INSIDER’S TIPS
If you’re bringing Fido with you, St. George Island and Alligator Point in Franklin County have pet-friendly beaches, as does Panama City Beach.
Take the road less traveled in Jackson County, where wildlife, farms, rolling hills, wooded areas, streams and canopy trees line nearly 800 miles of unpaved roads.
In Panama City, Bay Town Trolley offers convenient public transportation and has multiple stops throughout the city ( baytowntrolley.org).
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center hosts free nighttime educational beach walks from June to October. Learn about sea turtles and their nesting habits, and what you can do to help protect them while on vacation. Reservations are required ( destinfwb.com/explore/ecotourismhotspots/turtle-walks).