The Grayton Beach Buzz

I drove through Grayton Beach about a million years ago, stopping there by chance on my way west to California. I remember how I loved it and wondered how people were able to make a living there. Now, living a few miles down the road in Blue Mountain Beach, Grayton is still one of my very favorite places. The houses are unpretentious and perfectly beachy. In fact, our house was inspired by a Grayton Beach house; designed to be comfy and fun. Another great thing about it is that it is home to the Red Bar. When we first moved to 30A we used to go to the Red Bar every Sunday after church. Half the church did. We would have a delicious lunch and enjoy the afternoon listening to Duke Bardwell play music with the band Dread Clampett. Bruce often works on Sundays so my friend Patti and I ride our bikes there for breakfast early on Saturday while the morning is still cool. Owned by a family from Belgium, the manager pipes in his favorite (and now mine) French music while Patti and I chatter away (and sometimes enjoy a Bloody Mary) before our ride home.

The beach is extra wide at this area of the coast and if you own property in Walton County you can get a beach pass to drive your car to the waters edge. It's one of the few places you will still see a boat being launched directly into the Gulf water from the beach. There is also a dune lake to enjoy, part of the State Park border.

It's fun to think of the first time I saw Grayton Beach so many years ago. The western end of the 30A corridor has held on to some of it's sleepier qualities so I kind of think the west side is the best side. If I didn't live here already, it's where I would want to be.