ftl panhandle

92 ftl + may/june ftl + may/june 93

It’s Saturday at Big Mama’s Hula Girl Gallery, and Big Mama herself is pouring white wine and inviting everyone to dish up some Cajun rice and beans in the back, “’Cause, honey, if it ain’t fun, we don’t do it!” The Steenos, a local bluegrass band, are setting up between Phil Kiser’s mosaic broken glass art and a tableaux installation of Miss Pretty Pregnant Princess of the Motor Court. Even if you don’t know a soul, it’s impossible to pop into this Grayton Beach gallery of local artists for just a peek. That’s because Mama (a.k.a. Deb Weant-Lane) knows how to turn a gallery gathering into a rockin’ neighborhood party.

For the past few decades, the emerald coastline surrounding Grayton Beach — known collectively and affectionately as the Florida Panhandle — has been the South’s best-kept secret, drawing visitors and second-home owners from Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, with whom the area shares two borders and a time zone (CST). While Northerners bypassed this swath of pine forests, wetlands and beaches, these Southerners — and folks like Big Mama — have created a demand for a family-friendly destination where spacious beach houses rent by the week and laid-back beach bars welcome kids and dogs.

STory Megan PadIll a PHoToGrAPHy l arry nIghSwander

poised for perfectionThere’s a little-known corner of the state with an emerald coast lined with sweet beach houses, funky galleries and fish camps that only a few know about — but that’s about to change. We present the new Panhandle.

Clockwise from top left: rosemary Beach, red Bar in grayton Beach, alys Beach architecture, St. george Island rental, a roadside lunch on St. george Island, a taste of Fish Out of water at waterColor Inn, a row of beach homes on St. george, Big Mama’s hula girl gallery, beach cruisers, apalachicola.


Families have long established summer rituals at places such as St. George Island, Panama City Beach, Seagrove, Grayton Beach and Fort Walton. But it wasn’t until the late ’80s when a pastel-perfect, idealized community called Seaside debuted here that this northwest corner of the state began to draw the world’s attention.

Immortalized as the setting of the 1998 Jim Carrey film, The Tru-man Show, Seaside put the Beaches of South Walton on the map as the birthplace of New Urbanism, or Traditional Neighborhood Develop-ment (TND), a town-planning concept where communities are built for pedestrians rather than cars. Similar communities followed on this same stretch of route 30-A, including rosemary Beach, WaterColor and the newest, Alys Beach. This created an abundant rental pool of custom cottages with vast porches from which you could chat with neighbors. All were within walking distance of the beach, shops and services. It wasn’t just a vacation for sale, but a lifestyle.

yet this region remains among the least known and understood in the state — until now. Late last year, construction began on the long-awaited Panama City-Bay County International Airport on land that was donated by the St. Joe Company, the state’s largest private land-owner. The first airport to be built in the United States since 9/11, it is expected to do more than just add to the flight schedules of nearby regional airports in Tallahassee, Panama City, Fort Walton and Pen-sacola. When it opens in 2010, it may just end up transforming the region much the way Fort Lauderdale and Naples changed after the debut of their international airports.

Visit northwest Florida today and you’ll see hundreds of millions of dollars in forward-thinking development — quite often in an admirable state of harmony with conservation. This, coupled with Caribbean-like gentle waters and the state’s most unique, sun-reflecting sand (made from a composite of minerals washed down from the Appa-lachian Mountains), makes for a Florida beach experience unlike any other. Insiders are betting the Panhandle is truly — finally — coming into its own, making now the perfect time to go.

DISTINCT POSSIBILITIES

The Panhandle is a seemingly endless stretch of beaches book-ended by two impressively preserved and surprisingly hip historic towns, nearly 200-year-old Apalachicola to the east and 450-year-old Pensacola to the west. Just offshore from Apalachicola is the 28-mile-long St. George Island, the kind of place where you see big groups piling in and out of spacious beach houses, their days revolving around sand and surf. The guys may catch some fish, or buy from the seafood trailer down the road, and everyone gets involved in cooking feasts. Apalachicola — famous for its oysters — is the town that supports St. George Island. There’s a Piggly Wiggly and the old-time owl Café with its homemade English toffee cheesecake, a favorite with locals and longtime visitors alike.

northwest Florida’s

indigenous pine trees

skirt the gulf.

