It’s springtime here at the beach, and it has been busy. The sand is beautiful, the waters are warmer, and beach activity is in full swing, with families enjoying the shore. Also, our fishermen are enjoying those early morning castings off the sand, hoping to reel in the big one. Will we truly know if they do? We are also experiencing breathtaking sunsets and often overlook our sunrises. So, when we decide to get up early, we can enjoy the impressive cloud formations over the beach with the sunrise painting the skyline. We truly live in paradise and hope you will visit this spring or summer!
And the Winner Is. . .
Up for grabs last month was a beach towel, compliments of Clements Family Vacation Rentals, and the lucky winner is Diana L. from Indianapolis, IN. Congrats, Diana!
APRIL GIVEAWAY
This month’s giveaway is a gift certificate from Vacation Prep Squad. From stocking your vacation rental fridge with all the needed items to bringing you beach and baby gear, Vacation Prep Squad is here to assist. This mother-daughter team can take the stress of grocery shopping out of your vacation and allow you to enjoy the beaches more. To place your name in the hat, send an email to Kathy at [email protected].
Meet Mexico Beach
This month, we would like to introduce you to Barefoot Rentals. Are you ready to enjoy time at the beach with some shade, seats, or beach toys? Well, you are in luck! Barefoot Rentals offers a wide variety of beach equipment, including chairs, sunshades, paddleboards, kayaks, bicycles (for the entire family), street-legal golf carts, and much more. They are located on Highway 98, across the street from Sunset Park, and are open seven days a week. Be sure to visit their website for full details on all they offer, including delivery of all rental gear to you.
This month, we are delighted to introduce you to a lovely couple who recently selected our destination as their venue. For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit mexicobeach.com.
Cal and Tyana
This month, we are delighted to introduce Cal and Tyana, who ventured down from Minnesota to say their “I Dos.” It was a beautiful sunset wedding on our beach. Congratulations, Cal and Tyana!
Farmers & Craft Market
APRIL 13 & 27
Come spend the morning at the Mexico Beach Farmers & Craft Market at Parker Park, located at 2500 Highway 98. Vendors will include produce, fresh jellies, one-of-a-kind crafts, and much more. Each market is sure to have new vendors, so be sure to come every time. If you’d like to be a vendor, sign up now. This market is put on by the Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.
Annual Photography Contest
APRIL 1-JULY 31
Get ready to print those pictures and try your hand at our annual photography contest. The Mexico Beach 24th Annual Photography Contest is open for submissions until July 31. We welcome all photographs taken in Mexico Beach, past or present. We hope you will capture Mexico Beach through your “eyes” and enter our photography contest.
Unforgettable Vow Renewal
April 13
We cordially invite all married couples to a beach wedding vow renewal ceremony! Join us on the beach at Sunset Park as we celebrate generations of love with a special complimentary vow renewal and reception. Following the ceremony, there will be a champagne and cupcake reception. It is open for all to attend. R.S.V.P. today to participate in this unforgettable ceremony!
Punch on the Porch
MAY 3
To celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, the Mexico Beach Welcome Center invites you to Punch on the Porch! Come enjoy the morning with light refreshments, industry updates, giveaways, and, of course, punch. We will showcase all that our destination has to offer and say “thank you” for making us your vacation destination. Make plans to join us for an unforgettable morning on Friday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.
A friendly reminder:
Mexico Beach is a Leave No Trace community, and we appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our beaches clean. Any items left on the beach unattended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be removed and disposed of by the City of Mexico Beach. Items include, but are not limited to, tents and tent frames, beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, toys, etc. Also, please fill in any holes before you leave and please remain off the sand dunes and out of the sea oats to ensure their continued nourishment. There are boardwalks and walking paths that can be accessed to reach the beach. Your assistance with these requests will keep our beaches beautiful and pristine. For full details on this ordinance or questions, click here or contact City Hall at (850) 648-5700.
Margarita Grouper Fillets
We publish this delicious dish with the compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association cookbook (mbara.org).
Prepare the grill. Place the fillets in a single layer in a 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, onions, sugar, Serrano chili, fresh lime juice, tequila, vegetable oil, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture over the fillets and turn to coat them. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove fish from the dish and discard the marinade. Coat your grill rack with cooking spray, place the fish on it, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish fish with chopped chives and lime wedges. Serve and enjoy!
Quotes from Phyllis Diller
To get a roaster clean, send something like baked apples in it to a neighbor. Neighbors always return pans spotless.
My eight-year-old bought a bicycle with the money he saved by not smoking.
Whatever you may look like, marry a man your own age. As your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.
Remarrying a husband you’ve divorced is like having your appendix put back in.
I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.
The doctor looked my body over. I asked, “Is there any hope?” He said, “Yes, reincarnation.”
Remember, there is no way you can give the father custody of the children without getting a divorce.
Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will decide what home you will live in.
When I go to the beach, my grandchildren try to make words out of the veins in my legs.
Throw in the Towel
This saying typically means to give up or to surrender. It comes to our language from the boxing world, believed to have first been used in the late 1800s or early 1900s. There are always towels available in a boxer’s corner during a match. When a boxer was losing badly or too injured to continue, the corner man could throw a towel into the ring, signaling to the referee to stop the fight.
