Gulf Beach

[pigget74]

For those that say go to 30----what beaches and areas---who not to rent from? We are looking for an ok place that 8-10 could stay at and not cost and arm and a leg.

 

[Kies99]

For those that say go to 30----what beaches and areas---who not to rent from? We are looking for an ok place that 8-10 could stay at and not cost and arm and a leg.

Shameless plug :

http://www.vrbo.com/51106

My family owns this one. Turn towards the beach at Goatfeathers, and it's in Old Florida Beach.

Seriously though, try using VRBO.com and searching around. It's owners renting so they may be willing to deal.

A great thing about 30A is that it's beach-y, but not too crowded on the beaches. There's lots to do and see and eat, as well as you can get to Destin and Panama City really quick and easy.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I agree with Hall's Seafood, only for the free hushpuppies and cheese sauce though, ate there 2 nights ago, ended up with 2 orders for ds and I and brought our shrimp home. Pensacola Beach is beautiful, so is Orange Beach or Gulf Shores. If you go to that area, go North on Hwy 59 and eat at Lambert's, It's near the Tanger Outlets, you can't miss it, we drive over (about 30 minutes from Pensacola) about once a month, love the "free pass arounds". fried okra is wonderful. It's raining here now, but was 82º and sunny yesterday.

We also love to go to Lamberts, home of the thrown rolls. My kids love that place. We also love the Oyster House.

 

[NotUrsula]

We also love to go to Lamberts, home of the thrown rolls. My kids love that place. We also love the Oyster House.

Oh, good Lord -- don't tell me THAT Lambert's has invaded the beach?! I frequently drive by the original one in Sikeston, MO, and I'm always amazed at how long people will wait around just to have someone throw a chunk of bread at them. I sincerely hope that the Gulf Coast branch has much better food than the original.

 

[Julylady]

We just returned from 8 nights in Ft. Walton Beach. We stayed with 8 people in a 4-bedroom condo gulf front (Azure). It was very family friendly!!

Ft. Walton Beach limits condos to 6 stories so you don't have the mega high rises that we saw in Destin. It also seems much more laid back. However, Destin was only a short 10 minute trip away for restuarants, shopping, etc.

 

[Kay1]

I live in Mississippi and have to go to Biloxi/Gulfport on business regularly. Don't waste your money going there. I love Mississippi, but the water is ugly looking. The beaches are nice (thanks to all the work after Katrina), but it's NOT the place for a beach vacation.

I agree with Kies99 and really like that area. I have relatives who, like Ed, will be leaving shortly for their second trip to Pensacola Beach. They love it and say it is very family friendly (and less expensive).

ETA: We went to Gulf Shores last year, and it was very nice. Our only problem was that the waters were full of jellyfish, but that may have been a fluke. If you stay near the state park, the beaches are very uncrowded. We drove over to Orange Beach and said that we might like to try it sometime.

Could you (or anyone) tell me what makes the water so unappealing?

 

[NotUrsula]

I lived in Biloxi for several years, though I haven't been there lately. The water is normally brown because the currents stir up a lot of silt in the area, and you also get a fair amount of marine debris in the water for the same reason. Also, as someone else said, you usually have to wade out at least about 100 yards before you can get in over your waist. (Don't fool yourself that there are no rip currents there, though -- I lost two classmates to a rip when I was in the 7th grade.)

 

[pigget74]

I lived in Biloxi for several years, though I haven't been there lately. The water is normally brown because the currents stir up a lot of silt in the area, and you also get a fair amount of marine debris in the water for the same reason. Also, as someone else said, you usually have to wade out at least about 100 yards before you can get in over your waist. (Don't fool yourself that there are no rip currents there, though -- I lost two classmates to a rip when I was in the 7th grade.)

Someone correct me if I am wrong. It also has something to do with the barrier islands. It keeps stuff from getting out and good fresh from coming in.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, that is specifically what the issue is with the currents. The position of the barrier islands with respect to the movement of the current minimizes the silt-removal effect of the tides. It isn't that the water isn't "fresh", exactly, it's just that the soil stays suspended in the water and doesn't settle to the bottom or float out to sea. The soil is from the Mississippi River. You can see the plume in this satellite photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippi_River_Delta_and_Sediment_Plume.jpg

 

[HLAuburn]

Someone correct me if I am wrong. It also has something to do with the barrier islands. It keeps stuff from getting out and good fresh from coming in.

Yeah I think its that and also the close proximity to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Seems like the further you get from it, the clearer the water is.

 

[Kay1]

Thanks for the answers. It doesn't sound so bad.