The Panhandle is a seemingly endless stretch of beaches book-ended by two historic

towns, nearly 200-year-old Apalachicola to the east and 450-year-old Pensacola to the west.


A bridge to the island wasn’t built until 1965. “That’s when things started to happen,” says Alice Collins, who remembers visiting with her husband in the early ’60s on the Sirus Ferry. “It ran twice a day and held nine vehicles, if one was a Volkswagen,” she says. The couple moved to the island in 1973 and Alice started a real estate agency. “I’ve rented homes to third- and fourth-generations of fami-lies. In many cases they rent the same house, or as they grow, they gravitate to larger houses where they can all stay together.”

Alice recalls selling her first beachfront lot in 1973 for $15,000. “In 2003, we were selling beachfront lots for $3 million. But prices have been creeping down since 2005. We’ve got a real buyer’s market now,” she says. “The only thing selling are the bargains.”

About two and a half hours west lies the booming Beaches of South Walton. But first, there’s Panama City Beach, perhaps the most familiar of the beach towns due to its string of spring break blowouts in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The area is undergoing a total transformation, including several upscale high-rise condos and hotels that have all but replaced the postwar mom-and-pop motels. The new Towne of Seahaven, for example, is a luxury beachside community being developed adjacent to the new Pier Park outdoor shopping complex, all in the heart of town.

The Beaches of South Walton is least known for high-rise con-dos (they’re pretty much nonexistent) and best known for its TNDs: Seaside, rosemary Beach, WaterColor and the three-year-old Alys Beach. But long before those, there were historic communities like Seagrove and 123-year-old Grayton Beach, where wood cottages

with high rooflines to carry away summer heat withstood weather and time. (Quite a few of these well-maintained oldies are popular with vacationers who prefer a more nostalgic beach escape.) “The newer developments paid homage by capturing the architecture that was here,” says Johnny Earles, chef and owner of Criolla’s restaurant in Grayton Beach while out for grouper sandwiches at one of his other fave eateries, the casually elegant Gravel road. With all the changes in the area, he and his wife, Debbie, and their 18-year-old son, Jonathan, confirm one constant over the 25 years they’ve lived here: an incred-ibly diverse ecosystem that includes more than 26 miles of pristine beaches as well as dunes, rivers, freshwater and saltwater coastal dune lakes, and the vast Choctawhatchee Bay.

In 1996 the South Walton Conservation and Development Trust created a blueprint for future growth that would ensure a balance of development and preservation. Forty percent of the land is owned by the state and will never be developed. Add to that the portion that developers set aside on each project — for instance, nearly half of WaterColor’s 499 acres are green space or preserved in their natural state — and you have an impressive amount of land that will remain just as it is, regardless of how popular the area becomes.

Jonathan says he sees the same bald eagles, fox and whitetail deer that he saw as a little boy. His mom agrees. “That’s why people come here,” says Debbie. “you can kayak the lakes, the Gulf and the rivers. you can paddle out to see the dolphins and turtles.” She also notes the excellent public beach access that disperses density with several small parking areas rather than “a huge lot piled with cars.”

St. george Island salt

marshes. Opposite

clockwise from top

left: Caliza Pool at

alys Beach, Fish Out

of water manager Jaie

O’Banner, unspoiled

St. george Island, Owl

Café in apalachicola.

The one constant over the years has been an incredibly diverse ecosystem.


EARLY BUZZ

Seaside started it all in 1981, and today all but 20 of its 400 lots are developed. Few cottages are Gulf-front, and none are directly on the beach, but rather on the inland side of the undisturbed dunes

(where houses are built with the main living spaces on the upper floors to capture the views). The majority are on the north side of 30-A, within easy walking distance of the beach and shops.

