Hey all:

I'm going to be vacationing in Destin, FL next week and I want to bring my road bike along for some riding. I'm not familiar with the area and am looking for suggestions. We are staying on the beach in the Sandestin area. I would like to put in 25 to 30 miles each day.

From google maps it looks like 98 has spotty bike lane coverage heading east until you get to the Grayton Beach area, then good bike lanes to the bridge. It doesn't look like loads of fun but it's probably something I can put up with to get the miles in. I know about the trail along 30A, but from what I've read and what I can see the path isn't very ideal as it has lots of driveways, crossings and foot traffic. It also looks like there aren't very many other alternate routes in the area.

What if I headed west? It would mean battling through Destin itself, but then I could cross over to Okaloosa Island and head on to Santa Rosa Blvd. From what I can see it looks like a pleasant ride along Santa Rosa (with low traffic) all the way to the end of the road. Is that a reasonable route? The downside is having to take 98 through Miramar Beach and Destin: how miserable would that be?

I'm also willing to put the bike on the car and drive to start somewhere else nearby if it means better riding overall.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!