I have to say that I seriously considered moving to Florida after spending this last winter in Wisconsin.  The extreme cold seemed to never end.  Day after day of below zero temperatures and snow banks that seemed to grow higher by the week, all made for a serious case of cabin fever.  In fact, in my three plus decades, this was easily the worst winter I can remember. Luckily, I have parents who are happily retired and like to spend a couple of months each winter in Destin, Florida.

As a Christmas present, my wife and I received airplane tickets to visit my parents for a long weekend at the end of February.  This long weekend came at a great time as my tolerance for the cold had reached a breaking point.  Much is written about Florida from a tourism standpoint but you never hear that much about the Emerald Coast which is perplexing to me. In the whole state of Florida, I have yet visit anywhere as pretty as the Emerald Coast and have not found a beach that remotely compares to the beaches in Destin.

As we arrived in Destin, the weather was very nice for the end of February.  During our three day stay, the temperatures were in the high sixties and mostly sunny.  Given that Destin is in the northern part of the Florida, temperatures can be cooler during the winter but we had a very nice weekend.  My parent’s condo was located right on the beach and their patio had a great view of the Gulf.

Our three days there were spent relaxing, enjoying the good weather, walking the beach, and eating some fresh seafood.  I love Destin mainly because of the amazing beaches and beautiful water.  Each morning, we took a seven mile walk on the beach.  The sand is very soft along the beach in Destin that it almost feels like powder.  There are not many sea shells that wash up on the beach so walking is very comfortable.  Combine a great beach for walking with clear emerald water and it is truly a special place.

Because we were there in later February, the beach was relatively deserted.  If we had come back a few weeks later in March, the spring break crowds arrive which continues into the summer months.

In addition to the beaches and water, Destin has some great restaurants. Specifically, we enjoyed going to Dewey Destin’s.  The jumbo shrimp are always one of my favorites.  My wife ordered the trigger fish, which was the best individual piece of seafood I have ever tasted.

Besides Destin, the neighboring communities along the Emerald Coast are worth visiting.  We drove east from Destin to Rosemary Beach which was a very interesting beach community.

Take a village in the Swiss Alps and place it on the beach along Florida’s Emerald Coast and you have a very photogenic scene.  Overall, Destin continues to delight me every time I visit.  I can’t wait to go back next winter!