We drove due south from my aunt's home near Talladega, Alabama to Destin. Having never seen the Panhandle beaches, the "Redneck Riviera" seemed like a great spot to stop and thaw out for a few days. We have heard everyone rave about how beautiful it is up here, but our beaches in the Tampa Bay area are pretty killer too so we never felt the need to drive eight hours (yeah, Florida is THAT long). This part of the state along Interstate 10 looks not so much like Florida as LA (Lower Alabama).
-Jenni