Destin area beaches

[VirginiaLonghorn 4794]

Bethany Beach, DE. 

[El Tri 412]

3 hours ago, strangulation! said:

if you can bump the trip back to August, maybe as early as the second week, all of the surrounding states are usually back in school. so the beaches are less crowded and rentals are way cheaper

this. we've gone before after august 4th or so and it's less crowded and rentals are much cheaper.

we've stayed in santa rosa beach

[Zepol87 9198]

Same. Usually go to Destin the weekend of August. This year moved it to the last week of July in Gulf Shores.

[mdmost 43104]

We have to fit her vacation in a tight window, work wise. Part of the reason we need to fly versus drive. She's not big on late summer trips. We've found some places that might do to the trick. Weirdly, and thanks for the suggestion that someone put out about flying into VPS, but we can use super cheap AA points to fly there. I've never seen Web Special as a category on AA's mileage categories. It's there for DFW to VPS flights so we're going to save a lot of points flying in and out on the dates we want. The only catch is you can't cancel without a penalty but short of bodily injury (knock on wood), we'll be locked in regardless. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by mdmost

[Brew 3049]

11 hours ago, mdmost said:

Of the two areas, Rosemary Beach and Seaside off 30A, which is better? Most of the places I'm seeing for rent are in those areas. The Seaside ones all seem to be resort types. The Rosemary Beach ones are more smaller condos. I know the kids would love the resort options but I'm not sure that's what the wife and I are looking for. I lean more to Rosemary Beach for a more laid back vacation.

Seaside will be a royal clusterfuck that time of year. Stay somewhere else and drive over there one day to eat and walk around. Watercolor would be a better option than Seaside that time frame, but Rosemary is better than those two if you want everything right around you and want to walk to most everything. You are also very close to a Donut Hole there which is the place to eat breakfast. 

There are houses and condos in Blue Mountain and Santa Rosa Beach that are more isolated. Sanctuary by the Sea sits out by itself, San Remo is a nice moderately priced condo right down from Gulf Place, Redfish Village is a nice setup but a little larger, Sanctuary at Redfish has a resort style pool setup but you have to take their pontoon shuttle to the beach or kayak, Adagio is a nice setup but too big for what we look for, etc. You can also find houses all up and down 30A.

[Brew 3049]

3 minutes ago, mdmost said:

We have to fit her vacation in a tight window, work wise. Part of the reason we need to fly versus drive. She's not big on late summer trips. We've found some places that might do to the trick. Weirdly, and thanks for the suggestion that someone put out about flying into VPS, but we can use super cheap AA points to fly there. I've never seen Web Special as a category on AA's mileage categories. It's there for DFW to VPS flights so we're going to save a lot of points flying in and out on the dates we want. The only catch is you can't cancel without a penalty but short of bodily injury (knock on wood), we'll be locked in regardless. 

If you are looking at 30A and especially Rosemary, fly into Panama City’s airport. The traffic will be much more manageable and PC has a decent airport.

[Bone3421 716]

Well since its destin area beaches now....
In between ft walton and destin(like maybe 2 miles) you'll see a parking lot ...it is a eglin military beach that is hardly ever crowded... No facilities at all but if you got a cooler and umbrella its a good chill spot from the crowds...never have ever been checked for id

[Bone3421 716]

Brotulas is a nice restaurant right off of the destin boardwalk and will cook your fish if you bring a catch in plus sides for some $

[Bone3421 716]

Okaloosa island is a popular spot and has a few restaurants/bar right on beach/boardwalk along with volleyball and cornhole

[Bone3421 716]

Well S.O.B....was about to recommend a breakfast spot...tommy mattonies was always packed but apparently closed now
Wonder if dude just got tired of it or was losing $$$ somehow...food was good and popular local spot

[Bone3421 716]

And there is tons to do for kids in destin/ft walton area...good waterpark and some kind of adventureland, havent been but has giant obstacle course/rope course outside( cant miss it)

[Bone3421 716]

Also props brewery/restaurant is good spot for local craft beer...tuesday night was??? Trivia night if family likes that kinda thing

[mdmost 43104]

Booked our trip today. Found a nice place in Rosemary Beach that wasn't too bad price wise, has a nice view of the Gulf, and private beach access. Thanks all for the help. Any recommendations on dining will be nice though we do plan to make some meals in our place. 

