Coolest Things to Build

Beach Sand Sculptures

Have you ever strolled down the beach and noticed a particularly excellent sandcastle? Have you ever wanted to be able to build a colosseum out of sand or construct a castle fit for a king? Well now you can, thanks to sand sculptors Rick and Capri Mungeam.

Rick and Capri offer sandcastle lessons from Okaloosa Island all along the beaches to South Walton and scenic highway 30A. They have hired and trained more than 25 sand castle coaches who “create memories in the sand” with families and groups with award-winning sand castle lessons. They believe that sand castle lessons are so much more than learning impressive building techniques; they also give families the opportunity to experience quality time and make memories together, which is priceless. 

Sand castles also make for a great birthday party or team-building activity. What a unique way to ask your special someone, “Will you marry me?” or “sandvertise” your corporate logo.

Sandcastles do wash away eventually, but the memories making and enjoying them last forever. 

Cool factors: Quality family time activity, Toes in the sand, Unique

Beach Sand Sculptures

Santa Rosa Beach, FL

www.beachsandsculptures.com

303-681-2630

Coolest Place to Summer it Up

Crab Island

Choctawhatchee Bay by Destin Bridge

No address on land for this Coolest on the Coast spot! Crab Island is located a little ways out from Harborwalk Village, north of the Destin bridge in the middle of the water bayside.

If you’re a visitor to the Emerald Coast, you have probably heard of this unique spot. You might even have already seen it while crossing over the bridge coming into Destin from Okaloosa Island. Thanks to its widespread publicity in all forms of media, Crab Island is a famous landmark, or should we say watermark?  Both tourists and locals alike enjoy taking family and friends out to this summertime destination. 

 An underwater sandbar formed after Hurricane Eloise in the 70s, and locals quickly discovered that this is a great place to go. Crab Island got its name from the shape of the island. The sea averages two to four feet deep throughout, and on an average summer day (especially at high tide), it is sparkling and crystal clear. What started off as a nice little spot to dock your boat to swim with marine life up close has now become a hot spot for everyone to gather.

 Crab Island is only accessible by boat, paddle board, or kayak. You can also take one of the water taxis there. Once there, you can find people galore, food and drinks, inflatable water parks, bands, movies and more. It’s a regular gathering spot for locals but they welcome all.  If you’re going as a family, know that the center tends to be more for a party crowd with its bars and bands, while the outskirts tend to be more for families with activities.

Head on out to this top destination On the Coast, and get ready for a day full of adventure, fun, and a whole lot of water.

Cool Factors:             Great place to meet up with your boating friends, Inflatable water parks for the kiddos, Everything you need to spend the day

Coolest Fastest Way to Get Around Town

Electric Bikes!

Coastal Cruisers

Pedego Electric Bikes

Big Daddy Bikes

Birds, Limes and Jumps. You can easily pick up these electric scooters in big cities all across the country.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as some might think), these scooters are not readily available to us here On the Coast. What IS available, though, are electric bikes! And we are super fans of them.

Electric bikes allow you to tour all our coastal towns in a day and get a real feel for each little area unique to our coast. Not only are there so many paths to ride on, but you can also stop at each quaint town and spend time shopping or enjoying the great flavors of the many restaurants and coffee houses that preside along 30A. 

Electric bikes make it so easy to travel around Sandestin too. Touring along Miramar Beach from the Silver Sands Outlet all the way to the Brooks Bridge makes for a great day now that there are sidewalks and bike paths the whole way. It sure does beat being in a car or in some cases riding manual bikes where the heat just gets to you after a while! Parking is a breeze too.  

You can pick up electric bikes at many locations On the Coast. We suggest you call ahead and reserve them because carriers have a limited supply! 

Cool factors: You don’t have to pedal the whole time, Cover a lot of distance, quickly, Gets you outdoors and active

Coastal Cruisers

12605 Emerald Coast Pkwy

Miramar Beach

850-543-6146

Pedego Electric Bikes

174 Watercolor Way #106

Santa Rosa Beach

850-598-6380

Big Daddy Bikes

2217 West 30A

Santa Rosa Beach

850-622-1165

Coolest Spring Water on the Coa

Vortex Springs 

Looking for a change – an exciting place to swim and play away from the beaches of the Gulf?  Then head to Vortex Springs!  Its crystal cool water is so refreshing during the hot summer days. It's just pure fun to be there! You'll find a lot of local families enjoying this spot as well as groups of friends who have discovered this very cool hangout. 

The natural clear spring water stays a cool 68 degrees year-round and is a fun place to dive and swim.  You can also snorkel, paddleboard, kayak, canoe and tube - all are available for daily rental. Food and beverages are permitted at Vortex Springs so pack up those picnic baskets for the full day. If you'd like some shade, the large oaks that surround the area provide plenty. For the littles, you'll find a few playgrounds at Vortex too.  

If you're a camper, Vortex offers that as well. From tent camping to cabins to larger lodges, they can accommodate you and your group. 

For diving enthusiasts, Vortex Springs is home to one of the largest cavern systems, so who knows what you'll discover down below.  The crystal-clear water are perfect conditions to explore and train. If you're not certified, this is the place to do it! Nothing beats the calmness and clarity you'll experience while learning to dive. 

Daily admission is $10. Children 4-8 are $8 and children under 3 are free.  The springs are open Monday-Thursday 8-7 pm, Friday-Saturday 7-8 pm and Sundays 8-5 pm. Vortex Springs also features a diving board, 10 slides, jump platforms and an old-fashioned rope swing that has become a popular signature of Vortex Springs over the years.  Picnic tables are available for use and a gazebo is available to rent. 

Cool Factors: Coolest, clearest springs, cave diving, lots of activities for every age, camping.

1517 Vortex Springs Ln, Ponce De Leon, FL 32455

(850) 836-4979

www.vortexspring.com 

Coolest Place to Jump

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Just Jump

11220 Hutchinson Boulevard Panama City Beach

844-344-5867

www.justjump.com

30,000 square feet of dedicated family fun (for all ages) awaits you at Just Jump Trampoline Park in Panama City Beach! Whether you’re a parent looking for a safe, fun and clean place for your kids to burn some energy or you just want a new and exciting way to get active, Jump Jump is an ideal location for you to do so. You’ll find a tumble track, two Soc-Air courts, dodgeball. basketball, a double trapeze, a Gladiator Pit, a Ninja Course and their oh-so- popular Air Bag within the walls of this epic play zone. There’s even a Kiddie Area for jumpers who are 6 and under with a huge play structure, separate trampolines, a foam pit, a climbing wall, and basketball goal! For only $15/per hour (per jumper), you can have full reign of the whole place. They offer group discounts! On Monday nights, they offer family time from 5-9pm – for just $30, a family of four can spend an hour playing and running all of that energy out. They do require grip socks, but sell them on premise if you need them!

This state-of-the-art facility is complete with a large open jump area, the latest technology and unique designs to captivate the attention of any visitor – even those who don’t wish to engage in the fun themselves. If you’re  supervising, you can treat yourself to a bout in their massage chairs or you can watch the fun from above on the mezzanine.

Not only is Just Jump a great option for the family, but it’s even better for parties. You can have the best birthday ever by letting them handle all of the details for you. They also have fantastic rates for school field trips, church groups, and group events of any size.

Cool Factors: 30,000 sq ft of fun, Subconscious Exercise, Endless Activities