Florida Panhandle Beaches?

[dopeymomof4]

I don't know if this is in the right forum...

Okay, here's the scoop. We'd planned to leave for our WDW trip early in the morning New Year's Day (YIKES! This Sunday!) but in talking with my brother over the holiday he said "Why not leave earlier and see if we could hit a beach before WDW if we're driving all that way?"

Always open to stop and smell the roses--I'm now looking for a public beach about as far from WDW but as close to Kansas as possible. The earliest we can leave is about 3 am Sunday, but I'm thinking we can probably hit Pensacola by mid-afternoon.

I've got tons of work to finish before we leave so I'm looking for anyone who knows options in the area (or has the time to research on the internet). I'm sure we'll do little more than get our feet wet and build some sand castles before nightfall, but my brother's son has never seen a "real" beach.

Any suggestions?


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[HLAuburn]

How exactly do you plan on getting to FL? I put it into Yahoo Maps, and they have a route going through Atlanta and straight down as the "best" route, but that doesn't put you through the Panhandle.

If you come through Mississippi/Louisiana, I'd say the first "real" nice beach you come to is Navarre, but Fort Walton and Destin are my favorites. You can take I-10 East and then just cut down to the beach you want to go to. Depending on which you pick, its about 30 minutes south from I-10 to the beaches. There's a nice state park area between Ft Walton and Destin where you can park and walk over the dunes to the beach. Otherwise, you may have to try to access the beach from a hotel or resort.

If you let me know a little more about what exactly you're looking to do and see, I'd be glad to get you more details.

 

[AFMom]

We live right here near Pensacola Beach - it's really touristy - but if you go to the Pensacola Beach area, then turn right at the big Beach Ball water tower, and go as far down that road as you can go (about 5 minutes) you leave the touristy areas and come to our favorite , beautiful, white sand beach. There's still lifeguards that come by - but the public restroom areas were very hard hit by the hurricanes - so port-a-pottys are the only options. As of now - no showers, etc. But that's probably why there are so few people there! There is a parking lot, it really is very prtty - and you can walk even further down the beach from there - great places to get shells, see animals, etc. It's amazing what a difference just driving a ways donw the road makes!
Other than that - Navarre beach is pretty popular - Destin is quite pretty - but you'll be backed up to hotels the whole time behind you while you're at the beach, very touristy in most places.
Have fun!