Family of 4 (2 teens) would like to stay in Seaside/Grayton/Seagrove area. Prefer house/cottage. Done lots of research, but still fuzzy on a few things. Rental agents are too vague - I need strong opinions! Is ANY place in Seaside preferable to staying in Grayton or Seagrove? Is anywhere in Seaside too far from beach for a comfortable walk or to go to and fro your rental easily? Is 200yds to beach access a reasonable distance? How about for Grayton? Bottom line: will have a car but would like to walk to beach and shops easily. Is there plenty of other teens in that area in July or will my kids get bored easily? Have you ever felt like you have done your homework thoroughly but are almost as confused as ever? Nothing like having been there, but since I haven't...help! Oh, and prefer a 1 - 2 BR and stay under $375/night. What about last minute price/availability/deals like renting the day before or even upon arrival in mid-July? Too risky? Thanks in advance for ANY advice! The more the better! P.S. I'm aware of Destin and PC, but sounds TOO crowded for me.

Well, this is a query I can cut my teeth on. My husband and I have been going down to Seaside/Seagrove/Grayton for more than fifteen years. Our two children (14 1/2 and 16 1/2) had their very first beach experience in the Panhandle. Heck, when we started going there it was laughingly called the "redneck Riviera" and you could pick up a lot at Seaside for $125K (that figure now wouldn't even buy you the furnishings to go in the cottages...)

So, to answer your questions: if you are wanting to go to Seaside this July, you might find the pickings very slim. Seaside is very popular and is often fully booked in the summer, which is high season. There is no such thing as a last minute sale at Seaside because they have the market cornered. People always want to stay there, and are willing to pay top dollar. Call Seaside--the website is pretty tedious, unfortunately--and ask what is available, and tell them your budget. Their reservation people are very knowledgeable and competent and they'll steer you in the right direction. There is no place in Seaside that is "too far" from the beach. It's all within an easy stroll, so don't worry on that account.

I'm afraid that I am very biased toward Seaside, even though I very much like Grayton Beach and Seagrove. Each has its own distinct flavor. Seaside is a self-contained little town. The movie "The Truman Show" was filmed in Seaside. There's a grocery, lots of little shops, restaurants, etc, and it's all on this little spot of land. You can park your car in Seaside and not go near it for the whole week. You're within walking distance to everything you need to live comfortably for the week. There's plenty of entertainment in the evening as well, from concerts to outdoor movies on the town green. I can only tell you that Seaside is completely enchanting. The only negative I can think of is that it is not secluded. Since it's a town, people are always strolling or riding their bicycles around. It's never noisy, fortunately, but if you want to commune with nature, alone, Seaside is not going to do it for you. Our children liked Seaside when they were toddlers and like it just as well now. It is completely safe, and we've never worried about letting them loose after dinner to roam around. Lots of the kids congregate in the green, and they play music and talk. I've never felt uncomfortable with any of the kids my teens have met at Seaside.

Should Seaside be booked, Grayton Beach is a great alternative. This is an old beach town. Very laid back and relaxed. It used to be full of wonderful old beach shacks, but it's getting pretty gentrified like everything else in the panhandle. The realty company you would want to contact about Grayton Beach is Rivard. Their website is www.rivardnet.com. You'll walk farther to the beach at some the cottages, but really, 200 yds is not unreasonable. Rivard puts out a catalog that has aerial views, and the website shows interior shots of the cottages, so you'll know what your're getting. The only negative I can think about Grayton Beach is that most of the cottages don't have a pool--it's strictly a beach vacation. You don't get the extra amenities that Seaside offers, but on the other hand, you wouldn't be paying Seaside prices, either.

Lastly is Seagrove Beach, which is now a bustling collection of beach cottages and condos just west of Seaside. I would not stay in any condo/cottages right on the beach road 30-A because of the road noise. It has gotten tremendously busy over the years, and the noise would drive you nuts! That is a great advantage of Seaside--most of the cottages are set back far away from 30-A and the lush landscaping deadens the road traffic. Same for Grayton Beach, which well down the road from 30-A. Our favorite rental company for Seagrove is Beach Rentals of South Walton (www.beachrentalsofsouthwalton.com). They rent many cottages, but our favorite is the collection called "summer's edge." The houses look just like the ones at Seaside, but the prices are much more reasonable (about $1500-2300/wk, depending on # of beds). They're in the area of Eastern Lake in a quiet location, and have a private pool. They're close to the water, too. Check out the website of beachrentals because there are many photos.

