More Sugary Deliciousness!

You all are going to have to get up early to score some of the best donuts on the Gulf Coast, but it will be worth it, I promise!

Charlie's Donut Truck is parked most every morning in the parking lot near George's Restaurant in Alys Beach, and the line forms early, about 6:30 AM. This little truck has a huge variety of scrumptious freshly made donuts, but when they are all gone the truck is closed for the day. Now is a good time to start a habit of rising at dawn, jogging on the beach or biking the 30A trail, and then picking up some donuts for the sleepy heads back at the beach house.

Hint: If you sleep in or feel like a donut later in the day don't despair! Sweet Jeni's has been known to sell Charlie's donuts and you might find some there. For information on Sweet Jeni's, see the post below.

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth at the Beach with Sweet Jeni's

In the mood for something sweet, or something to beat the heat? Sweet Jeni's in the shops at the Villages of S. Walton, Seacrest Beach, has just the thing. There are several flavors of icy cold gelato, but, at least to my mind, the real stars are the cupcakes. Sweet Jeni's cupcakes are works of art and as beautiful to look at as they are delicious. This cute shop also has all kinds of candy, some kinds I haven't seen since I was a little kid, or, as my children say, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Stop in and say hello to the friendly people at Sweet Jeni's and have a cupcake. Then go jog on the beach to work up an appetite for the next delightful treat. You have to pace yourself. ;)

Restaurants Within Walking Distance of Our Seacrest Beach House

We are so fortunate to have a vacation home that is within walking distance of so many fine restaurants. I have listed them below by neighborhood. Seacrest Beach North is situated right between Alys and Rosemary Beaches, and it is a very easy walk from our house to any of these restaurants. So, enjoy a fabulous dinner and then walk off a few calories on your way home.

Seacrest Beach North:

La Cocina http://lacocina30a.com/

Seagrill http://seagrill.harborrestaurantgroup.com/

Alys Beach

George's http://www.georgesatalysbeach.com/

Caliza http://www.calizarestaurant.com/

Rosemary Beach

Restaurant Paradis http://www.restaurantparadis.com/

Onano Cafe http://www.onanocafe.com/

Cowgirl Kitchen http://www.cowgirlkitchen.net/

La Crema Tapas and Chocolate http://www.lacrematapas.com/

Summer Kitchen Cafe http://www.theskcafe.com/

Wild Olives http://www.wildolivesmarket.com/

Alys Beach Summer Concert Series

Wednesdays 7-9 PM, free and open to the public, the Alys Beach Foundation presents the summer concert series with seating on the lawn in the ampitheater. Wine, beer and shrimp boil will be available with proceeds to benefit the Alys Foundaton.

June 1- The Blue Ribbon Healers

June 8- Delta Reign

June 15- Bill Garrett and Friends

June 22- Kyle Lamonica and Friends

June 29- Cadillac Willy

July 6- Mile Marker 7

July 13- Coconut String Band

July 20- Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes

July 27- Daphne Willis

Aug. 3- Groove Daddy

Aug. 10- Forrest Williams Band

Rosemary Beach Summer Events

There are several exciting events this summer at Rosemary Beach:

For kids of all ages, there is the Repertory Theatre production of Pinnochio Comedia in the North Barrett Square at 6:30 PM on June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29- Free.

Moonlight and Movies on the Western Green at 8:15 PM on June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Bring a blanket and enjoy a family movie such as Yogi, the Karate Kid, How to Train A Dragon and more- Free.

Story Telling on the lawn at the Town Hall, 10-10:30 AM on June 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28 with the Repetory Theater Actors- Free.

The Starlight Ballet, June 19 at 7:30 PM on the St. Augustine Green, on-lawn seating- Free.

Seaside Summer Concert Series

6/1 The Defibulators
6/8 Mockinbird Sun
6/15 Tony Lucca
6/22 Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes
6/29 The Apace Relay
7/6 The Black Lillies
7/13 Lauren St. Jane and the Dead Westerns
7/20 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
7/27 Honey Island Swamp Band
8/3 Joe Firstman
8/10 Tim Brantley

Free at the Seside Ampitheater, 7 PM Wednesdays this summer. Bring a low chair or a blanket and enjoy a variety of talented musicians under the stars.

"Life Shines (The 30A Song)" by Bryan Kennedy

In between all the shots of bikini-clad beach beauties ;-), this video is a Valentine to the beaches and beach communities of 30A. The neighborhood shown at the very beginning of the video is Seacrest Beach, where our house is located. Also included are Inlet, Rosemary and Alys Beaches, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Seagrove, and Santa Rosa Beach. Life really does shine on 30A.

Seacrest Beach Welcomes Seagrill!

