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At Love to Stay 30A, we love helping you find the best vacation rental homes for a family. We have spacious 30A cottages for families, right on the beach, or homes in communities with massive community swimming pools. If you’re planning a 30A beach vacation with family, you’re in for a great time. South Walton beaches are the perfect place to enjoy fun in the sun with the kids. We’ve got loads of practical tips and hacks for your family beach day. We want to make your family vacation even better with these great ideas.
Looking for tips for the perfect 30A family beach vacation? We've got ideas from sand-free bags to kid-friendly snacks!
At Love to Stay 30A, we love helping you find the best vacation rental homes for a family. We have spacious 30A cottages for families, right on the beach, or homes in communities with massive community swimming pools. If you’re planning a 30A beach vacation with family, you’re in for a great time. South Walton beaches are the perfect place to enjoy fun in the sun with the kids. We’ve got loads of practical tips and hacks for your family beach day. We want to make your family vacation even better with these great ideas.
What kid (or adult) doesn’t love an adventure? Summer vacation is the perfect time to try something new and exciting together. Experiences like parasailing, bodyboarding or a day at surf school are sure to become memories you’ll treasure for years to come. Get out on the water with a glass bottom boat tour, kayak, fishing, sailing or personal watercraft like a Jet Ski or WaveRunner. Snorkel off the beach or take a snorkeling or diving tour with the older kids.
When preparing for a day on the beach, it’s easy to get carried away and wind up overpacking. The tendency to bring too much will leave you feeling frustrated, disorganized and exhausted from hauling your stuff from and to the car. Packing the essentials doesn’t have to be complicated. Take advantage of the amenities available to you. Rent a beach umbrella along Rosemary Beach so you don’t have to bring your own. If you’re staying at a 30A resort or hotel, check if they have poolside and beachside towels to lighten your load. Some hotels even have pool and beach toys available for guest use. If you stay at one of our beautiful 30A vacation rental homes, check to see what’s included. Most homes come with beach towels, beach wagon and other gear. While you’ll have to bring it along for your beach day, it’s nice to be able to pack less in your suitcase.
Some basic things you’ll want to bring on your beach day:
· Towels
· Swimsuits (UV protective is best!)
· Cover-ups
· Sunglasses
· Hat
· Chap stick with SPF
· Sunscreen (apply at home before you go and again at the beach, reapply frequently)
· Flip flops or water shoes
It’s no secret that South Walton beaches are crazy busy during peak season. If you enjoy space and solitude, fighting to find a free space of sand to spread your towel in the midst of the crowd is probably not your dream beach vacation. If you’re not able to visit 30A beaches during the slower months, you’ll want to plan to go early—or late during the summer to avoid crowds. Not only will you avoid the rush, you’ll dodge the middle day rays, when UV light is the most intense! Peak sun hours are usually 10 am-2 pm. Eat a granola bar in the car and hit the beach in the early hours; or sleep in, enjoy a long, late lunch and get to the beach in the late afternoon. You can even catch the sunset!
Sure, you could walk or bike to a nearby convenience store or ice cream shop for a beach snack break but daily snack trips can get costly quick. Bringing your own snacks and drinks is a great way to save money and keep little bellies satisfied and mood swings at bay! Bring your own foods in small baggies to avoid sandy hands destroying a big, family sized bag. Sand-proof snacks like squeeze yogurt and applesauce are great.
Stay hydrated. Hydrating food like fruit is a great snack pick but always be sure to bring insulated, reusable water bottles of cold water and ice. Even when you’re not feeling thirsty, drink! Bring along a small cooler with juice boxes and electrolyte drinks. For the grown-ups: a cold beer or pina colada may be tempting but keep in mind alcohol is dehydrating. If you are going to enjoy an adult beverage, be sure to drink plenty of water, too.
Let’s face it, one of the worst parts of going to the beach is the fact the sand usually ends up coming home with you. While rinsing off on the way out and shaking off your shoes before getting in the car are some good basic tips, we have one more to consider. We love using a mesh bag on beach trips. Just shake the sand out at the end of the day. Plus you can see what’s inside easily.
During the COVID-19 quarantine, restaurants around the country are pivoting to meet their customers’ new needs. From online ordering to contactless delivery, more and more places are finding new ways to stay in business and adjust to the new normal. While takeout food orders and grab and go places were always a 30A staple because beachgoers love a quick pick up, they’ve found a renewed popularity as quarantiners experience serious kitchen burnout.
If you’re a seasoned camper, you know that fall and winter is the best time to visit and stay comfortably without the oppressive heat. If you’re a first-time camper, camping is a unique way to experience the area and there are many different types of camping. From roughing it old school on a primitive tent site to glamping with your own AC unit or loading up the RV with all your favorite creature comforts. Here we recommend camping along Scenic Route 30As award-winning Florida State Parks.
It’s no easy feat listing the best beaches along 30A! Any beach you visit here will not fail to charm you with its unparalleled beauty, each unique in its own way. There are 16 beach communities along Scenic Highway 30A, and no matter where you’re staying, you’ll won’t have to drive far along the 18-mile meandering coastal two-lane highway, to experience some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Getting ready for a beach vacation is an exciting time but it can also be stressful packing and making sure you’ve thought of everything you’ll need for fun in the sun. From sufficient sun protection to avoiding bringing half the sand on the beach home with you, there’s a lot to consider. Sure, you can always pick up anything you forgot in the area after you arrive but you’ll end up paying a lot more from a tourist-y convenience store than shopping your own bathroom closet for free. This beach vacation packing list will help guide you to make your packing process a lot easier and get you on your way to 30A feeling confident and prepared. Our list of beach essentials handles everything from the basics to the extras so you won’t forget a thing.
There’s no doubt that summer is the most popular time of year to visit the 30A area. But does that mean it’s the best time of year for a Florida beach vacation? Not necessarily… we absolutely love 30A in the fall and today we’re going to share why. If you’re ready to learn the many things there are to love about fall on the west coast of Florida, keep reading!
At Love to Stay 30A, we want you to enjoy your 30A vacation to the max. Sometimes an unexpected rainy day, sudden sickness and even a global pandemic (we’re looking at you, COVID-19) can put a hamper on your good time out and about. If you’re looking for fun things to do while you stay safe and stay at home in our of our luxury 30A vacation rental homes, we’ve got plenty of great ideas for you. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite fun things to do at “home” for your 30A vacay.
