Looking for a nice vacation spot in north FL or panhandle (Gainesville: home, rent)

[cicilyb]

We live in Naples fl, but haven't spent any time in north Fl aside from passing through to another state, or in the panhandle. Any recommendations on nice towns to visit, with pretty drive around scenery, and places to "tinker around?" We have 2 girls ages 7 and 5 who are usually up for anything. We are even considering renting a place for a week. This would be an August vacation before kids return to school. Thanks for any info or suggestions.

[BlueWillowPlate]

You might like Mexico Beach, Cape San Blas, Port St Joe, and/or Apalachicola.
The Forgotten Coast
This is a quieter part of Florida.
In the last picture with the dog, note how empty the stretch of coastline is. This is along St Joseph Bay between Port St Joe and Mexico Beach. You can sometimes walk for quite a while without seeing much of anything except beach and wildlife.

[wacahootaman]

August will be hot, so the beach might be your best bet.

Hannah Park near Mayport is nice. A nice beach with lush woods behind the dunes.

Cumberland Island, just north of Fernendina is spactacular.

There are some beautiful springs around Gainesville. Some quaint old small towns too, like Micanopy, McIntosh, and Evinston.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by cicilyb

We live in Naples fl, but haven't spent any time in north Fl aside from passing through to another state, or in the panhandle. Any recommendations on nice towns to visit, with pretty drive around scenery, and places to "tinker around?" We have 2 girls ages 7 and 5 who are usually up for anything. We are even considering renting a place for a week. This would be an August vacation before kids return to school. Thanks for any info or suggestions.

Here are a few links that might give you an idea of what is available, locations are within an hour drive from each other:

Navarre
Navarre Beach, Santa Rosa County, Florida,Northwest Florida

Destin
Destin Florida

Fort Walton Beach & Destin
Home - Destin~Fort Walton Beach~Okaloosa Island~Florida
Things to do in Fort Walton Beach, FL

[doggiebus]

I second Destin, the beaches there are the prettiest IMO in the state.

[2bohemians]

Check out Seaside or Watercolor .... along the Scenic Hwy 30A
or you can learn about the different beaches here ...

Beaches of South Walton, Florida Travel & Vacation Guide - Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast

Discover30A.com: Travel Guide for Scenic Route 30-A in Walton County, Florida

If you need any suggestions or help .... let us know and we will do our best.