[jimmyjazz 46367]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:53 AM, mdmost said:

Of the two areas, Rosemary Beach and Seaside off 30A, which is better? Most of the places I'm seeing for rent are in those areas. The Seaside ones all seem to be resort types. The Rosemary Beach ones are more smaller condos. I know the kids would love the resort options but I'm not sure that's what the wife and I are looking for. I lean more to Rosemary Beach for a more laid back vacation.

We've been to Rosemary Beach and Henderson Beach, which is just east of Destin.  Rosemary Beach is very secluded and not crowded at all, but most everything right around it gets insane.  In that area, I wouldn't stay anywhere but Rosemary Beach.  You can grab bikes and ride all over the place.  It's weird, the houses are expensive as hell in Rosemary Beach proper, and the rental costs aren't cheap, but the amenities aren't really expensive at all.  I mean, based on the other costs I would have expected every beer to be $10 and every burger to be $20, but it's just all pretty normally priced.

Now, Henderson Beach -- you should think about that.  The hotel/condos are RIGHT up against a state park that doesn't allow vehicle access, and so it's very secluded, even though you can actually see Destin maybe 10 miles west of there.  We really liked it too, more of a hotel feel than Rosemary Beach, but a short drive to a ton of stuff.  Beautiful sand and water, as is pretty much true all around that area.

 

EDIT:  oops just saw your last post, good call

Edited March 27, 2019 by jimmyjazz

[jimmyjazz 46367]

39 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Booked our trip today. Found a nice place in Rosemary Beach that wasn't too bad price wise, has a nice view of the Gulf, and private beach access. Thanks all for the help. Any recommendations on dining will be nice though we do plan to make some meals in our place. 

The Pearl Hotel has a nice rooftop bar, and they let us take our kids up there.  Nothing spectacular, but a good place for an after dinner drink.  They had some fairly mellow live music that didn't suck.

[Bone3421 716]

Fuck the police/incoming story/rant

So in destin for friends wedding and hanging out at the red door saloon. When i see two little girls(said they were 17 after chatting a bit) standing by us in back corner. Ask them how they snuck in and chatted with them a bit trying to get them to leave before something bad happens to them. So they go to the restroom and me/2 friends follow at a distance making sure they are ok. They leave and one girl says thx on the way out. I then proceed to ask the door guys why they let two 17yo in. While talking with door guys(who were cool) asshole doorguy/bouncer from nowhere grabs me from behind and throws me on ground...words exchanged while he tried to goad me into a fight.

So im pissed and call cops(inform friends there might be bullshit coming). Dont say one word to doorguy while i wait outside. Cops show up and i tell them my side while other 2 cops talk to doorguy. So then other cops come over from doorguys and start saying i need to call a ride. I tell them i can walk to hotel and they say i cant leave and to call somebody. So pull phone out and text buddy inside. Probably about 5 mins later asshole cops say ok were taking you in and handcuff me. *at this point i proceed to turn into a dick*...not smart but thats how i roll when i encounter asshole cops

So im calling( only the one cop) asshole and what not. Other cops that i talked too are just standing in the back. I make eye contact and ask if they agree with this bs.
3rd group of cops show up and friends get outside.
Cops huddle up and friends tell the cool cops im fine while asshole cop and me are just staring at eachother.

They end up letting me go and make me keep hands on my head until im like 50ft away or some bs...all the while asshole cop and me evil eyeing each other.

#csb
tl/dr called cops to scene got handcuffed and a cunt hair away from being locked by asshole cop( oh and doesnt matter really but cool cops were black and asshole was white)

[TBGFL 397]

On 3/7/2019 at 9:14 AM, Brew said:

Kiawah and Seabrook Islands have not been slam packed the times we have been there like HHI or Myrtle have been. The Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach areas were also nice and had plenty to do plus easy access from Jacksonville. However, with younger kids you just can’t beat the Florida Gulf Coast. 30A, Anna Maria Island, Longboat and Siesta Key, Sanibel/Captiva, all have better beaches, better water access for kids, and are all around more kid friendly. Outside of the Caribbean, the only beaches my kids want to go to are along that stretch, because for them a beach means warm water and white sand (outside of SanCap anyways). There are plenty of off the beaten path areas where you can go and not be elbow to elbow with people.

This year makes 26 years since I left Austin for Florida. I've been all over this state and the best beaches I've been to are on the SW Gulf side. I've been going to Anna Maria and Longboat for years and absolutely love it.