Seagrill, an exciting new restaurant, has opened in the Seacrest Beach neighborhood in the location facing 30A that was previously occupied by Chops. Seagrill offers fresh seafood, steaks and sushi in a chic and comfortable atmosphere. Check out their photo gallery and menus at the website: http://www.seagrill30a.com/ or, "friend" them on their facebook page and receive advance notification of special events and discounts. When visiting our home in Seacrest Beach, please be sure to take time out for a fabulous meal or drinks and sushi at Seagrill.

"Florida" (by Patty Griffin)

I absolutely adore this artist and this song. I chose this YouTube video because, despite what the song says about driving down A1A on the East coast of Florida, the pictures are taken along 30A, on the Gulf Coast, and features the communities of 30A. Enjoy!

Wednesday at Alys Beach: Concert and Shrimp Boil!

Alys Beach launches concert series with stage sensation sensation, series, alys - WaltonSun.com Click on the Walton Sun link above for information. Alys Beach launches it 2011 free concert series on Wednesday, April 6, with Jason Williams. The location is the ampitheater at Alys Beach. Bring a low-backed chair or blanket and enjoy great food and music in a beautiful setting.

Our Favorite Grocery Stores at the Beach

Our favorite overall grocery store is the Publix at Ocean Park Pavilion. Publix has fabulous bakery, deli, produce and meat departments. They also have a large selection of wine and beer. I look forward to shopping at Publix for wine and cheese to enjoy on the beach at sunset, scrumptious baked goods to have with my morning coffee and seasonal produce to prepare with grilled fish or sauteed shrimp. Just across the highway from this Publix is a Winn Dixie store. Winn Dixie is also a great grocery, and, in addition to groceries, has a large selection of beach chairs, beach toys, rafts, towels, fishing supplies and just about anything else you might need for a fun day at the beach. To get to these two stores from our house, exit the Seacrest Beach North neighborhood and turn left on 30A, about a half mile away just past Rosemary Beach is a traffic light at the junction of 30A and US 98 (also known as Panama City Beach Pkway), turn right at the light onto US 98, continue over the bridge that crosses Phillips Inlet. Just ahead on the left is Publix and just across the highway is Winn Dixie. There is another Publix west of our house at Watercolor Crossings. Exit the neighborhood and turn right, drive about 7 miles on 30A, turn right on 395 and Water Color Crossings will be on the right side of the road.

12,000 square foot pool at Seacrest, Florida on Scenic 30A

If you have wondered what the pool at Seacrest Beach North is like, take a look at this video from YouTube. As you can see, it has lush landscaping, several seating areas, lap pools, a large central pool, fountains and water falls and three shallow areas for kids. There are several restrooms, showers, vending machines and picnic tables. Behind the pool is a terraced open area for recreation. Frequently during the summer time there are evening concerts in this area. At night time the pool is beautifully lit and the water feels fantastic after a hot day at the beach.

Seacrest Sundries Has What You Need!

Seacrest Sundries Northwest Beaches WCities Travel Guide

While staying with us in Seacrest Beach, make sure to stop in at Seacrest Sundries, a very short walk from the house and facing 30A. Seacrest Sundries has groceries, wine, beer, snacks, tasty sandwiches and a littel bit of everything else. The people who own and operate Seacrest Sundries are extremely friendly and at least one of them is a fan of our beloved Louisville Cardinals, making this store an instant favorite with us. The store also sells 30A logo apparel. Follow Seacrest Sundries on their Facebook page to keep up with news from Seacrest Beach.

Tired of All the Tranquility?

Do you want a break from all that beach relaxation and wish that there was someplace to go for shopping, entertainment, and fun theme restaurants? There is--the new Pier Park at Panama City Beach is just a few miles East on US 98. There you will find the new city pier for fishing, loads of shopping, food, and entertainment for all ages. There is also a huge multi-plex cinema for rainy day movies.

Emmylou Harris~Shores of white sand

Shores of White Sand

The beautiful white sand beaches of the Panhandle have been thousands of years in the making. They are made up of very fine crushed quartz that has washed down from the Appalachian Mountains to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The texture is soft as sugar and it looks like a fresh fall of powdery snow. The dazzling beaches contrast with the emerald green/blue of the Gulf waters and remind me of the song recorded by Emmylou Harris, Shores of White Sand. I wonder if that song was inspired by a visit to the beaches of S. Walton. I know it always makes me think of Seacrest Beach.

Where to Rent Your Beach Bikes on 30A

This is a picture of my sister's Pink Cadillac Beach Cruiser, the ultimate in beach biking comfort and style! Strap on the wicker basket and she is ready for the Farmers Market in Seaside, a little shopping at Rosemary's Wine and Cheese shop or just feeling the wind in her hair and the warm sun on her back as she cruises down the bike bath on 30A.