I hope I've helped a little bit. It's a lovely place for you to visit, and the kids will definitely not be bored. You might find yourself getting hooked, like us, and come back for decade after decade.

Another thing you might want to check out is past posts on this subject. Just type in "panhandle," "seaside," and "seagrove beach" and you'll come up with more stuff.

RLA
You can also check out rent by owner at:
http://vrbo.com/vrbo/flpanhandle.htm#Pensacola+Beach

cd: I looked at vrbo. Only 1 of many replied to my emails re: availability. Additionally, I found many rentals that were listed with an agency as well (understandably), but for the same price as by owner. I expected the owner price to be less since they aren't paying the agency fee. Finally, I found many of the Seaside listings misleading as they were NOT in Seaside - only in the area which is NOT the same thing. By then it was annoying soI gave it up.

dln: It's so nice to hear from someone so knowledgable about the area. How lucky for you and your kids to be making those summer beach vacation memories. I did the same as a child, but it was mountains just a few hours away vs. beach which were not even remotely close to where I lived. We still live 13 hours from the beaches of South Walton. We have traveled further to this caliber of beach i.e. Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Jamaica, etc. so they will not be new me. I was awestruck by my first sight of such beautiful beaches and sand and of course developed an affinity for such. Sadly, the nearest beach experience by far is my guest room decorated in Seaside-style!

As you said and I expected, rentals are slim. I've been monitoring availability for quiet some time. I've learned that many weekly rentals do become available at last minute albeit little variety. I spoke to the place who does most of Seaside's rentals and found they are nice but very sly! While they aren't openly negotiable, I was given some prices that were several hundred dollars higher two days later for the same unit. When I mentioned the last minute specials as noted on their website, the first agent coily owned up to it and gave me the better rates. On the second call, the girl acted unfamiliar with the rates quoted earlier. Upon checking further, she couldn't match them, but came off a little. I found another company that does have some of the Seaside rentals who have been very helpful.

I'm deciding between a couple of houses two and three houses from the beach on the east end of Seaside and house on the far east side of Seagrove, but is 3 blocks from the beach and easy walking distance to Seaside shops. Of course, it will even accommodate a couple more people than the others, has a private pool (not important to us), bikes, etc. The Seaside rentals are only $65 night more than the Seagrove one. Since being close to the beach and more activity, the Seaside houses seem to be the best choice for us unless you can tell me some other things to consider that I've not counted. The other Seagrove area you mentioned sounds great but seems further removed from the action which is fine for me, but my teens want the more the merrier!

Grayton sounds charming, but not a practical "stroll" to Seaside. However, I know there are great places to shop there too and we do have a car.

Thanks for your input and I welcome any more you or anyone can offer!

RLA, We're also a good 11-13 hours from the Panhandle (time depends on traffic flow) but we hardly miss a year going down there. Getting our "beach fix" is pretty important!

I did think of something that you should ask about if you talk with the Seaside reservations people. There's a new town called Watercolor, built by Arvida, which is currently in full swing construction mode. Forest Street in Seaside backs up to Watercolor. If you choose a cottage on Forest Street, there is a huge possibility that you will be enduring noise from your Watercolor construction crew! Be sure to ask about any cottage's proximity to the construction zone. Should you choose to stay in Seaside this summer, I think you'd have better luck staying on any of the streets SOUTH of Forest Street.

RLA
Sorry you had trouble with the "Rent by Owners" website. We just returned from our beach vacation that I found on the site and had a wonderful 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo 10ft from the white sand beach and 15 steps to the pool.

CD: I'm so glad you had good luck w/ vrbo. I hope I wasn't too short, I didn't mean to be. I don't doubt you can find a good thing there if you have some time. I am just a little impatient being last minute arrangments. Thanks for your input because I really do appreciate it!

dln ~
No wonder you have been going down for so long. Honestly, I didn't even know about the place (I had heard of Destin) until I stumbled onto idyll-by-the-sea.com. It was my dream vacation place look, feel, location, but $7,500 wk is beyond even my indulgence. I began looking at all the colorful Seaside rentals and have a blast looking at each one inside and out.

