Spring Training – West Palm Beach

I’ve already mentioned our little getaway to West Palm Beach but wanted to do a little recap and include the places we enjoyed on our visit!  Let’s just say the beach is my happy place and it’s just a big bonus to have a son to go visit at spring training!

We actually flew into Fort Lauderdale which is about a 45 minute to an hour trip depending on traffic but the difference in ticket prices from both Houston and Austin was well worth it.  We actually flew United and even with as much static as I’ve been seeing about the airline recently we had a super friendly flight coming and going.

I’ve never had to fight quite so hard to try and get a picture with this kid!  If you have never been to spring training and love baseball, I highly recommend it.  Seeing big time talent up close and personal is so much fun.

Riley suggested The Catch Seafood and Sushi for dinner and holy moly it did not disappoint.  I opted for a beet salad to try and not totally blow my wellness challenge but I did have two pieces of this sushi roll and it was amazing.  I would definitely recommend a reservation as the dining space is limited and you will definitely prefer sitting outside on the water.

We took the scenic route to try and track down breakfast on our first full day.  While Texas beaches come with fairly compact sand next to the water, this sand was hard to walk in no matter where we walked so it was quite the workout!  About 3 miles later and we happened upon Johnny Longboats.  We realized fairly quickly we needed to adjust to island time as things definitely moved a lot slower!

Loved this sign!  We then headed back for a quick shower before the drive back to the ballpark.  Another note, Florida traffic is no joke and I now think we are spoiled here in Texas.  The ballpark was only 8 miles from our hotel but it took us 30 minutes every time.   I really just can’t tell you guys how fun this was!   Seeing your kid one step closer to living his dream just fills a momma’s heart.  What an amazing opportunity this has been for Riley!  He told us to come early this year before he was cut from the big league spring training and sent back to minor league camp and I’m so glad we did.  This kid has worked so hard and seriously is just living the dream.  If you are following along and care, he is now back in minor league camp and we will know closer to the end of March where he will start this season.

We actually headed back to Johnny Longboats for dinner and the let’s just say if you go, and you like alcohol, the Cruzan Beach Rum Bucket is a must!  I definitely splurged big on fried shrimp and oysters too and they were amazing!

Keith and I headed out with a fishing guide on Friday morning and look what I reeled in!  I have seriously never caught something that didn’t want to be caught so badly.  It was pretty tough and I am kind of annoyed that this guy didn’t let me hold the darn thing myself…but I’ll get over it!  Ha!

We spent the afternoon laying on the beach reading and relaxing.  Options for hotels in West Palm Beach are some what limited to either staying in a very overpriced room in town or paying a teeny bit more and staying on the beach.  It was worth it to me to have an ocean view.  Our rooms at the Hilton Singer Island were clean, very comfortable and we had access to two beach chairs and an umbrella daily.  Sold!  

I was honestly just so thrilled I did not get sea sick!  We were mostly in the bay and only ventured out a bit but I typically cannot handle any kind of rocking at all.  Dramamine saved me!  I’m pretty excited to know it works so maybe I’ll be a better fishing partner in the future.   Our last morning I headed down to watch the sunrise and it was so worth it!  I’m not sure how anyone can watch something so amazing and not full realize the power of our God!

Coffee and one last long walk with this one before breakfast.  We didn’t walk quite as far this morning but it was definitely a workout.

While we love splurging on our hotel, we are still fairly cheap and always grab these mini bottles of champagne and a container of orange juice so we can enjoy mimosas.  We opted to order takeout from Coconuts on the Beach which is in the hotel and my omelet was delish!  

We are always happy with food in front of us!  Ha!  Blogger fail, I took so many videos on insta-stories but failed to take still shots to display here.  Trust me when I tell you our few was fantastic!

To recap, here are some notes on where we stayed, played and ate on our 4 days in West Palm Beach, Florida!  I’m sure there is so much more to do but, honestly, you put me near water and it’s really all I need.

Hotel

Hilton Singer Island – Nothing super fancy and it is an older hotel but we found it to have everything we needed.  It was clean, the bed was comfortable and any issue I took to the front desk was received with a smile and a prompt response.  There is a resort fee but knowing there would be two chairs and an umbrella waiting for us each day along with beach towels was more than worth it.

Dining

The Catch Seafood and Sushi, – Not our typical seafood place but the food all looked amazing, even the burgers.  The sushi was a huge hit for everyone.  Definitely make a reservation or go at an off peak time because it is a small establishment and you really want to sit out back on the water.

Coconuts on the Beach, – we only dined here for breakfast but passed through this area on our way to the beach daily and everything looked and smelled delicious.  It is a restaurant inside the hotel so as you would expect the prices are a little higher but I didn’t find them to be outrageous.

Johnny Longboats – the 32oz Cruzan Rum Bucket is yum!  We loved the fried shrimp and oysters and Riley also recommended the grouper in a brown bag.

Sailfish Marina – We ventured into this little restaurant after fishing and it was a nice find with open air seating or seating on the patio.  The food was fresh and delicious.

Okeechobee Steakhouse – I would recommend a reservation.  We heard mixed reviews but our experience was super and the food delicious.  They literally bring a tray of the different cuts of steak to the table and explain what each is.

Spring Training

Both the Astros and Nationals hold spring training in the same complex, the ballpark of the palm beaches.  Parking is $10 and I’d like to say I know ticket prices but I’m a mom and have that player hookup. ha!  I will say there was never a day the seats were sold out and there is plenty of outfield seating.  If you are looking forward to seeing some of the big name players you will want to arrive 45 minutes to an hour early to have a chance for an autograph.  Know in the early part of spring training you will only see these big names the first 5 innings and not even every single day.

We loved our getaway!  Florida definitely lives up to it’s nickname as the sunshine state and it was definitely just what we needed after a dreary February in Texas.  I’m sure it will not be our last visit.