Destin….Paradise Found or Lost?

Today’s blog is going to be longer than usual. The first couple of paragraphs are some of the usual day-to-day life observations about living in Destin. Then I will follow up with an essay I wrote on whether Destin is really a paradise or not.

Sunshine Cindy and I went to the harbor on Sunday. We stopped in at Crab Island Cantina to hang out for a while. Carlos was there and we got to catch up with him on the changes taking place at the Cantina. The burger bar will be opening in a few days. It’s going to be a sports bar with burgers, pizza, wings and such. It’s in the old Pat O’Brian’s spot. That will be cool as it’s a neat bar.

Their new deli is open. Carlito’s Deli is tucked behind the stage area. Carlos had a “Carlito Sub” made for us. Oh man it was awesome. Carlito’s is open daily from 11 am. They will even deliver to the beach. Anyone staying at the Emerald Grande or just visiting Harborwalk Village needs to check out Carlito’s Deli. We gave the sub 5 stars. It was that good and they were very generous with the amount of meat you get. We will be back for more!!!

I have been reporting it looked like something was going into the old Twisted Palms building next to Joe’s Crab Shack that has sat vacant for a few years. I rode my bike by the place on Sunday and it was a pile of rubble. The entire two story building has been demolished. A small strip mall will be built there. Nothing has been announced yet as to what will be going in.

When I rode my bike on Sunday I went to the beach by the Back Porch restaurant. I was disgusted to see so much trash and garbage left in the parking lot. What motivates people to just dump their trash on the ground and drive off??? Pigs….

PBR and wings at Landshark Pizza

Sunshine Cindy and I spent Friday evening at Landshark Pizza. We had a good time as Julie joined us. Steve and Ida came in as did Ken. The pizza and wings were great as always. They should be announcing a grand opening soon as they will be moving to the harbor next to the Red Door Saloon. The grand opening will be a big party as Rusty will be playing.

Speaking of Rusty we ran into him at LuLu’s on Wednesday evening. Sunshine Cindy and I were there to listen to Sunny Jim play. Rusty had his daughter with him. Rusty was impressed with Sunny Jim. Being Australian Rusty has an accent. Pointing to Sunny Jim he asked me “What’s your mates name?” You don’t usually hear that in Destin. LOL We love Rusty and his daughter was adorable. BTW…Rusty is one of the house musicians at The Boathouse Oyster Bar on the harbor.

Rusty at the Boathouse

Okay….Enough of that. Now on to:

“Destin…Paradise Found or Lost?”

About this time every year you hear people in Destin complaining. Okay, it seems like there are many people in Destin that complain about something year round but in the summer it’s about the traffic, the tourist and the fact the town is not a sleepy little fishing village anymore.

I have lived in Destin for over sixteen years now. Has it changed? Of course it has. Nothing ever stays the same…unless you live in Cleveland…nothing ever changes up there. But in Florida, if you’re not growing you’re dying. Destin is definitely not dying.

Does Destin have problems? Sure it does. Let’s start with the summer traffic. It can be a nightmare trying to get down Hwy 98 during dinner time. And don’t even think of getting on the road if it’s raining as every tourist in town leaves the beach and heads to the Commons or the Outlet Mall.

But the locals seem to forget there has always been traffic problems. I remember sitting in traffic on Hwy 98 sixteen years ago cursing the tourist then remembering I was a tourist just a few months before. I also remember seeing traffic backed up across the island from Brooks Bridge all the way to the Coast Guard Station as people were heading into Fort Walton Beach back then. That was an almost nightly event in the summer. Someone did something right to get traffic moving without adding any lanes or another bridge.

Just the other day I was talking to someone saying how surprised I was that tourist keep coming back to Destin knowing they will have to fight the traffic. He reminded me that most of the tourist who come to Destin live in big cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans and Houston. For them this is nothing compared to what they fight on a daily basis back home. They are here on vacation and enjoying life.

