Your Seaside/30A CME conference.

Seaside/30A after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Seaside/30A time. Visit South Walton describes Seaside as a town where groceries, the post office, boutiques, restaurants, parks and the beach are all within a short walk or bike ride. Vintage trailers on Airstream Row serve grilled cheese and sweet treats, and the Seaside Amphitheater is the central gathering spot for concerts, outdoor movies, farmers markets and seasonal events. Visit Florida describes the water off Seaside as shallow and emerald with small surf. The town was the setting for the 1998 film The Truman Show. Sundog Books and Ruskin Place are among its local spots. Event schedules change, so check the calendar for the afternoon you have in mind.

Travel, lodging and attraction entry are arranged separately from your study day. Pick one town or one park per afternoon, because the beach neighborhoods are spread along the coast.

A town for every mood along 30A

South Walton has 16 beach neighborhoods along 26 miles of coast, and Visit South Walton gives each its own character. Grayton Beach is described as unpretentious, with shaded streets, live oaks and wooden bungalows. Rosemary Beach has cobblestone streets, West Indies and European-inspired architecture, courtyards and a Bell Tower above the Town Center, and the community describes its design as allowing destinations to be reached within about a five-minute walk. Alys Beach is known for white walls and lush greenery, and Inlet Beach is described as a classic beach town that generations have visited.

WaterColor covers nearly 500 acres and mixes restaurants, boutiques, cottages, resorts and spas, and Visit Florida calls it well suited to biking and walking. Choose a town for its pace rather than trying to see all of them in one outing.

Dune lakes and state parks

Walton County has 15 named coastal dune lakes, which Visit South Walton describes as shallow, irregular basins about 5 feet deep on average, with an intermittent outfall to the Gulf. The board says lakes like these exist in only a few places worldwide, including Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and Oregon. Their brownish color comes from decomposing organic matter, and visitors can fish, watch birds, hike, kayak or paddleboard on and around them. Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park provide direct access. Grayton Beach State Park, about 2,228 acres, has a dune lake for kayaking, dune trails and roughly a mile of beach, according to Visit Florida. The Boathouse Paddle Club in WaterColor sits on Western Lake, a dune lake.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is at 7525 W Co Hwy 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. Its listing describes about three miles of white sand backed by dunes over 25 feet tall, rare coastal dune lakes and a tram to the beach. Visit Florida adds that the preserve covers about 1,640 acres, including old-growth longleaf pines. Deer Lake State Park has a boardwalk over the dunes to the beach. Check each park’s days and closures before you go.

Trails and bike rides

Blue Mountain Beach is where the Eastern Lake Hike/Bike Trail begins, and Visit Florida mentions blue lupine wildflowers and some of the Gulf Coast’s highest dunes. Visit South Walton lists bike tours of local shops and galleries in Santa Rosa Beach and hiking and biking trails at WaterSound and Dune Allen.

The 30A Trail in Seagrove Beach is about half a mile, easy and flat, and links to the Eastern Lake Trail System. It sits on the Great Florida Birding Trail, allows leashed dogs, and its turnaround overlooks the headwaters of a rare coastal dune lake. It is reached through a rustic campsite in Point Washington State Forest, so allow extra time for finding the parking area beside the Greenway Station.

When to visit Seaside/30A

Visit South Walton’s month-by-month guide describes January and February as mild, with averages around the 50s or 60s and a quiet, laid-back atmosphere. Swimming is possible, but most visitors relax on the sand. March reaches the 60s and 70s with water that is still cool. April and May run from the mid-70s to the mid-80s with low humidity and infrequent rain, though the water has not reached its warmest. June brings 80s, afternoon showers and more beachgoers, and July and August are the hottest months, with highs that can reach the 90s. September is usually still warm, with crowds easing after school resumes, October keeps the summer-warmed water, and November and December are mild with low humidity. Check the forecast for the week you travel.

Getting to Seaside/30A and your study setting

Visit South Walton lists two airports, each about 35 miles from South Walton: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) in Panama City Beach and Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). The VPS site gives its address as State Road 85 North at Eglin Air Force Base and says it is run by Okaloosa County. South Walton is about 25 miles south of Interstate 10 along Emerald Coast Parkway, and the visitor center is at 25777 US Highway 331 South in Santa Rosa Beach. Allow for the drive between the airport and your beach neighborhood.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.