Digital Graffiti is the world’s first projection art festival and draws over one thousand spectators from around the world. Growing in number each year Alys Beach expands the festival for 2012. For two days guests can enjoy this one-of-a-kind event!

Friday, June 8^th, the Gallery Stroll is presented which allows guests to interact with the artists in a salon-style setting. The Caliza Restaurant will be taking a limited number of reservations for dinner and a cash bar at the Caliza Pool will be offered. The festival continues on Saturday, June 9^th at Fonville Press on the Red Carpet with VIE Magazine. Festival gates open for a show like no other! The evening ends with Caliza Pool’s traditional pool party where you will hear all winners announced.

Digital Graffiti is an event you do not want to miss! Visit Alys Beach June 8^th-9^th for the festival of the year! Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.digitalgraffiti.com

Reservations, call Garrett Realty for your accommodations @ 1-800-537-5387

Music fills the air from March through May in Rosemary, Seaside, and Alys Beach. Spring concerts are offered at 6:00pm every Wednesday and Thursday night. Bring your blanket, beach chair, and a bottle of wine and enjoy the sounds of talented musicians under the stars. For the movie buff, every Friday at 7:30pm take in a spring flick on the green lawn at the Seaside Amphitheatre. All spring concerts and movies are free and open to the public!

This time of year the Beaches of South Walton are famous for hosting our favorite annual events! Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach is the world’s first projection art festival, with artists using the latest technologies to project their original works onto the town’s famous white walls. This event draws over 3,000 guests to its now 2-day event in June!

Seaside hosts the 24^th Annual ArtsQuest and Music Festival. Over 130 international artists fill downtown Seaside with inspiring exhibits. A weekend of live music, artist workshops, KidZone activities, and fabulous fare can be had by all in the month of May!

The 26^th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival takes place in April. Unique wine events over a 4 day period include wine seminars, dinners, auctions, and tastings of over 600 domestic and international wines. Live music, gourmet food, and a never ending supply of wine makes this event a South Walton favorite!

Escape to The Beaches of South Walton this year and experience spring at its best! Come , Visit South Walton, today!

 Call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387  for reservations.

 www.Artsquestflorida.com   www.digitalgraffiti.com  www.sandestinwinefestival.com

723 Whiskey Bravo was opened by Skip and Victoria Moore from Atlanta who, like many, fell in love with 30-A and the lifestyle the community promotes. A unique story behind the name can be found on their website as well as a menu of all the delicious dishes and signature drinks Whiskey Bravo is serving up! You will find a diverse and reasonable menu for lunch and dinner, including a weekend Bloody Mary bar and Sunday brunch.

This restaurant really does have everything! It’s the perfect place for the sports fanatic with beers on tap and a game on the screen. There is a private dining area that can be reserved for guests who prefer a more intimate setting. Of course there’s nothing like sipping your favorite drink on their rooftop bar taking in an amazing view of the Gulf.

Visit 30-A’s new “place to be”, 723 Whiskey Bravo!

723whiskeybravo.com

3031 Scenic Highway 30A

 Seagrove Beach Florida 32459

The Naked Grape at Gulfplace is a great place to start! With an extensive wine and beer selection as well as gourmet tapas, this intimate wine bar is the perfect place to begin an evening of romance. Just six miles east and you’ve arrived at the best spot in town to watch the sunset. Bud & Alley’s is famous for their outside, upstairs bar overlooking the green gulf waters.

Next on the list is V in Seagrove Beach for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. This sleek, South Beach style venue is serving a three course meal with a sweet heart theme. Enjoy delicacies such as: Lobster Gnocchi, Strawberry Sweetheart Salad, Pink Rose Pepper Seared Shrimp, and Triple Chocolate Molten Cake. The perfect ending is found at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach where you can dance into the next day to live music in a cozy atmosphere.

Make this the perfect Valentine’s Day and bring your date to 30A!  

Of course, for a vacation rental call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387

Susanna Hoffs is not the only Songwriter that our beautiful City of South Walton has inspired. Recent releases such as “Life Shines (The 30A Song)” performed by Bryan Kennedy and written by Kennedy and Mike Ragsdale can be heard on YouTube. The Beaches of South Walton are truly music making material!

Susanna Hoffs will debut her song live at the upcoming Songwriter’s Festival. Music lovers don’t want to miss this event. I guarantee you’ll “like it right here”.

For more information and accommodations, contact Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387.

There is no better place to be this holiday    season than at the beach! This Florida girl’s idea of a white Christmas includes walking in the snow-like sand of South Walton Beaches with my bare feet — where the temperatures are in the mid-to-high 60’s and wearing a scarf and boots never cross my mind!

Along with beautiful beaches that can be enjoyed all year round comes a calendar full of holiday happenings. On specific evenings throughout the week you can find lots of great events and activities going.  For instance, try visiting the Seaside Amphitheatre for an outdoor concert under the stars. These concerts feature performances from talented, local musicians. They are free and open to the public.  Included in the festivities are outside holiday movies on the big screen, visits with Santa, Art-Walks, and New Year’s Celebrations.