If you would like to experience this simple pleasure for yourself, there are dozens of bike rental businesses along 30A that have bikes to suit every age group. Many of them will deliver the bikes to your door and pick them up at the end of your vacation. Below is is list of links for a few of them:

Big Fish Bike Rentals: http://www.bigfishbikerentals.com/
Butterfly Bike and Kayak: http://www.butterflybikeandkayakrentals.com/
Sunny Days Bike Rental: http://www.sunnydaysbikes.com/
Big Daddy's Bikes and Beach: http://www.bigdaddysrentals.com/
Bamboo Bicycle Company at Rosemary Beach: http://www.bamboobicyclecompany.com/
Live Well 30A Concierge Services: http://www.livewell30a.com/

Biking Scenic Highway 30A

One of the great pleasures of vacationing in the beach communities of S. Walton is hiking or biking the 30A trail known as the Timpoochee Trail. This is a wide paved trail the runs parallel to Scenic Highway 30A, about 20 miles in length. It is mostly flat and meanders through some of the most stunning scenery in the panhandle. In addition to passing through all of the beach communities of 30A, from Inlet Beach on the East end to Grayton Beach at the West End and continuing to Highway 98, visitors will see rare coastal dune lakes, pine hammocks, secluded beaches, old Florida and new Florida architecture, wild flowers, a large variety of waterfowl, possibly a few alligators, deer and maybe even a black bear. For a preview, visit this link which has a map and photo tour of the trail: http://www.discover30a.com/tour/tour.html?/discover/guideto30a.asp

Caliza Restaurant at Alys Beach

One of the great joys of staying at our Seacrest Beach home is the opportunity to sample the menus of many fine restaurants, all within walking distance. Case in point, the stunning outdoor dining at Caliza, the pool at next door Alys Beach. Whether you plan to drop by for pre-dinner cocktails or make an evening of it, time spent in this gorgeous setting promises a visual and gastronomic feast. Follow this link for more information, more pictures, and to view the menus for Caliza: www.calizarestaurant.com/

30A Guide

Greetings again, fellow beach lovers. Today's post is to alert you to a great site for news, reviews and commentary about our favorite vacation communities along Scenic Highway 30A in the Florida Panhandle. The site is http://www.30aguide.com/ If you are planning to visit the area, the 30A Guide is a great place to start. See you at the beach!

Need a Little Sunshine?

And who doesn't need a little sunshine this time of year? Click on this link to view see what is happening at the beach in real time: http://www.alysbeach.com/BeachCam/tabid/225/Default.aspx

This is the beach cam from beautiful Alys Beach. In the late afternoon it points to the west so you can enjoy sunset at the beach!

Cheap Flights to the Panhandle!

Great news! Vision Airlines is offering several new economy non-stop flights to/from the Destin airport! The Destin airport is approx. 30 miles West of Seacrest Beach and an easy drive on US 98.

As some of you may already know, there is a brand new international airport in Bay county, less than 10 miles East of Seacrest Beach. This airport, the Northwest Florida Beaches International airport, can handle jumbo jets for international travel and also has a Southwest Airlines hub, providing yet another avenue of economical and convenient air travel to the area. Our concierge service can arrange pick up and delivery of your party from either airport if needed.

A Few Words About Last Year and BP

The above picture was taken at Seacrest Beach in August of 2010. As you can see, the beach is sparkling white and the water is crystal clear. Along our part of the Panhandle beaches we were very fortunate that there was very minimal impact due to the horrific BP Deep Water Horizon oil platform explosion and subsequent oil spill. However, vacationers canceled their reservations in the area in droves, and the local businesses suffered great hardship due to the lack of business at a peak time. BP was slow to pay and still hasn't come close to making up for the disastrous results of their carelessness. Bargain-hunters sought to take advantage of the precarious financial position of many of the vacation homeowners and made demands of up to 60% off usual summer rental rates because, as I was told, some rental money is better than no rental money, right? For the record, no, some rental money is not better than no rental money because at some point it is just not worth the wear and tear on your property and it deflates fair market values for all the other vacation home-owners. Rather than play this "make me a deal game," we decided to take our home off the rental market and use it more ourself, but not every business owner was in a position to do this. Many suffered great financial losses, all because there was the perception that our beaches were ruined by the oil. We were much luckier than beaches in other states. No thanks to BP, but our beaches were NOT ruined, far from it, and there were daily photos of the beach, webcam links and water quality test results to prove it. We are entering into a new rental season and we would like to thank our guests who honored their reservations last year and did not cancel at the last minute by giving them a 15 % discount on the rental rate this year. We all look forward to many glorious days on the beach this year and invite you to come and visit the 30A area. It is still as beautiful as ever. Come and see for yourself.