Articles

Postcards from South Walton

Beach lovers find relative peace in the panhandle

Howard County Times
July 29, 2010
Why should you fly to the Beaches of South Walton in Northwest Florida (aka the Panhandle, Emerald Coast) when you can drive a few hours and be at Ocean City? Numerous answers come to mind.

Approximately 8 million of your closest friends and family visit the 10 to 12 miles of Ocean City annually, most of them between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. They stay in the 25,000 condo units, 10,000 hotel rooms and your home.

Summer is the peak season for BSW, also. There are about 15,000 units (condos, cottages, hotels and rooms) in 15 beach towns spread throughout 26 miles of Gulf of Mexico coastline, and by contrast, fewer than 1 million visited last summer. These are multi-generational families whose little ones grow up and return as adults for the 1,100 annual beachfront wedding ceremonies.

You do the math.

May through October finds water temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the mid-80s, going down to the 50s in the winter. Summer air temperatures range from 80 to 91 degrees and winter highs are from 50 to 75 degrees. Rain falls about 50 to 60 days per year, but not necessarily all day, leaving an average 345 days of at least some sunshine for outdoor activities. Compare that to the 70 inches of snow we had this past winter.

The 15 beaches -- Alys, Blue Mountain, Dune Allen, Grayton, Inlet, Miramar, Rosemary, Sandestin, Santa Rosa, Seacrest, Seagrove, Seascape, Seaside, Watercolor and Watersound -- are mostly stretched along scenic route 30A, roughly parallel to and south of Route 98. The towns are deliberately designed with narrow streets that encourage people to park the car and walk or bicycle to wherever they're going. Of those who fly here, many never rent a car.

Because the beaches are oriented east-west and the sun and moon rise in the east, etc., their gravity "pulls" a small "bulge" of water that we know as tides. This translates into only one high and one low tide a day (check the tides at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/geo.shtml?location=panama+city+fl).

Greg Atchley, principal of Design360 in Miramar Beach, headed south from Atlanta a year or two ago with his wife when the economy headed south. He notes there's "not a lot of water moving around down here. The tide range is usually less than a foot."

However, because the waters of the gulf and the 15 dune lakes are generally so flat and calm, this is a great place to kayak or YOLO (www.yolobaord.com, You Only Live Once), which is a stand-up paddling experience on a surfboard or a kayak with a sling. Tom Losee and Jeff Archer brought the sport to this area a couple of years ago and say it's a great core exercise.

As Atchley says, "there is sea life everywhere ... blue crabs, giant balls of baitfish, schools of ladyfish, stingrays and even some lazy, bottom-napping sharks, all topped off by a pod of six or eight playful dolphin. At any given moment there is a variety of wildlife right alongside whatever it is you're doing."

The rupture of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil well has been devastating the flora and fauna and livelihoods over a lot of territory in the gulf region, but not along the southern shores of Walton County (www.visitflorida.com to see webcams of the various communities and beaches, www.BSWUpdate.com for daily updates or www.resortquest.com for beach pictures). Yet tourism numbers are falling off all over the place. Bobby Cornwell, executive director of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (www.floridacamping.org) notes member campgrounds are also receiving cancelations.

The beach tourism people have been bolstering the economy by buying airtime to run seemingly endless TV commercials that show us the wiggle-your-toes in sugar-white sandy beaches are as pristine as ever.

One reason our Baltimore television market is being blanketed with these commercials is the new nonstop and connecting service by Southwest Airlines between Baltimore Washington International Airport and the new Panama City Beach Airport (also called Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport). You leave here at 8:20 a.m. and you can be on the beach by 10:30 a.m.

Part of that, remember, is because this section of Florida is on Central time, so you gain an hour flying there.

Another nonstop flight leaves at 7:15 p.m. so you can finish a day's work and arrive in time for dinner. Returning nonstop flights leave at 6:15 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. Connecting flights are available throughout the day. The airport is the first international airport to be constructed in the country since the Sept. 11 attacks and is a LEED-Certified (environmentally friendly) airport.

You'll see references to St. Joe everywhere. It's the company that donated the land for the new international airport and reportedly told Southwest Airlines that they'd pay for any empty seat on any flight into the area for the next two years.

Picking your spot

Trying to decide which beach to visit can be tough. They differ in the type of accommodations, with high-rise condos, quaint beachside cottages and row-house structures. One way to choose is by visiting www.beachesofsouthwalton.com and clicking on the three characteristics options (local's choice, relaxing, luxurious, etc.), activities (fishing, child-friendly, hiking, etc.) and events/culture (arts, shopping, music, etc.).

It's like a slot machine that helps you score the ideal place to visit. Deeper research will let you know which cleaning companies are using green chemicals and where you'll find lifeguards or pools to use when the red and double red flags are up on the beach saying the water's too rough. Construction regulations require a height limit of 50 feet, or four stories, except where high-rise condos have been constructed.

New Urbanism, a development plan that calls for economical use of land, is a major buzzword in the area. Architectural differences can help you decide. Alys Beach gets its inspiration from Bermuda, Guatemala and Antigua. Classic beach homes abound at Dune Allen. Caribbean-inspired colorful Dutch and West Indies-style homes fill Rosemary Beach and wooden cottages line the oyster-shell roads of Grayton Beach. Jim Carrey fans can stay in Seaside, where "The Truman Show" was filmed.

Recreational activities abound, from biking to diving to water parks to hiking (four state parks, www.floridastateparks.org) to golf and tennis. You could even do a local version of an uphill climb at Blue Mountain beach. At 56 feet (17 meters), it's the highest point along the Gulf of Mexico.

If possible, dining and shopping options (Silver Sands Factory Stores boast more than 100 designer stores offering up to 75 percent off retail prices) outshine even the sparkling emerald water.

Try some of the Apalachicola oysters at Fish Out of Water (www.watercolorresort.com), where they sit serenely in their half-shells, awash in their juices. Small-ish, salty and sweet, they are a perfect start to something from Chef Philip Krajeck's exhibition grille. Aim for sunset and watch the splashy show from the balcony.

For hearty omelets, four kinds of eggs Benedict (that's the way they describe them), or blueberry grits, eat at Another Broken Egg (www.thebrokenegg.com). It's a small enough chain that it can qualify as a local place, and it's only open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chef Justin Stark makes crabcakes at Finz Beachside Grille (www.sandestin.com) that are as close to Maryland perfection as any I've ever tasted.

Sit under upside-down umbrellas at Café Thirty-A while Chef Ken Duenas (www.cafethirtya.com) prepares a new menu almost daily (whatever's market-fresh). Bud & Alley's (www.budandalleys.com) is said to be the area's longest established restaurant, and the second-story eating space offers great waterfront views along with terrific fried sweet potatoes and crab dip.

Then, when it's time to shop and dine, visit Tommy Bahama's (www.tommybahama.com) and selecting from a menu that features gluten-free items (appetizers through desserts) and tasty tidbits from the far-away waters of the Pacific and the Caribbean.

One last reason may come from possible discounts for accommodations, meals and activities because of the slowdown in tourism. It's worth checking.