The Panhandle - Florida - page 1003

If you only make two stops, we recommend delightful Grayton Beach , which feels as
though it was settled by old-school hippies who came into money (stay a night here if you
can) and the almost inconceivably pretty village of Seaside . Other places to wish you lived
are the whimsically named community of WaterColor, Moroccan-themed Alys Beach and
the Dutch-inspired hamlet of Rosemary Beach. For more information, check out
www.discover30a.com .
The area is ideally suited for cyclists. You can explore the area along the 19-mile paved
Timpoochee Trail, which parallels Scenic Hwy 30A; the 8-mile Longleaf Pine Greenway
hiking and cycling trail, paralleling Hwy 30A inland from just east of SR 395 to just be-
fore SR 393; and the Eastern Lake trail, which starts in Deer Lake State Park and links up
with the western end of the Longleaf Pine Greenway.
Otherwise, if you prefer four wheels to two, allow at least two hours to drive the short
stretch of the 30A between Destin and Panama City Beach, even if you're not planning to
stop: speed limits are low, kids and cars are plentiful and the beaches are mesmerizing.

Sights & Activities

Grayton Beach State Park PARK
( 850-267-8300; www.floridastateparks.org/graytonbeach ; 357 Main Park Rd, Santa Rosa Beach;
vehicle $5; 8am-sunset)
The beauty of this state park, a 1133-acre stretch of marble-colored dunes rolling down to
the water's edge, is genuinely mind-blowing. It sits nestled against the wealthy but down-
to-earth community of Grayton Beach, home to the famed Red Bar and to the quirky Dog
Wall - a mural on which residents paint portraits of their dogs. Locals flock here for
nightly sunsets and to wakeboard on the unique coastal dune lakes that shimmer across the
sand from the gulf.
The park also contains the Grayton Beach Nature Trail (start your self-guided tour at the
gate), which runs from the eastern side of the parking lot through the dunes, magnolias and
pine flatwoods and onto a boardwalk to a return trail along the beach.

Eden Gardens State Park PARK
( 850-267-8320; www.floridastateparks.org/edengardens ; 181 Eden Gardens Rd, Santa Rosa Beach;
admission $4, tours adult/child $4/2;

8am-sunset, tours 10am-3pm Mon-Thu)