Visitors outside of Sundog Books and Central Square Records in Seaside, Florida.
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Scenic Highway 30A is a twenty-four-mile road running along the sugar-sand beaches of South Walton County in the Florida Panhandle. But it’s also an area—and, even more so, a vibe—anchored by a special slice of #beachlife across some sixteen coastal communities, from the boho artist enclave of Grayton Beach to the tony villas of Alys Beach.
Seaside, the area’s original planned community built in 1981, catapulted 30A into national fame in 1998 as the backdrop for The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey. These days, the corridor’s popularity shows no signs of dimming (and summer is, not surprisingly, insanely busy). Even so, 30A manages to retain its laid-back charm and character—something I, as a semi-local who was born and raised in the Panhandle, can attest to from my cherished visits home. Here, I drew on my own favorite memories and polled in-the-know locals to compile thirty ways to do 30A right, whether it’s your first visit or your thirtieth. —Blane Bachelor, G&G contributor
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EXPLORE MORE OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE |
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ELSEWHERE AROUND THE SOUTH |
Seven Southern Spots That
Will Cook Your Catch |
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Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Once every few months, my boyfriend and I climb into his truck with bagged pickles and sour gummy worms, headed up from the Lowcountry for fresh mountain air. This time, we spent the weekend in an adorable moss-haloed cabin tucked along the North Saluda River in Slater-Marietta, hiking Virginia Hawkins Falls and exploring the bustling little city of Travelers Rest. While it’s a convenient stop on the way to Asheville or Greenville, it’s also a perfect hub for food and drink amidst tiny mountain towns. Invigorated by all the green, we imbibed, fueled, and even did a bit of shopping:
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Catching a buzz: Swamp Rabbit Brewery and Taproom, which shares a name with a popular trail dedicated to the indigenous hopper, offered the perfect reward for aching limbs. Their rotating beer list stretches from American pale ales to fruited brews to German lagers. We sipped on a flight while indulging in a buttery lobster roll courtesy of the celebrated Cousins Maine Lobster food truck.
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Good eats: At Tandem Creperie and Coffee House, we washed down a delicate Lemon Sugar and maple-slathered Sausage Potato crêpe with steaming cups of Durham-based Counter Culture coffee and oolong tea from Asheville’s Dobra Tea House. On the way to our hike, we had to hit Marci Jo’s Olde Mountain Store for grilled beef hot dogs with in-house smoked brisket and pimento cheese, finished with sweet tea and a slice of cake, which rotates flavors weekly. Though the establishment is technically a fifteen-minute drive away, in Cleveland, South Carolina, it’s worth mentioning as a staple of the area’s Southern cuisine.
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Living like a local: I can’t resist the lure of local produce and the community buzz of a good farmers’ market, and Travelers Rest Farmers Market was no exception. After Zen Rabbit Yoga’s free session, we sat in the sun, eating Kiss My Asada’s chicken tinga tacos with housemade green salsa and listening to live music alongside the bonsai tree and fresh-cut flowers we picked up from the plant sale. Does it get better than that?
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