August on 30A: a Swiftie’s guide to finding a summer love on the Emerald Coast

Swifties know how “August” goes: a summer that was never meant to last, and that you remember anyway. Scenic Highway 30A, on the Emerald Coast, is a very good place to write your own version.

This is not a dating guide. It is a list of small, slightly romantic, slightly ridiculous ideas for finding a summer love on 30A, or at least a story worth telling your friends.

Where do you meet someone on 30A?

You meet someone on 30A by being where everyone slows down: the beach at golden hour and the path that runs along the road. The Timpoochee Trail follows Scenic 30A through Walton County, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s byways program, and a bike ride on it is the easiest meet-cute on the coast. Ring your bell, say thank you, smile.

Grayton Beach State Park is the other answer. It is open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year, according to Florida State Parks, which makes sunset the natural ending of every beach day there.

What is the best conversation starter on the beach?

The best conversation starter on the beach is a book with its cover showing. “What are you reading?” is the oldest opening line in summer romance, and it works because it is not really a line.

Hold the book so the title is visible. If someone asks, answer honestly, and ask what they are reading back. If the answer is “nothing,” lend them a chapter.

What should you do on a first beach date on 30A?

A first beach date on 30A should be simple, in public and in daylight:

• Meet at a public beach access, not at your rental.
• Take a walk at the water’s edge, then sit and watch the sunset together.
• Check the beach warning flags before anyone goes swimming.
• Tell a friend where you are and share your location.
• Leave when you want to leave. The best summer stories have good endings.

How do you know if a summer romance is real?

You know a summer romance is real when it still feels good the day after it ends. “August” is not a song about forever. It is a song about something that mattered while it lasted, and that is allowed to be enough.

Take photos of the sky, not just of each other. Write down the funny things. Keep the receipt from the ice cream place in your book as a bookmark.

What if you do not meet anyone this summer?

If you do not meet anyone this summer, you still have the beach, the sunsets and a good book. Our pick is Desire and the Thaw, by Ivana Nazareno, a slow-burn romance that starts in seat 22A and ends up in Iceland. Its official website has the story, and the button on this page takes you to it.

Sometimes the best summer love is the one you read.

Ivana Nazareno is part of the Emerald Coast Dispatch team.

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