Two decades of traditions along Florida’s 30A
“Good Morning! And in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”
For most people, that’s the line they remember from The Truman Show. For me, it’s also a reminder of one of my favorite places in the world.
The Truman Show was filmed in Seaside, Florida, one of the picture-perfect communities along Scenic Highway 30A. With pastel cottages, white picket fences, and streets designed for bicycles instead of traffic jams, Seaside feels a little like a movie set even today. In fact, one of my favorite traditions is simply wandering through the neighborhoods, reading the names painted on the houses. One is called Biscuits. The tiny guest house tucked behind it is called Gravy. That’s the kind of place 30A is.
For more than 20 years, our family has made the annual pilgrimage to this stretch of Florida coastline. I arrived here for the very first time with my parents. Before The Truman Show, before Spring Break, when it was a small beach town with a few brightly colored houses, and Bud and Alley’s was just a local restaurant named after a dachshund and a cat. Long before my kids were old enough to drive golf carts, before they were packing for college, and before family vacations became increasingly difficult to coordinate, we were loading up cars and heading south with the mass exodus of Owensboro headed for Spring Break.
Over the years, we have stayed all along 30A. Inlet Beach, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Seacrest, Seagrove, Seaside, WaterColor, Grayton Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and Dune Allen. Each community has its own personality.
Rosemary Beach is polished and charming. Every trip includes stops at Sugar Shak for nostalgic candy, Pish Posh Patchouli for custom scents, and Cowgirl Kitchen for smoked tuna dip. Somewhere along the way, a Rosemary Beach T-shirt usually finds its way into a shopping bag.
Alys Beach feels like stepping into another world. The striking white architecture, palm-lined streets, and iconic butteries create one of the most beautiful communities on the Gulf Coast. The top hits of this area are Fonville Press for coffee and George’s at Alys Beach for that hit of fine dining, should you decide to get out of your bathing suit. We like to hold our breath as a family as we drive from one end of Alys to the other. It’s a quick trip; no one has ever passed out!
Seacrest and Seagrove have always felt like the sweet spot to me. Close enough to everything, but without quite as much hustle and bustle. A slice of quiche from The Perfect Pig, pizza from Pizza by the Sea, and a bag full of fresh Royal Reds steamed by the team at Buddy’s Seafood have become staples of our trips.
Then there is Seaside, the center of the 30A universe.
Every evening, teenagers seem to descend upon the town square in waves. The food trucks stay busy, kids line up at Pickle’s, families crowd into Ducky’s for toys, and all the moms stand in line to get this year’s Seaside T-shirt color. I hit Modica Market for everything from specialty groceries to giant slices of cake. Let’s be honest, I am there for the cake!
Just down the road, WaterColor slows the pace again. People linger over a glass of wine at The Wine Bar, before dinner at Fish Out of Water in The Water Color Inn. You will notice a theme now as you duck into The WaterColor Store and pick up your favorite T-shirt of the season.
On the western end of 30A, the atmosphere becomes a little more relaxed, a little more local, and a lot more seafood-focused. Grayton Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, and Dune Allen are home to some of our favorite traditions, including visits to The Red Bar (Iconic T-shirt!), Shunk Gulley, and Stinky’s Fish Camp. We know we’ll probably wait for a table at Stinky’s, but we’ve learned to embrace it. A deck of cards and a little patience have become part of the ritual. A Styrofoam cup of frozen Stink Juice helps.
As much as I love the restaurants, the shops, and the beaches, that’s not really why we keep going back.
What draws me back year after year are the traditions. Ryland must have smoked tuna dip, Stone must go to Sugar Shack, Bre needs a new Seaside Shirt, and Lucy Jagoe has no option but to stand in line at Pickle’s with her friends! And Travis needs a nap. I must have a dozen oysters with an obscene amount of cocktail sauce, fresh lemon, and saltine crackers. There is no question that these things will be done before the prerequisite photos on the beach during sunset. To be clear, we have never worn white shirts with the khaki pants.
It’s watching kids who once needed floaties now drive golf carts. It’s bike rides to get donuts in the morning. It’s knowing exactly where to find your favorite meal and still discovering something new every trip.
The beaches are beautiful. The water is spectacular. The communities are charming.
But after more than two decades, 30A has become something more than a vacation destination for our family. It’s part of our history.
And every year, when the car turns onto Scenic Highway 30A, it feels a little like coming home. OL
