We were dying to take Tibby’s first trip to the beach. Spending the holidays in an oceanfront site sounded like heaven. I envisioned peace and serenity set to an ocean wave soundtrack.

I called a few oceanfront RV sites to check availability. With the holidays approaching we knew better than to expect any openings. I was surprised when Flagler RV Park told me they had a great oceanfront spot available for four nights over Christmas.

Not waiting to check with Adriel, I put down a deposit and added it to our calendar.

As the trip approached, we planned meals and activities to bring with us for our adventure. Given that the weather forecast called for cooler temperatures, we packed lots of warm clothes and cold weather snacks like cocoa and cookies.

I could barely contain my excitement. I’ll admit that I bored more than one coworker with the details. Our energy was so high on the bright sunny day when we pulled away from home in Molly (our tow vehicle) with Tibby rolling behind us.

Tibby towed like a dream, the weather was beautiful, and we reached Flagler Beach faster than expected. We pulled into the RV park and sat for a moment trying to figure out where our site was. We were still total RV newbies and didn’t want to screw up our first road trip.

Suddenly, a young boy zipped around the corner on a low-to-the-ground go-cart. We waited until he cleared the way then carefully rolled down the dirt path to the sandy oceanfront site.

Half a dozen people watched from lawn chairs in the site next to us. One of the men came over to help move the picnic table that blocked the entrance to our site.

We followed the suggestions from all the youtube videos we’d watched and took our time figuring out the best way to back Tibby into the site. Walking around the edge of our lot we realized that it was going to be a tight fit.

The guy who helped move the picnic table mentioned that most people park sideways in that lot. The rest of the trailers were lined up with one end facing the water but we figured this actually gave us a better view.

Adriel jockeyed Tibby into the thin strip of sand making sure we were as level as possible and all the utilities would reach. The crowd of veteran RVers watching made us both a bit tense but we did it.

Once we had Tibby situated, we realized that she occupied the entire site. We tried to fit Molly across the front but it totally blocked our view and kind of stuck out in the road. We unloaded then moved Molly to one of the two overflow parking spaces about 200 feet away at the park entrance.

Though the forecast called for the weather to get quite cold for Florida over the next few days, at that moment it was in the 70s. We opened all the windows and secured the screens. The ocean breeze and the sound of the waves were awesome!

I was so excited. Our plan was working out perfectly.

After a quick walk down to the beach, we settled in for the night and enjoyed the chili that we’d brought for dinner.

Our idyllic Christmas Eve celebration came to an abrupt halt when the gentle breeze outside turned harsh with frigid gale-force winds gusting in our open windows.

We rushed to close everything. After cleaning the sand and beach debris that had blown in we collapsed into bed. As we’ve learned, move-in days are busy and can leave us worn out. Maybe it was because we were so new but this day was a lot to handle.

The rain tapping on Tibby’s roof lulled us into a deep sleep as the storm blew in overnight. Christmas morning broke clear and cold. The temperature was in the low 30s, extremely cold for Florida. We made breakfast and opened the shades to take in the sunny clear blue skies.

It was beautiful!

Around noon, two Adirondack chairs appeared on the beach, though we never saw anyone sitting in them. Perhaps they found that it was just too cold.

We eventually ventured out for a short walk and it was cold but so beautiful. With everyone else hunkered down in their trailers, we had the beach to ourselves.

The biggest downside to the park was the size of this lot. It may have been oceanfront, but it was so small, our little teardrop barely fit in it.

To make matters worse, long-term guests on either side frequently walked through our lot to visit each other, occasionally stopping to engage in loud conversation or to shout for their dogs a foot from our bed. We learned firsthand why it’s important to respect everyone’s boundaries in an RV park.

Other than that, it was wonderful. Cribbage, beautiful views, cocoa, and our favorite TV shows occupied our time until it was time to pack up.

We were sad to leave Flagler Beach. Though it was cold, we had great views, and Tibby’s first trip to the beach was such a cozy holiday time.

After we got home Adriel gave Tibby a good cleaning with soap and water to make sure that the salt air didn’t cause issues down the road. Then it was time to return her to storage.

We live in Central Florida with so many beaches inside a two-hour drive. It’s always been a part of our dream to visit as many of them as possible. Even with the weather and site issues, Tibby’s first trip to the beach was a great start.

UPDATE (2/2022): The Flagler RV Park has been rebranded as the Flagler Treasure RV Park since our stay. The mini-oceanfront site that we occupied no longer exists, having been merged into two adjacent sites. This makes a lot of sense.