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Franny

Beach Fanatic

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert

We're finally getting some good press - Mama Scooterbug's travel agent had a blurb about us in the August email newsletter.

[B][COLOR=#CC0000][FONT=Comic Sans MS] [CENTER][CENTER][B][COLOR=#CC0000][FONT=Comic Sans MS]SELLING FLORIDA'S GULF COAST BEACHES[/FONT][/COLOR][/B][B][FONT=Comic Sans MS]
[COLOR=#000000]It's  been a tough summer for tourism along Florida's Gulf Coast, which has  been suffering since the start of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in  late April. Although surface oil did little damage to beaches in the  Panhandle, pictures of oil-bathed birds and blackened sand fueled  misperceptions and kept many visitors away, says Newsweek. But President  Obama's visit to Panama City Beach last weekend and some last-minute  summer deals may help attract a new wave of vacationers to the Sunshine  State.  The president's visit was part of a larger  effort to put the area's beaches back on vacationers' lists. The  promotion will offer American Express gift cards to visitors for each  night they stay at a participating hotel, up to a maximum of $300 worth  of cards. The program begins this weekend and ends Sept. 30. Though  tourists are gradually returning to Florida's beaches, the spill's  long-term impact remains unclear, says Newsweek. [I](Newsweek)[/I][/COLOR][/FONT][/B]
[/CENTER][/CENTER]
[/FONT][/COLOR][/B]

We&#039;re finally getting some good press - Mama Scooterbug&#039;s travel agent had a blurb about us in the August email newsletter. 
 
 <div style="text-align: center"><div style="text-align: center">SELLING FLORIDA&#039;S GULF COAST BEACHES 
It&#039;s been a tough summer for tourism along Florida&#039;s Gulf Coast, which has been suffering since the start of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in late April. Although surface oil did little damage to beaches in the Panhandle, pictures of oil-bathed birds and blackened sand fueled misperceptions and kept many visitors away, says Newsweek. But President Obama&#039;s visit to Panama City Beach last weekend and some last-minute summer deals may help attract a new wave of vacationers to the Sunshine State. The president&#039;s visit was part of a larger effort to put the area&#039;s beaches back on vacationers&#039; lists. The promotion will offer American Express gift cards to visitors for each night they stay at a participating hotel, up to a maximum of $300 worth of cards. The program begins this weekend and ends Sept. 30. Though tourists are gradually returning to Florida&#039;s beaches, the spill&#039;s long-term impact remains unclear, says Newsweek. (Newsweek) &#8203;</div></div>

North Lake

Beach Lover

[quote="Franny, post: 693586"]Very nice article!:clap:[/quote]
 
Indeed!   I thought it was a very nice piece that really encapsulated SoWal as much as one can do that given our diversity down here.   Perhaps all her readers will troop on out to BWI and hook a flight down here for Labor Day.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="Franny">Very nice article!:clap:</blockquote> 
Indeed! I thought it was a very nice piece that really encapsulated SoWal as much as one can do that given our diversity down here. Perhaps all her readers will troop on out to BWI and hook a flight down here for Labor Day.

CampCreekLou

Glad she mentioned that...  "There was a keypad for the gate , but you had to be staying in town to get the PIN code. "

This is so complete anti-30A, I've stopped visiting Rosemary Beach.  Why spend $40 at Cowgirl Kitchen, or $20 at Sugar Shak, or $60 at Wild Olives if I can't walk down to the beach afterwards and not be made out like a trespasser without a code.

Alys Beach is on the same path, although their lock barely works.

I'll continue to frequent Seaside until they lock me out too!

Glad she mentioned that... &quot;There was a keypad for the gate , but you had to be staying in town to get the PIN code. &quot; 
 
This is so complete anti-30A, I&#039;ve stopped visiting Rosemary Beach. Why spend $40 at Cowgirl Kitchen, or $20 at Sugar Shak, or $60 at Wild Olives if I can&#039;t walk down to the beach afterwards and not be made out like a trespasser without a code. 
 
Alys Beach is on the same path, although their lock barely works. 
 
I&#039;ll continue to frequent Seaside until they lock me out too!

I can see a reason for it since I [B]constantly[/B] see people not staying in Seaside and Watercolor park cars and then go to the beach for the day, but it is very rude and anti-business IMO.

If I am legitimately patronizing your community I should be able to visit the beach there.

Note: Not monopolize a parking space for an entire day, use your bathrooms, and not spend any money while I use your community access INSTEAD of the many public beach accesses on 30-A, but a stroll w/ my coffee, peep at the sunset before my dinner etc.

I can see a reason for it since I constantly see people not staying in Seaside and Watercolor park cars and then go to the beach for the day, but it is very rude and anti-business IMO. 
 
If I am legitimately patronizing your community I should be able to visit the beach there. 
 
Note: Not monopolize a parking space for an entire day, use your bathrooms, and not spend any money while I use your community access INSTEAD of the many public beach accesses on 30-A, but a stroll w/ my coffee, peep at the sunset before my dinner etc.

I like the way the article features the shopping at the factory stores.

Kurt

Admin

Resort town operations are a constant balancing act between merchants, owner associations, event planners, rental agencies, maintenance, county officials, etc.

It's very difficult to please every owner, renter, and the general public. As popularity increases we will see more and more gated walkovers.

