WHERE IS THE BEST FAMILY BEACH IN THE USA?
Destin, Panama City and Ft. Walton Beach–and places in between–are our favorite family beaches in the US. But AVOID SPRING BREAK when especially Panama City makes Mardi Gras look tame!! Beautiful sand, clear water, lots of family-friendly activities, not quite as hot as South Florida, relatively inexpensive, fairly easy to drive to from many parts of the country (not as easy to fly to). The beach season isn’t year-round. It may not be warm enough to swim in early spring or late fall. FWIW, we always stay at the Islander Condominiums in Destin. Not luxurious by any means, but nice and affordable and right on the beach. For a more remote beach and rustic accommodations, try the cabins at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. Cheap and you will likely have the entire beautiful beach to yourself. But be preared to cook your meals or drive 20+ minutes each way to find restaurants.
My family lives there. Nice, clean beach and boardwalk, a lot of motels right on the boardwalk. There are activities at night that are family oriented, very often fireworks, too. Restaurants, as well as fast-food. They do a good at keeping the day and night-time rowdiness to a minimum so it’s very family-oriented, although like most beach towns in summer, kind of crowded. Down the road is the Virginia Aquarium, an hour away is Colonial Williamsburg and a tremendous amusement park. I think you can get a flat fee to visit all these areas if you contact Virginia Tourism Board. Whereever you this summer, have a good time.
