Scenic Highway 30A, Florida — (August 7, 2007) — A Santa Rosa Beach resident announced the launch of 30A.com this week, after acquiring the domain name earlier this year.
“In addition to our stunning beaches, dune lakes and nature preserves, County Road 30A is home to an almost overwhelming number of unique communities, restaurants, shops and events,” said Mike Ragsdale, owner of 30A.com. “When we first moved here, we made a personal list all of the places that we wanted to visit: parks, art galleries, wine bars, etc. We used it as our family checklist. Ultimately, that checklist provided the inspiration for 30A.com.”
Ragsdale’s goal was to create a quick reference page highlighting the very best places and activities along the road that Travel + Leisure magazine recently hailed as “one of the most intriguing stretches of roadway in America” and “a remarkable laboratory of lifestyle.”
“My wife and I would often see an ad in the newspaper, or drive by a new spot, and think, ‘we need to try that place sometime,'” said Ragsdale. “But when the time came to actually do something, we’d often draw a blank. 30A.com is designed to help remind us all about the great options we have. It’s also extremely helpful when we’re entertaining out-of-town guests. 30A.com serves as a quick checklist of things to do!”
30A.com highlights the “hottest spots” in South Walton, in a wide variety of categories, from “Hot Spots to Watch the Sunset” to “Hot Spots for Free Wi-Fi” to “Hottest Hangouts for Locals” to a list of 30A’s “Best Kept Secrets.”
At first, Ragsdale admits that he was reluctant to share some of his family’s favorite spots. After all, what good is a secret if everyone knows about it?
“On one hand, I wanted to be selfish and keep these great places hush-hush,” admitted Ragsdale, a self-proclaimed ‘recovering entrepreneur.’ “But having been in business for myself, I know how much these local businesses really need — and want — our support. I hope that 30A.com will not only remind locals of the many treasures that we have right here in our backyard, but that it will also introduce these deserving businesses to new customers, both locals and out-of-town visitors.”
For now, many of 30A.com’s recommended “hot spots” are based on Ragsdale’s personal experiences, but an increasing number are determined by the site’s daily visitors, via an interactive poll.
“Each week, we feature a new poll topic, and we encourage our visitors to vote for their personal favorites,” said Ragsdale. “Ultimately, 30A.com will be the best and most definitive list of tried-and-true local favorites.”
