semi last minute beach trip (Atlanta: buy, school, live in)

[shalc]

Looking to do a road trip mid May, but want to go where the water will be warm enough to swim. Looking for around 5ish hours from here. Suggestions anyone?

[Seatlien]

Gulf Coast - anywhere from Gulf Shores to St. George Island. Cape San Blas is my favorite - very low-key, beautiful beach, and excellent bay for fishing/kayaking/snorkeling/et al. Destin has the prettiest white-sand/blue water beaches, IMO, but it's awfully busy around there.

[sportsterjohn]

the panhandle will probably still be a bit too cool for swimming. I live in Tampa and the water temps are only now in the mid 70s which is still pretty cool.

[Tarzanman]

Warm enough to swim within 5 hours of Atlanta? Probably not feasible. 5 hours south will barely get your across the Florida or Alabama border.

My advice: buy a $150 plane ticket to south florida.

[ATLTJL]

By mid May the Florida panhandle may or may not be warm enough to swim in. It really depends heavily on what the weather does between now and then. I've been there at the end of April and the water was fine some years, other years at the end of May it was still a little cool. Of course, how hot it is outside also plays a factor....not necessarily in water temperature, but if it's 85 degrees outside, 65 degree water will feel refreshing while if it is only 70, it will feel cold. I don't know if the water will really only be 65 degrees, just trying to draw a picture.

The big benefit of going in May is nobody is there yet. Memorial Day really kicks off the beach season and in mid May most kids aren't out of school yet. This is the perfect time to check out Panama City Beach. The beaches here are fantastic, but the number one complaint is that it is too crowded and touristy. If you go at the right times, though, you can see PCB for the sleepy town that it is most of the year, yet all of the restaurants and things to do will be open for business; they just won't be crowded yet. I think in mid May the area will not be crowded yet, but everybody will be gearing up for the season and even seasonal businesses should be open.

This is the quickest and easiest beach to get to, and most fun. If you want a beach with less, but probably higher class things to do, you can always hit Destin. Is it worth the extra 30-45 minute drive? This poster thinks not, but your mileage may vary depending on your taste. I'll take Goofy Golf and Alvin's Magic Mountain over snooty boutiques any day of the week, but perhaps that is just me.