Why Addison Rae, Angela Lanter and more influencers flock to Seaside

Seaside has become a major destination for influencers in recent years, whether sorority girls on spring break are posting post office pictures or families are gathering on the Seaside amphitheater for holiday photos. But some of the influencers have a little bit more of a following than others. Addison Rae, Alex French, Dani Austin, Lauren Akins, Angela Lanter and more have documented their every move on vacation for millions watching at home.

TikTok famous Addison Rae (@addisonraee) is a super fan. The dancer last visited in June of 2019, where she posted in the must-have Seaside sweatshirt with the caption “Wishin’ I was still sittin’ Seaside,” as well as “Ready to seas the day” (in case readers are looking for their own Instagram caption ideas). The photos received hundreds of thousands of likes, which isn’t surprising given her 35.6 million Instagram followers. (She has 73 million on TikTok).

The Seaside Times spoke to some of our favorite influencers about what brought them to the area, what keeps them coming back, and most importantly, the best places to pose.

Hello Gorgeous blogger Angela Lanter (@angelalanter) first visited for July Fourth weekend in 2015 with her actor husband Matt, who was filming a movie in nearby Mobile, Ala.

The lifestyle blogger, who has 347,000 followers, said her husband hadn’t been since college, “but remembered it being a charming little beach town and knew I would love it … He was right.” They ended up returning with their family twice that summer and now visit annually.

After experiencing what Lanter called “the most beautiful watercolor sunset,” the spot “immediately became my favorite place on earth.”

It helps that according to Lanter, “You can’t take a bad photo when you’re on 30A” and “Everywhere you look there’s a photo-op.” Her personal favorite spot is in front of the Coleman Beach Pavilion.

Gina Homolka, the author of the wildly popular Skinnytaste (@skinnytaste), with a whopping 1.6 million followers, first visited for a girls’ weekend getaway with a group of fellow food bloggers in 2014. She returned with her family the next year and now visits regularly.

“I fell in love with the charming beach town with white sand beaches, turquoise waters, beautiful pastel houses and farmers market,” she said.

Homolka said, “The restaurants, food trucks, clothing stores, art galleries, ceramic shops and ice cream shops were all highlights.” The food blogger recommends Frost Bites for shave ice, Great Southern Café mojitos and The Shrimp Stack for ruby reds.

Ellen Flowers Dickenson runs The Perennial Style (@theperennialstyle) with her sisters, Janie and Blair, who was married at the Seaside Interfaith Chapel.

She said that growing up in Dothan, Ala., she spent almost every weekend in Seaside with her family, calling it, “our home away from home.” They even visited when “The Truman Show” movie was filming.

“We’ve loved experiencing all of the growth over the years and were amazed when we moved to Dallas to see how many Texas families also call Seaside their ‘home away from home,'” she said. She’s since shared her visits with her more than 100,000 followers.

“Seaside is constantly flooding our newsfeed as more influencers nationwide head there to experience the charming beach town and crystal-clear waters,” she added.

Ellen explained, “We love encouraging our readers to visit and experience the local charm. For those who haven’t heard of Seaside, as soon as we mention “The Truman Show,” everyone starts booking a flight to experience this picture-perfect getaway!”

The sisters recommend Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant for the views and food, as well as the perfect place to run into friends and snap a sunset photo.

The blogger told us, “Seaside is such a picturesque destination, so every corner of the town offers a beautiful backdrop for dreamy photos. Whether we’re snapping sunset photos on the sugar sand beaches or timeless pictures in front of the post office, the photo ops are endless. Every corner offers the perfect backdrop for a dreamy Insta-worthy shot, so it’s no surprise influencers are flocking to Seaside to spotlight this charming beach destination.”

No matter what you’re looking for (or how many followers you have), Seaside provides ample opportunities for the perfect Instagram. And you never know who you’ll spot snapping photos nearby.