In the end, it is the easy way out to put up a gate, rather than have to ask people to leave your town or your beach. The problem always seems to stem from a handful of vocal owners who feel their town should be for them only. Although they enjoy dining and shopping within the town they feel that's where "outsiders" should confine themselves. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not that big a deal yet, but it probably will be. On the other hand, having a gate on a walkover is a HUGE deal to a lot of people who want to visit a town for a few hours or a day. Ultimately, relatively free access is good for every owner, it's just that the easygoing owners (who are the majority) aren't usually involved in petty politics and squabbling about access.

If merchants are struggling in a town, it might be partially due to exclusionary policies. Now is certainly not the time to be turning people off.

Resort town operations are a constant balancing act between merchants, owner associations, event planners, rental agencies, maintenance, county officials, etc. 
 
It&#039;s very difficult to please every owner, renter, and the general public. As popularity increases we will see more and more gated walkovers. 
 
In the end, it is the easy way out to put up a gate, rather than have to ask people to leave your town or your beach. The problem always seems to stem from a handful of vocal owners who feel their town should be for them only. Although they enjoy dining and shopping within the town they feel that&#039;s where &quot;outsiders&quot; should confine themselves. 
 
Don&#039;t get me wrong, it&#039;s not that big a deal yet, but it probably will be. On the other hand, having a gate on a walkover is a HUGE deal to a lot of people who want to visit a town for a few hours or a day. Ultimately, relatively free access is good for every owner, it&#039;s just that the easygoing owners (who are the majority) aren&#039;t usually involved in petty politics and squabbling about access. 
 
If merchants are struggling in a town, it might be partially due to exclusionary policies. Now is certainly not the time to be turning people off.

[quote="kurt, post: 694621"]Resort town operations are a constant balancing act between merchants, owner associations, event planners, rental agencies, maintenance, county officials, etc.

It's very difficult to please every owner, renter, and the general public. As popularity increases we will see more and more gated walkovers.

In the end, it is the easy way out to put up a gate, rather than have to ask people to leave your town or your beach. The problem always seems to stem from a handful of vocal owners who feel their town should be for them only. Although they enjoy dining and shopping within the town they feel that's where "outsiders" should confine themselves. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not that big a deal yet, but it probably will be. On the other hand, having a gate on a walkover is a HUGE deal to a lot of people who want to visit a town for a few hours or a day. Ultimately, relatively free access is good for every owner, it's just that the easygoing owners (who are the majority) aren't usually involved in petty politics and squabbling about access.

If merchants are struggling in a town, it might be partially due to exclusionary policies. Now is certainly not the time to be turning people off.[/quote]

Well said, Kurt.  

If you want to advertise yourself as a Resort Town, then you should welcome guests.  If you just want to be a Resort, then gate it up.   WaterSound is an uninviting Resort.  Seaside is a town.  WaterColor is a Resort.  What will Alys Beach be?

The 'towns' along 30-A should be encouraged to find other solutions, like Seaside's, where you have a public access right next door, with great facilities.  What kind of problem does Rosemary Beach have on the east end with the new facilities at Inlet Beach?  

As you said, probably a minority, but vocal, group of grumpy, short-sited owners.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="kurt">Resort town operations are a constant balancing act between merchants, owner associations, event planners, rental agencies, maintenance, county officials, etc. 
 
It&#039;s very difficult to please every owner, renter, and the general public. As popularity increases we will see more and more gated walkovers. 
 
In the end, it is the easy way out to put up a gate, rather than have to ask people to leave your town or your beach. The problem always seems to stem from a handful of vocal owners who feel their town should be for them only. Although they enjoy dining and shopping within the town they feel that&#039;s where &quot;outsiders&quot; should confine themselves. 
 
Don&#039;t get me wrong, it&#039;s not that big a deal yet, but it probably will be. On the other hand, having a gate on a walkover is a HUGE deal to a lot of people who want to visit a town for a few hours or a day. Ultimately, relatively free access is good for every owner, it&#039;s just that the easygoing owners (who are the majority) aren&#039;t usually involved in petty politics and squabbling about access. 
 
If merchants are struggling in a town, it might be partially due to exclusionary policies. Now is certainly not the time to be turning people off.</blockquote> 
Well said, Kurt. 
 
If you want to advertise yourself as a Resort Town, then you should welcome guests. If you just want to be a Resort, then gate it up. WaterSound is an uninviting Resort. Seaside is a town. WaterColor is a Resort. What will Alys Beach be? 
 
The &#039;towns&#039; along 30-A should be encouraged to find other solutions, like Seaside&#039;s, where you have a public access right next door, with great facilities. What kind of problem does Rosemary Beach have on the east end with the new facilities at Inlet Beach? 
 
As you said, probably a minority, but vocal, group of grumpy, short-sited owners.

Grayton Girl

[URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082606342.html"]washingtonpost.com[/URL]

[quote]At Western Lake, I took a peaceful hike along a trail through the sand  dunes, listening to the ocean waves crashing beyond the mounds of white  sand. [/quote]

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082606342.html" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">washingtonpost.com</a> 
 
<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="">At Western Lake, I took a peaceful hike along a trail through the sand dunes, listening to the ocean waves crashing beyond the mounds of white sand.</blockquote>

Sowal Communities in the Washington Post yesterday

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

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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

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Sowal Communities in the Washington Post yesterday

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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