Originally Posted by LemonThrower
I second the vote forthe panhandle.
the gulf is nicer, less coarse sand. less waves too, if that matters. fewer people. the fla part is nicer than tx I'm told. Pcola and destin are a bit crowded, but St. George island is nice. There is a B&B there that is half a block from the beach, and dumpy looking motel on the beach. lots of vactaion rentals, but they prefer a full week. plenty of restaurants, bike rentals, etc.
its not the ritz but that is sort of the point.
I would third the panhandle. While South Florida is nice, we are talking about July in South Florida. In the words of Neil Simon, it is HOT, African HOT. If you happen to get a weekend where there is no ocean breeze, it can be unbearable.
I like the Sandestin Resort, just east of Destin. Less crowded, nice beaches. Here is the website:
Sandestin Resort
The beaches are pretty much uncrowded on the resort grounds and nearby parks' beaches are completely empty. Destin Harbor has several nice places to eat.
Further down Greyton Beach gets rated as one of the top beaches in the world.