Destin, Florida

NB_LONGHORN

NB_LONGHORN

500+ Posts
I have heard a lot of good things about Destin from several folks that I work with. good family environment, great beaches, good fishing, shopping for the women-folk. We have been taking a family trip to South Padre each May for the last 5 years, but that will end with this next year since my son will be in his first year of Kindergarten. it sounds as though you can get a good rate on a condo on the beach with comparable pricing to Padre. Has anyone been? Was it a good value and does the feedback I have recieved hold up?
 
find some friends who have kids the same age and look for a house rental in the seaside/seagrove beach/grayton beach area. Nice, laidback and walkable. No big condos or hotels. And only 15 minutes past the hustle and bustle of Destin.
 
Totally agree with Tiger. Destin is nice but crowded, assuming you want to eat at a restaurant occasionally. Those other towns are more like 30-40 minutes east of Destin but it is worth it. Same scenery, same activities but without the crowds. Seaside, Fla., would be my pick.
 
The above posters are correct. Anywhere along Hwy 30 is nice. I prefer Blue Mountain Beach, but any of those areas are great. Seaside is neat - that's where they filmed "The Truman Show" - but it is across the highway from the beach. It you want to walk out of your house/condo onto the sand, try someplace else. Seaside does have a great concert series during the summer, so it is worth going there for a night under the stars, listening to music. The one place I would avoid is SanDestin (other than the outlet mall). SanDestin is a lot like Vail - too crowded, too rich, too touristry, too much.

If you want to fish, the charters out of Destin are fantastic (and not that expensive, comparably). Destin is very close to "blue water" compared to the rest of the Gulf - charters can get you out to some great deepsea fishing very quickly. And for something different, try getting a guide and going Redfish/trout fishing in the bay between Destin and Niceville.

Another great idea is to rent a pontoon boat at Destin Harbor, and go out into Destin Pass - some of the best snorkling in the world. The water is green, crystal clear, and most of the area is about 10 feet deep. You can see the area when you cross the bridge on 98 going into Destin from Ft Walton Beach (and you can fly into Ft Walton Beach from Dallas on American).

The Back Porch is a great Destin landmark restaurant - try their Grouper sandwiches. Vic's, further down Hwy 30, is another great place to eat.

One thing to consider - after going to the Destin area, and getting your toes into that squeaky white sand, you will never want to go back to Padre Island. You will be spoiled for life!
 
It's amazing how just a few miles make s a difference though. Destin is much nicer than Ft. Walton Beach/ Oakaloosa (sp?) lsland. Destin is crazy expensive in the summer though. The Hilton is GREAT, but rules 400+ a night in the summer. You can get it for more like 150-ish in the spring.

Bookit.com has some good deals in Destin. ResortQuest manages a vast majority of the properties out there, and we were pleased w/ them on our last trip.
 
I agee with the split a house for week idea. You might also consider Navarre Beach between Pensacola and Fort Walton. Smaller town feel, got partially wiped out by the hurrican 3-4 years ago, and borders the National Seashore. Seagrove and Blue Mountain rock as well... but about another hour or more in the car.
 
- another vote for staying somewhere east of Destin off Hwy 30A. We stay in Seagrove Beach every spring break. We spit a very nice house with another family...beaches are awesome, you can ride your bike to Seaside, plenty of restaurants, etc.

My favorite vacation every year.

www.beachseekers.com
 
You may also want to look at the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Alabama area. Closer to Texas, not as crowded, great beaches. Lots of condos for rent. If you want to stay at a hotel/resort, Perdido Beach Resort is right on the Alabama/Florida line and is nice.
 
got married there a few years back and my wife's family is from Ft Walton Beach. FWB you can find some pretty nice locales on the beach that are not crowded at all. The condos we stayed at were right across from San Destin. Pretty nice ones.
 
Navarre is fine... the national seashore between navarre and Destin is a Gay mecca on big holiday weekends. Pensacola actually embraces the revenue now....

Back on topic- Look like we are doing an impromptu road trip for a 5-6 day destin stay. Did the math on the gas and figured it about $400 +/-. We planned on driving all night to miss the Houston/Baton Rouge rush hour bottle necks and simply to maximize our time at the Condo by arriving early. I am a little worried about the couple we are going with petering out midway though the night but they say they can handle it.

We were planning on traveling light and bringing just the essentials, bathing suits, goggles, towels, Booze, wine and tenderloin. But wondered if anyone had any suggestions on where to buy some fresh shrimp/seafood near destin. I know Destin's the big tourist trap, and we figured to eat most of our meals at home with the obligatory back porch grouper sandwich.

Any other suggestions? Also any good rest stops to grab an hour or so of sleep if the other couple begs to stop on the back side of Louisiana,or in Mississsipi? Been so long since I road tripped it, but seems as there were some pretty nice rest stops along I-10 (at least in Florida that I remember.)

ANy other road trip suggestions to Destin appreciated.
 
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