Beaches on the Periphery

American Visions, Dec, 1998 by Sharon Fitzgerald

Even on a gray day, as the Gulf waters of Florida's Panhandle recover from the turmoil of Hurricane Earl and clouds shift overhead, the sand dunes--delicate and snow-white--cascade majestically along the coastline, softly reflecting the sunlight. Its grainy properties subdued, this is a celestial landscape, perfect for long walks or for building exquisite castles.

It is clear why the beaches in this area have been ranked among the most beautiful in the nation, regardless of the season. The atmosphere is unspoiled, in sync with the numerous state parks and preserves in the vicinity. At some locales, tall grass blows in the wind. Seashells abound. Fishing is plentiful. Hot-dog vendors are well out of sight. Breezes are warm and tropical.

And if you are willing to venture into the coastal towns for landlubberly adventures, there are many charming getaways perfect for everything, from family reunions and business conferences to intimate weekends for two.

Panama City--popular among the college-coed, spring-break crowd--is a diversion waiting to happen. The main drag (oops, boulevard laws prohibiting drag-racing and cruising are strictly enforced) is awash with T-shirt shops, tattoo and body-piercing parlors, and water-sports rental establishments. A miniature-golf park is pure kitsch; its Jurassic Period figures, giddily surreal.

On the edge of Panama City is St. Andrew's State Park, where motorboats transport you onto a stretch of wild, natural beach. The waters here are popular with snorkelers; the sands are a haven for sunbathers. Boating and fishing enthusiasts congregate beyond the reefs. (Grouper and flounder are among the frequent catches.) Back in town, Anderson's Seafood Restaurant nestles against the wharf like a wood-paneled cruise ship. While dining on items from the chef's lavish menu, you can keep an eye on your own (or somebody else's) vessel anchored nearby.

It is a 65-mile drive along unencumbered, albeit uninspiring, highway from Panama City to Apalachicola, on the Gulf's northern shore. If antique hunting, Victorian mansions and fresh oysters are your preference, this low-key fishing and shipping village will certainly lure you in. It is the perfect anti-playground, so bring your books and your walking shoes.

Just 11 miles away from Apalachicola is 28-mile-long Lake George Island, one of Florida's largest barrier islands. Accessible via bridge and causeway, this is a favorite setting for many in-the-know vacationers who prefer renting a rustic beachfront home and settling in for a week of swimming, boating and fishing. This island is also a popular home away from home for those whose budgets allow for a permanent vacation property.

When Australian film director Peter Weir happened upon Florida's idyllic community of Seaside, he knew that he had discovered the perfect location at which to shoot The Truman Show. The town's pastel-colored cottages came complete with front porches and picket fences; the narrow, cobblestone streets were as storybookish as any that a set designer could concoct.

Local residents were hired as film extras, and the town built an elementary school with the money it obtained from Paramount Pictures, but otherwise, this hamlet did not go Hollywood. It was and remains a walk-or-bike-about (no automobiles are allowed within the neighborhoods) spectacle of dream houses in orbit around a village comprising boutiques, restaurants, galleries and an open theater. Although most of the houses are privately owned, there are rental spaces available, including beachfront honeymoon cottages and bed-and-breakfasts.

The town of Grayton, not far from Seaside, is part beach haven, part artist colony. A funky, creative atmosphere pervades its shady, bohemian lanes. The Red Bar is the hangout of choice for food and drinks. The decor here is Mad Max meets the Mad Hatter; the entertainment, jazz and blues.

Known as the World's Luckiest Fishing Village, Destin/Fort Walton Beach is 24 miles of breathtakingly beautiful sand and emerald-green water. Dolphins and sandpipers frolic nearby, and each year the area celebrates its good fortune with at least 20 festivals. In 1995, Grayton Beach was named the Best Beach in the Country by the scientist-surf aficionado known as Dr. Beach. Grayton is one pearl in a 10-beach strand that runs between Destin and Panama City and that is referred to as the Beaches of South Walton. Here, one can choose from a full menu of water sports or settle in for a day of Gulf or freshwater fishing.

Sharon Fitzgerald is a freelance writer in New York City. Her last article for American Visions, "The Powerful Legacies of Two Giants," appeared in the October/November 1998 issue.