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"&amp;quot;If I could be anywhere, it would be a place where romance begins with a whisper.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;If I could be anywhere, it would be a place where the colors of the dusk reflect among sugar-white sands.&amp;quot; I&amp;#039;m going to tell you a story about a magical land that you must &amp;quot;sea&amp;quot; to believe. My story will not do the secret location justice; your very own eyes must truly tell the tale.  If you long to take your family to a tiny town of days gone by, equipped with luxury custom beach homes, cobblestone streets where the primary mode of transportation are cruiser bikes for young and old alike, where you&amp;#039;re blocks from the crystal white sand beaches and, the town center, the epicenter of the community, offers restaurants overlooking the sea, you want to travel to my secret destination spot in the Florida Panhandle: SEASIDE, 1 of the 15 beach communities along the Beaches of South Walton. Their slogan, &amp;quot;If I could be anywhere\u2026&amp;quot; will be your mantra after you visit the area and take in the sights and sounds for yourself. Each of the 15 communities offer a very distinct personality and you are sure to find one that suits your family. They include: Seascape, Miramar Beach, Sandestin, Dune Allen, Santa Rosa, Blue Mountain, Grayton, WaterColor, Seaside, Seagrove, WaterSound, Seacrest, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach and Inlet. Here are a few highlights so you can choose which one best suits your personality. Simply Seaside\u2014 As the backdrop for the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show, Seaside is straight out of a Hollywood sound stage. With quaint and colorful beach-style homes nestled together along white picket fence-lined streets, Seaside is the epitome of Americana. Seaside was built around the concept of &amp;quot;socialization by design&amp;quot;\u2014front porches to encourage human interaction and a true community to get back to the basics. There are 400 homes, 250 of which are rental homes, all with wooden signs hanging on their fences stating the owners&amp;#039; name and hometown.  Walking through the pristine clean streets, you are expecting to see June Cleaver pop out on the front porch with a plate of fresh-baked cookies for you-- a neighborly passer-by. Seaside is a step back in time for folks who want to let their children ride their bikes all day long, pass the time on the front porch, and get back to the basics for a family vacation. It stands for simpler way of life, only the living comes with a hefty price tag (expect to pay $600-750/night on average).  Seaside has the highest occupancy rate, the highest return visitor rate, but also the highest price of all the Beaches of South Walton communities. That&amp;#039;s because there&amp;#039;s no other location that boasts the feel of Seaside. Catch a performance by the Seaside Repertory Theatre Camp WaterColor keeps kids busy all day long with crafts, activities and games that let them use their imagination and have a blast with other kids their age. Kids can create their own unique souvenir. The activities include: designing your own flip flops, Mosaic Art, Canvas Painting, Tie-Dye T-Shirts, and a pirate scavenger hunt.  Serenity by the sea isafull service salon, spa and fitness club located at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The spa was voted &amp;quot;Best Spa&amp;quot; for four years by Emerald Coast Magazine. I heartily recommend the Serenity Massage (each treatment room has its own robe warmer) and the Serenity Facial. My only question is: Why do 80 minutes working out pass so slow and 80 minutes on the massage table pass in the blink of an eye? Luxurious!   YOLO Boarding on Western Lake, one of Beaches of South Walton&amp;#039;s 15 rare coastal dune lakes. YOLO (an acronym for You Only Live Once) involves standing up and paddling on a big, safe, comfortable long-board. It&amp;#039;s one of the new fitness crazes, offering a great upper body workout. Founder Tom Losee can even be found giving lessons or leading a YOLOFit class out on the lake. You&amp;#039;ll soon be seeing this sport across the U.S.! Or visit www.yoloboard.com to purchase your own board.   