[mdmost 43104]

Any good recommendations for places to eat and drink in the Destin to Rosemary Beach area? We’ll mostly stay in Rosemary Beach but may venture out for some food or things to do. 

[Brew 3049]

3 hours ago, mdmost said:

Any good recommendations for places to eat and drink in the Destin to Rosemary Beach area? We’ll mostly stay in Rosemary Beach but may venture out for some food or things to do. 

You’re probably better off looking in PCB as far down as you will be. The Donut Hole is good for breakfast/donuts. That’s all I have that far down. If you make it closer to the middle/west end of 30A, the Great Southern in Seaside is always good as well as the food trucks located there. Louis Louis (sister restaurant of the Red Bar but much better), Chanticleer, and Cafe 30A are the ones we always make sure and eat at but they are probably 20-30 minutes or so from you.

[Telegraph_it 3364]

3 hours ago, mdmost said:

Any good recommendations for places to eat and drink in the Destin to Rosemary Beach area? We’ll mostly stay in Rosemary Beach but may venture out for some food or things to do. 

Go to George’s in Alys for lunch and get the shrimp po’ boy. Had one a few weeks ago and it was awesome. 

Since you are in Rosemary you can easily take a bike.

There is a new joint in Alys that when in that had some great cocktails. Can’t think of the name but it’s just past George’s as you go West. 

Past Seaside, in Watercolor, is Fish Out of Water. It’s in the hotel. Great views of the beach and gulf from the outside patio that is well covered and has shade. They had a well stocked bar. 

Further west is Cafe 30A. Don’t let the name fool you as it is nicer dining. If you go before 6 pm (I think that’s the right time) it’s buy one entree get one entree free. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Telegraph_it
You already knew about cafe 30A. Never mind.

[Baboontyme 2832]

Subscribed. Didn't realize this thread was already out there. I keep copying mdmost's vacations. Maybe I can scheme a way to get a free buffet at his hotel or something. 

[mdmost 43104]

First day of our vacation. Rosemary Beach is awesome. Idyll Hounds beers are very nice. Had dinner at the Summer Kitchen Cafe. 

Edited July 1, 2019 by mdmost

[tequila 319]

Go to George's in Alys.  It's great.  

[The Royal We 3072]

We've got a house at Blue Mountain Beach the first week in August.  My wife has been after me for a long time for a trip to the area and we are really looking forward to it.  Thanks for all the recs on stuff to do.

[LonghornJones 837]

Chiringo second floor across the street from where Red Bar was. Good view. Santa Rosa Beach.

Whiskey Bravo has a good sunset.

[Brew 3049]

4 hours ago, The Royal We said:

We've got a house at Blue Mountain Beach the first week in August.  My wife has been after me for a long time for a trip to the area and we are really looking forward to it.  Thanks for all the recs on stuff to do.

BMB is where we’ve spent our time. From that end of 30A, Stinky’s Fish Camp, Goatfeathers, Hurricane’s Bar & Grill, and Louis Louis are all decent close options. Growler Garage usually has a decent beer selection and Fat Daddy’s Pizza is a decent pizza place. Donuts from the Donut Hole are right up the road if you have kids as well.

[hopkinsnhorns 533]

On 4/20/2019 at 1:59 PM, Bone3421 said:

Fuck the police/incoming story/rant

So in destin for friends wedding and hanging out at the red door saloon. When i see two little girls(said they were 17 after chatting a bit) standing by us in back corner. Ask them how they snuck in and chatted with them a bit trying to get them to leave before something bad happens to them. So they go to the restroom and me/2 friends follow at a distance making sure they are ok. They leave and one girl says thx on the way out. I then proceed to ask the door guys why they let two 17yo in. While talking with door guys(who were cool) asshole doorguy/bouncer from nowhere grabs me from behind and throws me on ground...words exchanged while he tried to goad me into a fight.

So im pissed and call cops(inform friends there might be bullshit coming). Dont say one word to doorguy while i wait outside. Cops show up and i tell them my side while other 2 cops talk to doorguy. So then other cops come over from doorguys and start saying i need to call a ride. I tell them i can walk to hotel and they say i cant leave and to call somebody. So pull phone out and text buddy inside. Probably about 5 mins later asshole cops say ok were taking you in and handcuff me. *at this point i proceed to turn into a dick*...not smart but thats how i roll when i encounter asshole cops

So im calling( only the one cop) asshole and what not. Other cops that i talked too are just standing in the back. I make eye contact and ask if they agree with this bs.
3rd group of cops show up and friends get outside.
Cops huddle up and friends tell the cool cops im fine while asshole cop and me are just staring at eachother.

