The Adored Abode

We just wrapped up our second family vacation to the 30A area in Florida with Nathan’s family. We first went there 2 years ago and loved it so we all came back again this year!

I saved our adventures on 30A this year on my Instagram highlights if you want to see more!

If you aren’t familiar, 30A is a stretch of scenic highway along the Florida panhandle, dotted with small, quaint beach towns and beautiful white sandy beaches. It is a perfect vacation spot for families and couples alike. The area is easily accessible by flying into either Destin/Fort Walton Beach or Panama City Beach. It is also drivable from many areas of the country as well. When we came 2 years ago we drove (it’s about a 15 hour drive from Kansas City), but this year we chose to fly. The rest of Nathan’s family ended up driving this year. There are pros and cons to both. Flying is much quicker, but you can easily bring a lot more if you drive (beach chairs, towels, umbrellas, etc.)!

Tip: Go during off-peak season (i.e. not between Memorial Day and Labor Day) so the crowds aren’t as bad. The traffic in Seaside (and the Destin area if you are flying) get pretty crazy during peak season!

Where to Stay

There are so many picturesque beach towns along 30A it is almost hard to choose where to stay! Luckily, they are all within a fairly short driving distance of each other so if you stay in one area it is very easy to drive and explore the other towns and beaches.

The past 2 times we have come we have stayed in smaller beach communities in between the beach towns. Nathan’s aunt is typically the one who selects the rental and she always does an amazing job! Because there are 12 of us we usually stay in larger houses with 5 bedrooms.

When we came 2 years ago we stayed in the Watersound community (basically a large, gated neighborhood). You can find rentals in this community on Vrbo. Most are larger homes that are good for big groups of people. When you rent a home in this community you get access to all of the amenities, which is very nice! The beach and pools are easy to access from most homes in the community. The house we rented provided beach chairs that you could take to the beach and a golf cart to drive to the beach, which was really nice to lug all the beach gear!

This year we stayed in the Seagrove Beach area in a rental home called the Blue Bungalow. This home is in more of a beach neighborhood and doesn’t have the amenities of Watersound, but the house had it’s own large pool and 2 beach chairs and an umbrella that were set up on the beach for us everyday.

The Blue Bungalow looks small and quaint from the front, but it really is a pretty big house! With an awesome rooftop deck lookout, pool area, and covered patio in the back.

Both of the places we have stayed we really like and enjoyed. Both were about 5 minute walks from the beach. It would be really nice to stay right on the ocean, but you definitely pay a premium to do so, especially if you are renting an entire house!

If you want walkability to the beach and to restaurants and shops I would recommend staying in the town limits of one of the many adorable beach towns along 30A.

Beach Towns

From a quick glance you can find rentals on Vrbo, Airbnb, or even each respective town’s website.

Seaside – A quaint and colorful beach town. The post office alone is adorable and gives you a sense of what the rest of the town looks like. There are lots of cute restaurants and shops lining the streets in this town, with easy public access to the beach. If you aren’t staying right on the beach, depending on where you are staying it could be just a short walk to the beach in the middle of town. A very walkable community that is a quintessential beach vacation and looks like something out of a movie. If you had grabbed all the groceries you need for your stay on your way into town you wouldn’t even need to drive anywhere if you didn’t want to.

Alys Beach – A pretty town that blends modern and traditional, with stark white buildings. This area is “newer” or at the least the most still under construction of all of the beach towns. There are a few shops and restaurants in this area, but most have not been built yet. It is a very pretty area with a cool vibe, but you may need your car more to drive to other nearby towns if you are planning to eat out more frequently. Based on my understanding this is more of a beach community and when you rent a place in Alys Beach you gain access to all of the Alys Beach amenities, including the beach access.

Rosemary Beach – If I had to pick a favorite of the beach towns on 30A it would be Rosemary Beach. It was love at first sight for me. I would love to stay in the Rosemary Beach community some day. We have never stayed here or even gone to the beach here, but the community itself is gorgeous. To me it looks like something you’d see in Europe or maybe California. Similar to Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach is considered a private community and when you stay in the community you gain access to all of the amenities including beach and pool access. This is a very walkable community with many shops and restaurants. Similar to Seaside, if you grabbed groceries on your way into town you wouldn’t have to use your car if you didn’t want to.

