Gluten Free in Florida: sun, beach, and yummy eats

Hi Everyone!

Boy am I glad it’s Friday. I got back from my Florida trip on Tuesday night and had to be at work Wednesday morning. It’s been a struggle! I wanted to share everything from my trip before the weekend. Prepare for a long recap post =).

I flew out Saturday afternoon with my Mom. We splurged and had a cocktail to get the weekend started!

We made the drive down to our timeshare in Sarasota, put our stuff down and walked out to the beach. The water was so clear and gorgeous. For dinner we picked up some gluten free treats from my favorite pizza place in the area: Vertoris Pizza.

This place is a jackpot for anyone that has to eat gluten free. Seriously, the pizza crust is thick and chewy. I got mine topped with pepperoni, red onion, and green olives.

Because it was vacation, I splurged and got gluten free mozzarella sticks and for dessert I tried their oatmeal cream pie. I am definitely going to have to recreate this at home for a special dessert!

I got up Sunday morning and went for a nice run. I needed to burn off some of that pizza feast! The flowers are so pretty here. Everything in Texas is starting to get crispy, but not here.

After my run, I had a quick bowl of Cheerios with my coffee before heading out to the beach. I was only there for two full days so I wanted to make the most of it.

The sun was shining and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. It was really hot out, about 100 with humidity so I didn’t last long!

I had to keep lathering on the sunscreen! Not a great angle of me in the photo, but wanted to snap mother/daughter time!

After showering and getting dressed, my Mom and I headed to St. Armands Circle for shopping and dinner. The circle has tons of cute little beach shops and places to eat. I loved this sign but wasn’t worth what they were asking for it! Maybe I can DIY my own. *Ignore the thumb in the way. I was in too much of a hurry taking this photo!

My Mom and I stopped in to the Green Zebra Cafe. This place had tons of fresh juices, smoothies, vegan, and GF options. We decided to try one of their heath shots. We went for the “Forever Young” which had tart cherry juice, hibiscus, and lime juice. It was really refreshing!

We then headed to dinner at my favorite go to restaurant when I am here, The Columbia Restaurant. I’ve been coming to Florida since I was a baby and Cuban food is one of my favorites! I went with the chicken and yellow rice.

I don’t know what they put in their rice, but it is the best rice ever. Buttery, savory, and the perfect complement to the chicken.

Sunday night my Mom and I walked down to a tiki bar for a drink before turning in early. It was a full day!

On Monday morning after working out, I was back out at the beach trying to soak up every single minute! I feel so relaxed here that I leave rejuvenated every time.

I was able to snap some gorgeous shots of the point at the end of our beach area. The water is really rough at this spot so it’s not great for swimming, which means beautiful pictures of just nature.

This is my favorite. I’m thinking about getting it blown up on canvas to hang in our house. There were tons of turtle nests all over the beach. They were thankfully protected by some wire netting. I would love to be there one year when they hatch!

On Tuesday, I got up extra early to have some final beach time before heading back to the airport. It was a short trip but totally worth it. I feel healthier, less stressed, and ready to take on the start of the new semester which is only a few weeks away!

I guess I better get busy =).

Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ashley