What are some of the other problems taking place in Destin? Remember this is just my opinion from having lived here as long as I have. And no, I don’t have an answer for any of these issues or if they are things that just bug me! LOL 

The commercialization of Crab Island and the harbor has turned both those areas into a carnival atmosphere. There are so many vendors and buildings on Crab Island in the summer there is not much room for boats anymore. Crab Island always had a little wild-west feel to it but with all the SPORE’s (stupid people on rental equipment) out there it is now a safety hazard. Unfortunately we have had several people drown out there this year as they don’t know the dangers.

Destin has a small but aggressive group of bum’s, or as I like to call them, “Residentially Challenged Individuals.” In reality Red Dog and the others don’t bother anyone too much. My beef with them was the day one of the RCI guys rode his bike right into my parked car. Yeah, some bleeding heart group in the city thought it would be a good idea to give the bums bikes. Nothing like drunks on bikes. I guess this group thought it would help them get to a job or something.

The beaches of Destin are some of the most beautiful in the world. The only problem is locals have very little access points to get to the beaches. Then when we do find a parking spot and a place to sit in the sand there are beach vendors who think they own the beach. Some of the guys who put the chairs and umbrella’s out think they can keep anyone out of “their” beach area. Same goes for homeowners who don’t want common folk on their beach. But there is about a 20 foot area from the high water line that is open to the public where anyone can sit. I know of several times where the cops had to come out and restore the peace.

Those are a few negatives but there are so many more reasons why Destin really is a paradise.

For one thing it is still a small town and has that small town feel. Sunshine Cindy and I can’t go anywhere without running into friends we know and we love that.

Destin has the Gulf of Mexico and the bay as our backyard and our playground. With the largest charter fishing fleet in the state of Florida anyone can be catching fish in just minutes. Then we have some of the best local restaurants to cook that seafood up into delicious meals. There is nothing better than having fresh seafood served up with the Gulf as your backdrop.

One of the great things about living on the water is the number of waterfront bars and restaurants we can hang out at. Our area has some of the finest establishments as well as some great dive bars. There is someplace for everyone from high end Marina Café to the Boathouse Oyster Bar. Sunshine Cindy and I love spending time at our various bars on the water.

Back when I moved to Destin the winter season meant almost every place in town closed for the season. There were maybe one or two places that stayed open to serve the snowbirds. I remember visiting Destin one Thanksgiving and we could not find a place to eat. We finally found a Shoney’s open. Thankfully those days are long gone. Now we have places like Landshark Pizza where we can watch football games in the winter with snowbird friends.

Our area has many fine festivals and events all year long. The Emerald Grande and Harborwalk Village is an example of the growth and over commercialization of Destin but it is here and they put on many excellent events. The Mattie Kelly center in Destin is a great open air venue for concerts and shows. Each fall almost 100,000 people descend on Destin for the annual Seafood Festival. The area known as 30A is always having different types of festivals and music shows. Wine and art festivals, chili and gumbo cook-offs, songwriters showcases, poker runs…There is something for everyone to enjoy in our area.

Destin is definitely Paradise Found…We have just been found by more folks. The publicity from the oil spill and the resulting BP dollars spent on promoting the area has been a big catalyst to the boom we have seen but in reality it was Hurricane Opel that wiped out a lot of old ramshackle houses that lead to a building spike that carried on for years. So if the old geezers want to blame someone, blame Opel!

Is the current Destin for everyone? Of course not. Many old timers can’t accept the traffic and the crowds. I can’t help but think that once they got here they didn’t want anyone else to find out about this slice of paradise. Personally I embrace the changes and love my hometown…warts and all.

Destin Summer

This won’t be a major revelation but it’s hot in Destin in the summer. Our temps are usually in the low 90’s but the humidity is always high making it feel much hotter. In fact, I have lived in Destin for over 16 years and we have not had the temp break 100 in that time. We can thank the Gulf of Mexico for that. The last week was a hot one as the sun was out and we only had some pop-up thunderstorms. I am not complaining as I like the heat but it can drain you if you are not careful.

Sunshine Cindy and I went to our pool on Saturday. We thought we would go and cool off but the water was like bath water. It had to be at least 90 degrees. It was not refreshing but it was still fun. We got to meet some neighbors we didn’t know and later our neighbors from a few doors down came to the pool too. We ended up talking to them till almost 10 pm.

