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There are those of us — adults of a certain age — who recall childhood as something far simpler than what today’s kids face.
Back then, there were no cell phones. No unanswered emails. No electronic tethers. Freedom felt like a well-oiled bike and a posse of friends to roam with, and adventures were found any place with water or something new to explore. If you grew up going to the beach for vacation, you were maybe coated with sunscreen once a day and then set free to go be a kid. Finding friends on vacation could be as simple as building a sandcastle with somebody your own size (“Hey, you’re eight? I’m eight! We should be friends!”) Or maybe your family had a tradition of traveling with other families, where you had a built-in herd of playmates.
Vacations like this still exist, in a place that is firmly rooted in family, tradition and heritage. Head south on I-65 for Destin-Fort Walton Beach. This portion of the Florida panhandle has long been popular with families seeking a beach getaway, and with good reason: the sand is sugar-white, the accommodations are plentiful, and there is so much to do—even beyond the beach. Here, generations of Floridians steeped in the art of hospitality and coastal graciousness look to welcome you back. When it comes to accommodations, that hospitality is just as important as ease. This is vacation, after all. No place does both better than Southern Vacation Rentals, which has been operating in the area for more than twenty-five years. This one-stop, one-click resource truly has everything you need to create the ideal home base for your stay. Properties range in size from one-bedroom studios to homes that can host an entire family reunion.In terms of planning your day-to-day activities, gone are the days of picking up paper brochures and travel guides at highway rest stops. Now, everything you need to know about making the most of Destin-Fort Walton Beach can be found in one click, at destinfwb.com. This is the most turnkey site, with soup-to-nuts plans for every age and interest.
They’ve even gone so far as to craft whole Adventure Packs, pairing family adventures with the best local eats. Breakfast with Dophins? Check. Private Pontoon Picnic? Covered. Paddle-boarding and a picnic? Done. We’ll let you in on a little secret: you can even chat one-on-one with a local mom who knows these excursions inside and out. The website’s Little Adventures Hub is fantastic for sorting adventures by price and age of participants. Here you can explore each adventure with videos, real-kid reviews (the most discerning critics), and learn expert tips from local residents.
Dining in Destin-Fort Walton Beach is a seafood lover’s dream. The area has a rich history of fishing, even being called “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.” Here captains routinely bring home tuna, mackerel, amberjack, grouper, red snapper, and dozens more varieties of fish. No place serves up this bounty quite like Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant, which has been passed down through the Destin family for more than four generations. Parker Destin and his own family now run the business and it’s easy to see that hospitality is in their DNA. Parker can trace his roots back the 1830s when commercial fishing was the biggest thing going. Today, his restaurants honor the bounty the sea sends in with daily specials like grilled mahi, yellowfin tuna, soft shell crabs, and Gulf shrimp. (There are plenty of options for landlubbers on the menu, as well.) Save room for a trip to the adjacent Dewey’s New Orleans-Style Snoball stand for a signature treat. The most popular is the Scarlett O’Hara: a vanilla cheesecake-stuffed snoball, covered in house-made red velvet and almond syrups, topped with sweetened condensed milk. The Local Market is another Destin dining favorite, where longtime locals and sun-kissed visitors alike gather to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Traditional favorites like honey-buttered biscuits and Cuban sandwiches are served alongside requests of avocado toast and veggie bowls. The kitchen sources as many items locally as possible, brining meat in-house and buying bread from Bon Appetit in Fort Walton Beach in support of the area’s economy. Additionally, The Local Market donates one percent of all sales to American Lunch, a local non-profit providing hot meals to people in need in the Destin area. Eating well and doing good go hand in hand here.
Time spent under a beach umbrella with a good paperback or building sandcastles with kids are beach vacation staple activities. But there is even more to see and do in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. Capitalize on the region’s rich fishing history with a day spent on the Gulf with a local expert. Captain Brandy Miles is a mom of five who operates a forty-six-foot Viking multi- passenger boat named Disciple Ship. Brandy was born and raised in Destin and has saltwater in her veins. She prides herself on catering to families, especially kids, introducing and fostering a love of being on the water and of course, fishing. Her deckhands will clean and bag each day’s haul and direct you to the best area restaurants that offer “Hook and Cook” options—turning a day at sea into the best dinner you’ve ever caught yourself.
Captain Pam Kane was also born and raised in Destin and has owned her own outfit, Smile n Wave Sailing Adventures, since 2015. She grew up on charter boats and started as a deckhand, growing her business into one of the area’s most popular experiences. Specializing in day trips that give parents a break from corralling their kids, Captain Pam engages each guest in the workings of the vessel. Kids become a part of the crew. No trip is ever the same, and guests are as likely to spot sea turtles, sting rays, and dolphins (or Dol-Friends, as she calls them) as they are sunsets and fireworks.
No one expects rain delays at the beach, but it can happen. When it does, be prepared with other activities that don’t involve sun and sand. A trip to the Destin Fishing and History Museum gives a fantastic overview of the area and how this fishing village grew to be a world-class family-friendly destination. Check out the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, which offers guests the chance to enjoy animal encounters via snorkeling with stingrays, touching harbor seals and feeding dolphins.