Great Escapes In The Florida Panhandle
By CHERYL ROGERS
Looking for a place off the beaten path, where you can spend quiet time enjoying nature? Try the sugar white sands, sea oats & crystal waters of Florida's western Gulf coast.
Visitors Choose Top 5 Hotels In Pensacola:
 Courtyard By Marriott - 451 Creighton Road, Pensacola
Residence Inn - 7230 Plantation Road, Pensacola
Luxury Suites Pensacola - 6703 Pensacola Boulevard
Holiday Inn Express - 130 LOBLOLLY LANE, Pensacola
La Quinta Inn Pensacola - 7750 North Davis Hwy
Only a few hours drive from many southern locations, Florida's Panhandle beaches can offer an economical retreat from the hectic office routine.
Off the beaten path are a host of lesser known beaches -- the most popular between Pensacola and Panama City -- which are ideal for those who want to escape large crowds.
The beaches are recognized for their brilliant white sand dunes, sea oats, and azure waters -- miles of them preserved in national and state parks.
If you want solitude, plan your visit during the off-times. Avoid spring break and weekends, making your escape during the week and preferably when children are in school.
You will find more people and more amenities at Pensacola and Panama City beaches, with lesser frequented destinations in-between them -- the beaches of south Walton County, Destin/Okaloosa Island and Navarre. Or travel east of Panama City to an area known as the Forgotten Coast and visit St. George Island or St. Joseph Peninsular state parks.
St. George's Island features nine miles of pristine beaches, five only accessible by foot, park officials say. St. Joseph's park features 10 miles of beach and some of the state oldest and highest dunes.
Because of their northerly location in Florida, the air and water temperatures at Panhandle beaches likely will be cooler than southern beaches. Don't expect bath water temperatures in March or October.
Your warmest water temperatures will be between June and September, although May may be quite acceptable for northerners. Night air temperatures usually drop in October, causing a cooling trend, but the water is considerably better than in November.
In the Panhandle, you can expect gentle breezes over the water, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and lots of fresh, tasty seafood like smoked mullet and amberjack.
A number of parks ensure wildlife is protected and enable wildlife lovers to explore and enjoy swimming, hiking, collecting seashells, boating, birding and fishing.
You can camp or stay at a variety of lodging options dotting the shorelines, including hotels, condominiums, cottages, and townhomes.
If you're coming from the west, you need go no farther than Pensacola on the western edge of Florida's border with Alabama.
Perdido Key State Park, popular with swimmer and sunbathers, is 15 miles southwest of Pensacola on State Road 292.
You can rent a hotel room near Pensacola's popular Quietwater Beach, in nearby Gulf Breeze, or camp at the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which is managed by the federal government.
As you travel east along U.S Highway 98, you'll encounter Navarre Beach between Pensacola and Fort Walton beaches. Consider visiting the gorgeous Henderson State Park at Destin, east of Fort Walton Beach, where you also can camp.
East of Destin is Walton County, where you can camp at the 2228-acre Grayton Beach State Park, opt for a room at Sandestin or Seaside resorts, or rent a cottage. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers cabins and RV camping.
Travelers from the east can visit Panama City Beach, where they have a variety of camping options at the 1260-acre St. Andrews State Park.
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