It’s that time again. Seems strange that Destin is already ramping up for the 2010 tourist season. Being a local Destin Photographer living on the emerald coast since 1976 with a couple short time departures I have seen a ton of changes from Okaloosa island to the beaches of south Walton as they are now known. As the summer quickly approaches all the local area businesses that cater to the droves of people that love our beautiful beach are scrambling to make sure they are able to meet the demands as well as help provide a lasting experience for all the vacationers. As one of the many business owners in the area I too have been proactive in making sure I am as prepared as I can be to get the most out of the season and deliver as many lasting impressions as I can. I just had sign magnets made for my SUV and lettering on the back window so as to use my vehicle as a moving billboard. It’s enjoyable to be able to meet so many families from all over the country as we chat on the phone in preparation for their arrival and talk about the details of their photo sessions. People from all walks of life come to what once was a small little fishing village to what now has become an extremely popular vacation spot on the emerald coast. I love living here. Even during the busy season for our area everyone you meet for the most part is very friendly and sincerely excited to be here. Weather you come to relax for a week or two or take in all Destin has to offer from a fishing trip out of Destin harbor to sunning at Crab Island, from eating a hickory smoked prime rib at McGuire’s Irish Pub to a quick bile at Harry T’s right on Destin Harbor. Destin is a great place to live and a great place to vacation. If you have been thinking about a trip to Destin -don’t think anymore. This is a destination that really isn’t that far of a drive from anywhere you may live in the southeast so come to Destin and Welcome to your vacation.
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Paint n Place Baytown Location
Since I married the world’s most balanced beach photographer, I am no longer allowed to have any of the normal vices like excessive drinking, smoking or gambling. We do not own a swimming pool or hot tub, and my gym membership is more torture than relaxation. Having the gym access pass on my keychain stresses me out – it’s like every time I start my car I feel like a failure.
Yes people, that truly means no glass of wine during dinner to wind down the day, no cold beers on the weekend to sweat out the frustrations of the week. Compound this with a strict diabetic diet (no carbs, no sugar, no chocolate)…. and I’m not sure how I have managed to stay sane. So I have been on a quest to find something that could distract me long enough to help me rejuvinate before heading back to the trenches every Monday morning.
Joe and I decided we’d try pottery. Stop laughing. We didn’t “make” the pottery, we just painted it and then the shop glazed and fired it. Although the scene from GHOST still inspires me to try and get my hands dirty, especially if some hot hunky shirtless man wanted to sit behind me while I was molding my latest creation. Of course, in my fantasy, this hot hunky shirtless man looks very similar to my husband. Ahem, sorry… I got distracted. Anyway, we chose the Paint-N-Place located on the Harbor at Harborwalk since it would have the best view of all of the other locations. There is also one in Sandestin (we took the kids there for their birthday and they had a blast!), and a new location at Pier Park in Panama City Beach, Florida.
We both chose large items, Joe – a large bowl for mixing and I chose a large serving platter. It is funny how one’s personality is so vivid when you put a paintbrush in their hands. Joe’s bowl has clean lines, three main colors and looks just like something he would love in a store. My platter has many colors (although there is a theme), and freestyle handpainted flowers with vines that disrupt the very orderly patterns on the edge of the platter. Sound familiar?
The next day when we went to pick up the pieces at the shop, we were greeted by a very nice couple. Of course, they complimented our pieces and then we sat and chatted for a while. Come to find out – they owned the shop. Nice to know that you can still get such personal service from people who care so much about the product that they sell.
The whole experience was fabulous and we intend on making it a monthly outing – with or without the kids. We highly recommend the activity to locals and tourists alike. It is a perfect afternoon or morning treat for the whole family and will help preserve your beach vacation memories for a lifetime.
Paint n Place perfect family outing
I was walking around the local Winn-Dixie grocery store here in Bluewater Bay this afternoon and was pleasantly greeted at the front door by the oasis of jackhammering, construction workers and frantic store employees restocking shelves. For a moment, it seemed like the scene right after a hurricane – but really, Winn Dixie is just undergoing a facelift and sprucing the place up a bit. I had an hour before I had to pick up the kids from Ninja practice, Joe had fallen asleep on the couch late in the afternoon and it is so rare that he grabs a cat nap, that I decided to grab the grocery list and get some of the household chores squared away.
Obviously, with all the construction and store in a total disarray, I quickly scanned the grocery list and cut it in half to ensure I’d be able to pick up the children on time. Nothing was in the place that it was the last time that I was in the store – not one item. Where the baskets were – there were now halmark cards, where the sausage and bacon use to live – there was beer and wine. I started to laugh, then cut the list down to the bare minimums – milk and eggs. As I was cutting back through produce trying to find milk – a very aggravated middle aged female was huffing and puffing and using a louder than normal voice saying “I just want a bag of onions. Surely, there is a bag of onions in this place! I mean – does Winn Dixie have nothing better to do than to move everything around so that you can’t find anything!?”. Clearly beyond her point of no return, I pointed to the bag of onions on the other side of the aisle, smiled and watched her storm through the rest of the hazard zone.