Now, I'm down to the wire with a final decision. It's between one of the old cottages on Savannah St. (Mabel Haardt or Bella Vista) which is 3 houses from the beach on the far east end OR dividing us up to sleep between the guest house of one of those (Sweetheardt Cottage)combined with another guest cottage (Nido Aquila). Different rental agencies but the total price of the 2 small ones is equal to the 1 house. The draw dividing up is that one of the cottages (NA) has a gulf-view and slightly better location. The view is the draw. My big question and concern is whether it is large enough for all 5 of us to hang out some and have one small meal a day there without stepping on each other. We don't need any excess space as we will spend most of our time outdoors. What do you think?

Oh, and thanks for the tip regarding possible construction noise near Watercolor. They never mentioned a word about any, and we did discuss some rental on that street.

RLA
We have been going to differant beaches on the east coast and the panhandle since our children were small.They are now grown with children and we still all go every other year. For our family we would not drive all that way if we could not stay directly on the beach. We enjoy sitting on the porch or patio in the mornings with coffee and in the evenings with drinks just watching the surf. It is so convenient to have nothing between you and the ocean. IMHO. Have fun! Families and beaches go together!

My first choice would be to stay in Mabel Haardt. It's the third house in from 30-A on Tupelo Street. It is a beautiful house. You will be well insulated from the road noise. Second choice would be Bella Vista, but it's one house closer to the road and not as cheerful and bright in its decor as Mabel Haardt. Tupelo is a great street to be on. If you walk down it away from the gulf, you will come to the gazebo, which is a great spot to take souvenir photos of your Seaside trip!

Since you are a party of five, I cannot recommend you dividing yourself up into two cottages. Although Nido Aquila and Sweethardt are adorable, they are TINY beyond your wildest dreams. You probably have a walk-in closet in your house that is bigger in size than either of these two cottages. I speak from personal experience, because one summer weekend (sans kids) we rented "Turkish Delight" and were flabergasted that such a small structure could be built. It was so cleverly built that we couldn't help but admire it, but it was like living in a tree house (minus the tree). Almost claustrophobic, really. You are far better to ditch the idea of such bitty places as Nido Aquila and Sweethaardt.

Go for the light and bright Mabel and you'll have a great Seaside experience.

Here's a restaurant tip for you: Cafe Thirty-A, just east of Seaside. Casual dressy atmosphere, great food and service. Enjoy!

Thank you so much! You saved me from making a big mistake. By the way, you are so funny! Your description had me rolling with laughter. I even told the rental agent honestly what I was trying to accomplish with all 5 of us being in one or the other for at least one small meal per day but didn't want to be on top of each other. She didn't even hint that we would be. I even asked for sq. ft. but she didn't have it. As for the gulf view, at best I got enough out of them to feel it was only a partial view with possible obstructions. The photo and description both suggest a decent view although the photo is fuzzy. Anyway, I secured Mabel Haardt.

I'm not at all a budget traveler and usually splurge somewhat on travel, but at $400/night I felt I should be conscientious about not renting more than is necessary. Plus my kids are getting to bring a friend.

We will be touring a couple of plantation homes outside of New Orleans on the way, staying at one of them overnight to break up the trip. On the way back we will meet up with our church to leave the kids for a Sr. High mission trip.

Thanks again for your opinions. They were a tremendous help! Once I get there and see the place, I will know exactly what and where we will want next time. It looks like you really don't have to spend a fortune to stay in a desirable place and location once you know the area.

Thanks for the compliment, RLA! Whenever we're down in the panhandle, we always spend some time just strolling around checking out cottages for the next year's vacation. When we're in funds, we stay at Seaside. Lean years mean Seagrove, but the one stipulation is that we must be within one mile walking distance to Seaside. Like you, we prefer being in the thick of things: more fun for us and less complaints from our offspring (as the parent of teens, you know that needs no elaboration).

