Alys Beach came as a total surprise to me. In fact, you could drive through the entire city in 10 minutes and not realize you just missed a diamond sparkling in the Florida sun. As you meander through Rosemary enjoying the Bavarian-style architecture, rising out of the dunes comes gleaming white, alfresco buildings seeming something out of a film about Spanish Royalty. The place isn’t in its final form and yet it is striking.

Peaceful and charming, the white buildings balance an luxury you will not see again in this state until you reach South Beach. Actually, Caliza, Aly’s little oasis for its guests, may quietly outshine even Miami’s most popular beach resorts. With private cabanas, beautiful colonnades, hammocks sagging between palm trees and beach views from the second story terrace, this place has no equal. And the food at the restaurant hidden in the luxurious escape serves fresh seafood and juicy grilled steaks prepared by famed French chef Olivier Gaupin.

Touring Alys Beach, I was almost overwhelmed by the beauty and the solitude. No place I’ve ever been, and I’ve been lots of places, has ever made me feel so comfortable. If you’re on 30A don’t let Alys Beach slip by you because it may very well be the one place you will never forget.

-Cebo Campbell

Alys Beach is an idyllic little spot that you can literally drive through in seconds – however it is actually home to two fantastic restaurants, the casual yet upscale George’s, and Caliza, an uber elegant dining paradise. The whole feel of Alys Beach is very Spanish, think white-washed buildings, cobblestone walkways and remarkable architecture. It’s stunning, peaceful and unlike anything else on scenic 30a. Roaming around the interior of Caliza’s, I felt like I was in a South Beach resort, there were take-your-breath-away swimming pools, private cabanas, swaying palms and opulent furnishings. It was all utterly spectacular. Alys Beach still has some more developing to do – but it’s most definitely worth spending some time there, either strolling around and taking in the atmosphere, or dining at one of its great restaurants.

- Ellie Cominos

As I sit here in the quaint Cowgirl Kitchen restaurant enjoying a totally unique “Drunken Cowgirl” pizza, the thought that continuously runs through my mind is that there may not be another place quite like Rosemary Beach anywhere else in the entire state of Florida. Equal parts La Jolla, California and Weikershein, Germany, this gorgeous  beach town feels remarkably homey with natural open fields, wood, cobblestone roads and the Bavarian architecture. The streets are lined with eclectic shops and stores and people walking slow paces to take it all in. Everywhere you can smell freshly cooked foods, hear laughter and truly feel like you’re on vacation.

There is a richness and a timeless quality to Rosemary. It’s colorful and charming and, as a writer, it is a poet’s paradise. From end to end it inspires. If you head out, you have to try Cowgirl Kitchen, ask for Shawn and get the Drunken Cowgirl pizza, then spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying one of the areas most unique towns. I talked to a few patrons at Cowgirl Kitchen and they told me living in Rosemary is like being in a movie. “There is no script,” one of them said, “Everything just works perfectly.” That’s about how I would describe it too; the place is just amazing.

- Cebo Campbell

Rosemary Beach is an intoxicating beachfront community that is nothing short of breathtaking. You would be forgiven for thinking you had stepped straight into a picture-perfect Bavarian village, yet the quaint and intimate atmosphere blends beautifully with its casual Florida vibe. An elegant downtown houses sophisticated shops, accommodations, sidewalk cafes (Cowgirl Kitchen has pizza to die for) and even a charming little post office. This feels like a whole world away from Panama City Beach, yet is just minutes away and most definitely worth the drive.

-Ellie Cominos

Inlet Beach, only minutes from Panama City Beach, makes one instantly feel detached, separated from the hustle of the city to lay alone on a perfect strip of gulf. It feels a bit like going back in time, like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting and being sent back to a slower age. Inlet becomes yours, your place and your beach.

What I found the most startling was the overall preservation. The place looked as though no one had ever set foot on it. The high, green dunes towered into the air, untouched as they broke the salty breeze. If ever Panama City Beach residents wanted to get away from the tourists and the “City” all they need do is take a short trip to Inlet. It’ll feel like a vacation, trust me.

- Cebo Campbell

There’s just one word that came to my mind as we slowly absorbed the natural, unspoiled beauty of Inlet Beach. WOW. This rustic community sits on the beach and is so close to Panama City Beach, but I felt like I was a million miles away. The beach was spectacular, empty but for a lone fisherman wading out in the turquoise, crystal-clear water. I just discovered my new favorite beach spot.

-Ellie Cominos

What we are going to do is a TooCreative first, and hopefully a regular event for the staff. On Thursday at 1:30 pm, we will embark on an adventure to our neighboring tourist attraction, 30A – to share snippets of what makes life so magical over there. This is an area that is known around the world as a high-end, unique and charming haven for vacationers and property owners alike.

This jaunt will be broken into 7 sections: Inlet Beach, Rosemary, Alys Beach, Seaside, Watercolor, Grayton Beach, and Blue Mountain Beach. We’ll be doing this on pcbdaily AND on seepcb, looking at the “newsy” stuff and the “touristy” stuff, respectively. The goal is to have a guerrilla style series of articles that give you an update and tell you about the area as we find it on Thursday. As we experience, we will write and take pictures. Then, when we find a place that has internet, we’ll publish right to the sites.

UPDATE

Wow, we spent an entire afternoon taking in 30A, a place so packed with fun stuff we made it Alys Beach just as the sun set. Over the next three weeks, we will return to this spectacular area to report on Seaside, Watercolor, Grayton Beach, and Blue Mountain Beach each deserving their very own large post due to the sheer size and amount of things to do. It was a blast. To catch up on the sites we’ve visited please see the links below:

Discover Inlet Beach

Discover Rosemary Beach

Discover Alys Beach