At first glance the area looks perfect — maybe a little too perfect. Khakis and crisp white shirts seem like the unofficial dress code. But spend some time here, says Birmingham resident Liz rhoades, and it starts to feel pretty homey.

“My first visit was a trip with some girlfriends a few years ago. When we arrived, a bunch of kids who looked alike were playing on the town green. We rode our bikes around and looked at the archi-tecture all weekend. It was so peaceful; we didn’t want to leave.”

While communities like these are often criticized for too much homogeneity and not enough soul, Seaside, and most of the others near it, is comprised of mostly mom-and-pop merchants that help boost the down-home feel.

“The last time my husband and I were in WaterColor, we dis-covered a little bar called Cerulean’s that’s also an art gallery and bookstore. The owner spent time showing us around, telling us about the art and upcoming readings and musicians who were set to play there. With leopard-print chairs and Scrabble available for play, it was a very warm, eclectic place.”

A semi-annual town yard sale is another excuse for folks here to gather. It lures hundreds from across the Panhandle and beyond to the town green to recycle the coolest cast-offs this side of Green-wich Village. The 60-plus independently owned businesses get in on the action too. Distressed leather bags from Persinipacity are marked down from $115 to $28. Leather flip-flops from the surf shop, ono, are just 10 bucks (eavesdropping on the teenage clerks’ latest crushes is absolutely free). At Sundog Books, the sound of a vocalist performing on the deck upstairs at Central Square records seeps through the open door to provide the perfect Saturday sound-track. And always, there are the beaches whose admirers resist packing up long after the bell rings at Bud & Alley’s, indicating the precise moment when the sun sets.

Nature is the inspiration at nearby rosemary Beach, where a lone swimmer does laps before heading to the on-site Starbucks for a latte and a leisurely look at the New York Times. This more mod-ern — and slightly more grown-up — version of Seaside features mixed-use buildings that combine residential flats with downtown businesses such as Patchoulis’ skincare boutique. A daily ritual is a long walk on the never-too-hot, quartz-sand beach that gives the water its alluring turquoise color. The Western Green, one of two manicured public green spaces surrounded by wood and masonry buildings, provides the illusion of being in a European village. There’s even a bed and breakfast with a tiny, packed-nightly bistro, onano. But make no mistake: This is pure Florida, where beach cruis-ers rule the streets and outdoor showers to wash off sand come standard at most of the custom-built homes.

FRESH FACES

While celebrating their one-year anniversary last year, rhoades and her husband, ryan, noticed a few changes surrounding 30-A. “New developments were everywhere, including one modern Mediterranean one,” she says. rhoades, who has escaped to the Panhandle for weekend getaways for 11 years, is referring to Alys Beach, the newest TND on the scene. Founded by a local family who has lived in the area since the 1940s, each of the 600 homes expected by 2020 is required to meet Florida’s Green Home Designation Standards. Gone are the cottages and front porches. In their place are whitewashed masonry structures on cobble-stoned, pedestrian-only streets. Some homes are built to the edge of the property, and encompass their own courtyard that blurs indoor and outdoor living. Though the effect is pure Mediterranean-chic, the style wasn’t intentional, say develop-ers, but rather the effect after making environmentally sensitive choices. For instance, the white color reflects the sun and helps keep the homes cool.

Alys Beach may be designed to appeal to cosmopolitan buyers from San Francisco to Paris, but it’s attracting locals too. George and Ann Hartley, owners of the area’s popular hangout, Seagrove Village Market Café, were among the first owners and will open their new restaurant, George’s at Alys Beach, this summer. Though the town village is yet to come, Alys Beach isn’t short of places or opportuni-ties to interact with neighbors.

