Truman Show lives on at Seaside

Jim Carrey’s The Truman Show remains one of our favorites not just because it’s funny and entertaining but also because it was filmed near our Florida neighborhood. 

Carrey’s hometown of Seahaven was actually the planned community of Seaside, located on Highway 30A, about six miles east of Full Abalone.  The folks at 30A.com noted this week that many of locations used in the movie are still visible more than 20 years after the film was released. 

The town’s iconic post office has moved to the north side of the village green but the popular Modica Market stayed put and is still bustling every day. 

Here's the trailer from the 1998 movie:

Full Abalone now available through Airbnb

We have opened our beach house to a new group of travelers by listing it on Airbnb. Not everyone who visits the Emerald Coast needs a home for a full week. Airbnb makes it easy to rent for a weekend or even a single night. People who have used the service before can be quickly approved for a stay at Full Abalone.

View On AirbnbFull Abalone Beach House

Rideshare on the Panhandle

Uber and Lyft have been available in our area for several years. Cars operate all along the coast between Pensacola and Panama City. 

A rideshare ride is an affordable and convenient way to get to or from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach and Pensacola airports. And taking an Uber or Lyft is much better than driving after a night at Baytowne or the Red Bar.

This page shows the Uber coverage area and has details about Uber in the Pensacola region.

Inshore fishing with Capt. Trey

We had a great time today fishing the inshore flats of Choctawhatchee Bay with our friend Capt. Trey Morris. His excursions are very affordable and convenient, launching from a public dock about 5 minutes from our house. 

Check out his website at http://www.ft2tf.com/ and get $30 off your charter when you mention Full Abalone.

Where's the beach?

Click this interactive Google map to see where Full Abalone is located in relation to the beach and nearby amenities.

We are just across the street - about 100 yards - from the Dune Allen public access point.

The beautiful Oyster Lake is a few steps behind us. And just down the street is the Tom Thumb store - with a Redbox video kiosk.

30A flyover video

Here's a cool look at the 30A beach area including Grayton Beach, Seaside and Destin's East Pass shot by Modus Photography. 

   

And this one shot by pilot Russell Stegemann from his powered paraglider.

Our beaches rated among the world's best

What do our beaches have in common with beaches in New Zealand, Hawaii, Colombia and Bali? They are all among the Ten Best Beach Destinations for 2011 selected by editors and readers of Smarter Travel.

The January profile praised our pristine white sand but also noted that there's plenty of shopping, fine dining and recreation nearby -- and easy access from the new airport at Panama City Beach.

Here's some of what Smarter Travel had to say: "Recently celebrating its centennial anniversary, Santa Rosa Beach, and its long stretch of untouched sand and calm seas offers a quiet escape on the Hogtown Bayou. Though the lapping waves and cool sand are the main attractions, there is plenty to do inland, such as shopping, fine dining, and golfing, and exploring the town's many art galleries and nature trails."

30A gets a theme song

The scenic road that runs past Full Abalone now has it's own song. "Life Shines," also known as The 30A Song, is the creation of singer and songwriter Bryan Kennedy with help from Mike Ragsdale of 30a.com.

Area restaurant reviews

Find out what residents, regulars and visitors have to say about South Walton restaurants at SOWAL.com. The website has profiles and maps for every eatery from Acme Oyster House to Zoe's Kitchen, all up and down 30-A. You can also read and write comments and give your favorite (or unfavorite) restaurant a star rating.

SoWal's best pizza

The SoWal.com website asked readers to nominate and vote on the best pizza shops in the 30-A area.  The winners were to Bruno's, Pizza By The Sea, Fat Clemenza's, Bud & Alley's Pizza Bar, and Pickle Factory.

Two of the winners are not far from Full Abalone. Fat Clemenza's in in Sandestin, just past the outlet mall, and the Pickle Factory is on Hwy 283 at Grayton Beach.

Our vote goes to Amore, which has more than a dozen specialty pizzas and is just down the street at Gulf Place.