It has been so long since I’ve done one of these travel guides. 30A was one of my favorite vacations I’ve been on in a long time. If you aren’t familiar, 30A is a highway in Florida that runs in between Destin and Panama City Beach. There are a bunch of different beach towns along the highway and each one is so different. It was so beautiful and there was a ton to do. Mike and I went and it was a perfect trip for just the two of us. However, 30A is VERY kid-friendly. We would love to come back with Bodie since there was a ton to do with kids as well. I’m by no means an expert on 30A, especially since this was our first time visiting, but I can’t recommend this spot for a vacation enough whether you’re traveling as a family or on a couples trip.
How to get to 30A
The only downside to our trip was that 30A didn’t have any nonstop flights from Chicago. It seems like 30A is BLOWING up now, so that might change in the future. To get to 30A you can fly into Destin/Fort Walton (this is where we flew into) or you can fly into Panama City Beach.
Be sure to check out all of the different towns along 30A. There is truly so much to see and each town has something to offer. Alys Beach has a very crisp look to it. Rosemary Beach and Seaside have a bunch of shopping/ local boutiques.
Breakfast:
Charlie’s Donuts – This spot originally started as a food truck in Alys Beach and has expanded to a bunch of different locations throughout 30A. We had one right by our AirBnB in Santa Rosa / Rosemary Beach. It was a great little donut spot for an easy breakfast.
Donut Hole – We never had a chance to go here but would love to if we come back. This is a diner type spot that has a bunch of great reviews.
Lunch:
Bud & Alleys – There is a taco bar and pizza place, which are right next to each other in Seaside. We had the tacos and guac and both were great!
Great Southern – We never had a chance to go here but I’ve heard great things.
LaCo – This place has high end Mexican food. We went here for happy hour on our first day and it was so good. The guac and margs were 10/10.
Dinner:
Pescado – This place was fancy! It’s one of the only restaurants that has waterfront views. If you want a spot on the patio, get there EARLY since they don’t take reservations for the patio, only for indoors and even that books up quick!
Farm & Fire – We tried to go here for dinner one night but didn’t have an uber to get there (one thing to definitely keep in mind if you are going without a car!) This spot is known for having great pizza.
Red Bar – Another spot we didn’t have a chance to try but is suppose to be good. I believe they have live music, too!
Boutique Shopping – Tons of different boutiques to shop at in Seaside or Rosemary. Be sure to get a Seaside sweatshirt at one of the 5 seaside style stores!
Go to the beach – Self explanatory!
Rent a bike – Peddlers Pavillion has a huge selection of bikes to rent! We saw so many people riding bikes down 30A. A great way to see a bunch of the different towns.
Where should we go next? Like I said, it has been so long since we had been on vacation, I’d love to know what some of your favorite vacation spots are that we should head to next?! Let me know in the comments sections below.