For those who don’t mind the cold, WaterColor presents The Polar Bear Dip. Take the plunge into 2012, on January 1^st at 8:00AM.  Meet at the WaterColor Beach Club as you join the other daring dippers into the brisk waters of the Gulf of Mexico — guaranteed to wake you up no matter how hard you partied on New Year’s Eve!

The Beaches of South Walton are made up of 15 beach neighborhoods. Each one with its own unique flare and famous celebrations that call me home for the holidays.  Why not make it yours this year?

Fall in Love with a Beach Vacation Today. Call @ 1-800-537-5387 or visit our Fall Deals at  www.garrettrealty.com/Specials.aspx

          Come Rent & Relax along Scenic 30-A with Garrett Realty Services, Inc.

By WENDY VICTORA                             

Northwest Florida Daily News

April 10, 2011

The wide, paved path stretches over 19 miles, through coastal communities, across bridges, past flowering bushes, wetland plants, colorful shops and state parks.

The Timpoochee Trail, as it is formally named, runs along Walton County’s Scenic Highway 30A from beginning to end.

It’s considered a multi-use path, but about 75 percent of its traffic consists of visitors riding beach cruisers or comfort bikes.

“They park their cars and unless they have to go to the grocery store, they ride their bikes,” said Michele Foreman, who owns 30A Bike Rentals, one of a dozen rental businesses along that stretch.

The bikes, which can be rented for anywhere from a few hours to a week, have one speed and one way to brake, by pedaling backward.

Cyclists sit upright on padded seats, unlike road bikes used by more serious cyclists.

Also popular on paths like Timpoochee Trail are “comfort bikes,” which are similarly styled in that you sit upright, but are equipped with gears and hand brakes.

The bikes are used for recreation, to carry folks along scenic stretches of the partially shaded path. They are also transportation for vacationers who travel back and forth between coastal communities.

“We usually stay in the Seagrove area,” says Jim Rice, an Ohio man who vacations regularly in the area. “So that means we can ride our bikes for breakfast in the morning and Rosemary Beach for lunch.

“We love touring through the little neighborhoods,” he adds. “That’s part of the attraction here — not just the beaches, but the bike path.”

Rental agencies deliver the bikes to visitors and pick them up, which makes it easy for folks just coming into town. They provide combination locks, baskets and helmets. Prices start at $10 for a half-day rental and range from $45 to $75 for a full week.

When the path is crowded, riders have to weave and brake frequently, as well as watch for cars turning in and pulling out of driveways and side streets. That makes it less desirable for serious cyclists.

“It would be better if it were a little safer,” said Bruce Braseth, who owns Dragon Sports in Fort Walton Beach. “But cyclists are just happy to have a bike trail anywhere.”

The trail crosses over or near water a dozen times in the 19-mile stretch. In the open spaces between communities, the path is so quiet you can hear birds singing and the wind rustling through the foliage.

“From spring to summer, it’s always full,” said Jeremy Keeney, who owns Bob’s Bicycles in Mary Esther, adding that he wishes the area had more options for cyclists.

“I think more people would be inclined to get on a bicycle and ride if there were more areas like that.”

An Eco Tour in Walton County Is a Natural

You’ve heard the expression, “When in Rome.” Well, when in Walton County, you cannot overlook the opportunity to get up close and personal with the stunning nature around you. With state parks, preserves and wetlands making up 40 percent of the area, “green with envy” takes on a whole new meaning. Walco Eco Tours provides hands-on eco-tours guided by owner Murray Balkcom. An avid outdoorsman, Balkcom has been paddling on the coastal dune lakes of South Walton and the Gulf of Mexico since 2002, and has been leading guided nature walks and guided kayak tours in Walton County since 2006.

Balkcom describes the coastal dune lakes as  rare national treasures that are unknown even to longtime locals. He explains that this particular type of lake is found only in New Zealand, Australia and Walton County, where there are 15. “Our tours are a great way to reconnect with the outdoors, and provide a great alternative to a day at the beach,” he says.

Walco Eco Tours offers two wonderful ways to explore Walton County’s Western Lake and the surrounding animals and plant life that call it home. Opt for an excursion that combines kayaking and walking/hiking or try the new offering — a YOLO Yak. YOLO, an acronym for You Only Live Once, is a brand of stand up paddleboard birthed in Santa Rosa Beach. The YOLO Yak is a hybrid board designed with elements of a paddleboard and a kayak to facilitate better stability while paddling. This tour combines a YOLO Yak ride and walking/hiking. Both experiences are two hours long and are customized to the level and interest of the group. Tours launch from the boathouse at WaterColor, located on Scenic Highway 30A.

The kayak tour requires two people and maxes out at eight. It is open to kids ages 5 and up. Adults are $60; kids under 10 are $30. The YOLO Yak tour is $60 per person and open to kids ages 12 and up.

When you go, wear waterproof shoes, sunscreen and a hat (as long as it is secured). And don’t forget to drink plenty of water before you venture into the sun on the tour. For more information, visit WalcoEcoTours.com.