Spring Break for the Hippie in Us All

Forget the well worn path this Spring Break, inspiration awaits. Grayton Beach, Florida conveniently located in the Panhandle of Florida seriously delivers the most relaxing beach experience for families with music on the wind and art on the wall. It is the place to go to leave pretention behind and come as you are (except more relaxed.)

Grayton Beach is a classic beach town, little known but geared for visitors in the most welcoming way. The 7 blocks of Grayton are lined with rental homes old and new (but mostly old) with a native, beachy flair that is unmatched in vacation hot spots. The 2 way streets are lined with Magnolia Trees, twisting Scrub Oaks and personal touches from owners that exude creativity, art and rustic class. (Favorite signs in town: "Peace, Love and Lemonade" and "Hippies use backdoor".) Every road is flat and shady, perfect for barefoot walks, handicap, the grandma that comes along, little ones and easy biking.

This is definitely a biking community. Whether you bring or rent one, be prepared to bike anywhere and everywhere. Once you pull in, the SUV can sit and you can start to reconnect with the land and float of the sea - with little distraction and absolutely zero in-your-face tourist traps. Grayton is a quiet, natural place with a slow, small town pace.

The beaches offer long, solid white sandy shores where overcrowding is unheard of. Definitely not the land of bikini's and buff bodies, this is a place for families to romp and rove, play and rest without inhibition. The water is clear up to 30 feet some days and the ocean spills over low dunes and streams to nearby lakes which make perfect 1 to 2 foot deep"pools" (or wide streams) for toddlers to play without intimidating waves.

There are multiple bars in Grayton, all family-friendly with great food at reasonable prices. The most famous is the Red Bar which is one of the oldest standing buildings in town; a dim retreat from the sun that is a feast for the eyes and ears. It is lit with only red lights, consistently spotlights small 2-3 piece local bands and serves a fantastic burger. Here, the ambiance of the 70's prevails with funky art/graffiti on every inch of wall and ceiling. The Red Bar, though the most creative and popular, isn't the only place for a drink or music. Other Grayton bars include live bands every night, outdoor decks, locally-loved sushi and of course, fresh Seafood.

Every shop in town features art of all shapes and kinds. Most is acquired from bands of local artists but shockingly, there are world renowned artists that have even been featured at the Smithsonian Institute - who pride themselves of finding the Grayton niche.

Grayton is located in between the cities of Destin and Panama City on Santa Rosa Beach. So, big buzz life isn't far - about a 30 minute drive East or West. So, parasailing, ski-do, restaurant chains and all the tourist traps aren't far for a night out or change of pace. Sandestin offers a great outlet mall, Silver Sands, for discount mainstream shopping. And the Shopping Village at Baytown Wharf is a "Downtown Disney"- like experience with great activities for kids like a zip line over the bay, ropes courses and enormous playground. Panama City has Pier Park, a booming nighttime place teenagers love with all the brand shops, ice-cream parlors, movies...even a skate (board) park for restless teen boys.

Grayton Beach, however, is no Panama City. It is surrounded by State Parks and protected shoreline, so it is a haven of dunes and sea oats. But, culture without the boom, is right around the corner, up the road about a mile - Seaside and Watercolor, both a little more settled and pricey. With these small vacation towns so close, you and yours can enjoy great nightlife, surf shopping and culture galore including art shops, bandstand performances, family movies on the lawn and musicals weekly.

No, there is no Wal-Mart or McDonalds in 45 miles but don't worry city slicker, there is a Starbucks with Wi-Fi.

In summary, Grayton is the kind of place where people just hang out. Mostly, it is for hippies at heart, with a little money. In fact, the most common bumper sticker in town is "Grayton Beach: Nice Dogs, Weird People" And that pretty much says it all. Who doesn't love to be a little weird on vacation? If you seek real rest and inspiration, the real you, real family time, real natural beauty and...a great quiet beach, come to Grayton Beach for a real break, this spring.