Sunrise Beach area

[Foxtrot]

Hello Clan!

I feel like I know everyone after first hearing about this message board from Paula having met her on a flight. She mentioned this site and I have been a faithful reader and sincerely appreciate all of the information I have gathered in preparation of our annual family vacation.

With that being said, could someone share with me beach information related to the Sunrise beach area?

We will be coming down this Sunday and have not heard anyone speak of this area as it pertains to beach access. I am staying at "Serendipity."

Thanks in advance for any information.

Joe

 

[Smiling JOe]

Hello Clan!

I feel like I know everyone after first hearing about this message board from Paula having met her on a flight. She mentioned this site and I have been a faithful reader and sincerely appreciate all of the information I have gathered in preparation of our annual family vacation.

With that being said, could someone share with me beach information related to the Sunrise beach area?

We will be coming down this Sunday and have not heard anyone speak of this area as it pertains to beach access. I am staying at "Serendipity."

Thanks in advance for any information.

Joe

Since I did not drive into Sunrise Beach, and given the fact that I am in the mountains at the moment, it would be somewhat difficult to give you first hand info. I will say, that if they say the home is Gulf-front, it probably is closer than it was a month ago. The Gulf-front homes in Sunrise Beach sit fairly close to the beach, and probably had some serious erosion. However, without checking specifically on Serendipity, I could not say with any certaintly as to its condition. If the rental company has not informed you to stay away, you are probably in good shape. Many people like Sunrise Beach because it is so close to Gulf Place which has several shops and a couple of restaurants to offer. Hope you have a good time.

 

[Foxtrot]

Thank you and I am sure we will...

 

[Paula]

Hi Joe:

Glad to know you are on this board. I remember our plane conversation well!

If your place is in good shape, then you'll have a wonderful time. I recommend that you contact your agency and confirm that the place is in good shape and that you have beach access (if not, then you'll want to know where the nearest ones are).

As you've heard me say on this message board, my feeling is that the dunes did their job and we should be thankful that they spared 30A rather than be disappointed about what they now look like -- in the meantime it's good to take photos to remember what the dunes looked like after a hurricane. I noticed that the dunes looked better or worse depending on how high they were in the first place. The higher the dunes are, the more obvious damage they got.

We were on 30A last week and the shoreline looked great -- white sand and emerald water. The ocean and pool were just the right temperatures. Our beach access was out (should be back in a few weeks) so we had to explore the area and look for other beach accesses. This worked out well because we enjoyed parts of the area that we wouldn't have gone to otherwise.

We enjoy going to Grayton Beach State Park (don't confuse this with Grayton beach, which is also lovely). It costs $4.00 for a car of 8 people, has nice bathrooms and changing area, picnic tables, and is beautiful. We go there every trip because it's so nice and convenient.

And, like everyone else, I highly recommend going to the Red Bar at Grayton Beach. We avoid the crowds by getting there very early. We have kids so it doesn't bother us to go for lunch at 11:45 or dinner at 4:45. One of our other favorite places is the Seagrove Market -- I always get their fried oyster basket. Lunch is much less expensive there than dinner is and I think the lunches are just as good. We got lazy after spending just about every day in the sun at the beach, so we never made it to the outdoor concerts and movies at Seaside and Rosemary beach. But those would be fun to attend.

Have a great vacation.

Best,
Paula

 

[Smiling JOe]

... I recommend that you contact your agency and confirm that the place is in good shape and that you have beach access (if not, then you'll want to know where the nearest ones are).

FYI - The closest accessible public access to Sunrise Beach is Ed Walline Park at the south end of Hwy 393. It is merely steps away from Sunrise Beach.

 

[Paula]

If you're at that end of 30A, then Gulf Place (I think that's the name) is a nice area that has shops, restaurants, and probably concerts in the evenings right across the street from Ed Walline beach access. We're at the other end of 30A so we're not as familiar with it. You're also pretty close to Sandestin and Destin (compared to us).

 

[Smiling JOe]

If you're at that end of 30A, then Gulf Place (I think that's the name) is a nice area that has shops, restaurants, and probably concerts in the evenings right across the street from Ed Walline beach access. We're at the other end of 30A so we're not as familiar with it. You're also pretty close to Sandestin and Destin (compared to us).

Yes, Gulf Place is the name of the nearby community. I believe the concerts on the lawn are on Sunday evenings from 7p-9p.

 

[Sea Star]

Since I did not drive into Sunrise Beach, and given the fact that I am in the mountains at the moment, it would be somewhat difficult to give you first hand info. I will say, that if they say the home is Gulf-front, it probably is closer than it was a month ago. The Gulf-front homes in Sunrise Beach sit fairly close to the beach, and probably had some serious erosion. However, without checking specifically on Serendipity, I could not say with any certaintly as to its condition. If the rental company has not informed you to stay away, you are probably in good shape. Many people like Sunrise Beach because it is so close to Gulf Place which has several shops and a couple of restaurants to offer. Hope you have a good time.

Hi Joe,

Where are you "in the mountains"? I live in Knoxville, and if you are in the Smokies you are in my neck of the woods. I hope you are enjoying yourself, however, knowing first-hand about tourist crowds, I am surprised you came here at this time. The mountains are fabulous in late Sept., and the crowds are lighter. Perhaps if you would like to come back we could trade houses for awhile! :clap_1: Have a great trip.

 

[dmiller29]

Sea Star,

I can't believe there is another Knoxvillian on this message board. It is such a small world!!!!! We're going down to Seagrove Beach tomorrow, and I can't wait. How often do you visit the area?

 

[Sea Star]

Sea Star,

I can't believe there is another Knoxvillian on this message board. It is such a small world!!!!! We're going down to Seagrove Beach tomorrow, and I can't wait. How often do you visit the area?

:clap_1: Hi Dmiller - It is a small world. We go every fall for two weeks and have been for about 10 years. We try to go somewhere different on our spring vacation, although Seagrove is by far the trip we look forward to the most. We LOVE it there. I'm happy that you are going down tomorrow, and hope you have a safe trip. We are leaving here on 10/8, and it can't get here soon enough. Have fun, and eat some crab cakes at the Red Bar for me.