The scenic Highway 30A corridor situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast—simply known as 30A to generations of visitors—has long been one of the state’s most beloved vacation destinations. Renowned for pristine white sand beaches, the more than 20-mile-long stretch separate from Highway 98 is something of a quintessential Southern experience these days, but the area wasn’t always such a bustling beachside hub. Until the 1920s, only a handful of cottages dotted the shoreline. It was then that a few well-placed newspaper advertisements ushered in the initial surge in 30A’s popularity, but it still took another 50 years for substantial community and resort developments to take shape.
Today, comfortably equipped cottages surround town centers set up exclusively for shops, dining, and entertainment. This layout means everything, including the beach, is never more than a short walk or bike ride away. The beauty, simplicity, and ease of these
