Re: Need advice
Seacrest is a great community. If it's the large Seacrest development, it has a fantastic pool as you know. August is our favorite time of the year to be in SoWal because the summer crowds are gone and all of the things to do are so easy to do. And the pool and ocean water are so comfortable - we get into our floaters in the pool with a good book and just float around for hours. You are right near (walking distance) the following (we have cottages at the Cottages at Camp Creek which is about one mile west of Seacrest so we hang out on that side of 30A all the time with two kids):
Village of South Walton: Our favorite thing to do there is to watch the dancing fountain light up at night and kids can run through it in their bathing suits. It's dancing all day, but the lights are great at night. Sometimes during the summer, there's music too around 8:30 PM and the fountain is choreographed to dance specifically to the music, but it didn't do that last August. We also go to Seacrest Cafe to get something to eat and eat ice cream. If you have a laptop and need wireless, there's wireless at Seacrest Cafe and you can even get it outside. There are little shops Villages of South Walton, though we haven't shopped there yet. And I believe there's a new steak place.
Rosemary Beach: It's fun to walk through there to see the architecture. There are also restaurants, shops, and often free outdoor concerts/movies in the evening. There's also a spa and we like the little cheese/wine/market/eatery called Sweet Olives. It's expensive at Rosemary Beach. They also have a tricky little fountain that kids like because it looks like it's just a nice sitting area with a bench and then kids like to push a button and the area becomes a water fountain (our kids like to take the naive friendly visitor to the fountain and surprise them by soaking them - we're working on their manners).
Fonville Press: This is a great little coffee shop at Alys Beach, a new very high-end development. I am in heaven when I sit in their courtyard (hot in August) and have a special pastry/cup of coffee. They also have a Friday evening after-beach wine and food event. The wine is expensive but then you get nice food as well and it's family friendly. I've heard Sweet Olives does the same thing on Friday nights but I haven't been to that one.
Shades: I like the sports bar/restaurant Shades because they have excellent po'boys and are family friendly (moderate cost but for a family it can become expensive).
Grocery shopping: The closest supermarket will be Publix about 3 miles away toward Panama City. You can get a lot of ready-made meals there, too, from sandwiches to chicken and things like that if you don't want to cook.
Seagrove is about 5 miles away (Angelinas is our kids' favorite for pizza and pasta), Seaside is about 7 miles away (must-see and also has free outdoor movies/concerts/shopping/restaurants/etc.), and grayton beach with the well-known and wonderful Red Bar restaurant (family friendly) is about 11 miles away. Sometimes we'll get in the car and drive to Grayton Beach State Park and spend a good half-day there because it has showers, grills, bathrooms, etc., and is very family-friendly. All the beaches along 30A are great.
Be aware of the flag system on our beaches because they will tell you if the water is relatively safe (green flag) or stay out of the water (red) - I wouldn't go in with kids or even myself for yellow either to be on the safe side. There can be rip tides. We stay close to shore even on green days but other people on the board I'm sure feel comfortable venturing farther out.
Everyone on this board is talking about a new dining place in Seagrove called Flip Flops so I'll be trying that next time I'm there. Sounds family friendly.