They end up letting me go and make me keep hands on my head until im like 50ft away or some bs...all the while asshole cop and me evil eyeing each other.

#csb
tl/dr called cops to scene got handcuffed and a cunt hair away from being locked by asshole cop( oh and doesnt matter really but cool cops were black and asshole was white)

I hope you learned your lesson.  Don't call the cops.  They're fucking worthless.  Especially don't call the cops if you're in a he said/he said situation with a bunch of bouncers.  Bouncers are basically cops-in-training in the eyes of a pig.

[The Royal We 3072]

Good ideas, thank you.  We have three kids so Donut Hole will be on the list. 

One other thing we've read is that the grocery delivery services are worth every penny as all of the rentals' week start on Saturday so everyone is shopping at the same time. 

[Brew 3049]

52 minutes ago, The Royal We said:

Good ideas, thank you.  We have three kids so Donut Hole will be on the list. 

One other thing we've read is that the grocery delivery services are worth every penny as all of the rentals' week start on Saturday so everyone is shopping at the same time. 

The Publix right there on 98 is usually pretty easy to get in and out of. That area is still the best part of 30A in my opinion because the density is quite a bit less than the other areas. I came close to buying a house there several times before we decided to go further South.

[mdmost 43104]

Heading home. Rosemary Beach was the shit. A perfect place to kick back for 5 days. Very self contained. Not overly crowded. Good food and places to get drinks. Kids loved the beaches and pools. Great recommendations, my Surly bros. Seaside looked slammed and uncomfortable when we drove through. We actually saw some friends when we slowly making our way through due to the stop signs and constant pedestrian crossings. I’ll have to see what they thought. Rosemary Beach was exactly our speed. Fireworks on the beach was fun if not a little uneasy as we were way too close and the sand dunes kept catching on fire with hurried staff running over with buckets of sea water to throw on the burning grass. But still pretty kickass America fuck yeah!

Edited July 5, 2019 by mdmost

[3adays 454]

On 3/7/2019 at 8:14 AM, Brew said:

Kiawah and Seabrook Islands have not been slam packed the times we have been there like HHI or Myrtle have been. The Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach areas were also nice and had plenty to do plus easy access from Jacksonville. However, with younger kids you just can’t beat the Florida Gulf Coast. 30A, Anna Maria Island, Longboat and Siesta Key, Sanibel/Captiva, all have better beaches, better water access for kids, and are all around more kid friendly. Outside of the Caribbean, the only beaches my kids want to go to are along that stretch, because for them a beach means warm water and white sand (outside of SanCap anyways). There are plenty of off the beaten path areas where you can go and not be elbow to elbow with people.

We’re (wife and 2 yr old) looking at going to Anna Maria Island, Longboat or Siesta Key for a week in August. Flying into Tampa and renting a car. Any recommentions on places to stay? I’ve been looking at AirBNB, HomeAway etc..but haven’t settled on anything. On the beach is pretty much a must. 

[Brew 3049]

4 hours ago, 3adays said:

We’re (wife and 2 yr old) looking at going to Anna Maria Island, Longboat or Siesta Key for a week in August. Flying into Tampa and renting a car. Any recommentions on places to stay? I’ve been looking at AirBNB, HomeAway etc..but haven’t settled on anything. On the beach is pretty much a must. 

We stayed in 4087168 (HomeAway) last time we went to AMI. The kids loved it. It was right above the donut shop and basically a block off the beach. It could be a little loud in the mornings, but we never really noticed. Anywhere from Pine Avenue North is good because there is no public parking, so the crowds on the beach are limited. There are plenty of restaurants along Pine Ave and within walking distance of each end. South of there through Bradenton, Coquina, etc. and even further there is parking along the beach so the beaches stay pretty crowded.

Longboat is pretty wide open and you can find whatever you want there whether it is a house, condo, etc. It will not have the restaurant selection of the other two, but it doesn’t get the day traffic that Siesta and AMI get because of the parking and lack of it along the beach.

