Florida's Emerald Coast - A Pathway to Paradise

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The 1st Edition, Pathway to Paradise on Florida’s Emerald Coast covered background on one of Florida’s most exciting regions, the Emerald Coast, which stretches from Pensacola to Panama City, and the history of one of its most celebrated roads, Scenic Highway 30A. The new 2nd Edition updates and expands the history of the region, the roads, the unique communities, and the people who made it all happen.   

The original edition introduced the towns that grew up along 30A, from family-built communities like Dune Allen and Seagrove, to architect-designed layouts managed by big corporations, such as Rosemary Beach and Watercolor, to unique designs such as Seaside and Alys Beach. When the 1st Edition was released in 2020, communities such as Alys Beach and Watersound were only partially developed, and the expanded 2ndEdition describes the many changes that have occurred since then. Even established communities like Seaside and Seagrove Beach were still evolving, and the 2ndEdition tells their stories too.

The original introduced some of the larger-than-life figures in this history, from Chicago snake oil salesman Charles Cessna, who dreamed of a dynamic city at Santa Rosa, to Edward Ball, who bought Cessna’s property after the nascent empire collapsed, and went on to build the St. Joe Company into the largest private landowner in the state. From J.J. and Robert E. Lee McCaskill and the development of Inlet Beach, to C.H. McGee, Sr. and his son Cube at Seagrove Beach, developers were a driving force. The new edition brings these characters to life with more imagery and background.

 Learn about the waterways, the beaches, the plants and animals, parks and trails, festivals and landmarks – everything that makes life in the region what it is. Whether you’re coming for a one-week vacation or for a lifetime, Florida’s Emerald Coast is a must-have resource for life on this Pathway to Paradise.