BACKGROUND/AVTK/SHUTTERSTOCK / PADDLEBOARDING, TIMPOOCHEE & HERON/COURTESY OF VISIT SOUTH WALTON FLORIDA / PEARL HOTEL/THE PEARL RB/FACEBOOK / GRILLED CHEESE/MELTDOWN ON 30A/FACEBOOK SEASIDE/KRISTI BLOKHIN/SHUTTERSTOCK / BALCONY/FISH OUT OF WATER - FOOW 30A/FACEBOOK / WATERCOLOR INN/WATERCOLOR INN & RESORT/FACEBOOK / FLOAT/CAMP CREEK INN/FACEBOOK / FOOD TRUCK/SEASIDE®
Timpoochee Trail The Pearl Hotel sits at its center,
making it just as convenient to grab an early coffee as a late-night cocktail. I found WaterColor Inn offered
the nicest balance. On stunning Santa Rosa Beach, the charming boutique resort has a private beach club for guests with complimentary kayaks and paddleboards, plus beach chairs and umbrellas. It’s also walking distance from
Seaside, which many visitors want to see first, especially if they remember The Truman Show. The pastel cottages, white fences,
and tidy streets still have that movie- set quality, and you’ll also want to go for a stroll around the town square. Further east, Camp Creek Inn
feels entirely different. Part of the Watersound Club collection, it’s built around championship golf, tennis, pickleball, expansive pools, and a slower pace that appeals to travelers who want resort amenities as much as beach time.
BEYOND BEACH One of the best ways to explore is by bike. The Timpoochee Trail follows Scenic Highway 30A for nearly 19 miles, connecting many of the beach communities and making it easy to stop for coffee, browse local shops, or linger a little longer in places you might otherwise drive straight through. Not far from WaterColor, Western
Lake showcases one of the region’s rarest natural features. Coastal dune lakes exist in only a
Seaside
handful of places around the world, and this one sits beside the Gulf, separated from it by a narrow strip of sand. The contrast between calm
freshwater, pine forest, and the turquoise Gulf just beyond the dunes makes for one of the area’s most distinctive landscapes.
WHERE TO EAT At The Pearl Hotel, Havana Beach Bar & Grill is worth lingering over. The lobster empanadas and mojo pork are standouts, and the dining room spills naturally onto Rosemary Beach’s lively streets once the sun begins to set. At WaterColor Inn, Fish Out
of Water earns its name with panoramic Gulf views that make lunch stretch well into the afternoon. If you’re there for dinner, the blue
crab cakes and fresh Gulf seafood are difficult to pass up, especially with a table overlooking the water. Camp Creek Inn’s ANR takes
a different approach, drawing inspiration from the Gulf Coast between Alabama and New Orleans. The housemade pastas and locally sourced seafood feel polished without seeming fussy, while the recently redesigned 1936 restaurant at nearby Shark’s Tooth Clubhouse is another excellent option for guests spending time on the eastern end of 30A. For something more casual, head
to Seaside’s famous food truck court. It’s one of the area’s signature stops, with everything from barbecue and
Fish Out of Water
tacos to grilled cheese and fresh smoothies gathered around a central lawn just steps from the beach.
FALL IS SWEET The water stays beautiful long after school calendars pull families home, and the beach towns feel easier to enjoy when the sidewalks, bike paths, and restaurants are not operating at peak-summer speed. Fall brings warm days and sunset
walks. Winter is cooler, quieter, and better suited to long lunches, biking between towns, browsing shops, and sitting outside with a sweater once the sun drops.
GETTING THERE Most visitors fly into Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, about 30 to 40 minutes from the heart of 30A. Delta’s nonstop flight from
LaGuardia has made the destination more accessible for travelers from the Northeast, while several other major carriers also serve the airport. A rental car is the easiest way
to explore the full length of 30A, particularly if you want to experience several different communities during one trip. If you would
rather be car free, however, it is easy to grab an Uber. The towns themselves
are all very walkable, and the Timpoochee Trail makes biking between many of them easy.
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