Zip Lining in the Village--Get an aerial view of the Village of Baytowne Wharf and its surroundings as you soar across the lagoon on Northwest Florida&amp;#039;s only zip line. Kids can even zip line in this safe environment. It only takes a little courage to climb the ladder and off you go!   Dinner at Fish Out of Water. Located on the second floor of the WaterColor Inn and overlooking the Gulf, Fish Out of Water celebrates Southern art and nature with a fire-and-ice theme, which is anchored by an exhibition grill kitchen and an ice bar bearing fresh seafood and sushi. The mood at Fish Out of Water is casually chic, and yet elegance is reflected in the simplest detail. The freshest local fish and meats, combined with an eclectic approach to traditional ways of preparing and serving food translates into dishes unlike anything else offered in this area. I recommend starting with the Butter Bean Puree Crustini, move on to the Heirloom Tomato Salad, then the Florida Hopper Shrimp with Anson Mill&amp;#039;s Grits with Hobbs&amp;#039; bacon, and finish off with a Vanilla Molten dessert. Pair all with a Frog&amp;#039;s Leap Sauvignon Blanc.   Spaagh-ing Sandestin\u2014 With 2 spas, 2 fitness centers, 15 tennis courts, and 2 major shopping areas, women love the resort of Sandestin. One area that truly calls to women is The Village of Baytowne Wharf\u2014the epicenter for shopping, dining and nightlife. You can find everything from Cajun to funky and fresh. You can also indulge in nightly live entertainment at all types of bars in The Village.  Some of their annual celebrations include: Spring\u2014The Village Goes Green for St. Patrick&amp;#039;s Day festivities; A Basketful of Fun at Easter; ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival on Mother&amp;#039;s Day Weekend Summer\u2014Concerts under the Stars, Fourth of July Celebration, Annual Triathlon Fall\u2014Canines on the Catwalk; Baytowne Film Festival; Beaujolais Nouveau Holiday Kick-off Celebration Winter\u2014First Night Sandestin on New Year&amp;#039;s Eve; Great Southern Gumbo Cook-off; Mini Mardi Gras Whimsical WaterColor\u2014 Reminding families how vacations used to be, WaterColor is a small community along Highway 30-A which devotes half of its area to green space and is a refuge for those who seek it. This coastal retreat has a strong Southern accent, especially when it comes to WaterColor Inn, ranked #1 in a 2006 Travel &amp;amp;amp; Leisure survey as the Top Family-Friendly Resort in the U.S. and Canada. WaterColor Inn, designed by award-winning David Rockwell, was also named the 36th Best Hotel in the World and 7th Best Hotel in North America by a Travel &amp;amp;amp; Leisure August 2006 poll.  The inn sits on flour-white beaches and offers all the amenities that families need to make the most of a vacation. Families can also enjoy bike rides through 18 miles of paved trails, nature walks and kayaking. Art galleries, markets and a marina surround the beautiful and lush Cerulean Park in the center of town.  Beaches of South Walton, touted for its jeweled sand and dazzling waters, is an extraordinary place waiting to be discovered. Whether you&amp;#039;re planning a special intimate getaway for two, a family vacation or a girls&amp;#039; excursion, you&amp;#039;re sure to find a world of elegance, charm and relaxation. Just make sure you factor in time to spoil yourself in the sun and sand, and you&amp;#039;ll be pining for your next visit.   Beaches of South Walton www.beachesofsouthwalton.com 1-800-822-6877 Seaside Cottage Rental Agency www.cottagerentalagency.com  1-800-277-8696 Sandestin www.sandestin.com 1-877-870-5915 WaterColor www.watercolorvacations.com 1-888-775-2545  .   Eateries in The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin: Graffiti&amp;#039;s &amp;amp;amp; The Funky Blues Shack, a restaurant and live blues club, in the Village. It&amp;#039;s family-friendly with funky folk artwork that showcases artists from throughout the Southeast. An eclectic Italian menu offers popular classics such as Linguine Bolognese and Veal Picatta as well as signature dishes such as Lobster Ravioli, Hazel Grouper and Mediterranean Shrimp.  New Orleans Creole Cookery - authentic New Orleans Creole food such as BBQ shrimp, crawfish bisque, seafood gumbo, red fish menuire, blackened prime rib, chicken fricassee slow roasted pork, shrimp Creole to name a few.    Thanks to Guest Blogger Marika Flatt for this report! 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