a few miles west of florida's sleepier scenic highway 30a is a bustling and colorful gulf front
community known as miramar beach while scenic 30a is known for its quaint mom and pop village vibe
miramar beach offers a diverse roster of activities and accommodations
miramar beach hosts everyone from extended families on their annual pilgrimage to the coast
to spring breaking millennials with tight budgets and tight waistlines they all flock here as they
have for decades to sunbathe surf shop dine dance golf and occasionally tag each other with lasers
one famous miramar beach landmark is silver sands premium outlet center
silver sands has been drawing deal seekers to these shores since it opened in 1992 today
it's home to over 110 designer and name brand outlet stores including tory burch
coach kate spade polo ralph lauren and saks fifth avenue for those who
prefer to sit on the retail sidelines miramar beach is a golfer's paradise
in fact there are nearly a dozen highly rated golf courses here all within a short drive
if you love the great outdoors there's no greater camping option than camping on the golf
pull your big rig or your tiny one into the sandiest of spots here
and you'll watch the gulf of mexico right through your windshield
of course miramar beach's biggest asset is that emerald green surf
the one that hypnotically laps up against her sugar white sand
old 98 as the locals call this road hugs the coastline and offers spectacular views
from the comfort of one's air-conditioned chariot
well my truck truman doesn't have ac but i hear it's pretty nice
along this sandy strip you'll find what i personally like most about miramar beach
the beach bars and these aren't just bars at the beach these bars are on the beach
surf hut whale's tail pompano joes
there's no significant differentiation between bar and beach here with bare feet and bikinis
freely migrating back and forth between bar stools cornhole sets and volleyball nets
local surfer artist podcaster and bartender harley van hining has been watching this
sun-kissed parade from his front row seat for years so what makes miramar this this
area of the emerald coast so special i'd call it like a community because it is a community
the locals are pretty tight-knit they're great friends they all hang out together they come to
the beach together they leave here they go to dinner together they have thanksgiving together
they got each other's backs there's there's some great people that hang out this beach and at
pompano joe's that i hope never changes and from what i've noticed uh over time
because of that there's people that come here and they recognize the same people they're here year
after year hanging out the bar at the same sitting in the same spot the the local crew that hangs out
the beach that's in a line um all the legends yeah and people want to be a part of that yeah
like they see that it's like cheers at the beach exactly it is it's exactly what it is it's cheers
at the beach one thing i guess i'd say with my life what's what's been unique with that and it's
brought me to where i am the life i'm living is i've just stuck to what i want to do i don't
want to do what other people want me to do and originally i wanted to go to art school growing up
and someone told me hey you shouldn't do that because artists don't really make money
um that's something about paying all that money to go to art school and then coming out and
you're not gonna really and it's like well if you love what you do you're gonna be successful
i've had people before like oh you know she quit wasting your time working at the bar and
go get a real job and a corporate job well we've seen what the stability and that is and then you
put all this time and energy into that and there's like a glass ceiling
and then the more the more you go up the more responsibility less this and i can promise you
as a guy who is stuck in that trap all of us are fantasizing about being right here
i mean literally right here and and the reality is that there are certain people who have learned
how to jump to the finish line and you're one of them congratulations cheers mike pleasure
if fruity cocktails fried crab claws and people watching ain't your thing
what the heck is wrong with you by the way miramar beach also offers a multitude of water
sport rentals including paddle boards kayaks jet skis banana boat rides and parasailing
as for me though i'm pretty content right here at the tiki hut where i can soak in this
stunning seaside spectacle along with a few rays of good old-fashioned florida sunshine