The white sandy beach, swaying palm trees and emerald green water make Destin, Florida, a tourists’ paradise
FOR my family, summer time and road trips go hand in hand. In the summer season, my husband and I often explore and enjoy different locales with our two young children.
This summer was no exception. Our destination was Destin, Florida. A popular beach by the Gulf of Mexico, in the northwest area of ‘the sunshine state’ or Florida, if you will. Destin happens to be more family-oriented place than other tourist spots and there are a lot of attractions for the young ones too in the area. The 12-hour drive that began from Missouri took us through the states of Arkansas (AR), Tennessee (TN), Mississippi (MS), Alabama (AL) and right down to Florida (FL). We had a map with us that, along with directions, had some factual information about the cities we drove through and lakes and rivers we crossed. Former US president Bill Clinton was discussed as we drove by Little Rock, AR. The kids were introduced to the king of rock and roll when we stopped at Graceland in Memphis, TS. We crossed the Mississippi river in Memphis and drove onwards to Jackson, also known as Chimneyville after being burned down in 1863. On the last leg of our journey we drove through Mobile, a busy port town in Alabama and as soon as we entered Florida we found ourselves in Destin. It was quite late in the evening so we decided to check into our two-bedroom condo on the beach and went straight to bed.
The next morning was bright and sunny. The white sandy beach, palm trees and emerald green water made up a picture-perfect scene out of a calendar. That day, and for the next five mornings, we were greeted on the beach by a pack of splashing dolphins that made my son and daughter go wild with excitement.
While my kids enjoyed building sand castles with there brightly-coloured buckets and spades, my husband dozed off on the lounging chairs under the shade of the huge beach umbrella provided by the resort. The temperature was a tad high, but the water was nice and cool. I grabbed my surf board and waded into the ocean. About 30feet from the shore I noticed a large shadow of a big fish swimming right towards me. My first thought was that it was a bull shark and that my vacation was going to come to an abrupt and unexpected end. Luckily, it turned out to be a Manatee. Manatees are docile and reclusive sea creatures, and it sure was a surprise that one of them decided to take a swim along the beach. It swam right past me gracefully and I was left totally awe-struck by the huge sea animal that did not even create a ripple on the surface of the water. That was the most thrilling part of the whole vacation for me.
My son got his first lesson in snorkeling the next day. He’s not a good swimmer, but his enthusiasm and excitement more than compensated for his limited swimming skills. Deep-sea fishing was another exciting experience. Being an avid trout fisherman, my husband thoroughly enjoyed it. Having accompanied him on his numerous fishing expeditions, I could tell the difference between the tranquillity of freshwater fishing and the excitement and rush of deep-sea fishing. This time though our fish broke the line and got away, but the huge sea turtle that bobbed it’s head out of the water and left my kids shrieking in excitement, helped me get over my disappointment of not catching any fish.
The clear skies, gentle waves, pelicans flying overhead then diving into the water and emerging with a fish in their beaks, people zooming on either side of us on their wave-runners, all was part of a lot of energy that was created all around us.
Being by the ocean side we just had to try out fresh sea food that was caught daily and brought to the several marinas by professional fishermen. There were many restaurants to choose from. Depending on your taste and preference you can have Caribbean to Mediterranean, or Creole to Cajun cuisine. My love for crabs took me to a restaurant called ‘The Crab Shack’ that someone had recommended. It was treat to eat the sweet, succulent meat of snow crabs and more denser and meatier, but equally tasty, dungeness crabs. Fresh fish was plentiful as well Mahi Mahi, or dolphin (not the mammal), is a popular fish with excellent taste. My husband likes a wedge of lemon squeezed on top of his grilled Mahi Mahi. My kids devoured large butterflied shrimp, covered with coconut and deep fried to a crisp golden brown.
The next day we explored the shopping areas of Destin. From quaint little shops by the bay to more modern and large scale malls, it was a shopper’s paradise. After a long day of going in and out of shops and lugging all the shopping bags around we were all ready for a snack. Lucky for us, we found an Italian cafe just around the corner. Gelatto, Italian ice cream, is something to die for. Made with milk, cream and natural flavours, it is the most creamy and delightfully tasty ice cream one could ever have.
Destin has a lot of water parks geared towards the kids and teenagers. The ‘Big Kahuna’ stays jam-packed throughout the season. We tried to stay away from the crowd and stayed at the beach most of the time.
Like all good things our trip came to an end as well. On our drive back we stopped by the highway a few times to pick up some fresh produce of the area. The fruit vendors had a number of stalls covered with ripe fruit and vegetables. We bought fragrant peaches from Alabama, bright red watermelon from Tennessee, and plump tomatoes from Arkansas. Boiled peanuts is something very southern here. They boil peanuts in big barrels with a strange spicemix that enhances the taste of the peanut. The end result is a plump, soft peanut that melts in your mouth.
After visiting the southern coast I couldn’t help but think about our own Hawk’s bay and Sand’s pit areas. I think that these places have a lot of potential for growth and development. If a well thought-out plan is implemented and the area is developed and provided with basic amenities, descent and safe lodgings, some landscaping, convenient stores and restaurants, it could be transformed into a very attractive destination for families looking for safe and wholesome recreation. Toll booths along the roads, fishing licenses, boating permits, taxes from area businesses, hotels and motels is going to generate much needed revenues that might further improve the development of the area. I know that you’re reading this and thinking that it all seems a little far-fetched. Well, far-fetched ideas sometimes turn into money-making avenues for those who take chances. And a little beautification of the coastal region is not going to hurt anyone in anyway.
The white sandy beach, swaying palm trees and emerald green water make Destin, Florida, a tourists’ paradise 