There’s the Aprés Beach party with live music held every Friday night at Fonville Press, a coffee shop, wine bar and newsstand that

serves as the unofficial town hall. There are shrimp boils and movie nights. But it’s the breathtaking Caliza Pool around which social life revolves. The dramatic complex of three unique pools includes a 75-foot covered lap pool with underwater speakers through which you can listen to music from your MP3 player. Cabanas include flat-screen televisions and Wi-Fi, plus there’s a bar and grill and a Moroccan-inspired lounge area. As Mobile resident Chris Bou-dreaux, who owns a home in nearby rosemary Beach, says, “This is going to be one of the most photographed places in Florida.”

More newbies can be found 45 minutes west on Highway 98, past upscale shopping areas such as Grande Boulevard and the Destin Commons. you may wonder if you’ve missed Destin, “the luckiest fishing village in the world,” altogether. But you can’t miss the new Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village, a towering fort-like structure that stands at the base of the Destin Bridge. Four bodies of water converge here like twisting strands of shaded blue (all are visible from any Gulf-front room): the Gulf of Mexico, Destin Har-bor, Choctawhatchee Bay, and the channel that opens into the Gulf and passes beneath the soaring bridge. To the left is the vast har-bor whose shore is lined with all manner of fishing boats and huge wood-planked restaurants on stilts with wide outdoor decks.

This place is for those who like everything they could ever need — and maybe a few things they didn’t realize that they really, really wanted — in one giant resort-style complex. Emerald Grande’s condos have been open since last year. HarborWalk Village is its waterfront shopping, dining and nightlife district. Some of New orleans’ landmark restaurants, such as Camelia Grill and Com-

Sunset on a pier over

the St. george Sound.

Seaside’s pedestrian-

friendly streets are ripe

for biking (opposite).

Make no mistake. This is pure Florida, where beach cruisers rule and outdoor showers to wash off sand come standard.


mander’s Palace, will debut here this summer. Next to it all is the harbor, where you can charter a fishing boat or park yourself on the raised decks of AJ’s or the Lucky Snapper for happy hour at just about any time of day.

Cross the bridge to Fort Walton and continue on to Pensacola, where you’ll come into the true historic heart of Northwest Florida. While St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and claims to be the oldest city in the United States, Pensacola begs to differ. The first European colonization in the United States was attempted here in 1559, but a hurricane devastated supplies and the settlers evacuated at their first chance. (For a look at how the city has already begun celebrat-ing its 450th birthday next year, go to page 28.)

Little-known Pensacola has a vital city center where Thursday concerts in Seville Square end with alfresco dining at area restau-rants like Fish House, home to the Grits a ya ya with smoked Gouda, jumbo shrimp and applewood-smoked bacon. Historic buildings here are refitted into one-of-a-kind shops such as Susan Campbell Jewelry, which features work by mostly female designers.

Florida’s westernmost corner has evolved at its own pace, set-ting a new standard for beachside living and family vacationing. Whether the region’s new international airport spurs a boom or not, one thing is clear: It will make arriving at this vacation and second-home destination extremely easy. And once the rest of the world steals a look at this pristine piece of Florida landscape, the Panhandle will no longer be anyone’s secret.

Seaside’s cottages are

in the new Urbanism

style. Opposite clock-

wise from top left: Blue

Parrot Oceanfront Café

on St. george, alys

Beach’s distinct Medi-

terranean design, living

right on the sand on

St. george Island, alys

Beach’s shaded pool.

Florida’s westernmost corner has evolved at its own pace, setting a

new standard for beachside living.

at a g l a n c e + panhandle

aPal aCh ICO l a apalachicolabay.org

B e aCh e S O F SOUth waltO n beachesofsouth walton.com Seaside seaside.com rosemary Beach rosemarybeach.com waterColor Inn watercolorinn.com alys Beach alysbeach.com

de StIn/ FO rt waltO n destin-fwb.com, harbor walkdestin.com

Pana M a CIt y B e aCh pcbeach.org

Pe n SaCO l a visitpensacola.com

St. g eO rg e IS l an dcollinsvacationrentals.com

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