A Florida Panhandle Beach | Redefining the Tourist Town

Dining Out
The Walton County dining scene is quite extraordinary for an area with such a low population density. But it’s the right crowd, I guess. Though not detailed below, longtime upmarket favorites Criolla’s (Grayton Beach), Café 30-A (near Seacrest), and Fish Out of Water (Watercolor) are recommended as well.
Bud & Alley’s Taco Bar: Seaside’s premier restaurateurs have opened an authentic Mexican taco bar with great drinks and incredibly tasty soft tacos. Perhaps the best lunch by the beach in the region. Seaside, 850-231-4784
Fonville Press: A charming, iconic coffeehouse and reading room in the developing town of Alys Beach. Music some evenings.
Hurricane Oyster Bar: A bright and casual spot for Southern/New Orleans seafood, including great barbecue shrimp, smoked meats, and fresh Gulf seafood. Its Sunday evening shrimp boils are renowned. Grayton Beach, 850-231-0787
Picolo’s: A kooky, wildly decorated local fave with a small menu of seafood and dishes with a Southern slant. (No credit cards.) Great service, very loud. Grayton Beach, 850-231-1008
Stinky’s Fish Camp: A casual roadhouse with superb Cajun, Creole, and seafood specialties. (No credit cards.) Santa Rosa Beach, 850-267-3053
Seagrove Beach Market Café: This dinerlike space at the back of a mini-market is the place for crisp fried local seafood, fresh grouper, and po’boys. Great gumbo in the evening. Seagrove Beach, 850-231-5736
 
Strategies
When to Go: Peak season in the Panhandle is summer, not when Midwesterners would likely visit. Fall and spring have the nicest weather, and only midwinter temperatures ever get chilly, with highs typically in the 50s and 60s. Gulf of Mexico waters are comfortably swimmable from May to October.
Getting There: Quick Northwest Airlines connections via Memphis will get you to Ft. Walton Beach or Panama City airports in as little as four hours from MSP. Both airports are a snap, but Panama City has a slight edge in usability and access to south Walton. A rental car is a good idea for excursions, outlet shopping, and roaming between the small towns along Highway 30A.
Learning More: The Beaches of South Walton offers a comprehensive tourism information packet, well worth the call because the area is thinly chronicled in travel guidebooks. 800-822-6877

Lodging
Seaside: Book homes through the Cottage Rental Agency, 800-277-8696
Rosemary Beach: Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company, 888-855-1551
Watercolor: Watercolor Vacations, 866-426-2656

Things To Do
This is not an area of “attractions” per se, but a few things are worth an extra effort.
Grayton Beach State Recreation Area: Annually ranked as one of the best beaches in the United States, this state park is just a short bike ride from Watercolor and boasts stunning dunes, pristine coastal vegetation, and cottage rentals. 850-231-4210
DeFuniak Springs: An inland town, about a half-hour north of Seaside, and the winter home of the renowned New York Chautauqua. The community boasts Florida’s best-preserved small-town collection of Victorian homes, a charming historic hotel, and one of only two perfectly round lakes in the world. 
Silver Sands Factory Stores: A nicely turned-out outlet shopping village about a half-hour west of Seaside in the tourist town of Destin. 850-654-9771