Friday night our friends the Southern Drawl Band played at KC’s Sandbar in Fort Walton Beach. The guys put on a great show as usual. They won’t be back in our area till October. We will be in SDB Withdrawals for sure!

Southern Drawl Band

It is official…KC’s is taking over the old Fokkers building. They are putting in a wine and tappas bar. It should be open around the first of September. That entire area will now be known as KC’s Quarter. They have the snow cone stand, the Sandbar, Tapworks craft beer bar, the sports bar and now the wine bar. They are also expanding their kitchen. It’s a fun place that will just get better and better.

Sunshine Cindy and I spent some time at LuLu’s again. We had a parrot head meeting there on Friday. Over 100 parrot heads showed up. We partied at the outside Bay Bar. The bartenders were kept busy that afternoon. I also got introduced to the assistant GM, Mike. I laid some ground work on possibly getting some trop rockers in to play. Sunny Jim is playing there this week but it would be great to have some others play there too. We shall see.

Roland and Jackie were in town staying with Mark and Stephanie. We meet them all at LuLu’s for a fun afternoon. Steve boated over and joined us too. LuLu’s continues to be packed out all the time. Boaters are finding the place as the bay is real shallow there. They drop anchor and wade in. We might work on having a parrot head “float up” one day. That would be fun.

Sunshine Cindy, Roland and Jackie

I stopped in at Landshark Pizza on Saturday for a quick PBR. Brian and Sue were working and the place was almost full. One table of three tourist ordered a large and two medium pizza’s. I guess they wanted enough pizza for the entire week. The final paperwork to make their move to the harbor is almost official. It’s an exciting time for Landshark Pizza.

Down on the island Joe and Eddie’s has opened on the north side by the bay in the building where Pranzo’s used to be. They have a breakfast that has been a Fort Walton Beach staple for years. We will have to go check it out. In Destin Chili’s has closed down. It’s a tough market and some of the older chains will either have to update our they will die out.

Enjoy the week. See ya next Monday!

Destin Holiday

Sunshine Cindy and I had a busy week in and around Destin with a lot to talk about. It all started out Wednesday evening. I was off on Thursday and Friday so we went out Wednesday and headed to the harbor. Our first stop was at the new O’Quigleys’ place called Tailfins and the Ale House Oyster bar. It is a three story building with a bar on each level. We first sat at the downstairs bar. Old friend Chad is the bar manager. He was busy as they have only been open a few days but he was excited about the potential of the place.

We also got to talk to Hailey. She is now a server here and is also excited about working there. It’s different from Landshark Pizza where she was at but she seems to be doing fine and likes being on the harbor. Sunshine Cindy and I then walked up the stairs to the third level. There are great views from up there. We ran into more folks we know. Stephanie is a bartender who used to work at Harry T’s. She remembered us  too. This place looks like it will do fine and is a good addition to the harbor.

View from the Oyster Bar

We left Tailfins and walked down to Crab Island Cantina. But on the way down we stopped at Fishheads and talked to Melissa. She is having a good summer and staying busy. The crowds in Harborwalk Village were huge as we headed to the Cantina. In front of Margaritaville big crowds were milling around waiting to get in. The Cantina was pretty busy too. Mike was behind the bar and told us about a few new wrinkles taking place at the Cantina. They are going to open a burger bar/sports bar inside. That used to be a sports bar and it will be good to have it back to that. They are also working on opening a deli. That will be great for folks that want something quick and easy.

We had a good time at the Cantina but decided to head back down the harbor. We looked at stopping in at the Boathouse but it was packed and no air was moving so we grabbed a beer at Harbor Shack where a good breeze was blowing. By now we wanted to get a bite to eat so we took off and stopped at Landshark. It was almost closing time but a small rush followed us in so they kept busy. We had a pizza and enjoyed talking to Brian and the staff. It is almost a done deal that they will be moving to the harbor in the old La Familia location in a few months. Good luck to them!

View from Tailfins

Thursday we headed back down to the harbor. We wanted to drop off some tee shirts to people that gave us some swag for Phlocking of the Phaithful. Our first stop was the Boathouse. Trying to find Bill the manager we had one server tell another one (that didn’t know us) that we are only there like 6 times a week. LOL We found Bill and gave him the shirt. Sunshine Cindy and I then stopped at Harbor Shack for a quick beer. Down the harbor we went…we had a shirt for Melissa at Fishheads but she was not there. We left it with the guy that was working.

