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“On The Road Again: Florida’s Emerald Coast”
By Lloyd Carroll - June 14, 2007

Florida's Emerald Coast region is the 60-mile section of the state's panhandle section ranging from Fort Walton Beach on the west to Panama City Beach on the east. The emerald refers to the sparkling bright green waters of the neighboring Gulf of Mexico. Those waters, which are often even a more incredibly clear aquamarine color, combined with sugary white sand that is derived from pure quartz, have made these beaches arguably the most beautiful in the United States and rival those of the Caribbean.

It wasn't that long ago when the Emerald Coast area was derisively described as "the Redneck Riviera." Sure, country music honky-tonks as Howl At The Moon in Fort Walton Beach are still popular with the six-pack and pickup truck crowd, but many of the inexpensive mom-and-pop motels which dotted Highway 98 are in the process of being torn down and replaced by high-rise condos and luxury hotels. The once sleepy town of Destin now uncomfortably resembles Fort Lauderdale. Panama City Beach is rapidly getting away from its "MTV Spring Break" and "Girls Gone Wild" image as well-known land developers as Simon Properties are building upscale shopping malls and hotels as the city gets ready to break ground on an airport which will bring direct flights from LaGuardia and JFK into the region.

While things are quickly changing on the Emerald Coast the emphasis here is still on family fun. Okaloosa Island's Gulfarium is every bit as enjoyable as Sea World at a fraction of the price as the public can get very close to lemon sharks, sea lions, otters and dolphins. Don't miss the antics of Delilah, a dancing and hoop-jumping dolphin. The area still has many miniature golf courses and go-cart tracks as well.

Just down the road from the Gulfarium in Destin is a commercial dock which offers various cruises of the Gulf of Mexico and Chactawhatchee Bay. If you want to feel as if you are a part of the America's Cup team then you will certainly enjoy going out on the Nathaniel Bowditch, a commercial sailboat that is skippered by Captain Rex Walley who will regale you with plenty of sea stories.

The image of northwest Florida being a cultural wasteland is dispelled by the small communities that comprise the Beaches of South Walton which are sandwiched between Panama City and Destin. Driving along 30-A (the Panhandle's version of South Florida's famous local coastal route A1A) you will come across such fairly new towns as Rosemary Beach, whose village green and architecture resemble an island in the West Indies, and Seaside, a village that features numerous art galleries as well as offbeat book and record stores. The town's biggest claim to fame is that the 1998 Jim Carrey film, "The Truman Show," was shot here.

The Emerald Coast is renown for its seafood restaurants. Destin's Crab Trap and Back Porch as well as Okaloosa Island's Black Pearl offer tasty local fare as grouper, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, shrimp and crab at reasonable, though I can't say bargain, prices. If you have a yen for classic Southern cuisine then head over to Fort Walton Beach's Magnolia Grill. The Magnolia Grill is also a poor man's Smithsonian as owner Tommy Rice displays a huge collection of 1950s and '60s pop culture kitsch as a Wurlitzer jukebox filled with 45 RPM records, an early transistor radio, old Coca-Cola bottles and presidential campaign memorabilia.

Unlike the rest of Florida, the Emerald Coast is busiest in the summer and quietest from December until early March. Things simmer down again in early April when spring break is over for college students. While the rest of the Sunshine State is well aware of the Christmas, President's and Easter week vacation schedules of New York City schools and charges accordingly, it is off-season for most of Northwest Florida and good deals can easily be had.

There are a wide array of lodging options here. If you are traveling with family members then consider renting an apartment in one of the many beachfront condos managed by Resort Quest, the Emerald Coast's largest building managing agent. If you prefer a more traditional hotel resort, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort is the perfect getaway. The Hilton is home to a terrific steakhouse, Seagar's, and it is in walking distance to the Panhandle's largest outlet mall, the Silver Sands Factory Stores. For those on a budget, the Ramada Beach Resort on Okaloosa Island is a good option.

For more information, contact the Beaches of South Walton Visitors Bureau at (800) 822-6877, the Okaloosa County Visitors Bureau at (800) 322-3319, and the Panama City Beach Visitors Bureau at (800) 327-8352.
 
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