Where to Eat

Typically when we come to 30A we get enough groceries to cook most of our meals at home. It is easy and more casual when you have so many people staying together. This year when Nathan and I flew into Destin/Fort Walton Beach we made stops at Sam’s Club and Whole Foods to stock up on a bunch of staples for the house for the week. Since the drive was about an hour to our rental house we bought a styrofoam cooler to put all of the perishable items in and it worked pretty well despite the temperatures in the 90s. We inevitably need more groceries or forget a few items so there are always more than a few trips to the Publix near Rosemary Beach or the one near Seaside.

Even though we eat most of our meals at the house, we have eaten out a handful of times and every where we have been so far has been good! I’ve only listed the places we have been (and that I would go to again!), but there are many, many more options – including a whole set up of food trucks in Seaside!

Breakfast

Crackings – Located in Grayton Beach. They offer typical breakfast and brunch fair and even offer gluten free options (the pancakes are great!) – that make it easier for this gluten free gal!

Amavida – Located in Seaside and Rosemary Beach. This is a small coffee shop that offers pastries and smoothies. We both loved their cold brew and I was fond of the iced tea.

Lunch/Dinner

Pescado – Located in Rosemary Beach. This elegant rooftop restaurant and bar offers stunning view of the area. I would suggest going early (they open at 4pm) if you want to eat on the rooftop patio or have a view of the water from the bar. We arrived right at 4pm for drinks and appetizers and were the second ones there, which was perfect. It slowly started to fill up by the time we left around 5. Their cocktails are amazing, as is their raw menu. It is a bit pricey, which is why we only went for drinks and appetizers, but the food and drinks are delicious so definitely worth it for a special meal!

Bud and Alley’s Pizza Bar – Located in Seaside. This pizza bar was the perfect spot for lunch or a casual dinner. There is a Bud and Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant that also looks really good, but is slightly more upscale with a focus on seafood. We haven’t been to the waterfront restaurant, but if it is as tasty as the pizza bar I am sure it is good.

George’s – Located in Alys Beach. This is what I would consider an upscale, casual restaurant. They have a nice patio area and put a coastal flair on traditional American dishes.

Things to Do

Relax at the Beach

The beaches on 30A are incredible. The sand is gorgeous, white, and really clean. The water is perfectly blue and on most days it is pretty calm.

Tip if you have kids: The Blue Bungalow we stayed at in Seagrove was less than a 5 minute walk to the Eastern Lake beach access. This beach access is unique because it is in a location where a freshwater lake meets the gulf. This means at this beach access you are smack between the gulf and the lake when you are actually sitting on the beach. While the gulf is calm, the lake was much calmer and pretty shallow. Kids were always playing in the lake and I can imagine as a parent this would be nice to have access to while you were also right on the gulf. You do have to cross a short stretch of the freshwater lake to get to the beach access, but it wasn’t too bad. Many people with young kids brought small rafts and put the kids and coolers in the rafts to cross. This isn’t the only freshwater lake in the area that meets the gulf so I’m sure there are other beach areas like this too!

Kayak & SUP

There are many places to rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards (SUPs). A lot of people paddle in the gulf, but if you prefer calmer water you could always paddle in one of the freshwater lakes too.

Explore the Beach Towns

I love to walk around the cute beach towns. This past year we went to Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach to shop and wander around.

Take Long Walks

Every day we were in Florida I made a point to get some early morning time outside before it got too hot so I opted to take long walks. Usually I would walk along the paved trail that follows the 30A highway, or I would take early morning walks along the beach before too many people were out.

Golf

There are a number of golf courses along 30A. I personally don’t golf, but Nathan, his brothers, and dad went golfing (since his family drove they brought all of the clubs) on a day that happened to be overcast, which made the heat and humidity a little more bearable. Many of the golf courses are private so you would just need to call or look up a course to get a tee time at one that is open to the public.

I hope this was helpful if you are considering a vacation to 30A! We love the area and always have a lot of fun down there. Like I mentioned earlier, if you can can avoid going during peak season it would make your stay that much more enjoyable! The traffic (especially around Seaside) and the beach traffic can be a little overwhelming during peak season.