Our last “delivery” was for Carlos at the Cantina. Carlos had just got back into town the night before and was busy so we never saw him. We gave Judy the bag and she got it to him. Sunshine Cindy and I split a burger…it was really good. We will be looking forward to the burger bar opening. We also got to talking to Doug from New Mexico. Doug is a retired marine and an interesting fellow. His hand shake was like being held by a vise. Hopefully he will come back to Destin sometime and we can spend more time with him.

We were going to head home before the crowds hit the harbor. Thursday nights is fireworks and the harbor district gets packed. Well, sometimes the best laid plans…We went back to Tailfins on the upper floor. Tiffany joined us. Missy and Chris came in also checking out the new place. We had a few drinks and decided to stop at Harbor Shack again for a quick beer.

Rusty at The Boathouse

Next thing we know Dave walks by and joins us. We have not seen Dave in about a year. Then “B” came walking by and also joined us. This became the party spot. We saw Sami and Barry. Some Landshark regulars stopped in. Tourist were everywhere. We watched the Destin Air Force do their show and we stayed for the fireworks. They were underwhelming only lasting about 5 minutes. We finally headed home as the crowds started to thin out.

Friday was a laid back day for us. I washed BadAss3 and put a coat of wax on her. I did some Crab Island Mambo work but mostly relaxed. We did watch the fireworks at the Destin Commons from our back porch. That was a good show they put on. At one point during the day I was channel surfing and saw on Beach TV the Boathouse was being shown. The host ended up talking to our friends Jack, David and Kelly. They are now TV stars!!!

For the 4th of July we went to our friends Steve and Dottie’s house. They do a yearly 4th party and do it up big time. They live across the bay. Driving to their house we saw the traffic was lined up from Hwy 98 all the way across the Mid-Bay bridge and backed up to Hwy 20. Wow, it was probably an hour or more for them to get into Destin. The party was fun with Jeff and the Camaro’s supplying the music. Thank You Steve and Dottie!

Sunday was another relaxing day. It rained buckets in the morning but cleared out later. The only place I went was to Landshark for some wings in the afternoon. I did get home and watch the US women soccer team win the World Cup. Congrats Ladies!!!

Over in Fort Walton Beach…It’s official that Fokkers is moving across Hwy 98 to the old Bistro location and KC’s is taking over the old Fokkers spot. They plan to put in a wine bar as they add to their offerings in downtown Fort Walton Beach. A few years ago downtown Fort Walton Beach was dying. But because of Mike and Bev with KC’s and a few others downtown Fort Walton Beach is now a thriving entertainment district. Mike and Bev have put a lot of effort into growing their businesses. Be sure to stop in when you are in Fort Walton Beach!!!

The next few weeks will be our worse traffic time of the year. With so many tourist not knowing where they are going it is important to be alert all the time. But we will get through this! LOL

I also want to mention that Sunshine Cindy and I have reduced the price on our American Made Crab Island Mambo t-shirts, tank tops and long sleeve shirts. They are just $15 each now. Check them out and get you some while supplies last as we are selling them out before we introduce our latest design. http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-Merchandise.html

Sunshine Cindy with a Mambo tank top

Have a great week. We have our friends the Southern Drawl Band coming to town this weekend. They are at Juana’s on Thursday and at KC’s on Friday. Come out and enjoy the Southern Drawl Band!

See ya next Monday!

Fun times in Destin

Sunshine Cindy and I have had a fun few days. It started with a Parrot Head meeting on Friday night in Niceville at Dockside Oyster Bar. Dockside sits right on the water in Boggy Bayou. It had rained earlier but by the time we got there it was clear with a nice breeze blowing through. There was a good crowd for the party. Radioactive played some good music. Jane was also having her retirement party at the same time and she went back and forth between both groups. It was a good way to start the weekend.