In reality – my guess is that Winn-Dixie is giving the store a facelift truly and simply because … it was time. I am sure that someone very experienced in the Grocery Store Satisfaction Index Association of Grocery People consulted with Winn Dixie and convinced them that putting the Ziplock bags next to the pickles would increase the likelihood of a shopper purchasing both the vinegar saturated cucumbers and the handy dandy plastic baggies. Whatever – at the end of the day, there were a lot of people working, getting paid, making a living, and the store will look great when it is finished. I am not sure what was going on in the frusted customer’s life, but I hope that she has a really good friend that she can vent to that will wait until she is finished complaining about the onions being moved and then calmly look at her and say, “Honey, it’s just onions”.
Blue enjoying our new furniture
It’s not every day or ever that we get a chance to turn our work life as a Destin Photographer or computer connoisseur off and just relax but this past weekend that’s just what we did. Amber and I hopped on a plane and went to Vegas for a long weekend to hang out with some old friends. The babies stayed at home with Rory and Lisa for a couple days then Dad picked them up until they returned home Sunday. Amber contemplated not taking her lap top which was a first by the way and I knew when she asked me if she should leave it what the answer should be. Even though we wanted to turn off work altogether I knew if she were to leave it at home she would have felt naked without it and not been happy so I told her she needed to just bring it. I was pleasantly surprised that she turned it on very little while we were away and most of the time it was for something that we needed not what someone else wanted or needed, it was nice. Vegas is really neat but not for the reason you may think. I am not a gambler and don’t care for Vegas that way it’s about the other stuff for me. I was so excited about seeing Phantom of the Opera and the Cirque show Mystere. We bought tickets to Blue Man which I have seen several times but Amber had never seen. Unfortunately we didn’t get to Blue Man but saw the Titanic Exhibition and the Exhibition of Bodies kind of creepy but interesting at the same time. We stayed at the Bellagio, I love the fountain there. Amber is a fan of room service, I can take it or leave it…well I can leave it when breakfast is a hundred bucks! But what the hell it was kind of cool I guess. The drinks were all great I had a pumpkin pie martini which was fabulous, it even made it to facebook it’s the only sideways pic on my page. Everybody knows I am a car freak so when we passed the advertisement for the car collection at the Imperial Palace I knew I was going to check it out. I had never seen a concentration of so many Rolls Royces in one spot. I really liked the Grand Nationals they had three and some old Jags as well. Anyhow, the long weekend was exhausting as well as exciting. I love traveling but at the same time there is no place like home. I mean come on the emerald water and beaches of Destin are gorgeous and especially during the holidays I like to be in my living room watching the tree spin in a circle and watch the fire cracking. Our home is small but extremely homey. On the evening before we were to come home I knew I was ready to go and when I got on that plane in Vegas I was so looking forward to the nap I would taking in a few short hours. Our weekend was fantastic and as we were waking from our nap, in walks our babies and we got to hear about the great time they had with uncle Rory and aunt Lisa. Then it was solidified – there’s no place like home.
Rory's 33rd
The air felt different today, and no it was not because Joe had one too many last night at Rory’s 33rd birthday. The surprise party was suppose to launch at around 6:30pm, but the ever diligent worker spent the last few hours on Saturday dealing with more Cash for Clunkers customers and didn’t pull up the road until closer to 8:45pm. We all rushed into the very humid garage and waited in less than silence because of all of “Shhhhhhhhhhing” going on and Lisa’s mom’s outburst of giggles that almost sent the entire room into a fit of laughter. The roar of his engine in the drive way (he has the most gorgeous 1971 Chevy Camero Z28 that is red with black stripes) - we are all sweating with anticipation and well – we’ve all been drinking since six and have a heck of a headstart on him….
He gets out of the car. He walks up to the front door. (We realize the windows of the garage are open and we are still shhhing). He walks back to the car and over to the garage to punch in the code and open the door – we scream, he smiles, we all take a deep breathe of exhaust and we scatter back to our pre-surprise spots. Joe rushes back to the kitchen because he’s almost positive he has burned the last batch of chicken wings in the fryer. There was so much food it was unbelieveable! And by the end of the evening – it was ALL GONE! There were apparently dozens of hungry, thirsty friends and family at Rory’s last night to heave him a positive push into his 33rd year of existance. Hopefully he had a great time, slept in and enjoyed the celebration.
***Note to self: Do not let entire birthday crowd drink for three hours prior to having to SHHHHhhh long enough to surprise birthday boy, nor choose a hot, humid, garage with the windows open for the “hiding” spot.
Locals work unbelievably hard during the season to ensure that Destin Travelers have an amazing experience. Every day is the opening act for a new set of guests and it is a rare occasion for some of us to get out and about during Spring or Summer, but last Sunday we had the most amazing time strolling through Destin and the Beaches of South Walton on our motorcycle.
Down Beach Road 98 in Destin, along Highway 30A in South Walton, with a final destination of Eden State Park. Breathtaking beauty nestled gently within the borders of one of America’s finest beach destinations. Perfect for calm walks on the gorgeous nature trail, picnicking with the family, or fishing off the pier for a quiet respite. Awarded on multiple occasions as one of America’s most beautiful State Parks, this is a must see while on the area. Take a break from the beach, put down the golf clubs and discover one of South Walton’s treasure locations.
During our two hours at Eden Gardens we sat on the pier and snapped a few photos of the Flying Fish, walked the nature trail, gazed at the reflection pool and met a few friendly travelers.
From Destin, take Highway 98 East toward Panama City. Take a left on County Road 395 and then follow the signs to the park. You’ll stroll through an older, yet charming neighborhood and view one of the oldest schools in the area before embarking on the park. Entrance is $1 per person without a vehicle or $3 per vehicle.
