It’s always sunny in Florida…

April - where you spring forward to catch some more daylight and take an epic beach trip to kick off the vacation season. One of my favorite spots is 30A which is a string of beaches along Florida’s emerald gulf coast between Destin and Panama City such as: Grayton, Watercolor, Seaside, Alys, Seacrest, and Rosemary. So why are these beaches the best? Because it’s like a Caribbean paradise just a short 5 hour drive away, with crystal clear waters and white powder sand. It’s heavenly.

What to do?

The entire area is very family friendly with people on bicycles everywhere, little shopping centers with coffee shops and boutiques, and a variety of restaurants and dining. There are also grocery stores located at either end of 30A which is convenient given most folks rent homes or condo’s during their stay - definitely what we typically do.

There really isn’t anything I would list as a must see but rather a bunch of must do’s... because this place is really for those who want a relaxing time at the beach where you can sun bathe, swim in the gorgeous ocean, make sand castles and sand drippings, walk along the shore, ride bicycles, spot the dolphins, collect sea shells, and listen to the sounds of the ocean as the waves crash along the coast. Absolute serenity.

Beaches and where to stay...

My favorite beach would be Rosemary/Seacrest/Alys. I find it to be cleaner and less prone to seaweed. It’s also very quaint with the center having a European flare (Swiss, Greek). When it comes to rentals, you can’t go wrong with homes listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and also the 30A rental site. There are some hotels noteworthy like The Pearl in Rosemary Beach which is expensive but worth it! Convenient in every aspect as well as access to their private beach. Slightly further down is The Pointe which is also beach front and more economical. Their breakfast and lunch restaurant, Big Bad Breakfast, is great food and priced well too. Slightly east of that is Beachside Resort which has a great beach and a good ‘cheap’ alternative hotel. No walking options so not as convenient but it does have a bar/restaurant on site.

Food and whatnot...

Other than Big Bad Breakfast for breakfast, Cowgirl Kitchen has amazing pizzas, 30A Burgers is super yummy with unique shakes, Bayou Bill’s Crab house for delicious crab legs and seafood, La Concina for some Mexican, and Creative Crepes for unreal sweet or savory crepes made fresh right in front of your eyes. For a romantic dinner or special occasion, The Citizen, Restaurant Paradis, and The Pearl Bar and Grill are perfect.

Other tips...

Spring break is crowded everywhere you go, but during April here in this area, it is mainly families and high schoolers so if you’re in search of quiet - don’t come here in April! Definitely wait until May. Other than that, you can’t go wrong :)

Fun fact...

• The Truman Show was filmed at Seacrest Beach.
  A few military bases close by so you’ll get flyovers with some cool jets, planes, and helicopters.