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

Jdarg

SoWal Expert

Kurt

Admin

DuneLaker

Beach Fanatic

Great press.  One of my favorite "Kurt" pictures.  Good all the way around.  South Walton is more than competitive with all the other places to visit or live in Florida.  Hold on as more and more people discover this jewel along the Emerald Coast in Northwest Florida.

Great press.  One of my favorite &quot;Kurt&quot; pictures.  Good all the way around.  South Walton is more than competitive with all the other places to visit or live in Florida.  Hold on as more and more people discover this jewel along the Emerald Coast in Northwest Florida.

Franny

Very nice article and what a picture!:clap:

Matt J

SWGB

Now I can finally convince my Aunt's and Uncle's they should come down.

Now I can finally convince my Aunt&#039;s and Uncle&#039;s they should come down.

Teresa

SoWal Guide

Mermaid

picky

Now it clicks.  I got a reservation request from someone from Boston only yesterday, and it was obvious they had never been to SoWal before.  They must have read this article.

I found out about SoWal from reading a similar article 25 years ago in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Ha!  and they say newspapers are going the way of the dinosaur.  I think not.  :wub:

Now it clicks. I got a reservation request from someone from Boston only yesterday, and it was obvious they had never been to SoWal before. They must have read this article. 
 
I found out about SoWal from reading a similar article 25 years ago in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. 
 
Ha! and they say newspapers are going the way of the dinosaur. I think not. :wub:

Bluznbeach

Beach Lover

AND with the new airport, people from places like Boston will be able to get here a lot faster and easier.  We'll probably get more northeasterners, and maybe midwesterners and Canadians coming in summer as well as winter.:welcome:

AND with the new airport, people from places like Boston will be able to get here a lot faster and easier.  We&#039;ll probably get more northeasterners, and maybe midwesterners and Canadians coming in summer as well as winter.:welcome:

beachmouse

Unless you live in the Southeast, going to Florida for a summer beach vacation just does not compute. It'll take a lot more than an airport to get the Boston crowd to come here instead of Cape Cod or Maine, just like it'll take a similar amount of effort to pry the Chicago set away from Saugatuck and Charlevoix.

Unless you live in the Southeast, going to Florida for a summer beach vacation just does not compute. It&#039;ll take a lot more than an airport to get the Boston crowd to come here instead of Cape Cod or Maine, just like it&#039;ll take a similar amount of effort to pry the Chicago set away from Saugatuck and Charlevoix.

scooterbug44

Many people in the Midwest/Northern part of the country find the heat and humidity of this area completely unbearable in the summer.

They tend to go north or to water to find cooler temps.

IMO they are more likely to come here during the spring, fall, and winter - especially for events like MountainFilm and Songwriters.

Many people in the Midwest/Northern part of the country find the heat and humidity of this area completely unbearable in the summer. 
 
They tend to go north or to water to find cooler temps. 
 
IMO they are more likely to come here during the spring, fall, and winter - especially for events like MountainFilm and Songwriters.

[quote="beachmouse, post: 646590"]Unless you live in the Southeast, going to Florida for a summer beach vacation just does not compute. It'll take a lot more than an airport to get the Boston crowd to come here instead of Cape Cod or Maine, just like it'll take a similar amount of effort to pry the Chicago set away from Saugatuck and Charlevoix.[/quote]

Once they see the beaches they'll come like locusts.  I have yet to see a hypodermic on the beaches here.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="beachmouse">Unless you live in the Southeast, going to Florida for a summer beach vacation just does not compute. It&#039;ll take a lot more than an airport to get the Boston crowd to come here instead of Cape Cod or Maine, just like it&#039;ll take a similar amount of effort to pry the Chicago set away from Saugatuck and Charlevoix.</blockquote> 
Once they see the beaches they&#039;ll come like locusts. I have yet to see a hypodermic on the beaches here.

Can't say I ever remember seeing trash or medical waste along the Lake Michigan coast, and hate to say it, I'd take an August day in Saugatuck, Grand Haven, or New Buffalo over an August day in Grayton or Seaside every time. Michigan Augusts are like those perfect October days we get down here.

Can&#039;t say I ever remember seeing trash or medical waste along the Lake Michigan coast, and hate to say it, I&#039;d take an August day in Saugatuck, Grand Haven, or New Buffalo over an August day in Grayton or Seaside every time. Michigan Augusts are like those perfect October days we get down here.

Allifunn

FunnChef - AlisonCooks.com

some people love where they live, others, perhaps, do not. I for one LOVE it here, heat, cold, rain, sleet :biggrin: bring it!

some people love where they live, others, perhaps, do not. I for one LOVE it here, heat, cold, rain, sleet 😀 bring it!

[quote="scooterbug44, post: 646624"][B]Many people in the Midwest/Northern part of the country find the heat and humidity of this area completely unbearable in the summer.[/B]

They tend to go north or to water to find cooler temps.

IMO they are more likely to come here during the spring, fall, and winter - especially for events like MountainFilm and Songwriters.[/quote]

also, some locals agree and would LOVE to go north for July-Sept (me).  The rest of the year here is nearly perfect.:wub: There are many many northern and midwest places I would love to explore and spend whole summers getting to know - there is much beauty to find in little places all over. Maine is definitely at the top of my list to visit.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="scooterbug44">Many people in the Midwest/Northern part of the country find the heat and humidity of this area completely unbearable in the summer. 
 
They tend to go north or to water to find cooler temps. 
 
IMO they are more likely to come here during the spring, fall, and winter - especially for events like MountainFilm and Songwriters.</blockquote> 
also, some locals agree and would LOVE to go north for July-Sept (me). The rest of the year here is nearly perfect.:wub: There are many many northern and midwest places I would love to explore and spend whole summers getting to know - there is much beauty to find in little places all over. Maine is definitely at the top of my list to visit.

gmarc

lol 60% of my inquiries are from  up north all the way to kansas city to houston

Eileen West

A writer for the Boston Globe Travel Section got my name somehow and the interview will be published this weekend. "Ask A Floridian" talks to several different people about where they would take guests in their area. Sowal gets a link and Kurt gets a photo cred.
Here's the link: 
[url=http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/us/florida/gallery/ask_a_floridian?pg=9]Places to take a shine to - Boston.com[/url]

A writer for the Boston Globe Travel Section got my name somehow and the interview will be published this weekend. &quot;Ask A Floridian&quot; talks to several different people about where they would take guests in their area. Sowal gets a link and Kurt gets a photo cred. 
Here&#039;s the link: 
<a href="http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/us/florida/gallery/ask_a_floridian?pg=9" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">Places to take a shine to - Boston.com</a>

SoWal in Boston Globe

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Walton County Fair

The Red Bar Jazz Band

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

International Coastal Cleanup Day Was A Success In South Walton

Merchants Of Alys Beach Announce New Dining & Shopping Options

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.

SoWal in Boston Globe

Latest conversations

Write a reply

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