The Ultimate Guide To 30A 🐚
Where to go, what to skip, and why we still drive 15 hours for it
I know, the internet does not need another “Perfect 30A Itinerary.” But stay with me.
My mom discovered 30A when I was fifteen, thanks to a single-sentence blurb she circled in Southern Living. No hashtags or TikToks, just a road-trip playlist, a fifteen-hour drive, and the kind of naive optimism that makes you pack for the beach in February.
We've been back almost every year since.
I spent an entire summer there in my early twenties, an intern sweating through a starched collared shirt while my bank balance aggressively hovered around $30.
That season taught me two things very quickly:
How to stretch a Publix sub across 3 meals
And which locals will point you to the real gems if you just ask
Since then, 30A has exploded, with new developments, new crowds, and new $18 iced lattes. Most days, I dodge anything with a queue, yet every year we still aim the car at that pine-lined highway because the place keeps handing us moments worth the drive.
So this isn't a glossy “perfect 30A travel” guide. It's a compilation of what I wish someone had told us before we spent money on the wrong rental, stood in the wrong line, or missed the best light on the beach.
First (and still-overlooked) secret: Where to stay…
