We'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner at our rental this year. Are any grocery stores open on Thanksgiving Day on 30A, or should we plan to shop ahead?

Plan to shop ahead. The full-size grocery stores closest to 30A are all Publix: Publix at Watersound Town Center on the east end, Publix at WaterColor Crossings in the middle, and Publix at South Walton on Hwy 98 on the west end (pharmacy listing). Publix closes every Thanksgiving, pharmacies included, and Walmart has announced it will close on Thanksgiving this year too. WhereTo30A's listings don't show holiday hours, so call before counting on smaller markets like Modica Market in Seaside, The Salty Butcher in Seagrove, or Fonville Press in Alys Beach on Thursday. A few tips:

• The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest grocery day of the year. Shop Monday or Tuesday if you can, or go early Wednesday morning.
• Reserve your turkey. Modica, The Salty Butcher, and For the Health of It in Blue Mountain Beach have taken Thanksgiving turkey orders in past years, and supplies run out. Publix's heat-and-serve holiday dinners need at least 48 hours' notice, and last year's online deadline was the Monday before Thanksgiving.
• If you'd rather not shop at all, The Beach Butlers and Pristine Grocery Delivery of 30A will shop at Publix and stock your rental before you arrive. The Beach Butlers asks for at least five days' notice.
• If you forget something on Thursday, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market in Destin were open with shortened hours last Thanksgiving (roughly 7 a.m. to early afternoon), and CVS usually opens too. That's a 30 to 45 minute drive from most of 30A, so check their hours that week.