Brenda Reese: Go Local

I got it! Instead of calling ourselves "SoWal". or "the Beaches of South Walton", we could call ourselves "Not Destin" (or maybe NoDes, for short) Catchy, huh?

I know how confusing it can be and I have lived here permanently for a long time. I live in Seacrest, NOT Seacrest Beach. Just Seacrest people!!! Our county tried to "brand" all the communities along 30-A with the word "beach" a few years ago when they put up those horrible blue signs. But I DO NOT live in Seacrest Beach which is a short term rental community just before Rosemary. People always get the two communities confused including our local real estate agents so the confusion only continues. Just look at the real estate magazine that came with the Walton Sun today, that proves my point. Then to make matters even worse I live near Alys Beach, Walton County, along 30-A but our mailing address is Panama City Beach which is located in Bay County! Is there any wonder why our visitors get confused!!!!!

I know how confusing it can be and I have lived here permanently for a long time. I live in Seacrest, NOT Seacrest Beach. Just Seacrest people!!! Our county tried to "brand" all the communities along 30-A with the word "beach" a few years ago when they put up those horrible blue signs. But I DO NOT live in Seacrest Beach which is a short term rental community just before Rosemary. People always get the two communities confused including our local real estate agents so the confusion only continues. Just look at the real estate magazine that came with the Walton Sun today, that proves my point. Then to make matters even worse I live near Alys Beach, Walton County, along 30-A but our mailing address is Panama City Beach which is located in Bay County! Is there any wonder why our visitors get confused!!!!!

That's how the names of places change over time. The public will call it what it will. I don't know why anyone would complain about having beach in their name. The entire world should be so lucky!

That is so true, Sacred Heart believes they are in Destin as do many businesses. I'll bet the folks I pick up for emergencies that are not local say with greater than 60% of the time they are in Destin and I use this to evaluate their orientation. Go figure, starts with businesses and realty companies. I personally think the TDC made a bone head decision. When I go out to eat and wait staff tells me we are in Destin I correct them, plus if they use Destin in their advirtising I don't eat or shop there, unless I am in Destin.

I'm sorry Kurt but you are missing my point. If I say to folks I live in Seacrest Beach they automatically think I live in the community named Seacrest Beach which is a short term rental community across the street from High Pointe in Seacrest. It is very time consuming to explain to folks where I live. To avoid some of the confusion they should change the name of the community of Seacrest Beach and then things would make more sense. It would be like having a neighborhood named "Destin" within Destin. See what I mean?

The resort of Sandestin began in the early 70's. It was obviously a play on the word Destin, and was meant to tie itself somewhat to Destin. Nothing is going to change that, at this point. We would be better off bending the term South Walton to mean everything east of the greater Sandestin area. And get the post office to officially give Rosemary Beach over to 32459. (Sorry, but there's not much can be done about the Seacrest "Beach" problem, tsutcli.)

You are so right Lake View Too when you state, "there's not much can be done about the Seacrest Beach problem." We didn't have a problem until the county removed the original Dave Rauschkolb wooden sign that said, "Welcome to Seacrest" and replaced it with a big blue metal sign that said, "Seacrest Beach." That big blue sign is long gone but the confusion started with that sign and continues to this day. Then factor in that our mailing address is in Panama City Beach so some days I am not even sure where I live anymore!!! So you see, the county's "branding" didn't work then either. It just backfired and made things more confusing for some.

Is Brenda Reese of Walton related to Brenda Rees of Santa Rosa Beach, unincorporated 32459 not to be confused with THE Beach which roughly extends from Ft Walton to PCB, felt to be best represented by the Nest In Destin house located on 30-A in Blue Mountain/Dune Allen? Sheesh!

One and the same. What a hoot.

The TDC will only be happy when a visitor is asked "where are you staying" and the answer is "South Walton".

Would someone please define the boundaries for "South Walton" Exactly where is it in terms of latitude and longitude.

When you say SoWal you've said it all. It's the beach y'all.

Sure: South Walton is everything east of Sandestin, probably starting around the Donut Hole, but not including the new Walmart, it extends eastward to just before that convenience store on the east end of 30-A. Shades is in there, barely, but I dunno about Inlet Beach. From waste deep in the Gulf of Mexico, it extends a little bit north. It includes Pt. Washington, and Daughettes, Peach Creek, but not Bunker, nor Steelfield. We'll put all of Chat Holley and Hogtown in there, and, I guess, East and West Hewitt Roads. Maybe, Jolly Bay and Black Creek, but again, I dunno. Freeport is just too far north. I'm sure everybody has their definitions, but that's mine.

For me South Walton is Scenic 30a from the Gulf of Mexico then north up to and including Pt. Washington. Sandestin and Miramar are don't count as they are way more like suburbs of Destin. Inlet beach is mentally more Bay County for me... I am with Lake View Too for the most part... 🙂

Really? You guys don't get out much.

Way to go Brenda!

From WZEP AM1460
with friends and the waiter came in and said “Welcome to Destin.” They were in south Walton, not Destin. She talked about promoting local. She asked the commissioners to use local firms and spend local.
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The BCC passed local preferences a couple of years ago.

I think the responses make my point. Incorporate that area as defined by the majority and the problem is solved.

I'm saying why include the greater Sandestin/Miramar Beach area in the overall concept of what we feel we mean by SoWal. Since the early seventies, Sandestin, and that area over there, has considered itself a part of Destin. Why don't we just let them? I know it confuses the TDC dollars and what-not, but, I'm just saying that a vast majority of us, and our visitors, consider "that area" a part of Destin, so, in the immortal words of Sir Paul, just let it be.

I'm saying why include the greater Sandestin/Miramar Beach area in the overall concept of what we feel we mean by SoWal. Since the early seventies, Sandestin, and that area over there, has considered itself a part of Destin. Why don't we just let them? I know it confuses the TDC dollars and what-not, but, I'm just saying that a vast majority of us, and our visitors, consider "that area" a part of Destin, so, in the immortal words of Sir Paul, just let it be.

Walton County is South Walton. SoWal is border to border, south of I-10. Although as I said in another thread, the public will call it what it will.

I get asked where I live pretty often when I travel, my typical response is "in the florida panhandle, just east of a little town called Destin." I've tried the whole "in the florida panhandle in South Walton" but the south walton part doesn't work well in map searches. A Google maps search for south walton will result in nothing being found and a recommendation of "did you mean Walton, Florida?" Which maps to the heart of walton county florida. Bing maps finds "South Walton" but maps it to the Destin Commons.

The BCC passed local preferences a couple of years ago.

Then why does it seem like every group hired by the TDC is out of state or out of county?

I've got at least 3 different mailing addresses - Seagrove, Seagrove Beach, Santa Rosa Beach - doesn't matter as long as the zip code is right. I know where I am.