Where's everybody from?

We first visited this area when I did the old Elephantwalk Triathlon back in the late 1980?s. We came back every year for that event until we decided to purchase a townhome in Sandestin about 8 years ago.

Are you still doing tris? I've gotten into them in the past couple of years.

I try to learn as I go. If I don't know something, I often seek to find out more.
A great pocket sized book, National Audubon Society - Field Guide to Florida, is a wonderful source for native plants and animals. It has many color photos and decriptions to help identify things. I know Sundog Bookstore in Seaside Carries the book. It is usually on one of those table displays near the checkout.


OOPS! Wrong thread.:doh:

That's fine SJ...this thread needed a tangent break!!! I plan to pick up that book to use INDOORS during Oct. Way too many dangers lurk outdoors that time of year!!!!!

I try to learn as I go. If I don't know something, I often seek to find out more.
A great pocket sized book, National Audubon Society - Field Guide to Florida, is a wonderful source for native plants and animals. It has many color photos and decriptions to help identify things. I know Sundog Bookstore in Seaside Carries the book. It is usually on one of those table displays near the checkout.


OOPS! Wrong thread.:doh:

We bought this guide at Sundogs years ago- and it is packed every year! It is what identified the eastern glass lizard this year! We have never found a critter in Grayton that wasn't in the book.

I am a native NY and my husband is from NJ. We lived in Palm Beach, Fl for about 18 years. And now we currently live in Alpharetta, GA.
We visited 30A about 4 years ago and we love it. We owned in Seacrest and Destin and try to get down as much as possible

I was born in The Nooga, Raised in The Nooga, Still Live in The Nooga ... I guess one might say I'm a

From Louisville. We follow the Cards around the country to different places each year, but there is one place we go to each year - Grayton Beach, the beginning of June. We bring our bicycles and ride every morning. Love sitting on the porch and looking out toward the water. Hope to add another week some day, when I get more vacation. If we live long enough to retire, can't wait to come down for a month or two in the fall or winter. Don't think we will move down there, but if we did, it wouldn't be very close to the water - couldn't afford it. Even if we were 10 miles away, it 's closer than the 10 hours we are now. We will be in Tampa in 1 1/2 weeks with other UofL fans for football. So glad that South Florida is in the Big East with us. That's an extra Florida trip for a few days, every other year. It's not 30A, but it's a gulf fix.

Louisiana (BR/NO), then Atlanta, now permanently in Freeport (well..."permanently" unless and until our Cat 5 comes through, anyway).

I was born and grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, then went to school at times in Albion, MI (Io Triumphe!) Washington, DC, and Ann Arbor. Got married and we spent a couple of thoroughly miserable years in Martin, TN, then Mr. Mouse got a job offer that would get us the heck out of Tennessee, which turned out to be here. We've now been here since 1998, first living down on Okaloosa Island (two bedrooms a block from the public access and a slight ocean view for $615/month) and then we bought in Bluewater in 2001.

Seems like every day I have a moment where I feel really lucky I get to live here.

Beach Mouse, we've lived in Burns Park in Ann Arbor since 1989. When did you live in Ann Arbor? We bought our place on SoWal in 2003 and love it.

We do feel a sense of community, in part because of this board and in part because we have some very nice neighbors in our community who we run into regularly and can seek out when we're there. Over time, we'd like to find more friends for our girls when we're there, but they're starting to bring their own friends.

And even our renters bring a sense of community. One very kind renter said "We're coming down to the cottage next week, is there anything you need that we can bring for you?" How nice is that!

I went to grad school there from fall 1994 to spring 1996. Spent a year living near campus, then another one living on the west side of town off Pauline because I could find a bigger and cheaper place out there. I loved living there.

I miss Zingerman's. I miss the old Borders back when it was just one giant store instead of a chain and before it moved to where Jacobson's was. I miss coffee shops on every corner, and being able to walk everywhere once you park your car. I miss being able to get CBC on my cable tv. I miss Meijer's and last weekend, Mr. Mouse and I were discussing how we really wished there was a Belle Tire down here because Sears kept trying to upsell and add charges on everything for tires for my Corolla.

However, I'll never miss the seven annual months of slush. And with the minor league Ice Pilots in Pensacola and the right Directv package, I can still get my hockey and Red Wings fixes.

Beachmouse. What grad school were you in? I'm at the Business School and teach in Public Policy as well.

Pauline's a nice area. Our choices for places to live in Ann Arbor when we moved here were Burns Park or Old West Side (which I believe is where Pauline is) -- nice old homes with a lot of character (and a lot of ongoing maintenance needed, our's was built in 1912). Things haven't changed too much in Ann Arbor since you were here. Still busy during the school year and quiet during the summer.

You can get Zingerman's online when you have a craving -- fantastic coffee cake (that's what we send the staff at our rental management company every Christmas as a thank you), cheese, bread, etc. It is an awesome (and expensive) place. Fortune magazine rated Zingerman's as having the best bagels -- even better than the Carnegie Deli in New York. It's still a zoo to try to get a sandwich there, though.

I bet you don't miss the traffic on football days.

Born and raised in Plano, burb of Dallas. We always spent time in South Padre as a kid, my parents had no idea what they were missing (30-A). I have always been drawn to the ocean. You know what I mean! Met my husband in High School (if you can believe that)!! We dated for 10 years then decided it was time to tie the knot. Several years ago my husband suggested we head for Seagrove beach for our summer vacation (God I love him) and the rest is history... We are hooked. We were there in July and are headed back the first week in October (hmmm... can't wait to see what the big deal is about October :lol:) Our kids love it too, except for the drive (we have 3). I think we'll probably end up with a place there to stay and rent out some day in the near future. My husband found this site over a year ago and showed it to me... now he just laughs and asks "hat's going on in Florida today?" :rolling:

Thanks guys, nice to know ya!

Lisa

Spell check that was suppose to say "What's going on in Florida today?" :cool:

I am originally from Miami, Florida, but currently call Suwanee, Georgia home (it's about one hour northeast of Atlanta). My father's family's roots go back a long way in Walton County and that's why it has been so nice to own a place at Seacrest Beach - kind of like a part of my heritage. We really enjoy the ocean, sunsets, bike riding and the people we've met. This message board is great to keep up with what's happening in the area.

Hey BeachBoy, know of anyone in Seacrest, or anywhere in SOWAL for that matter, that might have a property for rent? I live in Seagrove Beach with one of my sons and need my own place. My son, that just returned from overseas and is now out of the Army, might live with me, at least for awhile. I'm only needing it for 4-6 mos., as I might relocate to ATL.

I was a public policy underachiever. Probably should have worked for a year or two after undergrad to clarify what I wanted to do rather than jumping right to grad school. I was either the first or second graduating class after they seperated out from Rackham.

As for Zingerman's it was their sandwiches I loved, and I'm not sure how practical it would be to ship sandwiches, even with dry ice and next day delivery.