Sandestin Cottage vs. Eastern Lake Home - 1st Family Vacation...HELP!

[twins_plus_one]

Hi, first-time poster here. I'm planning a vacation for myself, husband twin 6 yr old boys and 8 month old boy for mid-July. I've narrowed my painfully long search to 2 properties. One is in the Bungalos in Sandestin and the other is a beautiful home in a wooded area of Seagrove Beach. Oh and ONE more sort-of contender in Cypress Dunes.

I'm leaning more towards the bungalo but I am really nervous about the crowds around that time. I hear it's pretty bad but I'm wondering if it's better through the week?

As far as the other two properties, I'm most concerned about beach access. I googled Eastern Lake Gulf and wasn't too thrilled with what I found. Hoping someone can give me a little insight into the area.

So my questions: is the BEACH at Sandestin I-can't-find-my-kids crowded every day in July?

Is it feasible to stay in Sandestin but drive to a less crowded beach access?

By the way, is it against policy to post actual VRBO listings?
Thanks so much for reading!

 

[Lake View Too]

I live on Eastern Lake and I can't imagine a better place for kids to play on the beach. Sandestin is a huge resort and you would be taking a shuttle to the beach.At Eastern Lake, you would be within walking distance to the Eastern lake Inlet, a great place, with shallow water right next to the Gulf. The entire 30-A area is, by far, a nicer environment to enjoy nature than Sandestin, which is people stacked upon people.

 

[Beach Runner]

Bungalows of Sandestin -- from the map it appears too far from the beach with little ones. By the time you get to the beach, the 6-yo would want to potty and the baby would be crying. The heat in the Panhandle in the summer is just too brutal for small children to spend much time going back and forth from the rental or being in the sun. Too "six lane" in that part of South Walton too.

How far from the beach is the home in Seagrove? Is it north or south of 30A?

Is the place in the Eastern Lake area west or east of Eastern Lake? I'm really familiar with west of Eastern Lake. Are you talking about staying in Summer's Edge in Seagrove near Eastern Lake? Great place to stay with kids in the summer. I can't speak about east of Eastern Lake, having never stayed there. On second thought we stayed there once at a beachfront place with a private pool. That was nice.

 

[twins_plus_one]

How far from the beach is the home in Seagrove? Is it north or south of 30A?

Here's a map of the Eastern lake one. Watcha think?

That didn't work. Here's a link to the map.
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3473955#map

 

[Jill Tanner]

You can post the VRBO listings. I looked at the Seagrove one above and it is in a great spot! I lived in the Bungalows in Sandestin years ago and it is one of the many neighborhoods in Sandestin and you would definitely be driving to the beach. The Seagrove one is in a cool, "old Florida" neighborhood. I would pick that one.

 

[twins_plus_one]

Thanks, Jill Tanner! Here are the listings. I am TERRIBLE at making decisions and I'm putting a ton of pressure on myself since this is our first and I'm responsible for all the planning.

http://www.vrbo.com/356924
http://www.vrbo.com/272060
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3473955#map

 

[twins_plus_one]

You can post the VRBO listings. I looked at the Seagrove one above and it is in a great spot! I lived in the Bungalows in Sandestin years ago and it is one of the many neighborhoods in Sandestin and you would definitely be driving to the beach. The Seagrove one is in a cool, "old Florida" neighborhood. I would pick that one.

Jill, we actually decided that unless we were literally ON the beach, driving would probably be our preferred means of getting there so that we could load as much stuff as we wanted for the day without having to schlep around with it on a quarter mile walk. How far does the Seagrove one look to be from the beach?

 

[Jill Tanner]

Hands down this one: http://www.vrbo.com/272060

Topsail is unbelievable! Check out this story on SoWal.com that just went live. You will have to drive to the beach, that area is not crowded, and you are so close to Stinky's Fish Camp - a SoWal Favorite! I didn't know about this one, I just saw Seagrove and Sandestin. Now I know about Topsail one, I say yes! What a pool too!

 

[twins_plus_one]

Wow, that's really good to know! I keep hearing about this Stinky's place. I think that was one of the things that worried me about this one. While we don't want a HUGE crowd we do want to be near some fun things to do with the kids if the mood strikes (I'm sure it will). Don't want to be the only ones on the beach . Thanks soooo much for this info.

 

[Beach Runner]

First one- no. Too far from the beach.
Second one - it says it's in Cypress Dunes. No beach access there because it's illegal to cross through the state park. The only way to get there is by car at a hot, public beach access.
I vote for three. No traffic through there because the roads are unpaved. With little ones I'd walk to the beach with a wagon and a stroller. But if it's hot, I'd drive down to Eastern Lake Road and hop over to the Ramsgate access a block away from the road. Low traffic and lots of kids riding bikes on Eastern Lake Road. Disclaimer: find out if "no parking" signs have been put all along Eastern Lake Road in front of all of the Summer's Edge houses. The last time I stayed at one of sis's houses on ELR (that she doesn't rent) in December, there were no parking restrictions in front of Chelsea Loop.

Good luck!