Destin, Florida

My feet are screaming for flip flops and it’s still in the 30’s outside so I thought I’d close my eyes and remember a time when my feet were in the sand to help combat the cold.  This past summer my boyfriend (you may remember him from an earlier post as ‘my travel companion’  https://thezestytraveler.com/national-parks.html) and I took a trip down to Destin, Florida.  He’s been there several times before, but this was my first trip to Destin and I fell hard for the beautiful white sand beaches and the emerald green water.

Destin is also known as the Emerald Coast and it earns the name well.  We had the pleasure to watch a few storms roll through just off the coast while we were there and the shades of green that played through the water were mesmerizing.  The beaches are incredibly soft white sand.  You can’t help but walk barefoot and sink your toes in.  This is not a beach for sea shell collectors.  You’ll find a few scattered here and there but the ones you’ll find are very small and even more are broken.  If you’re lucky though, you will be able to see an ever better treasure.  Walk down to Henderson State Park at night between April and November to try to catch a glimpse of sea turtles coming to the beach to lay their eggs.  If you’re looking for something a little more active, head down towards the public beach for some beach volleyball and water sports.

If you’re looking for a vacation home now may be the time to invest in Destin.  The city is centered around tourism and we all know the tourist industry is not doing so well with the current economy.  It’s still a great place to go for both singles and families, and I imagine when things turn around it will blossom once again.  My recommendation is to buy a condo on the beach if you are looking for an alternate income stream when you aren’t using it yourself.  Otherwise there are plenty of single family homes lining the beach and the harbor.  If you aren’t looking to make a purchase, I suggest renting one of the condominiums on the beach.  Most are privately owned but use central management companies.  Depending on the time of year, renting a condo is about the same cost as a hotel, but you have the option to cook your own meals and a little more privacy; usually a small private beach and pool as well.  We stayed at the Coral Reef Club which is a few short yards away from Henderson State Park, just one of many great places to stay.

If you want to see another park, you can take about a 20 minute car ride to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.  There are three lakes within the park that are fresh water despite their close proximity to the ocean.  You can also camp in the park and walk the dunes.  You do have to be cautious and keep an eye out for alligators, particularly when you are near the lakes.  As with the turtles, we didn’t see any alligators, but if you want to see an alligator you can head back in to the city to visit Gator Beach.  If you’re looking for something a little less wrapped up in nature, there are putt-putt golf courses and go carts.  There is also a large outlet mall for those rainy days or those days after you’ve spent too much time in the sun.  You can also head down to the Harbor for water activities, shopping, and restaurants.

Speaking of food, Gator Beach is connected to a popular restaurant and there are nearly a dozen options down in the Harbor area.  The Crab Trap is a good spot for seafood and is right on the beach.  If the kids (big or small) are craving McDonald’s or some other fast food chain, forget all of them and go to a Whataburger, hands down better than all the rest.  If you have rented one of those condos I suggested, stop by a little strip mall at the corner of Emerald Coast Parkway (US 98) and old US 98 to pick up some peel and eat shrimp (unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the place, but it’s easy to find).  There offer a few other choices as well, but the focus is on the gulf shrimp.  They can prepare it for you plain or with a couple different seasoning options (in case you didn’t get a condo with a kitchen, or you can pick them up and cook them yourself.

Grab your bathing suit and head to the beach!