Last Boating Safety Class for 2012
Every year, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in Destin holds regular boating safety classes that meet Florida’s requirements for operating a vessel in state waters. The last of these for 2012 is scheduled for Saturday, October 20, at the Coast Guard Station Destin. Topics to be covered in the daylong class include an introduction […]
Races Raise Funds for Habitat Homes
Helping Habitat for Humanity provide affordable housing for families in Walton County is the goal of the second annual Habitrot for Humanity Half Marathon and 5K, hosted by Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Routes for the two races, scheduled for Saturday, October 6, will wind throughout the 2,400-acre resort. That means participants will enjoy views […]
Participants in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s Serve2Cure Tennis Tournament can have the satisfaction of knowing they’re having fun for a good cause. Proceeds from the annual event, held this year on Saturday, October 6, will go to patients in the breast cancer program at Sacred Heart Hospital. The hospital’s oncology department is the only […]
Destin gets a turn in the national spotlight when the October issue of Coastal Living hits the newsstands. October’s cover photo, staged and shot at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, features pumpkins carved in sea-inspired designs, resting on the sand with the Gulf of Mexico in the background. Inside the magazine is a two-page spread […]
Summer may be over, but Destin is still one of the hottest vacation destinations on the Florida Gulf Coast. In fact, fall is a great time to take a Destin vacation. The weather’s still warm and sunny, the crowds have thinned, and, best of all, the rates for lodging have dropped. Fall is also the […]
Racing for a Good Cause
Okaloosa and Walton County students in grades K through 12 will be the real winners of the second annual Race for the Arts. Proceeds from the 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Kids’ Fun Run, sponsored by Destin’s Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, will help fund the nonprofit foundation’s student educational outreach programs. Registration for the race […]
Update on this story: The wheel has been moved from Pensacola and is now part of the Atlanta, Georgia, skyline. Renamed SkyView Atlanta, it’s at 168 Luckie Street NW, www.skyviewatlanta.com. There’s a new addition to the Pensacola Beach skyline, one that dwarfs the city’s iconic beach-ball water tower. Called 360 Pensacola Beach, it’s a giant observation […]
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort salutes the U.S. armed forces this Labor Day weekend, offering both active and retired military personnel a special rate and complimentary greens fees with its “Picture Perfect Labor Day Getaway.” This discount package, good from August 31 through September 3, includes one night’s free lodging with the purchase of two […]
When you’re on vacation, keeping the whole family entertained can be a challenge, even at the beach. That’s what makes a spot like Panama City’s Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort unique. “All year round, we focus in a big way on providing a family-friendly environment right here on the beach, with so many planned activities and […]
Some of the South’s most gifted artists will display their work at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort this Labor Day weekend during the annual Baytowne Art Walk. A variety of different artistic styles, techniques, and media will be represented at the three-day event, which runs from August 31 through September 2. Hours for the show, […]
Stars will fall on Gulf Shores, Alabama, next month — the stars of Southeastern Conference football, that is. Headlining the first annual SEC BeachFest, which kicks off on Thursday, August 23, are Alabama, Auburn, and LSU coaches Nick Saban, Gene Chizik, and Les Miles. The four-day event, a joint project of Gulf Shores and Orange […]
Noshing for a Good Cause
Historic Magnolia Grill in Fort Walton Beach is the setting for the fourth annual wine and cheese reception, 2 — 4 p.m., Sunday, July 22, benefitting the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge. Guests will enjoy snacks, wine, and cheese while listening to live music and animal rescue stories told by refuge staff and volunteers. There will […]
Let the Kids Go WILD This Summer
The kids will have a ball — and you’ll get a break and some time on your own — when you enroll them in SummerWILD Children’s Camp at Destin’s HarborWalk Village, a day camp for youngsters entering grades 1 — 6. Sponsored by Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, SummerWILD is an educational program that includes informal […]
Even if you’re on a budget, you can still have a blast this Fourth of July by taking advantage of these special offers from Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Golfers and other active adults will appreciate LeCiel boutique hotel’s package, which includes a free night’s stay (when you book three nights), free fitness center access, […]
Get Certified to Boat in Florida
If your Florida vacation fun includes boating, here’s something you need to know. State law requires anyone born after January 1, 1988 operating a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more to pass a boating safety class and get a boating safety identification card from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But not to […]
