We are winding down our Florida tour with a bit of beach time on the Emerald Coast…also called the Cajun Riviera where the Gulf of Mexico sparkles like emeralds. This is the stretch of coastline from Pensacola Beach to Panama City Beach. If you grew up in New Orleans, and wanted to visit a beach, this is where you would go. The sand looks like sugar and feels luxurious on your feet and the water is crystal clear and warm. My family vacationed here every summer that I can remember and it is where I hung out as a teenager and young adult. It is where we would rent huge houses with friends that were part of the ‘Tyler Street Gang’ and party on the beach until sunset. My family still goes to the beach at least once a year and we celebrated my Mom’s 80th B-day there last Oct. Going to the beach is our family tradition.
Here is a pic of the Sun n’ Sand motel where my family spent many memorable summer vacations. My Uncle Frank introduced my parents to this place which was between Fort Walton and Destin and it seemed like it was the only building on the beach for miles. The area is nothing but condos now. 
Our first campsite was at Camp Gulf which is right next to Sand Destin Golf Resort & Spa. We picked this site because it is one of the few campgrounds left in Florida that still allow beach camping. Unfortunately we did not get a beach camp site this trip but the location was excellent. There was even an indoor heated pool and country music piped in the bathrooms. The outlet malls are just a short walk down the road and there are plenty of decent restaurants nearby. We loved this campground so much we booked an entire month next February, 2019 for a campsite directly on the beach! I’m very, very excited about this! The sunrises & sunsets are amazing and the miles of sugar white sand against emerald water is my kind of happy place.
Grayton Beach State Park was our next stop which is right next to Seaside. Seaside is a cute planned beach community that has become a model for small town architectural planning and is also where The Truman Show was filmed.
We had a great camping spot at Grayton Beach which backed up to the coastal dune lake. We recommend site #10 or #20. The beach was just a short walk around the lake and sand dunes. There is a 4 mile bicycling path and 1 mile of beach just for the campgrounds. This beach is consistently in the top 10 beaches to visit in the US.
One of our favorite restaurants in Santa Rose Beach was Stinky’s Fish Camp. They also have a bait shop next door.
We like to think that everyday is paradise on the Emerald Coast but when a cold front blows in, it looks more like this:
Next stop is our favorite hotel in Biloxi, The White House Hotel, where we were married, then a stop in NOLA to visit my parents, then back to Austin for a month before we decide our next destination in Traveler Blues.
Last stop was to pick up my favorite boudin outside of Opelousas, Louisiana at Ray’s. Boudin for breakfast on the road…We are loving van life!
