SoWal as a day trip - need your input

[Kurt]

If you were staying in Destin or Panama City Beach and wanted to check out SoWal for a day, what would you do? Where would you eat each meal? What would you see? What activities - fish, bike, particular shops, golf . . ?

Pretend you are creating a day for someone who may have never been to SoWal. Try to be specific. For example, if you name a restaurant, at least tell what community it's in.

Let's pretend you have a day from dawn to midnight or a little later if needed, and that everything is open and happening (as if a particular band you like is playing that day). You can mention festivals or special events but don't include them as your main activity.

 

[Beach Runner]

Question: is there a place to shower and do your hair between beachin' it and dinner?:scratch:

Or course, on the other hand we've been to Borago after a day at the beach with no shower -- we had planned to pick up a pizza, and they were closed.

 

[Kurt]

Question: is there a place to shower and do your hair between beachin' it and dinner?:scratch:

Or course, on the other hand we've been to Borago after a day at the beach with no shower -- we had planned to pick up a pizza, and they were closed.

You take a shower at one of the public accesses with your bathing suit on. Soap is optional. Hair should always be done by the gulf, clean water, sand, sun, and wind. If you feel insecure about that you can wear a big or not so big floppy or not so floppy hat. Or you can just imagine you have the perfect head of hair. Works for me.

 

[Mango]

Is this assuming you have never been to Sowal at all?

 

[Beach Runner]

First of all, I'd make sure I drove the entire length of 30-A (well, at least to Rosemary). I'd have breakfast at Hibiscus. Then I'd drive to Rosemary and walk around to check out the shops and the beautiful homes (and be near a potty). Then I'd drive to a state park -- one of my favorite things to to is ride bikes to the absolutely gorgeous beach walkover at Deer Lake Park, but they could park there walk instead. That won't take long. Next I'd take a stroll around Central Square at Seaside. Then I'd head for Grayton -- have late lunch at Red Bar and then hang out at the beach and relax all afternoon (oh, yeah, and bring refreshments and also a beach umbrella in case you want to nap on the beach). I'd try to find a place to shower, but, what the heck, it's the beach. I'd go to Amor? for dinner -- pizza and a bucket of Pabst (oh, and plan to do all of this on an evening when there's entertainment at Amor?).

This assumes starting at Destin. Haven't thought about starting at PCB.

 

[Kurt]

Is this assuming you have never been to Sowal at all?

No, the opposite. Give your recommendations to someone who may have never been to SoWal.

 

[DD]

I would start in Destin. Like BR, I would drive the entire length of 30A, stopping in each community along the way. This is sort of what we did the first trip many years ago. Things have changed and some of these things I haven't done, but are on my list of absolutely MUST do. I guess on the way out of Destin, I'd have breakfast at the Donut Hole and then mosey on down to Dune Allen stopping first at Topsail S.P. for a walk on the beach and a look see since I've never stopped there. I'd drive around DA--some of my favorite houses are there. Then on to Grayton and the Red Bar for lunch and a bloody. Then, I'd walk on down to the beach/lake and park myself there for the better part of the afternoon. But I would make a point to take the tour of GBSP before it closed for the day. And, I'd take lots of pics. I might have a cocktail at Pandora's before leaving GB. Then, I'd head to WC/Seaside. In WC, I would HAVE to go to Fabrice... In SS, I'd check out Sundog Books (you said they're open, right) and Modica and most of the other shops along the way. (IF the Community Yard Sale was going on in SS, this could make me rearrange my whole day's schedule. ) I'd have to have another cocktail at B&A's for the view alone. I would have stopped and picked up a certain Kitty along the way. We would then decide to have dinner at Borago--our DD wishes we'd make up our minds. After a wonderful dinner, we'd probably go wherever Dread, Waco Ramblers or Dikki Du happen to be playing. I would then deliver the Kitty back to the F balcony and probably make a couple of calls to see if I could crash with someone rather than drive back to Destin.

If I had another day, I would go on the River Tour and check out Pt. Wash and Eden Gardens.

I think I would need more days.

 

[Miss Kitty]

...I like dd's plan. But, why not just crash at my effing place?

 

[scooterbug44]

Can I do a two day/one night trip? One day is too limiting for me.

 

[Paula]

Coming from Panama City, I'd go to:


Fonville Press for coffee and pastry

Deer Lake state park

Visit Seaside shops

Grayton Beach State park to hang out on the beach (maybe stop somewhere and get a nice take-out lunch because we could eat at the picnic tables), take a nap, read a book, frolic and then take a shower - it's a great place to go to the beach because the landscape there is building-less and there are grills/showers/bathrooms - perfect for staying 2-4 hours. they'd want to bring cheap beach chairs and beach umbrella - you can get them at Publix

Shopping at Grayton shops including Zoo Gallery

Dinner at Red Bar or D&Ks

Sunset at Grayton Beach

If it's summer then they can watch a nice outdoor movie or concert in the evening at Seaside, Rosemary Beach

Drive back from there and stop at Villages of South Walton to Watch the fountains at night because they light up and kids play in them ad get an ice cream cone at Seacrest cafe

It would be good to let them know what tasty foods/stuff they can buy to bring back to PC with them