We just returned from a Fall family vacation that we sure won’t forget. The Fall is such a beautiful time to travel, almost anywhere. This time, we were at the beach, for almost 2 weeks and it was just wonderful. Fall is our favorite season to be take a trip to the beach for many reasons. But here are a few of our favorites.
1. Affordability: Rentals drop just after Labor Day, making your trip much more affordable. During the Spring and Summer, the prices for rentals at the beach can just be outrageous because it’s a popular time to travel. If you wait just a few months, you can get a house or condo for half the price, sometimes even more.
We stayed at Carillon Beach with ResortQuest for part of our time in Florida and loved it. They have a great deal going on right now. Take 20% off your stay of 3 nights or more – now through the end of 2015. Use code SERENITY at checkout or by calling 855.969.3216.
We have always loved staying on the white, powdery, sandy beaches in Northwest Florida but have never stayed in the Carillon Beach community until this trip. This gated community makes you feel like you’re far away from all the hustle and bustle of Panama City because it’s so quaint and quiet. But really, you’re within 15 minutes to all Panama City has to offer and just a hop, skip, and a jump to all the amenities that 30A has to offer. This community is on the beach is a development that has adorable houses, condos, restaurants, shops, and more! This active community offers paved paths throughout, plus Lake Carillon—a 13-acre freshwater lake—and private beach access.
There are several pools throughout the community. One is beachside and the other is the Bellview Park Pool. We really liked the Bellview Park Pool. The water seemed to be warmer and there was a grassy area where our older boys loved playing football with other kids in the community, as well as a cute little playground right next to the pool. The grassy area and playground were so close to the pool, I felt comfortable letting my boys go over there to play while I stayed in the pool area to relax. I could still see them and they could have a little more free reign on where they go.
It was so beautiful and definitely had the beach-y feel. This beautiful three bedroom, three bathroom cottage is located in the heart of Carillon just steps from the beach. It’s a one story home that has something for everyone in the family. The front portion of the home has a beautiful porch swing as well an open living space / kitchen that is great for family dinners. The bedrooms are in the rear of the house and they each have bathroom access. The backyard contains a screened in porch as well as a BBQ station perfect for beach nights.
The kitchen was well equipped with everything you needed to cook any meal. The only thing it didn’t have that I’ve seen in other rentals was a crockpot and blender. We loved the stainless appliances and granite countertops. It really did make us feel like we were at home.
The living room had plenty of space for the entire family! With two couches and an open floor plan, you can entertain quite a few in the living area and kitchen. You definitely won’t feel like you’re on top of each other in this living space.
The bedrooms were nice and up to date, as well as the bathrooms. We loved that each bedroom had an adjoining bathroom. This made it very convenient to come in from the beach and get cleaned up before dinner and not have to cross a hallway to get to a bathroom.
One of our favorite features was the outside shower. After a long day at the beach, we definitely had sand EVERYWHERE. IT was easy to clean up and rinse off with the outside shower without having to bring in sand to the house.
The backyard was big enough for the kids to play (which you don’t find this amenity in many beach communities or condos) if they needed to get some energy out. They played frisbee and had plenty of space to run. There was also a grill and smoker available to use.
The home had quite a bit of items to use such as beach toys, boogie boards, beach chairs, floats, and even bikes! This will help you when you’re packing for your trip. Leave all that stuff at home and use what the home has to offer.
2. Crowds: Everyone seems to want to vacation in the Spring and Summer, which makes it very crowded. Come September – November, people don’t have the beach on their minds. The beaches are less crowded, you can walk right in to dinner at area restaurants, and the attractions don’t have a line. All those places that were packed during the summer are now less crowded and easy to get in.
One morning, we took a break from the beach to go to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach. This was the perfect place to go to to give our sun burned faces a break. Our 6 year old really loves dolphins and whales so he was super excited to see what all this place had to offer.
Gulfarium has quite a lot of animals to see. From dolphins to penguins, to seals, sea lions, alligators, sharks, and more. There is a little bit of everything and it’s very hands on, which we love!
As a general admission guest, you have access to all of the exhibits, shows, training demonstrations, and more! In addition, you have the option to sign up for any of the animal encounters prior to or during your visit.
Florida residents are eligible for discounted park admission from September 8, 2015 through February 28, 2016. Proof of Florida residency required upon purchase and use. Discounted tickets cannot be used for park visits from December 20, 2015 – January 2, 2016.
One of our favorite things about Gulfarium was that it was directly on the beach. The location was beautiful!
My youngest loved all the starfish. His favorite thing was being able to touch and hold them! This video shows his excitement of how “cute” they are!
Pizza by the Sea was our first stop when we arrived in Santa Rosa Beach. We had heard all the great reviews and had to make a stop there. The open air restaurant was perfect! Right across from the beach, in Gulf Place was the perfect location.
Our boys had the pizza and I had the baked spaghetti. Woah, was it amazing. The portions were pretty big so I had baked spaghetti for lunch the next day as well. The menu had LOTS to offer and we highly recommend the greek salad as well.
3. Weather: The weather is absolutely gorgeous this time of year on the beach. Like, stunning. Breathtaking, cool mornings with warm, but not hot sunsets at night. Average high in the summer in Northwest Florida is in the 90’s, during the Fall? In the 80’s. We had perfect weather the past couple of weeks. No humidity, which means no bad hair days, which we all know is important, don’t we friends? When you walk out on the beach early morning or in the evening, you may even need a jacket. But, it’s warm enough to swim during the day and the ocean water is still pretty warm. It really is the ideal time to visit the beach in Northwest Florida.
Some restaurants we would recommend along 30A and in Panama City:
4. Boon Docks
Don’t forget to take advantage of the great deal Wyndham / Resort Quest has going on for 20% off your stay of 3 nights or more in Northwest Florida. Just use SERENITY at checkout.
The beach in the Fall is really our favorite. Have you visited the beach in the Fall? What was your experience?
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