Seaside, Florida

[robr]

Going in August with the family. Actually, to Watercolor, but they are adjacent properties. Any suggestions, comments? We are driving I-10 all the way there. Any spots to be wary of speed traps? We'll be there for about a week.

 

[iamtigerwoods]

Seaside is great. We have went with a group of friends and their kids for the last 4 years. We always rent a big house in either Seaside or one of the adjacent beach towns.

If you golf, Raven at Sandestin or Kelly Plantation are the places to play. Regatta Bay is also a nice course. Tons of good little restaurants up and down 30-A. If the place you are staying has a kitchen, there is a great fish market on 98 just west of 283.

As far as driving, no speed traps I can think of. One thing you should definitely note: Take I-10 all the way to Defuniak Springs and then head straight south down to Seaside. Mapquest and most GPS's will send you down 98 in either Pensacola or West of Destin the entire time and add more time than it saves..

Hope that helps. Feel free to shoot me a PM for more info..

 

[hobbs]

We went to Watercolor in mid-June and had a great time. Plenty for the kids to do, right next to Seaside and very nice set-up.

I would agree with the poster above on driving directions. Definitely stay on I-10 until Defuniak Springs and then go straight south. Steer clear of Destin at all costs.

Once at Watercolor/Seaside there is really no reason to go to Destin or Panama City. Our cars were parked at the house almost the entire time and everyone rides bikes all over the place. Other than trips to the Publix, dinner at Cafe 30-A and golf outings, we never drove anywhere. As for golf, we did not play Camp Creek right near Watercolor, but did play Shark's Tooth near Panama City. It is a pretty new Greg Norman course and it was excellent.

As for restaurants, we had a lot of recommendations from friends, but didn't eat out that much. As noted above, Cafe 30-A is really good and we heard good things about Fish Out of Water (at the Watercolor Inn). The food at the main pool is pretty good, but kind of pricey (nothing is cheap down there). Several other places to grab food in Seaside, including Modica Market, if you want to get out. Definitely more kid-friendly action in Seaside at night.

The beach area at Watercolor is nice and not overly crowded. Plenty of things going on at the Beach Club pool, but it can get pretty crowded. The pool at the Boathouse is much less crowded than the Beach Club pool. Camp Watercolor is also fun for the kids, but ours preferred to hang out at the beach/pool and ride their bikes all over the place.

Overall, it was an excellent beach trip. We will definitely be going back next year and I wish I was still there. I'm jealous.

 

[breakfast_taco]

We've been there a few times and it's really neat.
Go to nearby Grayton Beach and to The Red Bar. It's a popular hangout; very funky, Austin-like. Also, Goatfeathers is a very casual seafood place.
Camp Craft golf is very good, tough and lots of water.

Slightly out of the way, stop at Mothers in New Orleans on the way for good seafood and cajun. Or, stop at Prejean's in Lafayette.
Enjoy!

 

[Dallas Frog]

Go to Fish Out of Water. It is a little on the expensive side but well worth it. Also check out 331 or The Red Bar, they have the same owner so the menu is very similar. Red Bar usually has a long wait if you don't get there before 6:00. I make it a point to go to 331 a couple of times each time I visit.

 

[WhoseHouse]

Is August a good time to go? We're trying to plan a last-minute trip but thought it might be stormy there this time of year. Also, is it possible to find a house on the beach to rent this late in the game? Robr, when did you make reservations?

 

[robr]

I was ready to pay top $$$, but found out that rates drop to the lower winter season prices on August 19. So we got lucky. I made my reservation about a week ago, and there were 3 of my 4 choices available.