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Santa Rosa Beach encompasses quite a bit of South Walton. The beautiful name of our beautiful beach town can be a bit confusing because it's outline is not perfectly defined like most of our communities. It stretches from Sandestin along the bay and down to the gulf and along Scenic 30A.

The post office mailing address for much of South Walton is Santa Rosa Beach, so people who live in Point Washington or Blue Mountain Beach are often described as living in Santa Rosa Beach.

In the past, some folks loved to set up a camp on the beach for a week on South Walton beaches and leave all of their stuff so they wouldn't have to lug it back and forth every day. A couple of years ago the county put their foot (feets) down and said, "no more". Thus the "Leave No Trace" program was begun.

Twenty-one years after opening Shades in Seaside, Billy McConnell is back where he began his South Walton adventure, in the same building which now houses the Great Southern Café.

Shades was the hub of the busy Central Square in Seaside for many years until it moved to Inlet Beach in 2006.

“Everyone says I’ve come full circle,” Billy says.

We had a blast reading your answers last summer and we're asking all SoWal beach lovers to send us more of your good stuff by completing the thought, "You're So SoWal If . . . "

We want to hear from you about what it means to be addicted to South Walton Beaches. What's unique? What's quirky? What's beautiful? What's funny? What's that smell? (the seabreeze of course!)

We love a good fun run, even though a few of our staff at SoWal.com would prefer to drive. The team at Alys Beach wants everyone young and old to grab their running shoes and join in a brand-new event.

On Sunday, Sept. 2 we'll kickoff the inaugural Alys Beach 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run.  Alys Beach is such a dynamite place for family vacations and Labor Day weekend will be packed with fun in SoWal.

It’s sea turtle nesting season in Florida and in South Walton we're having an incredible year with over 100 nests, shattering the previous record of 58. Thanks to the consistent efforts of South Walton Turtle Watch, our small group of dedicated volunteers is making a difference in the survival of several species of sea turtles.

Most of the adult turtles have nested, and babies are hatching all up and down our beaches right now. It's one of the miracles of nature we are so privileged to witness in our SoWal paradise!

Recently released bed tax revenues for June 2012 reflect a 24% increase over 2011, which was the previous record high. Revenues are 55% higher than June, 2010 and the most collected in one month in South Walton thus far.

June marks the 16th straight month of double-digit increases in revenues. These record revenues are a reflection of carefully planned, concentrated marketing efforts combined with the warm Southern hospitality our partners shower on visitors to South Walton.

Or maybe it's the 1,059,310 visitors to SoWal.com since Jan 1st this year - 101,608,091 hits!

It's been one of the busiest summers in South Walton history. The cars full of visitors have come in waves just like the surf in the gulf, but there's no lull in the visitor waves until school starts back in Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans Houston...

Meawhile the crowds clamor for the food and fun times at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach. Can you call it a hidden gem? Almost anyone who has heard of SoWal has heard of the Red Bar. But if you get a puzzled look from someone when you mention Grayton Beach in Chicago then you better believe the Red Bar is a hidden gem to them.

Are you ready for fantastic food and wine in October at Rosemary Beach? How about free tickets?

Guests of the Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company (CRC) who make a two-night reservation at the newly renovated Pensione Inn, or a three-night reservation in any carriage house, loft or flat will receive two free tickets to SoWal.com-sponsored Rosemary Beach Uncorked on October 20, 2012, a $150 value. 

It’s been an exciting and rewarding first month for tours at the 2012 Coastal Living Dream House! To that end, the numbers beginning with tours on June 29, 2012 through July 29, 2012 show over 4,000 guests have toured the home.

Through this period donations of over $30,000 have been collected. These funds are directly impacting our community! Local foundations and charities that will benefit include the Rosemary Beach Foundation and its related South Walton organization volunteer staffing partners.