As I type this, I am on my way to Florida again. I know, I know it’s such a rough life I lead! Between my job which takes me all over the country and the great places I get to go to visit my family, I am one lucky lady. You won’t hear any complaints from me. Since I am Florida bound, to the Florida Keys to be exact, I thought I would share some travel tips and ideas for another Florida location. One of my favorite spots in Florida is Destin. My parents “winter” here, (It’s fun to use “winter”  as a verb, although I am sure it’s not grammatically correct!) so I get to spend a week with them there every year. One of my closest college girlfriends lives there too, so I’m lucky to have even more people to visit while in town. Anyway, I have gotten to know a lot about the Destin area over the past several years and want to share with you some of my recommendations!

1. Beaches

Destin is located in the Florida panhandle, otherwise known as the Emerald Coast. You will find miles and miles of the most beautiful emerald colored water here and the sugar sand beaches.

2. Seaside

Seaside is a quaint little village east of Destin. It truly is a picture-perfect place. If you don’t believe me you can watch ‘The Truman Show’ with Jim Carrey, which is a movie that was filmed here. While in Seaside you will see one adorable home after another, painted in the most fun pastel shades. Not only is it a great place for bicycling, but they have some wonderful places to eat and adorable boutiques. Be sure to check out the food trucks along 30A which are actually old Airstream trailers. If you are in the mood to shop, the open air Perspicasity  and the Judith March hub, DejaVu are two of my favorite stores of all time.

3.Sandestin

Sandestin is a resort community in Destin/Miramar Beach. It spans both the Gulf side of the city and the Bay side. You have hotels, restaurants, homes, golf courses, etc. You name it, you can probably find it in Sandestin. For a yummy breakfast, try Another Broken Egg. If you need a little retail therapy check out Barefoot Princess or Blush Boutique.

4.Rosemary Beach

If you travel just a little bit further east past Seaside you will hit Rosemary Beach. This is another quaint little village along Florida’s scenic 30A. What’s fun is that each little village or community has a very distinct feel, and is decorated so perfectly. Rosemary Beach even happens to be home to one very well know “decorater,” Vern Yip. They too have some very cute shops, great beaches, and fun restaurants. The Cowgirl Kitchen has some incredible fish tacos. If you are looking for a good place to stay The Pearl is a beautiful boutique hotel with great ocean views.

5. Pompano Joe’s

The colors of this festive restaurant might say it all. Who could resist eating in a place like Pompano Joe’s. You feel exactly as you should dining on the beach, happy and free. You can watch the ocean and the beach-goers playing volleyball as you sip on a tasty frozen drink and a yummy meal. Great place to stop for a break during bike ride or a nice walk along the beach.

I hope you have a chance to spend some time in Florida’s Emerald Coast and that my recommendations give you some ideas for things to do, places to go and yummy food to eat.

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