FLORIDA: FUN ON THE WATER

Banana Leaf serves plenty of familiar Thai meat and poultry dishes, but each of its four specialty plates features seafood.

Menu: Thai

Alcohol: full bar for dine-in coming

What I ordered: nua nam tok (beef salad), pad kee mao (noodles with shrimp), gaeng keow wan (green curry chicken), pla sam rod (fried snapper in three-flavored sauce), sweet sticky rice with mango.

Price range: appetizers, soups, salads and sides: $4-$15; entrees: $17-$35; desserts: $7-$8

Service options: carryout and delivery; place carryout orders in person, online or via phone (curbside available upon request); delivery via ChowNow, DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats

Outdoor dining: patio with umbrella tables and some heaters

Mask policy: required for all employees; mandated for customers when not seated, or when speaking with staff

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 3-9 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays

Banana Leaf Thai and Bar. 227 Sandy Springs Place NE, Sandy Springs; 404-418-8156, bananaleafatl.com

Water sports fans need travel no farther than the Florida Panhandle to get their fix in any number of ways. The focus of this road trip is Scenic Highway 30A, designated a National Scenic Byway last month, with a trek to Mexico Beach, which is back on its feet after being nearly wiped off the map by Hurricane Michael in 2018.

En route to the coast, make an inland stop at Ponce de Leon Springs State Park ($4 per vehicle, 2860 Ponce de Leon Springs Road, Ponce de Leon, Florida, 850-836-4281, www. floridastateparks.org) to swim in the crystal-clear blue springs.

On the coast, stay the night in a cabin in the piney woods next to Western Lake, a coastal dune lake at Grayton Beach State Park ($130 per night, 357 Main Park Road, Grayton Beach, 850-2678300, www.floridastateparks.org/graytonbeach). The park’s one-mile stretch of undeveloped silky, white sand beach is backed by an extensive dune system. Explore the dune lake by stand-up paddleboard or kayak, available for rent through The Rental Shop 30A ($70 a day, 850-260-0001, www.therentalshop30a.com).

Travel 73 miles south along the coast to Port St. Joe and book a cottage at The Port Inn and Cottages ($154 and up, 501 Monument Ave., 850-229-7829, www.choicehotels.com). Some of the best sport fishing along this stretch of the Gulf Coast is at Mexico Beach next door, where artificial reefs teem with game fish. KC Sport Fishing (102 Canal Parkway, 850-933-8804, www. kcsportfishing.com) provides a variety of long- and short-range fishing and sightseeing expeditions, including a lunch run to Apalachicola.

COURTESY OF BANANA LEAF THAI AND BAR Pla sam rod, featuring whole snapper in a sweet and sour chile sauce, is among the specialty dishes at Banana Leaf Thai and Bar in Sandy Springs.

COURTESY OF BLAKE GUTHRIE The coastal dune lakes found along Scenic Highway 30A are a rare natural treasure and perfect for stand-up paddle boarding exploration.