While you're down there, check out this cottage: Another Dream. It's on the footpath between Pensacola and West Ruskin Streets. (It's a rental from Seaside directly, not an outside agency, on www.seasidefl.com) This place has a magnificent tower that overlooks the town and gulf. The master bedroom has a little Romeo and Juliet balcony, and there's a hot tub on the ground floor and a generous sized porch. And an outdoor shower with hot and cold water. When we're at the beach, I never wash anywhere but outside, which is doable since the showers are enclosed. Modesty is preserved, and there's nothing like shampooing under the moon and stars! We stayed there one year with our friends and had 4 adults and 4 children sleep there comfortably. (Although the kids were not adult-size as they are now!). My husband is pretty insistent that it's worth the extra money to secure a Seaside cottage that has a view of the Gulf, so that's what I try to aim for, if possible.

Likewise, we are in a feast or famine business which impacts our vacations. Another Dream looks fabulous. Interesting about the outdoor shower as I assumed they were just to rinse sand off the feet and were all pretty open. I will definitely check out Summer's Edge as well. It looks like the next best place to be for us and we seem to have similar taste. I was surprised at how affordable it was. I guess like on a ski vacation slopeside vs. offsite. We've done both, but most often opt for slopeside especially when kids were younger (now 16 1/2 boy & 17 1/2 girl). There were many benefits to the added cost.

Cafe 30A looks like a place we will enjoy. We are not interested in upscale dining, but more fun casual atmospheres. Do you recommend a grocery to stop at enroute? I saw a Tom Thumb on Seagrove's map.

What do your kids enjoy doing there? My girls will just enjoy the beach, people watching (boys), shopping, sightseeing, and probably will have fun with the bikes. My son & husband loath shopping and it would be exhausting for them to have to lay on the beach for more than 15 minutes. Any suggestions for snorkeling, scuba diving, or anything else? I hope I'm not wearing you out. I've scoured the internet and found all kinds of resources, but there's nothing like word of mouth!

Have you ever been to Tybee Island, GA? On a 20th anniv. trip to Savannah/Charleston last year, we drove out to Tybee to see what it was. The beach and water is no comparison to the Emerald Coast, but you can see there was the cutest beach town perhaps many years ago. It looks like the life just got up and walked out. It turned quiet shabby, with the few stores full of tacky junk and drug paraphenelia. So sad for beach-lovers! Hopefully, it will be restored one day. We didn't get around to all the beaches, but the one's we saw were not worth staying at. I hope there is at least one somewhere in that area as it's otherwise a great place. Hilton Head was a let down unless you are into golf.The best hotel resort beach was not even impressive. We found no charm other than one small shopping area that was nice.

No, you're not wearing me out with questions! I love the beaches of South Walton, as much for the beauty of them as for sentimental reasons. During the early years of going down there, we had one especially wonderful week in which my parents, my brother and his family, AND my grandmother were all down there. Can you imagine that? Four generations of family were captured in one beautiful snapshot photo. So you can see that little part of Florida for me can do no wrong.

But to the questions at hand! Get your groceries for the week in Destin. There are two big supermarkets, Winn Dixie and another whose name I forget. They're on Rt. 98 on the east side of Destin across the street from the Silver Sands Factory Outlet. This outlet, by the way, is not only more upscale than most but it is huge!!! You can while away hours shopping there. We get all of my husband's clothes for the office at Brooks Brothers, and I have been known to sneak a purchase or two from the Dooney & Burke store (always on clearance, of course). Other places for groceries are at the Modica Market in Seaside, or at the Tom Thumb, but that's more for pinch hitting (it's on the order of a 7-11 convenience store).

The teenage girls will love all the shopping opportunities down at the beach. Seaside has a bazaar on the beach side called Perspicasity and it's great fun to wander around in. There are lots of boutique-type shops all along the length of 30-A. Even though I'm really not much of a shopper, I like shopping down there because the shops are individual and unique, and full of things you won't find anywhere else. The only chain stores down at the beach are at Silver Sands. One thing my husband and I particularly like is looking in all the art galleries. The artwork is very vibrant and full of life. I can't say all of it would fit very well in my more sombre Midwest home, but we usually do find one small colorful thing to buy that reminds us of Florida!

I'm afraid I can't be of much use to you about the snorkeling and scuba diving but you might find some info about it in Destin. All we do is bring our "noodles" (those brighly colored styrofoam floaty things) and all we do is float. Our children get highly embarassed but we just pretend not to know them and happily drift along. I have wanted to try the parasailing, though, and I know that you can do that in Destin.

