Blue Mountain Beach

Hi all, I might not post often, but I have been reading your good advice to others for over a year . Wondering if you can answer a question for me.

My family has been vacationing in August the last couple of years and I think we like doing that. The kids start school the first week in Sept. so we usually go mid to late August. This year we will be in Orlando but next year we would FINALLY like to go to Destin area. I have been wanting to do this for three years.

Anyway, through many hours of research and reading (too bad I don%26#39;t get paid for this), I think I have narrowed our search down to Blue Mountain beach or at least somewhere on the South Walton beaches.

We have been looking at the Adagio since there might be a total of 11 of us and we want a resort/place that is beach front and has a great pool. Lots of good feedback on this resort, but I can%26#39;t find any info specifically about the beach.

When I look at pictures of the beach, it looks really narrow. I know they are planning on beach refurbishment but I read that they might not even get the permit until next May. Wow. They might not be done by August.

So, those of you who have seen the beaches there or have stayed at the Adagio..............did you have enough room on the beach? That is a large resort. I would think the beach would be really crowded. I don%26#39;t want beach umbrellas 3 and 4 rows deep like at Sandestin.

What do you think? And thank you so much in advance for your kind replies. When you spend that kind of money, you are afraid of making a big mistake.

Blue Mountain Beach

Don%26#39;t worry about crowds in Blue Mountain mid to late August. Even in peak season, Blue Mountain is not crowded compared to Destin. I go to Blue Mountain a lot(I have a house there) and have never had to sit behind someone on the beach.

Keep in mind, too, that school starts back in mid August in Florida and surrounding states so families with children will be few. You can probably also take advantage of shoulder season rates.

One cavaet. It is as hot as blue blazes in August in the panhandle. I wouldn%26#39;t mention this except you are from NY and might not be accustom to the kind of heat and humidity we get that time of year. If you are not used to it (and even if you are) it can be rather brutal. That said, sitting on the beach under an umbrella shouldn%26#39;t be bad. But if you want to do other outdoor activities-biking, boating, even walking, you might want to do them first thing in the morning.

Blue Mountain Beach

Adagio is great. The pool is huge. You won%26#39;t find near the crowds on the beach that you will in Destin. I second the other post about the heat. We usually go late July or early August and plan our days around the heat. We hit the beach early and by noon we%26#39;re eating lunch and planning indoor activities. After dinner we head back to the beach. The kids love catching ghost crabs on the beach at night; be sure to take a flashlight!

Hey disgal,Been staying at the beaches of south walton several years now and love the area.We found the Adagio last spring and will be staying there again in May.We have a little one with us now so we stay poolside so when it is nap time we can be close.The 3 bdrm. condos are large so two families have plenty of room and privacy and lots of room to spread out.The 4 bdrms are I%26#39;m sure just as great.There is an infinity pool gulside and a wonderful waterfall pool between the poolside condos.We used to go in August a few years ago but like previous posts said it is very hot and humid.There weren%26#39;t the crowds that you have during the summer.The beach at Adagio is down quite a few steps(hence the Blue Mtn. name).The umbrellas when we are there in May are side by side and we didn%26#39;t feel crowded.The beach is maybe some narrower but there was plenty of it and room to spread out a bit.

Thank you all for your help.

Well, I am wondering now about August. Not really because of my family, but the other family that might be going with us.

We have been 3 or 4 times to Orlando in August/September. Blazing Hot......especially when you spend it walking around on concrete. But we have muddled through. I guess I thought that with an ocean breeze it would be better than Orlando. We could probably take it, but I know my friend might have difficulty. And I think we would like to go biking to see all the little beach towns. I%26#39;m sure we would feel it%26#39;s too hot for that.

Which makes me think April/Spring break (which is usually the second full week) might be better. I noticed on vrbo the rates are the same as late August. I was just worried about it being too cold in the ocean water...............72 degrees is pretty chilly where I come from. Is the pool at Adagio heated? Would the kids be able to swim at night in the pool?

Hello again,I believe the pool gulfside is heated,I don%26#39;t think the biggest pool is but you could call Adagio office and they could tell you.We go the week before Memorial day(before the higher summer rates kick in) and there are lots of people in the water then.Not sure if a couple of weeks would make that much difference in the water temps.If you have kids with you they are usually pretty willing to jump in.The beaches are really the prettiest in the spring and fall -it%26#39;s our favorite time to go.Last year we rented thru VRBO and had a great rate because it was brand new.We rented this year thru the office and got a 20% discount for the 8 days we are going to be there.Don%26#39;t know if you have reservations yet but you might compare the two.

Well, that%26#39;s a tough one. The water will be cold in April but the air temps should be perfect-mid 70s. Personally, I don%26#39;t get in the water till June ( I am a whimp) but I see people swimming in March. Again, crowds shouldn%26#39;t be a problem as spring break crowds are pretty well finished up by the end of March.

In view of all that, I vote for April. To me just being able to sit outside, throw a frisbee, walk the beach or spend some time on the bike trail without roasting would be worth having to brave the cold waters of the gulf.

On the other hand, last August my husband and I rode bikes every morning and it wasn%26#39;t unbearable at all. Of course we were out at the crack of dawn. And we are accustomed to the heat and humidity.

Another thing to consider is that the gulf is pretty warm in August and not very refreshing.

Not really trying to talk you into either one-just trying to present different perspectives.

HaHa!! See why this is such a hard decision?? :D I%26#39;m so glad we have lots of time to work this out. Imagine if it were for this year. Yikes!

BigBlueFan...................I called Adagio like you suggested.......you were right. The big pool is not heated. She said it would cost a fortune to heat it. And she%26#39;s right. But I hoped anyway. I think our Spring Break is about 5 weeks before you go. The one Destin site I was on says the average water temp. for April is 72. I doubt if the pool water would be that much warmer. We will have 7 kids with us, ranging in age of 7-15............and the water is the big draw. Is the ocean water more cloudy in the summer because you are not the first person to comment on how pretty the water is in the Spring/Fall?

Oh, and how did you get that discount? How nice!

Suma.......................April really would sound good to me too, but I%26#39;m wondering if the kids would feel the same, you know what I mean?

We%26#39;ll have to have a chat with them when the time gets closer to making a decision.

You all are great with your help...........I really do appreciate what you have to say since you have been there and/or live there. I wish it were a little cheaper of a place and we could do both times of the year..............a girl can dream, can%26#39;t she!! :D

About that discount--I found the listing on vrbo and talked with the owner.He told me the office on the property would actually handle the reservation,--so when we decided on our times instead of calling him back with the info I went ahead and called the office there and eliminated one step.The lady there told me there was a discount for this year and of course I was DELIGHTED.Now I don%26#39;t know if that was because we making reservations far in advance or what.She just made me very happy with that little bit of info.Don%26#39;t know if you have stayed there before but it is beautiful--really wouldn%26#39;t have to leave for anything .The water has always been very clear with the exception of one trip where there had been some storms out in the gulf,Even then it wasn%26#39;t bad just some seaweed.I have found that it is usually warmer than the weather predicts when we have been there- always take a jacket,never have needed it so I think you will be good whenever you decide to go.