To me growing up, Florida had always been either been a place for a trip to Disney World or Fort Lauderdale for soccer tournaments. Hidden in plain sight, Florida’s Emerald Coast is one of the most stunning places on the east coast. Since Austin’s parents bought a house there and we will be visiting a lot, so I decided to compile an ongoing list of our favorite things to do and places to eat while we are down there!

To do:

Paddleboard on coastal dune lakes

The Emerald Coast is unique for many reasons, and one major reason being their coastal dune lakes that are dotted across the panhandle. These lakes are predominantly freshwater sitting right next to the ocean surrounded by monumental dunes. These lakes make the perfect conditions for paddleboarding. We rented paddleboards on the beach and went to the stunning Camp Creek Lake to paddleboard in the pictures above!

Bike ride through wooded trails

We stay in the quaint neighborhood of Watercolor when we visit, where everything is accessible by bike. One of our favorite bike rides is through these beautiful wooded trails that lead you to the coastal dune lake, Western Lake. You can also bike to the idyllic town of Seaside which is right on the beach and was where “The Truman Show” was filmed!

Beach it up!

Hands down the Emerald Coast has some of the dreamiest white sand beaches in the USA. The ocean is consistently so warm that it feels like bath water when you jump in (in the fall/winter the ocean is usually warmer than the air!). We love swimming out to the nearest sandbar and playing catch with a Waboba ball. Our favorite beaches so far have been in Seaside, Sea Grove and Grayton Beach.

Bonfire on the beach

Austin and I were excited when stumbled upon a couple of bonfires at the beach. It was so exciting to us because, in New Jersey, where we are from, this is rarely allowed at the shore! With one day’s notice, you can set up your own bonfire on the beach. Learn how to set up a bonfire on the beach here.

Take a car ride along 30A

One rainy day we decided to take a drive down the famous 30A and check out interesting towns nearby. We were happily surprised when we reached Rosemary Beach (1st image) because it looks like a romantic European town. We then traveled to Alys Beach, which makes you feel like you’re in Greece (2nd-4th images)!

Check out the many events

The Watercolor community does a wonderful job of setting up a multitude of events throughout the year. The event we attended this year was the Mountainfilm festival, which is the Telluride Film Festival on tour. This festival was right up our ally because it was 2 nights of outdoor adventure short documentaries that are inspiring us to plan more mountain trips for 2019. You can find a list of all events on 30A here.

To eat:

Farmer’s market

I absolutely adore the Seaside Farmer’s Market that is in the middle of town (only open on Saturdays!). It has a range of local food from produce to cheese to kombucha. Our favorite stand is Veronica’s Health Crunch which sells incredible nutty snacks! In my opinion, the best flavor is the original: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, honey, pumpkin seeds, and shredded coconut.

Food trucks

More like food “airstreams”! Along 30A in Seaside are the cutest food trucks with fresh smoothies, sandwiches and more to grab before heading to the beach.

Bud and Alley’s

This is a classic Seaside must-go spot! The food at Bud and Alley’s is great and the views are truly gorgeous overlooking the sugar white beaches. I recommend getting the crab cake along with a “painkiller” drink.