We ride our bikes quite a bit down there as there's a paved trail that goes all the way down to Rosemary Beach to the east and Santa Rosa to the west. Since it' so hot, we try to rise as early as we can to get a good ride in. Grayton Beach is a great little town to explore on the bicycle, but if you want a challenge, cycle all the way down to Rosemary Beach. That's a very interesting town. The setup is much the same as Seaside, but the architecture is completely different. My husband and I are still of mixed minds as to whether we'd like to stay a week there. Take a gander at it.

Now onto the boys. When we were at Seaside for spring break this year, our 16 year old son brought a friend of his. Mostly what they did was ride their bikes around. It didn't take them more than a day and a half to find some other boys their age, and they all hung out together either at the pool, beach or the town green. We met these other boys so we were fine about it. You will be happy to know that Seaside has a midnight curfew! I will very sheepishly admit that we let the boys bring their game equipment with them, and we let them rent movies, too. I would have liked them to have gotten fresh air 100% of the time, but I figured it was their vacation, too. One thing you might want to consider is a side trip into Panama City, spring break capital of the Panhandle. Plenty of things there which would appeal to the teenagers. It's not my cup of tea, but I've long since left my teen years behind...

Since you mention going to visit plantations on your way to Seaside, you might enjoy a visit to the historic Eden State Gardens in Port Washington, just a tad north of Destin. There's a beautiful old mansion there, once home to a lumber baron. It has a Tara-like look to it.

Well, I think I've covered it all. If you enjoy Charleston and Savannah (one of our favorite places--if you think I can write paragraphs about Seaside, it ain't nothin' compared to the justice I can do Charleston, especially!) then you will be able to spend a very happy week in Seaside. By the way, we had pretty much the same opinion as you of both Tybee and HH. We liked Tybee's lighthouse, but otherwise weren't too bothered about the rest. And HH is beautiful, but once you've gotten used to the sparkling turquoise water of the gulf coast, it's very difficult to not turn your nose up at the Atlantic. The only beach on the Atlantic side that we consider truly beautiful is South Beach, in Miami. You can see so many shades of blue there. And lots of other things, too. Now that would be a vacation spot to open the eyes of your teenage boy! Oh dear me!

We will hit the grocery at Destin on the way. I thought there would be a place along there. That Bazaar at Seaside looks like fun and I see there are other stores that have similar stuff. I have an affinity for those bright colors and pastels and can hardly keep my hands off those items. However, those colors are limited to my gameroom and guestroom since the rest of my house is old world decor. I'm not a huge shopper, but love to browse unique shops and galleries even though I sadly know little about art. I do have some definite favorites.

I would like to ride the bikes even though I haven't been on one in a million years. I hope the humidity doesn't kill us. It's hot & humid where we live, but not as much as the coast. My husband and I have parasailed before. It's fun, but over in seconds! Loved your comment about the noodles and kids! I know exactly what you are talking about. It seems there is no shortage of things to do especially if you don't mind driving up the road a bit.

I've noticed Rosemary too. Likewise, it's not my idea of seaside accommodations. It looks great for Europe, but not coastal. Of course, my taste isn't everyone's! Oh, and Eden State Gardens looks interesting.

Chas/Sav is for another time. Loved it too! Stayed at wonderful B&B's: Foley House Inn at SAV and in CHAS was Rutledge House and Two Meeting Street Inn. All wonderful. We love looking at the buildings and architecture. Toured only Middleton. Would be best in Spring with the azaleia's blooming. We were there in Sept. so no flowers were blooming. It was really hot that day, otherwise heat was manageable.

I've seen lots of Miami Beach on t.v. My kids would love it, but I am reluctant to point it out. They'll discover it soon enough. Yes, my son would enjoy the "sites", and I would have to blindfold my husband! I guess girls would enjoy too as there's no shortage of buff boys on the beach.

I've enjoyed talking to you. I'll write when we return. I read some other threads you have posted on and it's eerie how much interest and experiences we have it common - mother's litmus tests, missing school for travel, private pilot husbands, passion for Italy and other Euro travel, ... My husband is seriously getting mad at me spending so much time on Travel Talk. It's one of my favorite pastimes! Since I don't get to travel as much as I would like, traveling vicariously through others is the next best thing. Plus, I love getting all the advice on trips I dream to take.

Until later...

have a great vacation, RLA!