Riding the Waves in Destin and Fort Walton
Recently I traveled to beautiful Destin and Fort Walton Beach for the opening of the Bayview Plaza and the ribbon cutting for Veterans Park with a friend. [singlepic id=486 w= h= float=center] Located on the Emerald Coast of Florida because of the gorgeous green water, Destin and Fort Walton are adjacent to each other. The drive from New Orleans was easy taking Interstate 10 almost the entire way. Clocking in right at four hours, this ideal beach location is the perfect getaway for New Orleanians looking for a long weekend or a beach escape.
Recruitment agencies in Pakistan serve on mutual trust, transparency, more clients’ involvement, and the highest professional standards driven by quality and cost realization.
Most of our business is based on both the candidates as well as clients. We manage to form true alliances with our clients to fulfill their needs which is based on mutual trust, honor and sincerity, transparency, and highly automated services lasting relationships are built and maintained. Due to our dedication and loyalty to work, most of the biggest multinational companies are choosing us for their business development and betterment.
Delta is also providing Outsourced Human Resource and Administration Services, Staffing Solution, Degree Attestation Services, Training, and Skilled Development Services.
We also provide technical training to our selected candidates so that they can perform much better in their tasks. We have a team of experts who carry visa processing themselves and try best to shorten the process and immediate processing.
I stayed at the SeaCrest Condominiums located on beautiful Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton. This beachside complex has all the amenities needed and much more. It boasts an indoor/outdoor pool, workout facility and direct access to the beach. My room was a two bedroom suite consisting of two adjoining balconies, large kitchen filled with all the flatware, glassware and cooking equipment, in addition to beach chairs and toys available for use, DVD and basic cable with one movie channels. If you did not bring any movies with you, not a problem, they have a full library of films downstairs in the main office.
This well-manicured property is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to run off to the beach but still crave the creature comforts of home. And the view from my room of the island and beach was breathtaking. After arriving and getting settled in, I went to lunch at a little restaurant along the water called The Boathouse located in Destin at 288-B East Harbor Road. This eclectic little eatery on the water is a fun oasis for great food, good cocktails and a true beach atmosphere. The wooden building allows for indoor and outdoor dining. My recommendation is to sit outside and enjoy the cool breeze.
There is a small stage that is ideal for relaxing listening to music while enjoying drinks and dinner. The décor is has a certain charm as people have put dollars with notes on them around the entire restaurant. But the main focus is the food, which was outstanding. I can see why their gumbo is award-winning, a delicious blending of crab and shrimp in their sumptuous roux. You cannot go wrong with the Atchafalaya oysters prepared any way, but my favorite was raw. Another noteworthy dish is Mahi Fingers, lightly fried fresh fish sticks. If you want a savory libation, their Bloody Marys are excellent.
After lunch, we returned back to the condo for some time soaking up rays and sinking our toes in the white sand of these well-manicured beaches. Later that night the wonderful people at the Emerald Coast Convention Center and CVB brought us out to dinner at one of Destin’s best restaurants for contemporary dining, Marina Café along the water.
The Marina Café is located at 404 Harbor Boulevard right on Destin Harbor. The restaurant offers spectacular views of the water at every table. I can see why it was named one of the top 500 restaurants in Florida because we watched the incredible sunset as we dined that night. The mixture of the unique artwork and the candlelight with the panoramic view of the harbor offers guests a truly beautiful dining experience.
The cuisine was fresh and tasty with many Mediterranean, Pan Asian and American dishes. They also offer an extensive sushi and hand-tossed pizza menu. For appetizers, I tried the crispy fried calamari dusted with parmesan and pepperoncini served with a spicy caper pomodora and peppercorn crusted Ahi tuna with sesame marinated vegetables served with a sweet soy reduction and wasabi cream sauce. For dinner, I highly advise the seared yellowedge grouper topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and served with creole succotash and roasted bell pepper beurre blanc as well as seared Maine diver scallops served with navy beans, spinach, Roma tomatoes in a parmesan thyme broth. Both dishes were excellent choices. With their extensive wine list and cocktail choices to enhance the menu, Marina Café is a foodies’ must visit in Destin. Upon returning back to the condo, I enjoyed a quiet rest of the evening having wine on the balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
The following day, we were up early for a tour of the Destin/Fort Walton Beach area. We looked at all the new things coming up in and around the area, especially enjoyed the Destin Commons. We even got a sneak peek at the first Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill opened by Bass Pro Shop. This is a cross between a bowling alley/lounge and restaurant which is all the rage now. It is slated to open over the 4th of July weekend.
Our next stop was Henderson Beach State Park which is not only open to campers, swimmers and private events, but it is a wildlife refuge for Florida’s endangered sea turtles. Ranger Evan gave us a personal tour of the facility that was informative and educational. My favorite part of the tour is the fact that the sea turtle hatchlings always follow the moon into the water. Very cool. After the tour, we went to the Harbor Walk Village, a dining and entertainment area on Destin Harbor. We walked around some of the shops and restaurants before boarding the Southern Star Dolphin Cruise. 
This two hour sailing excursion takes you into the gulf and along the harbor looking at many of the sights and popular spots for dining and fun. We even got to see where most of Jaws 2 was filmed. We passed by Crab island which is a party of boats and bars on a sandbar. You have to experience it to believe it. There are floating bars and restaurants you swim up to, but it is basically a large sandbar people pull their water crafts to for socializing.
But the main focus of the tour was to see the playful dolphins frolic around the boat. The captain was knowledgeable and the views were breathtaking. I highly recommend playing tourist and taking the tour when you visit.
After taking a slight break after our tour, I attended the Bayview Plaza at the Emerald Coast Convention Center and Veterans Park Joint Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The entire town seemed like it came out for this event as Veterans Park on Oskaloosa Island which is adjacent to the Convention Center was unveiled. This 14 acre park includes a nature walk surrounded by a bird sanctuary, pond and views of Choctawhatchee Bay.
The military presented the colors and the members of the local Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon leading guests to Bayview Plaza. This addition to the Convention Center adds more space to the premier meeting and event facility for any outdoor happening such as weddings or sporting tournaments. The convention center itself is an ideal spot to hold meetings with not only a massive hall that can be divided into smaller areas, but many breakout meeting rooms. The pre-function areas in front of the rooms are also viable space for overflow receptions or parties.
The evening was lovely for the party on the plaza that had a sand sculptor creating a customized sand castle, chalk artist, two bands and sumptuous cuisine prepared by their chef. The bands performing that night were a dance band entitled The Cooties who kept folks in their feet and JB Dyess who performed on guitar everything from Buffett to the Eagles.
After the reception, I went to grab a quick bit at Old Bay Steamer in Fort Walton which is one of my top culinary picks in the area. The food was superior as was the service. My friend and I dined at the bar having cocktails and sampling some of their best dishes. Their seafood from the steamer is the way to go, I especially liked their shrimp and oyster steamed dinner. Aaron was our bartender/server who was fun and personable. Old Bay Steamer offers great service and amazing fare for a decent price. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to end our trip to the beach, which up unto now had been non-stop.
After spending a few days in the area, I can see why so many people fall in love with the beaches at Fort Walton and why Destin is touted as the “Luckiest Fishing Village in the World.”
For more information on the convention center or the area, go to www, emeraldcoatsconventioncenter.com or www.myemeraldcoastevent.com.
Tony Leggio
Latest posts by Tony Leggio (see all)
- Festively Gay Things to Do April 9 – 15, 2018 - April 8, 2018
Comments are closed.