A Weekend in Florida's 30A

Typically when I visit Florida I just stay in Panama City Beach because it's fairly close and popular. After hearing so many great things about the 30A area (Alys Beach, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, etc.) I decided I wanted to check out some of that area as well.

Before visiting I did some research of things to do and where to stay. We did not completely abandon Panama City Beach on this trip though. When looking at hotels and Airbnbs we realized that Panama City Beach had the more affordable options at the time we were going so we opted for staying there.

The Airbnb we chose was perfect for my husband and I. It had great amenities, was walking distance to the beach, and was located near many great restaurants and attractions.

Here's some insight into what all we did on this amazing, fun-filled trip!

Friday

We didn't do too much on this day because we drove in after work, but as soon as we got settled into our Airbnb we went to a restaurant that Andrew decided on called Barefoot On The Beach Bar & Grill. We grabbed a bite to eat here and got to listen to live music. Here Andrew discovered his second favorite blonde (besides myself lol) the 30A Beach Blonde Ale.

Saturday

This was my favorite day of the trip. We packed in so many fun activities into this one day! We woke up bright and early and drove to Alys Beach, which was a little under 25 minutes from where we stayed. We put on our favorite beach outfits and took a walk around Alys Beach, admired the architecture, and snapped some photos. I had heard that Alys Beach and the surrounding area was like a mini Greece and I can see why. The homes are like something you would see in a travel magazine. The dream would be to own one of these homes. I would never want to leave! The area is also perfect for bike riding. When we go back this is something we will take advantage of.

After exploring Alys Beach we went back to the Airbnb and changed into our swimsuits and hit the beach. Because it was only around 9am when we got to the beach it was so quiet and peaceful. It also wasn't too hot at this time. We spent some time swimming in the ocean and soaked up some rays for a few hours.

Once we were all cleaned up from the ocean, we went to Pier Park and grabbed a small lunch plus icecream from The Yard. Getting icecream here when in the area is a must. You just can't pass it up! Pier Park also has so many great shops. We grabbed souvenir t-shirts from Ron Jon Surf Shop.

We drove to the Sheraton PCB Golf & Spa Resort around 6pm, where we had booked a 2 hour sunset cruise on a catamaran through Paradise Adventures PCB. With our cruise we got a complimentary drink, and there were additional snacks and a full bar on board. The sunset cruise was a major highlight of the trip and we had a blast! While we were out on the water, we saw so many dolphins and got great photos and videos. I definitely recommend a cruise with Paradise Adventures if you are ever in the area.

To end the perfect beach day, we went to Schooner's, a great seafood restaurant and the last local beach club in Panama City Beach. I actually decided to be adventurous and try crab cakes and popcorn shrimp here. This is a great, lively, beachfront restaurant. It was nice to get to take a stroll along the beach after dinner and look for crabs.

Sunday

We woke up early again on Sunday and hit up Seaside, Florida this day. Seaside is very cute with beautiful beach homes, local shops, and food trucks. We did a good amount of walking and checking out the stores. We grabbed some breakfast at The Chicken Shack and a delicious slice of red velvet cake from Modica Market.

After that we went to the Airbnb to change and spend some more time out on the beach. After a few hours on the beach we went to play putt putt golf at Goofy Golf, and then grabbed a quick lunch at Harpoon Harry's before heading out for home.

We had an amazing trip and are already looking forward to the next one. There are so many other amazing places we want to see on our next trip and things we want to do. Here is a little research I have conducted of more great finds along 30A.

Restaurants

The Grand Marlin (Panama City Beach)

George's (Alys Beach)

Cowgirl Kitchen (Rosemary Beach)

Sights

St. Andrew's State Park (Panama City Beach)

Shell Island (Panama City Beach)

Things to Do

Bike rides around 30A

Hit up The Pointe rooftop bar for drinks (Alys Beach)

Helicopter Tour (Panama City Beach)

Until next time 30A!