A Healing Place
This town has become a retreat for reflection and relaxation
By Wendy O. Dixon
Molly Ann and Jake Toler needed a place of respite and retreat after the death of their daughter, Lea Ann. A friend recommended they take some time away at a new town she had read about in Southern Living Magazine called Seaside, Fla.
The peaceful, quiet town was just what Molly Ann and Jake sought. As the Hazard, Ken., couple drove into town in the 1980s, they first eyed the Yellow Cottage, which was one of the two first cottages built, as a way to sell the town to curious buyers. “When we spotted the cute yellow house with a large mailbox in front of it, we were immediately drawn to this new haven in Northwest Florida,” Molly Ann recalls. “There was hardly anyone on the beach.”
They found joy again in returning with family and friends over the seasons, year after year. “It became like another home,” Molly Ann says.
Wanting to fully explore the town, the Tolers have rented a different cottage most times. “We really like Green Gables,” Molly Ann mentions of one of their favorite cottages. “We have stayed there several times and really like it.”
As the Tolers have returned each year, they’ve watched Seaside evolve and change. “It is a very different experience than when we first came,” she says. “I have always loved to visit the chapel and just sit, because it’s so peaceful.”
Another favorite element of the town is the collection of various pavilions. “We try to stay at a cottage near a different pavilion each time we come, so we can enjoy each one’s unique architectural features.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is their favorite restaurant since the town’s inception. “We have always loved Bud & Alley’s,” Molly Ann says of the family tradition of including the restaurant in their stay, as well as Great Southern Cafe.
The Tolers like to include a big crowd these days, bringing their daughter, Laura Jo, and her four boys, as well as their friends. “Sometimes we have as many as 16 of us, it does help split the cost.”