Siesta Key is a shit show people wise most of the time, so it’s all about where you stay. If you want to be away from the big crowds, you have to find something close to the beach and then try to stay away from where Ocean Blvd and Beach Blvd come together. Down past where Midnight Pass cuts over and goes back across the bridge isn’t bad at all. The down side of being away from the spots above is that is where all the food is at and driving in and parking is problematic depending on timing. They have public parking near beach that stays full, public parking at the intersections above,  and tram service across the bridge, so you get a lot of people coming in from Sarasota along with the ones staying on island. 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Brew

[crash_davis 23122]

https://www.wthr.com/article/memphis-man-dies-after-contracting-flesh-eating-bacteria-destin

Quote

After going to a Destin beach, swimming around a creek and riding jet skis, she said her father felt fine, but 12 hours after all the fun in the sun, her father woke up with a fever, chills and cramping.

Her parents were going back to Memphis anyway and preferred to have him see a doctor at home. But he got worse on the way home, so they went straight to the hospital. That's when doctors found a black spot on his back, and admitted him to the ICU after the infection had entered his bloodstream.

"These are sporadic cases that happen all the time And some of them really go bad. Patients lose limbs, lot of tissue, and that gets media attention," Dr. Muhammad Khurshid said. But the infection can be detrimental for people who are already sick, he added.

Less than 48 hours after getting out of the water in Florida, Wiygul's father was dad. Doctors said his organs were too damaged and his blood was too acidic to sustain life.

Now, Wiygul hopes beaches or parks will post signage reminding people with compromised immune systems not to get in the water. She knew open cuts could pose a risk, but she didn't know about weakened immune systems.

[mdmost 43104]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

Wiygul's father was dad

Well, obviously. 

[Gunsup 56]

9 hours ago, 3adays said:

We’re (wife and 2 yr old) looking at going to Anna Maria Island, Longboat or Siesta Key for a week in August. Flying into Tampa and renting a car. Any recommentions on places to stay? I’ve been looking at AirBNB, HomeAway etc..but haven’t settled on anything. On the beach is pretty much a must. 

Stay away from Anna Maria Island-it's mine.  The doughnut shop Brew is talking about (Doughnut Experiment, I think) is excellent.  

[Brew 3049]

18 minutes ago, Gunsup said:

Stay away from Anna Maria Island-it's mine.  The doughnut shop Brew is talking about (Doughnut Experiment, I think) is excellent.  

That’s it. Each of those buildings has 2 separate 3/2 units above them with private pools and a dedicated parking space. It was super convenient to everything including the kid’s getting their breakfast just about every day. The beaches that far up weren’t busy and you could catch Snook on the beach side and Spanish on the sound side every day.

[Thetexashammer 1062]

The San Destin has it all. OK it has fake stupid copies of everything but if you really want to avoid the harsh reality of beautiful beaches and the easy life, it's for you.

I was going to say visit the Red Bar but apparently it burned down. In any case, Grayton Beach.

[3adays 454]

We stayed in 4087168 (HomeAway) last time we went to AMI. The kids loved it. It was right above the donut shop and basically a block off the beach. It could be a little loud in the mornings, but we never really noticed. Anywhere from Pine Avenue North is good because there is no public parking, so the crowds on the beach are limited. There are plenty of restaurants along Pine Ave and within walking distance of each end. South of there through Bradenton, Coquina, etc. and even further there is parking along the beach so the beaches stay pretty crowded.
Longboat is pretty wide open and you can find whatever you want there whether it is a house, condo, etc. It will not have the restaurant selection of the other two, but it doesn’t get the day traffic that Siesta and AMI get because of the parking and lack of it along the beach.
Siesta Key is a shit show people wise most of the time, so it’s all about where you stay. If you want to be away from the big crowds, you have to find something close to the beach and then try to stay away from where Ocean Blvd and Beach Blvd come together. Down past where Midnight Pass cuts over and goes back across the bridge isn’t bad at all. The down side of being away from the spots above is that is where all the food is at and driving in and parking is problematic depending on timing. They have public parking near beach that stays full, public parking at the intersections above,  and tram service across the bridge, so you get a lot of people coming in from Sarasota along with the ones staying on island. 

This is exactly the kind of info. I was looking for. Thank you for posting this.

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

I've been tasked to find something around Rosemary beach for March. My folks want something small for the whole month and then an additional 3 or 4 bedroom for a week of that for my sister's family and probably me, that are close to each other. It doesn't have to be Rosemary beach, but I've been there briefly and think that would fit the best. I haven't looked at prices, but money needs to be a consideration, and I don't know if that rules out some of the areas around there. Doesn't have to be 1000 a week, but can't be 5000 a week, either. Also needs to be a pretty short walk to the beach. 

