A Toast to Florida's Gulf Coast

Last summer, Michelle Obama visited Florida’s Emerald Coast. Just days before the capping of the well that spilled nearly five million barrels of crude into the endless blue, she reassured a nation collectively holding its breath: “These places are still clean, they are safe, and they are open for business.” We decided to see for ourselves, so we visited three coastal communities that span this celebrated shore—­Grayton Beach, Pensacola, and Apalachicola—which run the gamut of the beach-town genre and exemplify the Gulf’s charms. Not only was the water still sparkling, the sand still sugar white, and seafood still delicious, but the resiliency of residents still knows no bounds.