Need a beach to go chill out

TornACL

TornACL

250+ Posts
Collective wisdom of hornfans, I summon you...

Looking for a beach to visit for a short weekend The original plan was to go to Miami, but I'm less interested in the big city scene right now. I'd rather go somewhere a little slower, relaxing, and cheaper.

Here's what I want:
1. Access to decent beach
2. Abundance of bar options - they can be dives, I don't care, as long as they are cool
3. Relatively inexpensive

Is Fort Walton Beach worth a crap? Anywhere else in that area worth visiting? Geography is not a limitation, so I'm willing to go East Coast, Gulf Coast, West Coast.

I would go to South Padre this weekend, but obviously that's not a very wise choice at the moment.
 
Plenty of bars in the Fort Walton/Destin Area, you could go to Perdido Key in Florida and get hammered at the FloraBama lounge each night, flying into Pensacola.
 
Torn, Fort Lauderdale. I went there for a friend of mine's bachelor party 3 years ago and it was a blast. The beach is very nice, hot chicks every where, and the nightlife was pretty good.

We stayed in a house 1/2 mile from the beach which was nice. One of our friends was working in Fort Lauderdale at the time and we all stayed at his house.
 
This thread recently covers a lot of ground about the Fort Walton area, which seems to fit your description. Seaside and Grayton Beach to be more specific. There aren't a ton of bars but the ones they have are fun. It's a short flight from Texas, not very expensive.
 
Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdape - 16 acres with private beach on the Atlantic. Tucked away off the street but close to restaurants, etc. Not like being in the city at all.

Cayman - 2 hour flight from Houston. Quiet, relaxing. Hyatt, Westin or condo (try Aqua Bay Club - pool beachside plus beach stretch has no activity). On 7 Mile Beach Rd, but a mile or so from major hotels.

Destin has so many areas of interest that it's hard to recommend. Check with the Destin Log or Abbott Realty for recommendations.
 
Destin. Definitely Destin.

Panama city is supposed to have a lot more of a party scene, though, and it's only a little further down the beach.

Ft. Walton beach just isn't as nice as Destin. Only a few miles makes a big difference.
 
Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Perdido Key get my vote. Uncrowded beaches, a number of good bars to choose from, including the Florabama, douchebaggery is less than what you will find in Destin and Fort Walton, fewer trashy rednecks than Pensacola or Panama City beaches.
 
Ft Lauderdale is way, way underrated. Nice beaches, dining, shopping, bars, and all within a 5-10 minute cab ride of the airport.

Stay at the Pillars. Great, very private hotel with excellent service, right on the intracoastal and all of 2 blocks from the beach.
The Link
 
I guess I should chime in again...

Ended up going to Fort Lauderdale last weekend. Great trip.

Pricelined a hotel at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper. Hotel was not the best...it is in dire need of modernization. But the room was big, and we didn't spend much time in there anyway.

FLL is close to the action, so it's a cheap taxi to the beach. We spent the day relaxing on the beach and visiting some of the beachfront shops and bars.

Took a nap, then hit Charley's Crab for dinner. It was great. Had the macadamia encrusted mahi mahi. She had mahi mahi topped with bernaise and crab.

After that, it was time to hit the nightlife. Let me tell ya, 4:30am last calls plus 12 noon check-out times...they don't mix.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Next time I will definitely take some of the other ideas under consideration.
 
puerto vallarta mexico.

if you like surfing, my buddy just spent a week here and said it was really relaxing and just a great trip. he said it felt like the 1960s.
The Link
 
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