Hi everyone,
This is my first time posting a message, but I've read through the Florida forum, specifically regarding the panhandle, over the past few weeks; you have all been so helpful to others, so I was hoping you'd be kind enough to help us out in planning our honeymoon.

My fiance and I are getting married on Saturday, June 19, 2010, and we're planning on leaving Monday, June 21 for our honeymoon. We enjoy road trips and are hoping to drive down to the panhandle (we live near St. Louis, MO), arriving either late that Monday night, or depending on our fatigue, we might stop overnight and arrive early afternoon Tuesday, returning home that Saturday (possibly Sunday).

After reviewing the boards, I'm conflicted as to where we should base ourselves during our time in the panhandle. While we enjoy having shopping and dining opportunities available, we aren't big fans of crowded, touristy destinations. We love the idea of spending a relaxing day at an uncrowded beach, while still being near restaurants and shopping (nothing high-end; we just like to browse and eat different types of food). We're not tied to any particular type of lodging, although we're not interested in pursuing a rental house. If the motel is a chain, that's fine, and it doesn't necessarily have to be on the beach. We also like bed and breakfasts.

We like the looks of the beaches of South Walton (specifically Grayton Beach, Seagrove, etc.), but we're having trouble locating non-rental house lodging in those areas; are there any motels or bed and breakfasts in those areas? Destin sounds like it might be crowded, but it certainly seems to have more dining and lodging options. We've also considered areas farther east, including St. George Island, Cape San Blas, and Apalachicola, but it seems that if we get tired of being beach bums, we might have limited access to other activities. As far as activities, we'd enjoy shelling, going on a boat ride, any sort of wildlife viewing, etc. We're less interested in museums and historical sites.

So, if you're still reading this after my lengthy introduction, first of all, thank you! Secondly, we are very amenable to other suggestions and are able to have a good time, regardless of our location (we thoroughly enjoyed visiting the world's largest ball of twine in Kansas! We also realize that no single place will necessarily match our wishes (we know that the reason many beaches are crowded is because of the proximity of dining/lodging, so our interests may contradict themselves).

Our specific questions are as follows: Do you have a recommendation of one town in which to base ourselves (a place with lodging, uncrowded beaches, and some restaurants and shops within a 5 mile radius)? Would it be better to actually lodge in Destin and take day trips to uncrowded beaches, or would it be better to stay in the uncrowded places and venture back to Destin for activities? I've read about red tide; is this unpredictable in its timing, or does it occur regularly during certain months (i.e., June)?

I can't thank you enough for reading all of this, and I truly appreciate any input any of you might have about good itineraries, lodging, restaurants, activities, etc.

Thank you!

First of all, definitely lodge on 30A, The Beaches of South Walton. http://beachesofsouthwalton.com/ There are plenty of restaurants and shopping and NO CROWDS! Destin is great for a visit and you can drive there in 15 to 25 minutes, depending on where you stay on 30A.

I applaud your idea of Grayton Beach. It is one of the few remaining vestiges of Old Florida left. Truly unique. There is a B&B there, maybe more than one, but I don't know much about it. Hibiscus House, I believe is the name. From Grayton you can easily explore all of 30A and you are only about 15 minutes from Destin.

Most of the lodging on 30A is rental houses but there are also many condos. Very few hotels. If money is no object, I highly recommend the Watercolor Inn. http://www.watercolorresort.com/

There are very few shells on these beaches so don't count on much shelling. Great shelling at Cape San Blas and St. George but the water and sand there is not nearly as pretty as in the 30A/Destin area. And you are right, not a lot of activities, restaurants, etc. there compared to Destin/30A.

There is a bike trail that runs the length of 30A, about 20 miles. This website gives a lot of info along with a little history. http://www.discover30a.com/tour/tour.html There are many bike rental locations.

Red tide is actually veryrare in the panhandle, (unlike central FL) although in the summer of 08 we saw our share. There was no red tide this past summer.

As far as which town to base yourself, it really doesn't make much difference in terms of convenience. If you are looking at cost, generally speaking, Seaside, Rosemary, Watercolor, WaterSound, and Alys will be more expensive than, for instance, Seagrove, Grayton, Blue Mountain, Dune Allen. You might consider a condo where you will have a kitchen and can have some meals (breakfast and lunch perhaps) there. Condos are really no more expensive than hotels.

Okay, now that I have told you more than you ever wanted to know about the area, if you have any more questions or if I missed something just post again. Check out this website: http://sowal.com/ for tons of info on the Beaches of South Walton (30A). The Destin Board of Trip Advisor is also a wealth of info.

Have a great honeymoon!

Thank you so much for your prompt and thorough reply! You absolutely didn't tell me more than I ever wanted to know; any and all advice from people like you who know the area is greatly appreciated. I've never gone the condo route before, so I was wondering if you might have any suggestions as to how I even go about pursuing finding a condo? Thank you once again for all of your help!

baker85-

The beaches along 30A are indeed beautiful, but I was there for the first time last December (around Christmas) and was struck by how cramped the area felt. We drove through Watercolor and Seaside and Seagrove and I felt hemmed in - not by crowds of people, although there were people about, but by how close together all the buildings seemed to each other and to the road.

I grew up on the coast in the Panhandle, but this was the first time I had been to those particular areas. Frankly, I would hate to spend Christmas vacation there (when crowds presumably are smaller because the water is too cold for swimming), let alone be there in summer. I had never felt that way on any beach stretch before. We drove through Destin right after that, and sure, it's very built up and crowded now (I remember Destin "before"), but for all the condos and strip malls it didn't feel nearly as claustrophobic. That's just my take on it, anyway.

