General discussion & info about South Walton, Florida.

All About SoWal

Advertise or find a business, discuss business.

Business & Services

Jobs

Festivals, classes, gatherings, activities.

Events & Music

Food & Dining

Marketplace

property, realtors, builders, development, infrastructure ...

Real Estate

Long Term Rentals

Vacation Rentals

SoWal Lounge

SoWal Insider

great article, but aren't they doing a little dune crushin'?

great article, but aren&#039;t they doing a little dune crushin&#039;?

DuneLaker

Beach Fanatic

Oh please. If only people could just be the ones on the dunes instead of them (the dunes) being carted off in truckloads for seawalls or questionable buildings. We do need to be more careful now because of past transgressions. But, I'd rather see a person on the dunes than a backhoe digging out an outfall or a frontend loader pushing sand around. Nice article.  Baton Rouge,where he says he was from,  was the Republic of West Florida in 1810.  So like I often say, "Welcome Home to Florida."

Oh please. If only people could just be the ones on the dunes instead of them (the dunes) being carted off in truckloads for seawalls or questionable buildings. We do need to be more careful now because of past transgressions. But, I&#039;d rather see a person on the dunes than a backhoe digging out an outfall or a frontend loader pushing sand around. Nice article.  Baton Rouge,where he says he was from,  was the Republic of West Florida in 1810.  So like I often say, &quot;Welcome Home to Florida.&quot;

avalon

[quote="Brenda Rees, post: 558968"]Oh please. If only people could just be the ones on the dunes instead of them (the dunes) being carted off in truckloads for seawalls or questionable buildings. We do need to be more careful now because of past transgressions. But, I'd rather see a person on the dunes than a backhoe digging out an outfall or a frontend loader pushing sand around. Nice article. Baton Rouge,where he says he was from, was the Republic of West Florida in 1810. So like I often say, "Welcome Home to Florida."[/quote]
 I realize that a couple of folks sittin on a dune doesn't seem like a big deal,  but I have to explain to clients why they can not do likewise- almost daily in season. Everybody wants a portrait with dunes and seaoats!  The NYT should not  have set a bad example.  I feel sure the reporter/photographer knew better.  Otherwise, it is a nice article and I am pleased to see people get their dream home.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Brenda Rees">Oh please. If only people could just be the ones on the dunes instead of them (the dunes) being carted off in truckloads for seawalls or questionable buildings. We do need to be more careful now because of past transgressions. But, I&#039;d rather see a person on the dunes than a backhoe digging out an outfall or a frontend loader pushing sand around. Nice article. Baton Rouge,where he says he was from, was the Republic of West Florida in 1810. So like I often say, &quot;Welcome Home to Florida.&quot;</blockquote> I realize that a couple of folks sittin on a dune doesn&#039;t seem like a big deal,  but I have to explain to clients why they can not do likewise- almost daily in season. Everybody wants a portrait with dunes and seaoats!  The NYT should not  have set a bad example.  I feel sure the reporter/photographer knew better.  Otherwise, it is a nice article and I am pleased to see people get their dream home.

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert

If we show how precious the dune system truly is, so much so that people walking on the dunes will destroy them, surely people will understand that a backhoe can destroy them even more quickly.

[quote="Amy@Avalon, post: 559015"]I realize that a couple of folks sittin on a dune doesn't seem like a big deal, but I have to explain to clients why they can not do likewise- almost daily in season. Everybody wants a portrait with dunes and seaoats! The NYT should not have set a bad example. I feel sure the reporter/photographer knew better. Otherwise, it is a nice article and I am pleased to see people get their dream home.[/quote]
 
You certainly have a good point and I empathize with your task.  We've probably passed the corner where that can be done in many/most cases.  Photographers have to be creative and careful these days.  Being on the white sandy beach with the emerald water as a back drop works beautifully for many.  Good luck.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Amy@Avalon">I realize that a couple of folks sittin on a dune doesn&#039;t seem like a big deal, but I have to explain to clients why they can not do likewise- almost daily in season. Everybody wants a portrait with dunes and seaoats! The NYT should not have set a bad example. I feel sure the reporter/photographer knew better. Otherwise, it is a nice article and I am pleased to see people get their dream home.</blockquote> <br />
You certainly have a good point and I empathize with your task.  We&#039;ve probably passed the corner where that can be done in many/most cases.  Photographers have to be creative and careful these days.  Being on the white sandy beach with the emerald water as a back drop works beautifully for many.  Good luck.

Bluznbeach

Beach Lover

Nice to see our end of  the beach getting some recognition!

[URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Live.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Susan%20Alfieri%27&st=cse"]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Live.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Susan%20Alfieri%27&st=cse[/URL]

Nice to see our end of  the beach getting some recognition!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Live.html?_r=1&amp;scp=1&amp;sq=Susan%20Alfieri%27&amp;st=cse" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Live.html?_r=1&amp;scp=1&amp;sq=Susan%20Alfieri%27&amp;st=cse</a>

Inlet Beach featured in New York Times

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Blast on the Bay

Walton County Fair

Harvest Wine & Food Festival: Celebrity Winemakers Dinners

Grayton Locals Market

Grayton Beach Wine Walk

2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton

No beachcams yet

More cams

Include enough context for a reply on the first pass: who you are, what this is about, and anything time-sensitive we should know.

Write a clear note and we will route it fast

SoWal Contact Form

What helps the SoWal team reply on the first pass

Use these links when your request already has a clear destination.

Prefer a direct route before you write?

Use this when you are not sure where your request belongs and need the SoWal team to route it.

Questions, corrections, and quick help

Share newsworthy updates, corrections, community tips, or photography that can improve SoWal coverage.

Story tips, local leads, and photos

Reach the team for business visibility, partnership planning, or other commercial opportunities.

Listings, sponsorships, and business requests

Use this path for media coordination, press follow-ups, or requests that need a communications contact.

Press outreach and interview requests

Tell us what you need and how to reach you.

Send your note here and the SoWal team will route it appropriately.

Choose the quickest route for your message

Forum account areas

Log in to view member profile, alerts, messages, watched content, bookmarks, preferences, and staff tools.

Member-only forum areas use your SoWal forum account.

Use your forum username or email to post, reply, follow threads, and manage your account.

Log in to the forum

Log in to the SoWal forum

Find people and visit their public forum profiles.

Members

Enter the six-digit code sent to {email}.

Check your email

Join the conversation

Welcome to SoWal

Sign in to SoWal

Signature preview

Ads support our local stories, BeachCams, and community guides. If you use an ad blocker, allow SoWal, then check again.

Help keep SoWal local

Your feedback helps us make SoWal better.

How was this story?

Get local stories, events, and South Walton highlights in your inbox.

Stay close to the coast

Choose whether SoWal may use optional cookies. Necessary cookies keep the site working.

Your privacy, your choice

Site navigation

Submenu

Bite-sized stories, curated itineraries, and community events delivered to your inbox on the regular.

Inlet Beach featured in New York Times

Latest conversations

Write a reply

2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026