We went to Seaside last March and I liked it, but it was a little crowded for what they would like. They won't want to be out away from everything, though.    Also, I don't know if it is common on that 30A stretch, but the stairs were brutally steep to the beach from our condo. My folks aren't able to do that these days without a lot of effort. 

Do I just need to scour Homeaway, VRBO, etc.? Is one area significantly different in price than others right there? Also saw Grayton beach mentioned above. That's a place I've heard good things about, but I didn't go there, that I recall. 

[mdmost 43104]

If you don't want crowded, Rosemary Beach proper is nice because you're getting restricted beach access. Check all those like Homeaway but the place we found in Rosemary Beach was on their website under rentals. You can specify the number of bedrooms. 

https://rosemarybeach.com/rentals/

[Baboontyme 2832]

I get that it's not for everyone, but we had a great trip at Sandestin. The condo we stayed in was gorgeous. It was on the far end of the resort on the beach, and our area of the beach was not very crowded at all. Yet we could walk 400 yards down the beach to the center of the Circus for food and drinks if we wanted to. It came with a golf cart (necessity in my research), and that made it super easy to access the little "town". Which was actually quite nice - it was like a kid's version of the old Pleasure Island. Ropes course, zip line, tower climb, ice cream shop, playground, restaurants, bars, live music, etc. The resort is so huge that there were plenty of places to eat and drink at, and did not have to leave, which was good because Highway 98 was fucking awful. Again we aren't beach snobs. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. We head a great trip. 

[Hate 20155]

On 8/3/2019 at 12:25 PM, BBQ2Bayou said:

I've been tasked to find something around Rosemary beach for March. My folks want something small for the whole month and then an additional 3 or 4 bedroom for a week of that for my sister's family and probably me, that are close to each other. It doesn't have to be Rosemary beach, but I've been there briefly and think that would fit the best. I haven't looked at prices, but money needs to be a consideration, and I don't know if that rules out some of the areas around there. Doesn't have to be 1000 a week, but can't be 5000 a week, either. Also needs to be a pretty short walk to the beach. 

We went to Seaside last March and I liked it, but it was a little crowded for what they would like. They won't want to be out away from everything, though.    Also, I don't know if it is common on that 30A stretch, but the stairs were brutally steep to the beach from our condo. My folks aren't able to do that these days without a lot of effort. 

Do I just need to scour Homeaway, VRBO, etc.? Is one area significantly different in price than others right there? Also saw Grayton beach mentioned above. That's a place I've heard good things about, but I didn't go there, that I recall. 

Look into Santa Rosa beach.  It's on 30A, but it's not as expensive or as crowded as Rosemary Beach.  We stayed in a house on Blue Mountain Road a few years ago and it had a private pool and was a 5 minute walk to the beach(probably less if you don't have little ones).  It was the house right next to the ice cream shop in Santa Rosa. It's a 5 or 10 minute drive to Rosemary, Watercolor, and Seacrest but it's not nearly as crowded or expensive.  Now if you really want to do it right, book some rooms at The Pearl Hotel in Rosemary.  It's outstanding.  The bar there is first class and where everyone in Rosemary goes at night.  We had a blast there.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Hate

[Brew 3049]

On 8/14/2019 at 12:45 AM, Hate said:

Look into Santa Rosa beach.  It's on 30A, but it's not as expensive or as crowded as Rosemary Beach.  We stayed in a house on Blue Mountain Road a few years ago and it had a private pool and was a 5 minute walk to the beach(probably less if you don't have little ones).  It was the house right next to the ice cream shop in Santa Rosa. It's a 5 or 10 minute drive to Rosemary, Watercolor, and Seacrest but it's not nearly as crowded or expensive.  Now if you really want to do it right, book some rooms at The Pearl Hotel in Rosemary.  It's outstanding.  The bar there is first class and where everyone in Rosemary goes at night.  We had a blast there.

Blue Mountain Beach Creamery is the ice cream shop. For probably the last 10 or so years up until last year, we stayed at a condo (San Remo) about half mile from there. That’s the best stretch of beach in my opinion still. Goatfeathers which is across the street from the ice cream shop is one of my kids favorite places to eat.

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

We did Santa Rosa Beach last year and we all liked it. I was under the impression Rosemary Beach would not be as crowded, that's why I was leaning toward it. If that's not the case, SRB was really nice. The only drawback, as I mentioned, is the place where we stayed had very steep stairs to the beach. Surely we can find a place that's not as bad around there though. I'd think at least.