Coastal Vision 3000 » destin

Fall at THE Beach

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:59:49 +0000

The air has finally turned cool, and just in time for all of the great fall events happening all along THE Beach. This weekend it’s Autumn Tides at the Beaches of South Walton. Lots of fun family outdoor events and ecotourism experiences are taking place all along Scenic Highway 30A such as canoeing and Yolo Boarding on the beautiful coastal dune lakes, hiking, biking and kids activities at Seaside.

Next weeked (October 24 & 25) Destin will show off her artistic side with the 14th annual Destin Festival of the Arts at Henderson Beach State Park. Over 100 fine artists from all over the country will display and sell their original artworks. Festival hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3.

With the weather this cool and inviting, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy a festival, a picnic, a hike in the woods or a long walk on the beach. Fall weather always makes me want to go into the kitchen and bake things like pumpkin bread. Actually a pot of chili sounds good.

I’m going to need that long walk.

Of English Folks and Weekend Travel

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:36:49 +0000

The blogger has been MIA – where did the summer go? Wish I could say I was just kicking back, beachcombing and reading books, but I’ve actually been busy finding more fun things to do at THE Beach. I also spent two weeks in jolly olde England, visiting family and seeing the sights of London and the English countryside. The funny thing is that, like Americans, English folks LOVE the beach and are happy to take every opportunity to travel to warmer climates and sandy shores. I, of course, pointed out that the best beaches are in Northwest Florida.

Speaking of that, the September/October issue of Tallahassee Magazine just hit the newsstands with an article listing Tallahassee residents’ votes for “best of.” Here’s one of their picks.

Best Weekend Getaway | Destin
Sugar-fine sand. Azure waters and towering dunes. Toasting glorious sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico with a fine glass of wine. Plenty of good eating mixed with fun things to do and a wide variety of places to stay. All this waits just a short drive from Tallahassee along the pristine shores of Destin. For romance or family time, it doesn’t get better than this.
• Honorable Mention – St. George Island

It’s always great to be recognized. Thanks Tallahassee. Y’all come on down for the weekend. We’re here.

Independence Day Celebrations on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:24:37 +0000

If you’ve chosen to spend the Fourth of July at THE Beach, check out this list of local celebrations across Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast:

July 4th in Pensacola

Sertoma’s Fourth of July Celebration

Old Seville, Pensacola, FL

Fireworks at 9pm

850-433-9866

Fourth of July Celebration at Fort Walton Beach Landing

Brooks Street, Fort Walton

Enjoy food and vendor booths, children’s activities, live entertainment, and 4th of July fireworks. Event is free to the public.

850.833.9509

City of Destin Fireworks

Destin Harbor

Music in the Park (July 2)

Navarre Park

Music and festivities, followed by fireworks

850-939-2691

July 4^th Fireworks

Panama City Beach

850-233-5100

Independence on the Coast

Frank Pate Park, Port St. Joe

850-227-1223

Mexico Beach Independence Day Celebration

850-229-7800

Come to Mexico Beach for a full day of activities on July 4th. Start with our 5k walk/run. Then head to the children’s Fishing Tournament, and finish the day with a spectacular fireworks display on the beach.

Independence Day Parade and Ice Cream Social (July 3)
Downtown Apalachicola

Come join in the parade and decorate yourself, your bicycle or your golf cart and enjoy and old fashioned ice cream social after.

Fun, Free and Under $10 in the Destin Area

Fri, 22 May 2009 20:26:06 +0000

1. Destin Fishing and History Museum- Here visitors can get a glimpse of life in the Gulf of Mexico with award-winning examples of fish caught in Destin, the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village. On display are also a large collection of antique fishing rods and reels, including one owned by Ernest Hemingway! Admission is $5 per person; students and children are $3, and those under 5 are free.

2. Emerald Coast Science Center-Located in Ft. Walton Beach, this hands on science center will keep the kids learning and exploring all summer long. Make lightning in a bottle, meet Rosy the Tarantula, and make bubbles up to 15 feet long!

3. Sights and Sounds on Destin’s Harbor-Stroll through shops and restaurants or watch the fishing fleet unload the day’s catch. The Harbor District, as it’s known to locals, is in the heart of the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and has breathtaking views of the town’s emerald-green waters.

4. Concerts in the Park-Every Thursday in May and June, enjoy free concerts featuring local bands. Bring blankets, soft drinks and friends to the Event Lawn at the Mattie Kelley Cultural Arts Village in Destin.

5. Air Force Armament Museum- Browse the aviation warfare armament from World War I and today’s high-tech planes and bombs. The museum, located on Eglin Air Force Base near Valparaiso, houses an impressive collection of weaponry and interactive displays that are sure to amaze! Admission is free to all.

Destin History & Fishing Museum Revisited

Fri, 15 May 2009 19:10:21 +0000

I revisited the Destin History and Fishing Museum this week. I say revisited because I had been there a looong time ago when the museum was just getting started. That was in 1987. At that time, it was a real community effort to put the little museum together. Local fishermen donated taxidermied versions of their prize fish and old fishing equipment for display, while others donated time and money to refurbish the empty building that had been donated for the attraction.

Destin has always been known as the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village and the names of the original fishing families who founded the city can be found in the phonebook today. It was a reasonable assumption that a museum was needed that told the story of those families and the hardships they endured living on the remote barrier island that was Destin in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Today the museum is housed in the old Destin library, with over 4400 square feet of exhibit and research space. Artifacts of both fishing and daily life donated by Destin residents are artfully displayed, telling the story of those early pioneers. An early 20th century kitchen is set up in one corner, showing life before dishwashers and running water. Portraits of Destin’s founders hang on the walls above pieces of furniture and an old pump organ.

A display on Destin seine boats shows how the fishermen fished with nets, then hauled their catch to Pensacola to sell. It’s amazing to think they took those tiny boats into the gulf. You can even see a fishing rod and reel once owned by Ernest Hemingway along with a photo of him catching a fish.

Then, of course, there are the fish. Dozens of wahoo, blue marlin, black fin tuna, dolphin (the fish not the porpoise), red snapper, king mackerel, grouper, amberjack and several different species of sharks swim through a painted sea, showing the variety of fishes found in the gulf, the same ones you’ll find on your plate and any of the seafood restaurants in town.

A visit to the Destin History and Fishing Museum isn’t complete without a trip to the Destin docks as well. When you leave the museum, walk across the street and down to the harbor. Around 5 PM every day you can see the boat crews unloading the day’s catch and filleting them and you’ll see many of the fish that are on display in the museum.

The Destin History and Fishing Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for Seniors & Military, and $3 for children 4 and over. Children under 4 are free. Call 850-837-6611 for more information.

We’re Number One

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:34:41 +0000

We at THE Beach are anything but modest and unassuming when it comes to letting the world know about our beautiful white-sand beaches and clear blue-green Gulf waters. When you have the best to offer, why not spread the word? So here it is.

TripAdvisor.com has named Destin the Number 1 Vacation Rental Destination in the country. That puts THE Beach ahead of the likes of Myrtle Beach and Orlando. Pretty cool.

The site says that Destin is the perfect base from which to enjoy a variety of water sports and attractions, learn about marine life, play a round or two of golf, go fishing or shopping and enjoy excellent seafood and other cuisine in fabulous restaurants.

We know that. That’s what we’re trying to let everybody else know too. The great thing is that a vacation in Destin means visitors can easily day-trip east or west to other parts of THE Beach for additional experiences and different atmospheres. From the 450-year history of Pensacola to the world’s best oysters in Apalachicola, THE Beach has it all. We just thought you’d like to know.