#TravelprAna: Spring Showers Won’t Spoil My Dose of Vitamin Sea

Who heads to the beach on a Monday evening? This gal. It’s so #TravelprAna. And if you live within a stone’s throw to a beach, I highly recommend you take advantage of an evening seaside stroll for a good dose of Vitamin Sea. For some strange reason, the beach has been reserved for the weekends to unwind from the workweek. But I say, carpe diem and dip those toes in the sand. 

Because it’s mid-May, Florida’s afternoon showers are becoming the norm. Although, the weekend marked the beginning of a tropical disturbance and all-day downpours. I’m not complaining, we really need the rain.

Pesky raindrops didn’t stop me from heading to the beach, it was one of those crazy Mondays. I needed a bit of peace which I can always find at Stump Pass Beach State Park on the south end of Manasota Key in Englewood, Fla.

As I pulled into the near-empty parking lot, I spied a rainbow and knew I made the right choice. A few sprinkles gave way to a downpour but I didn’t care. I continued to walk the beach along the lapping waves of the Gulf of Mexico, keeping my eyes open for small, shiny black triangles. These are fossilized shark teeth from prehistoric days.

I also spotted a sea turtle nest with its eggs buried deep beneath the sand. I have yet to witness a sea turtle nesting and someday I’ll witness it. It’s my understanding, the sea turtle gets into a zone and lays about 100 eggs after digging a big hole. She then returns to the sea with hopes at least one of her hatchlings survives.

Now seems to be a good time to mention, if you are staying at the beach, at night, be sure to turn your beachside lights off so the sea turtle does not become disorientated and walks toward the light rather than follow the moon and return to the water. If you spent time playing or lounging on the beach, fill in any holes, so a sea turtle doesn’t fall into one and get stuck, and put your beach chair away so the sea turtles don’t get tangled up in the chairs.

Sadly, only one in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. And if they survive, they will return to where they were hatched to forage for food and lay their own eggs.

I enjoyed the setting sun and on my way back, I spied a message written in seashells which was a bit serendipitous. I found “Peace, Love and Happiness” during today’s trip to the beach.

#TravelprAna: Sustainable Clothing for Active and Adventurous Travelers
My leisurely walk was the ideal opportunity to wear and showcase clothing by prAna that has the mission “to inspire healthy, active, and free-spirited living.” I received my outfit complimentary from prAna to see first-hand how it fits, feels, looks and makes me feel.

I love that prAna creates sustainable, stylish and versatile clothing perfect for everyday and extended adventures. Some of the clothing is made with 100% organic cotton while others are made with recycled polyester or recycled wool. Other sustainable practices incorporated into the company include poly bag reduction, Fair Trade and traceability (ability to trace to which farm fibers were grown). Learn more about their sustainability values on the prAna website. 

This company is good in so many ways and the clothing feels soft and light, perfect for spring and warm-weather conditions. I have gained some weight over the last year (I can blame it on the hormonal change following my hysterectomy or I can blame it on the inability to exercise due to my broken ankle the last quarter of last year, but there is no good excuse) and the XL garments I ordered would probably fit a little better if/when I drop at least 10 pounds. Even at my present weight and shape, the clothing was comfortable, I’m one who likes loose, flowing clothing.

The garments I selected and received are the Blossom Top in the color Peach Gerberas and Mantra Pant in Oatmeal. The Mantra Pant legs were very long and as you can see from the photos, I ended up rolling them up.

There’s always a fear of if the clothing hits the washer and dryer, will it shrink? Will the color fade? Will it lose its shape? Neither of these happened when I was the Blossom Top (I haven’t washed the Mantra Pant yet).

I know you’re building your spring and summer travel wardrobes, visit www.prana.com and here’s a discount code to save 15% off your order with prAna: TRSLS18.

Where will your travels lead you?

Continue the conversation online with #TravelprAna and #prAnaSpring18.

Disclosure: As mentioned in the post, I received the Blossom Top in the color Peach Gerberas and Mantra Pant in Oatmeal complimentary from prAna in order to review the garments. Opinions and photos are my own and have not been reviewed from prAna.