You don’t have to wait till next year to enjoy a little Mardi Gras madness. Not when Pardi Gras, a big New Orleans-style celebration, kicks off every Tuesday night at Destin’s HarborWalk Village. Billing itself as the spot “where Bourbon Street meets the beach,” HarborWalk puts on its party face and lets the good times […]
Sandcastles Reach for the Stars
It took eight hours’ hard labor to build “Illumination Castle,” the sand sculpture in the photo posted here. The fanciful creation is the work of “The Sandman,” Rick Mungeam, a former residential home designer turned professional sand sculptor. “At sunset, we lit the strategically located windows and doors with candles to create a very unique […]
Will Fort Walton Beach be overrun, or will Mayor Mike Anderson and his loyal pirate allies successfully defend the city from the dastardly Billy Bowlegs and his motley Krewe? That’s the question guaranteed to bring the crowds to Fort Walton Beach’s annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, to be held this year from May 31 to […]
Riders in the 2012 Sandestin Beach Bicycle Tour will have the satisfaction of knowing they’re supporting a great cause while having fun on Florida’s Emerald Coast. The 2012 tour, which runs from Friday, May 18, through Sunday, May 20, benefits Alaqua Animal Refuge, a non-profit shelter that promotes the general welfare and humane treatment of […]
With summer just around the corner, it seems like everyone’s getting out on the water to enjoy the warm, sunny days. And because boating safety is so important to summertime fun, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Destin urges everyone to participate in National Boating Safety Week, May 19 — 25. As part of the […]
Most of the year, the tiny town of Steinhatchee (pronounced “steen,” not “stein,”) is a peaceful backwater, a remnant of Old Florida, visited mostly by anglers. But come July 1, it really starts hopping, and the action continues nonstop until September 10. That’s because these dates mark the start and end of scalloping season — […]
The picture-perfect town of Seaside, Florida, is the setting for the 24th annual ArtsQuest. Started in 1989 as the Grayton Beach Fine Arts Festival, ArtsQuest has evolved into a juried event that regularly attracts around 5,000 visitors. More than 130 artists, producing works in categories ranging from ceramics to photography, will participate in ArtsQuest 2012. […]
Orange Beach Welcomes Waves of Wine
Looking for something fun to do this coming weekend? There’s still time to come on down to Orange Beach for the Waves of Wine Festival at Caribe Resort. Festival-goers will be sampling dozens of varietals from more than 100 vineyards on Saturday, May 5, from noon to 5 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres will be served as […]
The fun starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, when Pepito’s Crab Island Cantina kicks off a daylong Cinco de Mayo celebration. The restaurant, at Destin’s HarborWalk Village, is headquarters for the event, which features live Latin music, contests, food, dancing, and more. Guests can vie for goodies at three piñata breakings — scheduled […]
Hangout Music Fest 2012
There’s a great big beach party coming to Gulf Shores in May. Really big. It’s The Hangout Music Festival. Held in front of The Hangout restaurant, directly on the beach, the three-year-old festival is a freewheeling extravaganza offering an eclectic mix of musical sounds, everything from jam bands to punk rock, and even a little […]
There are no fences, no gates, no admission charges, and no parking fees at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally. In fact, all of the fun — five days of nonstop activity set at eight venues around Panama City Beach — is absolutely free. This is the 14th year for the event, billed as “the most […]
Knowing the Rules Means Safer Water Fun
A little knowledge goes a long way toward making sure that fun on the water is also safe. That’s why the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Fort Walton Beach is offering a boating safety course, to be held at the Fort Walton Yacht Club on Saturday, May 19. This is an approved boater safety course, […]
BeachGuide is excited to announce our Spring Break 2012 Photo Contest. We want to give you cash for your Gulf Coast Spring Break photos! All photos must be family-friendly and must be taken along the Alabama or Florida Gulf Coast. One entry allowed per person. And please make sure your photo is in .jpg or […]
If you think a mullet is just a bad haircut, you probably haven’t heard about the Flora-Bama Lounge’s Annual Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party. Centerpiece of the Perdido Key event is a three-day competition that involves tossing a mullet — a small fish found in abundance in local waters — from […]
Looks like the Early Birds Get The Rooms
Procrastinators beware. If you don’t call and book your Gulf Shores, AL or Northwest Florida vacation soon, you may be out of luck. So far, 2012 is shaping up to be a record year for resorts in these areas, which include Destin, Panama City Beach, and the towns along Highway 30A. Many resort are already […]
