Travel Diary: The Clear Beaches of Destin, FL

Summer is finally here which means summer travel will soon be resuming!  Since a lot of people did not travel much last year, they will be making up for the lost time.  Summer travel is one of my favorites especially because I love the beach and traveling to the beach is my favorite.   Also, I’m so excited about our summer travel plans that I can’t wait!  Are you going somewhere this summer?

Since a lot of countries have not resumed outside travelers, most of us are road tripping to the closest beach near us.  For me, the closest beaches are on the Gulf Coast which is either Orange Beach, AL, the Gulf Shores, or the Florida Panhandle.  I haven’t driven to a lot of these destinations since I usually fly to the Caribbean or enjoy the beaches on the Northeastern coast of the US.  However, I have gone to Destin, FL (located on the Florida Panhandle) before the pandemic.  So, I wanted to break down my stay, for those planning a beach trip this summer.

Location

Being a girl who grew up in NY, it was odd for me to imagine that people would go to the same beach location each summer.  For New Yorkers, we would usually visit a different island in the Caribbean during the summer since flights were super affordable.  However, moving to the South, I’ve noticed that driving to the state border/Florida panhandle is not so bad. 

Once I got there and saw the beaches, I was in awe of their beauty.  I finally understood why southerners went back each year.  The beaches at Destin, FL had crystal clear blue water and felt as if you were on a Caribbean Island such as Turks and Caicos, etc.

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Stay

There are many hotels and Airbnb located on the coast of the beaches in Destin.  Depending on the type of stay that you want, you will be able to find something.  One of my friends went earlier this year and found a dog-friendly Airbnb.  Destin is made to be a family-friendly location, so the hotels do their best to accommodate families of all kinds.

When I visited Destin, back in 2019, I did not enjoy our hotel.  My husband and I booked our trip late so most of the good hotels were already taken.  If I were to go back again, I would rent an Airbnb that is walking distance from the beach but also has a pool.  I would want the convenience of both, just in case, I can’t make it to the beach on certain days.  Also, I feel like the AirBnB’s have more of a homey feel than a hotel.

Activities

There are so many things to do in Destin, FL that I don’t even know where to start.  Depending on the type of trip that you want (family-oriented, partying with friends, bachelor/bachelorette bashes), you can plan your trip accordingly. 

My husband and I, love to sit on the beach and enjoy the sun/water.  We rented some lounge chairs, an umbrella, and read our summer books as we lounged on the beach chairs.  We are also big foodies, so we wanted to check out all the good restaurants in the town as well.  For most of the nights, we just wanted to eat at a good restaurant.  However, we did some low-key activities.  I listed some of my favorites below:

• Fat Daddy’s Arcade
• Destin Commons
• Destin Harbor Boardwalk

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Food

As mentioned above, my husband and I are big foodies, so we enjoyed the food at Destin.  Since its’ a beach town, most of the food is fresh seafood.  If you’re not a seafood fan or have dietary restrictions, you may have some difficulty finding food options.  I listed some of my favorite/popular restaurants below:

• Breakfast/Brunch:  The Pancakery, Crackings, Donut Hole
• Lunch:  The Back Porch, Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House, Fudpucker’s, any restaurant located on the Destin Harbor Boardwalk
• Dinner:  Louisiana Lagniappe, Bric a Brac, Bijoux, Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer

Pro tip: Make reservations to the restaurants, a week before your trip.

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And that’s a wrap for my Travel Diary to Destin, FL!  I know it’s two years too late but better late than never?  Also, since we had the pandemic last year, I didn’t feel comfortable posting much about my travels.  So, keep a lookout for the return of more travel-related posts! 

I hope you all enjoyed my run down.  Are you excited to travel back into the world?  Let me know in the comments below!

Much Love,