Sad Week in Destin

This has been a tough week for Sunshine Cindy and me. When we got home from our trip, she picked up our dog and found our she had taken a turn for the worse. She was getting old and had health issues including cataracts. Well, in just a couple of days before we got home the cataracts got worse and worse to the point she was basically blind. Add to that her other health issues and we had to put her to sleep. It has been a hard couple of days for us and will be going forward. She will be missed terribly.

Precious enjoyed her trips to the Tipsy Turtle

That situation has consumed us so we have not been out at all since we got home. But that does not mean things are not continuing to happen around town. More restaurants continue to open. Pretty soon there will be one restaurant for each person in the city at the rate we are going.

A couple of brothers from Niceville have opened a late night restaurant in the second floor of the Coyote Ugly building. They will serve the late night crowd. That is a good idea as that type of place is lacking in Destin.

Stampeder and Jane at Coyote Ugly

Also in Destin a new food truck is operating. This place is open early on the harbor for the fishermen and then again for lunch on Calhoun Ave. This also seems to fill an underserved market in town.

Last but not least a new Texas BBQ joint is opening in Mary Ester. Several BBQ places have tried in that area so it will be interesting to see if they make it.

Over on the island they are finally going to build on the lot next to the Elks Lodge. It was going to be a Hilton but now it will be some other brand with a marina. Condo's are also in the plan but not right away. This land used to have Dock of the Bay bar. I never made it there but I hear it was a locals hangout. It will be a couple of years before they get this done.

This is why the tourist come to Destin

It looks like the tourist season in Destin this year is going to be the biggest yet. The traffic is already terrible and the busiest time is yet to come. Maybe all of those restaurants will have people to fill them up. But what will they do in the off season? The 12000 people who live here year round won’t be enough to support them all.

They need to get the locals to make it. Landshark Pizza is a perfect example. They continue to grow their business despite all the competition. Each Wednesday for the last few weeks they have set records for their wing night because they take care of their local customers. I know all the places say they will but you have to prove it. Harry T’s is another place that takes care of their local customers. You have to do that to survive in this town.

A Landshark Pizza "Pizza"

Friday night we will be at Crab Island Cantina with our Crab Island Mambo "Embrace the Chaos!" Trop Rock Music Series. Jan Patton will be playing for us. Join us from 5-9 pm on the Destin Harbor for this fun time.

A full report of the weekend will be presented on Monday. See ya then!