Get Away on 30-A

By Angela Wibking

As recently as the early 1960s, parts of the Florida Gulf Coast between Destin and Panama City were inaccessible by paved roads. Electricity didn’t come to these stretches of sand until 1942 and telephone service wasn’t universal until 1958. Up until about 12 years ago a drawbridge was the only route over the wide Choctawhatchee Bay to the beaches here.

 What a difference a few years makes. Today the once-secluded area – which lies in Walton County and markets itself as The Beaches of South Walton – is one of the most popular vacation spots in the Southeast. Nashvillians can whiz down 1-65 to Montgomery, Ala., and then take U.S. 331 the rest of the way, finally crossing the expansion bridge built in 1989 and continuing on a few well-paved miles to the beaches. Total travel time from Music City: 8 hours.

Of course, there are beautiful beaches in the larger Panhandle towns of Destin or Panama City, which flank Walton County to the west and east. These big-city beaches come complete with high-rise condos, chain hotels and restaurants, water parks, strip shopping centers and miniature golf courses -- which is great if that’s what you’re after. If you have a quieter sort of beach vacation in mind, though, Walton County is where you’ll want to be. Now, you could barrel along with the rest of the high-speed traffic on U.S. Highway 98, which provides access via paved connectors to these beaches and also offers the quickest route from Destin to Panama City. A much better choice, however, is the take your foot off the gas pedal and ease your way along County 30-A, a 19-mile two-lane road that hugs the Gulf of Mexico itself.

The clusters of rental beach cottages and condos that string themselves along this road can’t really be called towns, at least not in the formal sense of the word. Still, a definite sense of community can be found in these beaches with names like Dune Allen, Santa Rosa, Blue Mountain, Grayton and Seagrove. What sets them apart -- and ties them together -- is the fact that there are no chain hotels, stores or eateries anywhere along 30-A. What you’ll find instead are stretches of pine forest, scenic lakes overlooking the Gulf and dozens of privately owned enterprises with some of the best food, accommodations and shopping you’ll find at any beach anywhere.

My own extended family, whose members range in age from 5 to 75, has been vacationing at various beaches along 30-A for the past 12 years. We’ve rented cottages in Dune Allen and condos in Blue Mountain and Seagrove. We’ve also stayed at the Hibiscus Guest House in Grayton and at a number of cottages in the planned community of Seaside, where The Truman Show was filmed. We have our favorite local restaurants, seafood markets and sunset-viewing spots that we return to year after year. The clerk at Angelika’s Gift Chalet in Santa Rosa remembers us each summer when we drop by for our annual fix of beach souvenirs. We troupe into Nick’s on the Beach in Blue Mountain with the kids for heaping platters of fried seafood at night and head to The Wheelhouse in Seagrove for eggs, grits, biscuits and pancakes in the morning. The adults in our group also take a couple’s night-out for more sophisticated seafood dining. We’ve enjoyed the Caribbean-inspired dishes at Criolla’s in Grayton and the sushi and firecracker grouper while watching the sun set over Redfish Lake at Basmati’s in Blue Mountain. We’ll also stay in a couple nights and grill up some fresh flounder or grouper purchased at Goatfeathers seafood market in Blue Mountain.

Each year we discover something new. The area is no longer the well-kept secret it once was, after all, and retail complexes, restaurants and small resort developments are popping up all along 30-A. The largest and newest of these developments is Watercolor, a planned community with residential and retail components that’s located adjacent to the town of Seaside. Watercolor should be open for business this summer, even as Seaside itself celebrates its 20^th anniversary. Because of Walton County zoning regulations, though, growth here is greatly controlled compared to most beaches. No structure over 50 feet tall or five stories in height can be built along 30A, for example. Having the Grayton Beach State Recreation Area and the Point Washington State Wildlife Management Area located along 30-A also ensures that big chunks of the shoreline and the thick pine woods nearby will never be developed.

Staying active along 30-A is easy. Not only is the beach at your doorstep, you can also rent bikes, rollerblades and kayaks from Big Daddy’s in Blue Mountain or Seagrove or hit the links at Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club in Santa Rosa. Fitness buffs can maintain their regime at MM Fitness Studio at Seaside, which offers daily or weekly rates, or at Grayton Beach Fitness Center. Jogging, walking or biking along the paved pedestrian/bike path along 30-A from Seaside to Blue Mountain is also a very popular option.

Shopping along the scenic route can get your heart rate up as well. Last summer we discovered the Shops of Grayton Beach, a cluster of pastel-colored frame cottages housing antique, art, clothing and gift shops. A similar complex called Mystic Port Plaza is next door and we found great buys on sandals at Shooz of Grayton and sweatshirts at C’est Vous here. Caffeine hounds can fuel up at Espresso Yourself and Hibiscus Guest House, a bed-and-breakfast inn with its own coffee shop, both in Grayton; or at Blue Mountain Beach Coffee down the road. Other favorite 30-A shops include Wild Women of Blue Mountain, a gallery with items created by three female Florida artists; Sundog Books, a great independent bookstore in Seaside; and Perspicasity, Seaside’s open-air clothing and gift market overlooking the Gulf. For wine by the glass (over 50 selections) or the bottle, there’s Fermentations in Seaside and for gourmet takeout meals and groceries, Modica Market in Seaside can’t be beat. Seaside also boasts Dawson’s Yogurt, the only place we’ve found along 30-A to get the frozen treat.

Still, the best thing about these beaches is the beach itself. The high silicon, low-shell content gives the sand here a sugar-like appearance you won’t find elsewhere on the Panhandle. A sculptor of considerable skill was using our stretch of Blue Mountain beach last summer as his studio and used the sparkling white sand to create lifelike dolphins, manta rays and even a sunbathing Snoopy for all on the beach to enjoy. The surf here is almost always gentle and often takes on the look of a Caribbean lagoon, with water as smooth and clear as turquoise-tinted glass. If you’re lucky, as we were last summer, you might see a sea turtle swim with amazing grace in those waters. The sea turtles have come here to lay their eggs in the sand for countless summers on end. One trip to these beaches along 30-A and you’ll understand that primal urge to return to these shores each year.

For more information on The Beaches of South Walton call 800-822-6877 or got to www.beachesofsouthwalton.com. For information on accommodations, shopping and dining along 30-A, go to www.scenic30a.org. For information on rental cottages and condos, try Rivard Realty at (800-423-3215, www.rivardnet.com); Dune Allen Realty (904-267-2121) and Abbott Realty (800-336-GULF or www.abbott-resorts.com). For Seaside rental information, call 888-SEASIDE or go to www.seasidefl.com. For information on the Hibiscus Guest House, call 904-231-2733 or go to www.hibiscusflorida.com.