We are kind of out of the way for most activity on 30A. However a couple of miles from our rental is a Sharyn favorite - Old Florida Fish House.
SEASIDE
One of the first cities in America designed on the principles of New Urbanism, Seaside has become the topic of architectural schools lectures and in housing-industry magazines. It was also the main filming location of the movie The Truman Show. It has dozens of small boutiques and food services from small street vans to up-scale restaurants. The family favorites are the Great Southern Cafe and Angelina's Pizza.
Its been a family favorite. We always do bike and walking tours, shopping, and eating at least two or three times during our stay. Expects crowds almost anytime of the day.
ROSEMARY BEACH/SEACREST
About a decade ago the family abandoned Destin due to crowds that made getting around nearly impossible. Seacrest was its new "landing" spot. The area has also grown rapidly. Although not as extensive as Seaside, the area has recently added dozens of shops and restaurants. It's worth an afternoon "walk-around". The favorite sports bar & grill is Shades.
PANAMA CITY BEACH
Pier Park is the major hangout in Panama City Beach. It has a huge shopping center plus about every kind of restaurant you can imagine. It's the place to go for the young crowd or if you want to waste a day shopping. However, my son's favorite is there - the Hofbrauhaus.
A little closer to our rental is another family favorite Bayou Bill's Crab House. Its also near the closest major shopping center for food and libation.
SANDESTIN GOLF AND BEACH RESORT
Looking for a huge variety of things to do in a limited locale, Sandestin is the place to go. For us it has been just too much and too commercial. It is about half way from our rental back toward Destin. You all may want to visit. That is way I recommend bringing at least two cars.
DESTIN
I try to avoid going into Destin. The traffic is horrendous and it can take a very long time just to go a few miles. However, it is the hub for all the major touristy stuff. The boardwalk near the Walton Beach bridge is a big attraction. The most popular feed stops are AJ Seafood & Oyster Bar and our kid's favorite McGuire's Irish Pub. This is where our boat was moored when we did deep sea fishing.
AIR FORCE ARMAMENT MUSEUM (Fort Walden)
The free museum is the only one in the world dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of artifacts and memorabilia associated with Air Force Armament and its platforms of delivery. There are over 29 different aircraft that have found a home at the Air Force Armament Museum from the WWII era to the present. A 32-minute film on the history of Eglin Air Force Base and its role in the development of armament is shown continuously throughout the day.
NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM (Pensacola)
It is the world’s largest Naval Aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in Florida. See more than 150 restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation displayed both inside the Museum’s nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and outside on its 37-acre grounds. Admission is free! Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SHOPPING
Although the beach is the primary focus, there is no shortage of places to shop. The Mall at Pier Park ten miles away in Panama City Beach has about a million square feet of shopping. Seaside has a large collection of small shops that are very popular with tourists. Lastly, Destin has miles of shopping malls.