Also - I'd recommend you break up the drive from St. Louis. You're looking at a minimum of 13 or so hours of driving, not counting stops. You'll probably still be tired from the build-up to the wedding, so don't wear yourselves out so much from getting there that you can't enjoy the destination!

Hi Cranachin,
Thank you so much for your reply; I really appreciate it. Are there any other areas of Florida, especially on the Panhandle, that you would recommend, based on your experiences living and traveling there?

We've definitely thought about how long of a day that Monday will be, if we drive the whole way there. We were hoping we could spend Sunday recovering from all the stress/excitement of our Saturday wedding, but realistically, spreading the drive out over two days is probably a much more practical idea!

Any further input/advice you have is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

baker85-

I don't live in Florida any longer, and when I go back to visit I don't usually go to the beach, so I'm not sure how much input I can give. But I really was quite surprised at the cramped feel of the Watercolor and Seaside area, given how much I have read over the years about it and how people rave about it so (and even pictures I have seen of it). Frankly, I was underwhelmed by it in person.

Maybe things are different a little farther east, like at WaterSound or Alys - we did not go that far. I don't know how crowded (with people) Navarre Beach is - I have not been there in years, but it used to be less crowded than some of the other areas. Sunshinesue probably has that info. Maybe there is not as much to do there, though.

Like Sunshinesue says, there definitely would be fewer people (and more shells) around St George and Cape San Blas, but the beaches are not nearly as pretty as between Perdido Key and Panama City.

Just as an FYI, school will have been out for at least a couple of weeks by June 21, so the beach scene will be more "in gear" than in places farther north, where the schools are just letting out for the summer.

http://seasidefl.com/ I agree that the town of Seaside is cramped. It is that way by design. It is a walking community so everything is close together. Some people find it charming but others might find it clostrophobic. I find it charming but I never stay there; I only go to shop and or eat or take in an outdoor concert. But as Cranachin said the beach is not crowded.

We used to stay in Blue Mountain (near Grayton) but now stay in WaterSound because we have a house there. WaterSound is very spread out and there are condos there. However, WaterSound is somewhat isolated in that you cant walk to restaurants, etc. http://www.watersoundvacationrentals.com/

Rosemary is also a walking community, so somewhat cramped, but very attractive. http://www.rosemarybeach.com/

Grayton Beach has its own funky kind of charm.
http://www.graytonbeach.com/

But the thing to remember is that even though these beach communites all have distinct personalities, they are in close proximity to each other. The entire 30A highway is about 20 miles long. So where ever you stay, you can enjoy all of them. We enjoy the privacy and isolation of WaterSound but we always to to Seaside to hang out or ride bikes through Watercolor. I would say when you are looking for a place to stay, first decide if you want to be in the middle of things (a walking comminity) or a little more isolated.

You should check out vrbo.com for condos or rent a cute house in Seaside. I think it's a huge plus to be able to walk to shops, restaurants, and the beach, especially on your honeymoon.

Bookmarking.

Even though I haven't been down here a long time, we had a lovely time in St. George Island and Apalachicola--which are very close to each other. Apalachicola is a smaller fishing town which is gentrified to cater to tourists. It still retains its genteel character and two of the restaurants (the Owl and the cafe in the hotel) there are held in high regard by area locals. The seafood around this area is really fresh and good. If you want low crowds and wildlife (dolphins, pelicans, herons) watching them at the state park at St. George Island is amazing. It's quiet and absolutely lovely. If you want to travel somewhat St. Marks refuge and Wakulla Springs are two good places to see Florida wildlife. Wakulla offers one of the best river rides to see alligators, turtles, exotic birds and turtles. But then, I last lived in Wisconsin so it all looks like paradise to me. : )

Thank you all for your replies and helpful information.

I lived in Milwaukee for 2 years, Neofloridian, so I can completely relate to your comment about it all looking like paradise (nothing against Milwaukee; it's just not Florida for sure!).

As far as the honeymoon, to further complicate things, I started looking into Amelia Island; it's obviously not on the Panhandle and is on the Atlantic side, but I was wondering if any one could help me out by describing its beaches, restaurants, overall atmosphere? Would it have a completely different feel than the previously mentioned beaches and areas in the Panhandle? Is it very crowded with people in the summer? Any input you have would be most helpful! Thanks again!

As it happens I was just in Jacksonville Beach this weekend. I haven't been to Amelia in a long time so I will not try to advise you on that. (I went to Amelia Island annually for many years and loved it!)

The beaches are very different. The waves much bigger and the tides are greater on the Atlantic. The beach in the Amelia Island/J'ville area is much wider than the Panama City-Destin stretch. It is easier to run on the beach (if you are into that) because the high tides pack the sand and it stays moist and firm. Of course, that also means that you have to sit really far back from the water if you want to sit on dry sand.

The sand on the Atlantic side is not as white as PC/Destin. In fact I don't know of many beaches that have the snow white sand that you find there. And the murky water in the Atlantic does not begin to compare to the crystal clear, blue/green water in the PC/Destin area.

One other thing that stood out to me on this trip, the sound of the ocean is so much louder on the Atlantic due to the waves than it is on the gulf. I really enjoy the sound of the ocean!

There are pros and cons to the gulf and the Atlantic. It just depends on your preference. Personally, I prefer the gulf because the water is just so incredibly beautiful but weigh it out. You might prefer the Atlantic.

Like I said I have not been to Amelia Island lately, but I have never heard anything negative about it. I think you would have a great time in either place.