Some of our favorite family memories have been made in St. Augustine, Florida. It’s not just because it’s one of the best family friendly beach destinations on the East Coast. It feels like a little slice of heaven right next to the ocean. Pulling up to the Surf Drive vacation home, smelling the salty air, and hearing the waves in the distance reminds you that you’ve arrived somewhere special. After a beautiful and life changing six months, getting away to a St. Augustine beach rental was exactly the reset our family needed.
First and foremost, a huge thank you to the Nelson family for hosting us. You made this trip everything it was.
The Neighborhood
The Surf Drive home sits in a quiet, beautiful neighborhood with direct private beach access to St. Augustine Beach. One of the most beautiful, calm, and dog friendly beaches in Florida. It’s the kind of neighborhood where you slow down the moment you arrive.
The House Itself
The Surf Drive vacation rental is everything you could hope for in a Florida beach getaway. The open floor plan keeps everyone connected no matter where you are in the house, making it ideal for families and groups. Three spacious bedrooms sleep a full crew comfortably: a king in the master suite, a queen in the second bedroom, and two twins in the third, perfect for kids. Two fully updated bathrooms mean no one is fighting over the mirror. The master suite is its own sanctuary, complete with a walk-in closet and a spa-style en suite with a walk-in shower. The kind of bathroom you actually linger in. The open concept kitchen is fully stocked with a gas stove, refrigerator, and microwave, and an outdoor dining setup makes al fresco meals easy and enjoyable.
Resort Style Backyard
This is where the Surf Drive rental earns its name. The fully fenced backyard is spacious, private, and loaded with amenities: an outdoor dining area, gas grill, gas fire pit, and a jacuzzi. An outdoor shower on the side of the house is perfectly situated for rinsing off after the beach. And exciting news for future guests: a pool is currently being installed, expected to be ready by midsummer. This backyard genuinely competes with resort properties.
Private Beach Access Just Five Minutes Away
One of the biggest perks of this St. Augustine vacation home is the private neighborhood beach access, just a five minute walk from the front door. No parking lots, no crowds, no hassle. Just grab your things and go. St. Augustine Beach is calm, gorgeous, and one of the few Florida beaches that is truly dog friendly, making it a standout choice for pet owners.
Pet Friendly Vacation Rental in St. Augustine
If you’re searching for a pet friendly vacation rental in St. Augustine, Surf Drive should be at the top of your list. The fully fenced yard keeps pets safe and contained, and the outdoor shower means sandy paws stay outside where they belong. Our dogs, Pancakes and Rumble, came to the beach with us every single morning. Pancakes knows the route by heart and always leads the way and having them with us genuinely made the trip. Just be sure to get your pets approved prior to booking and factor in the pet fee.
Where to Eat and Drink in St. Augustine Beach
No beach trip is complete without great food and coffee, and St. Augustine delivers on both. Here’s what earned a permanent spot on our must visit list.
The Kookaburra
Start your mornings here. With an Aussie-American concept and a creative menu to match, The Kookaburra sets the tone for the day. The P.C. Latte is a smooth, well balanced caramel latte with a hint of vanilla, but the real standout is the Honey Badger Latte, made with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. It’s the kind of drink that lives rent free in your head long after the trip is over. So much so that Mikey made a second trip back before we left town just to have another Honey Badger latte.
Sunrise Brew Coffee
If you’re a latte person, make time for Sunrise Brew. The Campfire Latte is genuinely one of the best coffee drinks St. Augustine has to offer. It is toasted marshmallow and mocha flavored with a delicious graham cracker cold foam. It is so unique, I have yet to find a latte like it in Orlando and I can’t wait for our next trip to St. Augustine to have the Campfire Latte again.
Connolly’s Shore Grill
This is our absolute favorite breakfast spot in St. Augustine Beach and it is a 2 minute drive from the Surf Drive home. The menu has solid options across the board, the ham and cheese omelet is a perfectly good choice, but don’t let that distract you from the Bananas Foster French Toast. It is the move. Everything that we have tried on the menu has been incredible, the staff has been so friendly and knowledgable about the menu, and the restaurant has a positive atmosphere. We cannot say enough good things about Connolly’s Shore Grille.
The World Famous Oasis Restaurant and Tiki Bar
A St. Augustine staple with a fantastic outdoor setup: giant Connect 4, cornhole, and plenty of lawn games that make it ideal for groups and families. The laid-back atmosphere does something to you. It’s the kind of place where the afternoon stretches out and nobody’s in a rush to leave, which is really just St. Augustine doing what it does best.
Who This Trip Is For
Families with babies. Groups of friends. Dog parents. Athletes who need to decompress. Anyone who just wants a real home base, a house with a kitchen, a fenced yard, a beach five minutes away, and enough space that nobody is on top of each other. The Surf Drive vacation home checks every one of those boxes.
St. Augustine will always have a piece of our hearts. The food, the beach, the slower pace; it has a way of reminding you what rest actually feels like. If you’ve been on the fence about booking, consider this your sign.
The Surf Drive vacation home is linked below. Go ahead and check the dates !
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