which was right next to Frenchy’s!

And maybe by our next vacation I’ll get out Day #4 🤪. It’s just an extra busy time! I have a bunch of continuing education credits due this year on top of hospital mandatories, Quinn had her bday last weekend (can’t wait to share about that 🥰), I worked a bunch this week & just trying to be present while keeping the house afloat every day is certainly a juggling act. Entering into these toddler years I can feel a shift in our already *non-existent* routine haha and things are changing. Oh and Quinn is walking now, so there’s that 😄. My emotions are ALL over the place. More than they have been since early postpartum. Any other moms have this happen around a year?

If you still read this blog, I just want to take a minute to say I appreciate you & the fact that you want to pop in to see what my lil’ fam is up to. I’d love to hear what’s going on in your world.

<3,

Mackenzie