Blue Mountain Beach:
Blue Mountain Beach is one of many spots along Walton C30-A. C30-A used to be the express route to surfing Panama City from the west or Fort Walton Beach from the east. The curving scenic road, bordered by coastal lakes, had no stop signs, and you could drive 90 miles an hour and see the beach along the way. It was widely known that there was only one police car in South Walton County, and he was usually at the station, drinking coffee.
Now, the 20-mile beach road has become like the French Riviera, North Florida’s enclave for the rich, but the series of architecturally controlled pedestrian towns and funky, eccentric, 100-year-old villages remain a great diversion on your way to Panama City. For obvious reasons, C30-A is no longer the express route. Speed bumps, stoplights and a thousand ticket-writers in shiny new squad cars are waiting for you to go more than 40 mph. The road is still scenic and beautiful, though, and has a few mediocre-to-good surf spots.
To find C-30A from the west, follow Highway 98 east, past Destin, into Sandestin. Three miles past Sandestin Resort, turn right at the Happy Store onto C-30A. From the east, follow Highway 98 through Panama City until you go over the Inlet Beach Bridge and enter Walton County. Three miles after the bridge, take a left at the Tom Thumb food store onto Scenic 30-A.
Blue Mountain Beach is the first real surf spot along Scenic Road-30 A. A handful of diehard locals surf the spot religiously, and go nowhere else. Follow C30-A east from Highway 98 to the second four-way stop. Take a right directly up to the parking area. There is a very good outside and a mushier, deeper inside. This spot is also one of the highest points in Florida. The cliff looks out over the beach from a beach access and boardwalk.
Bud and Alley’s:
Located behind Bud and Alley’s restaurant in Seaside, this is a popular surf spot more for its location than the quality of the wave. The inside is mediocre at best, but the outside is great on big days. If you want to spend the day catching waves and languishing on the beach with the rich and famous, hit the break behind Bud’s, as the locals call it. In the summer, expect to see kids learning how to surf, yuppie longboarders and teens showing off their boards to the rich girls.
Seaside is a community of pastel-colored cottages, tin roofs and picket fences. This is the town where wealthy Southern aristocrats and international travelers come to spend a week or two in the summer. While it’s expensive to stay there, it’s probably the most romantic spot in North Florida, and a great place to walk around town with your girl or guy. Seaside and Bud and Alley’s are two miles east of Grayton Beach on Scenic Road C-30A. From Panama City, follow Highway 98 west to the Inlet beach bridge, then take a left onto C-30A at the Tom Thumb food store, three miles past the bridge.
Grayton Beach:
Grayton Beach is the Key West of North Florida, an eclectic mix of wild, beer-swilling old-timers, musicians, artists and yuppies. Some of the locals are a little quirky, but unpretentious and friendly. Grayton is a midbreak that works left and right and has better quality on small days, below head-high. The wave is at the mouth of a coastal lake outflow, meaning that the sandbars are dependent on the flow. It cannot be classified as a rivermouth, yet the waves do favor these built-up sandbars. In fact, there are 15 coastal lakes in Walton County, and they all probably have good beachbreaks in front of them.
From Panama City, follow Highway 98 west through Sandestin, and take a left at the light onto Old Highway 98 at the Winn Dixie Shopping Center. Drive about four miles. Driving from the west, follow Highway 98 east through Sandestin. Go about two miles past Sandestin, and take a right turn on C-30A. Follow the beach road to Grayton Beach. Take a right on to Defuniak Street at the four-way stop, just past the redwood Grayton Beach sign. Follow the road around past the Red Bar Restaurant and turn right to the beach ramp. Only permitted cars owned by residents can drive on the beach, so you’ll have to walk the boardwalk.