The 2020 book Pathway to Paradise on Florida’s Emerald Coast by Robert Reynolds covers the background of one of Florida’s most exciting regions, the Emerald Coast, which stretches from Pensacola to Panama City, and includes Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Inlet Beach, and many other communities. The new second edition, titled Florida’s Emerald Coast, A Pathway to Paradise, updates and expands the history of the region, Walton County, Scenic Highway 30A and its unique communities, and the people who made it all happen.
The original edition introduced the towns that grew up along Highway 30A, from family-built communities like Dune Allen and Seagrove to architect-designed layouts managed by big corporations, such as Rosemary Beach and Watercolor, to unique designs such as Seaside and Alys Beach. When the first edition was released in 2020, communities such as Alys Beach and Watersound were only partially developed, and the expanded second edition describes the many changes that have occurred since then. Even established communities like Seaside and Seagrove Beach are still evolving, and the second edition tells their stories too.
The original introduced some of the larger-than-life figures in this history, from Chicago snake oil salesman Charles Cessna, who dreamed of a dynamic city at Santa Rosa, to Edward Ball, who bought Cessna’s property after the new development collapsed and went on to build the St. Joe Company into the largest private landowner in the state. From J.J. and Robert E. Lee McCaskill and the development of Inlet Beach to C.H. McGee, Sr. and his son Cube at Seagrove Beach, developers were a driving force. The new edition brings these characters to life with more imagery and background.
The book also has extensive detail about the waterways, the beaches, the plants and animals, parks and trails, festivals and landmarks – everything that makes life in the region what it is. Whether you’re coming for a one-week vacation or for a lifetime, Florida’s Emerald Coast is a must-have resource for life on this Pathway to Paradise.
Author: Sowal Editor
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