First beautiful memories

[Lisa Ruby]

Before we begin reporting the first locations of oil or tar balls, I thought it might be encouraging to remember our first fabulous memories of great times on scenic 30-A. Mine was walking along the beach in Dune Allen and hearing Mark Carter's radio station broadcasting for the first time. He played "The Lord's Prayer" from " Alone but Never Alone" by Larry Carlton, it is etched in my memory forever. Then, there was Coach Flowers trying to decide on the width of picnic bench seats at Seagrove Villas....

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

Going out on Eastern Lake in my shiny new canoe and marveling at the serenity and beauty. The back part of the lake nestled in Point Washington State Forest is so primaly beautiful, its like going back in time before people every thought of stepping foot here. Once I came around the back bend and a dead tree fallen into the water was covered with roosting egrets. I was only ten feet from them for an eternal twenty minutes. There is much beauty and magic left hereabouts...

 

[librarian]

this is a very recent memory -far from my first but probably my most poignant. Monday of memorial day just last week it was was just over a week after the death of my father, a vet in Korea who came back to marry, get an education and raise a family. on that day i went to the beach with my husband, his aunt and our 5 year old son-his pride and joy. my son and i swam in the beautiful blue green almost clear waters with a school of stingrays very closeby. that is a memory i cherish when i mourn my dad. i hate to think of others mourning our gulf.

 

[Lake View Too]

Not my first memory either, but last Friday I went out in the waves, with some friends from California, and body-surfed until we could hardly walk back into the shore. I felt like a teen-ager again. Mother Ocean can do that to you.

 

[ShallowsNole]

Like Lake View Too, I have too many memories to begin to list. I remember my aunt's house at Grayton, and swimming with her in the pass (now called the outfall - boo hiss) and later, when I was older, the gulf. My social life revolved around work, as that was the only way I got to see people. I remember standing on a box to run the cash register at my parents' store. Later, working at the Grayton Store and finally the Seagrove Village Market. I remember countless teenage days - and nights - on the beach. And I remember never being afraid of being between waist-and-chest deep in the Gulf.

I refuse to believe it's all over.

 

[Yzarctoo]

Before we begin reporting the first locations of oil or tar balls, I thought it might be encouraging to remember our first fabulous memories of great times on scenic 30-A.

As child I visited Grayton and stayed at Bert's Barn. I fell in love with Grayton then and made a vow to return to live here. In 2000 I made my dream come true. Now my grand daughters spend 6 weeke with me every summer and Grayton is now their special place too for making those special memories.

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[CPort]

I had always stayed in the Destin area or Ft.Walton. One day on a solo trip, I just happened on 30A! There was really nothing between the golf club and the 4 way stop at Grayton. I stopped at the villas, rented one on sight then returned to Ft.Walton to get my stuff.
The whole area took my breath away. The lake opening to the gulf, well as long as I'd been coming to beaches, I'd never seen anything like that!
I fell deeply in love with being "in the country" and "at the beach" at the same time.
I'm afraid to say I wish it hadn't grown up soo much. I liked having to either get groceries in Destin or meat at Village Mkt. the drive didn't bother me, it made me so happy when I could get out of traffic and tu rn on 30A. Heck here at home it is a 8 mile one way drive to the nearest grocery.
Don't get me wrong, I love Seaside and all but I feel so peaceful on Pine St in Grayton after fighting the people walking in front of cars there.
I remember when there were only 3 houses and a dirt road. Seaside was having big time water problems back then. I remember talking with Mrs. Flowers about it.
Those of you that grew up there had it made!Those of you who fell in love with the area and have moved there are sooo lucky!

 

[nodilberthere]

Our first trip to the area was 11 years ago. I stumbled upon the area after looking online to find out more about one of my all-time favorite movies, The Truman Show. I couldn't believe there was actually a Seaside. There weren't a lot of pictures online, and I don't know if this site even existed then, but we took a chance and drove the 24 hours straight-thru to get there. The boys were little....11 years younger than now. And me too

I remember when we pulled up to a beach ramp off of 30a around 8 in the morning, after driving 24 hours and we were practically delirious. We had no idea what to expect. I went to Ormond Beach every summer with my family as a kid, from 8 to age 19. Then when we first got married, we went to Ormond Beach and Disney. I had never seen the Gulf. We were expecting it to be like the Atlantic coast of Florida.........

We were stunned. Absolutely stunned at how beautiful it was. It was like finding Nirvana, Utopia, the Fountain of Youth and Eden, all at the same time.

Every year, I get the same overwhelming feeling when we ARRIVE. We always time it the same, as to get there in the early morning, so as not to miss ONE minute of time there. And 11 years later, I'm still blown away by the area, but not so much for the beauty of the beaches anymore, though.

I'm dumbstruck every time at how the area is not just a place but a feeling, like no other place I've been to. When I get there, I feel like I belong there. I find a surreal calmness from the minute I get there until the minute I leave.
And of course, Seaside was nothing like Seahaven.

 

[sarawind]

My parents loved the Florida Panhandle and we spent all the time we could in the area. You could walk for miles at Panama City Beach back then and never see a soul. South Walton is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. A soulful, peaceful , therapeutic and gorgeous wonderment.

One of our life long friends, as a young man, was stationed at Fort Rucker and was familiar with South Walton and loved it. He and his wife visited us from Houston. His wife had only seen the beaches of the Gulf Coast in Galveston (ugh) and when she walked out on our deck overlooking the sea she asked us if this was the same Gulf of Mexico! Her husband at the time was battling lung cancer and he said he wanted to stay on our deck and drink in the glory of 30A until he died.

Bittersweet memory.

 

[jd]

Not really a first memory, but how I discovered 30-A: while browsing through a travel magazine, I saw an article about the Top 10 beaches for that year. Grayton was no. 1. The picture was so beautiful! While we usually vacationed in Panama City Beach with Pentacle Port being our usual choice of lodging, I was surprised to see photos of such a beautiful, magical place so close by. Naturally I went in search of this paradise, and it cetainly didn't disappoint. Now we visit 30-A 3 to 5 times a year. We hope someday to own a home there.