Saturday was our Crab Island Mambo and ECPHC beach cleanup. It was a small group that showed up but we actually had some stuff to pick up. That is one of the problems with all the tourist in town. Some don’t know how to clean up after themselves. In the afternoon some dark clouds, thunder and lightning were off in the distance so we packed it in and headed home. The rain never made it to the beach but just inland they got hammered pretty hard.

After we got home and cleaned up, Sunshine Cindy decided to stay home but I headed off to Landshark Pizza. With us being out of town, it’s been a while since I was there and I needed to get my pizza fix. I got there between the lunch and dinner rush so I had a chance to talk to Brian and Austin. We gave Brian a Phlocking of the Phaithful tee shirt in appreciation for some swag he gave us. He liked it and said he was going to wear it the next day. Austin was prepping for a big night. They have been setting records almost every night. Good for them! I also got to talk to “B” too. He came in and sat next to me. He owns his own paper products company and has been real busy too. B works hard and earns everything he gets!

It looks like Landshark Pizza will be moving to a bigger place on the harbor in a few months. This will be a big move for them but I know they will do fine. I applaud Brian and Sue for building up this business and making it a big success in a competitive tourist town. 

Sunday we waited for Tiffany to come back home. She is coming back for a few months to work at Harry T’s to make some money as things are slow in Atlanta this time of the year. She got home and we all then headed to LuLu’s. We met Sunshine Cindy’s parents there. The placed was once again packed. They have had a great start and will do well. They have decent priced drinks…like $2 PBR’s! Good food and just a fun atmosphere. We enjoyed our time there even with tons of kids running around everywhere. LOL

Last week I stopped in at Crust Pizza on the harbor. Charlie has been extremely busy there too. He has great pizza and wings too. His new satellite location in front of AJ’s also is doing very well late night. And Charlie is working on opening a new location in Mary Ester. No rest for that man!!!

Traffic patterns last week were crazy. One night Commons drive was all backed up, the next it was empty then the next night it was a parking lot again. Yep, it’s that time of the year.

We hope to get down to the harbor this week as it has been a while for us. With the Fourth of July weekend the town will be crazy busy. Come to town but be patient in the traffic. Have a safe and happy 4th!!! See ya next Monday!

Shooting Stars over Destin

It has been an interesting few days around Destin. The town is packed with Summer tourist. This is as crowded as I have ever seen the town this early in the Summer. Some people have money that’s for sure.

As I mentioned last week, LuLu’s has opened in Destin by the Mid-Bay bridge. Sunshine Cindy and I went to check it out on Friday. They have done a fantastic job with the place. It is big, open and airy. We sat at the outside bar that overlooks the bridge and the bay. We got there about 3 pm and there was a good sized crowd for the middle of the afternoon. We had many friends show up including Doug, Mike, Corlee, Terry, Mark, Stephanie, Steve, Dottie….you get the idea. It was the place to be.

The place got packed as dinner time came around. There were four bartenders at the outside bar and they ran their butts off all night. Prices are good, the food was good and we had a fun time. It looks like LuLu’s will be a big hit in our opinion.

When we got home from LuLu’s I sat on our back porch for a while. At one point while looking up at the stars I saw a shooting star. That was cool as it has been a long while since I had seen one. I went in and told Sunshine Cindy about it then I went back out. Less than 30 seconds later I saw another one. Two shooting stars in the span of about 2 minutes….wow!

I made a few stops around town on Friday. I stopped in at Landshark Pizza. Brian said they have been so busy each evening he has to have extra staff on hand to take care of the crowds. Good for him. I also stopped in at Rotten Apple for a quick beer. Everyone there was talking about the traffic. We have to get used to it and have some patience for the next two months.

One way to avoid the traffic is to not go anywhere. Saturday Sunshine Cindy and I stayed home and used our pool to relax in. The water felt like bath water it was so warm. We talked to some neighbors and had a nice afternoon. Then we went home and sat on our porch and listened to some music. Sunday we visited with her parents for Father’s Day. We had a nice time with them.

Last week down on the harbor Johnny O’Quigley’s new place opened. The Ale House and Tailfins plus the boardwalk bar are all open now. We will have to get there to check it out. It looks great from the outside.

This week Hobby Lobby is opening next to Target. We keep getting one new place after another.

This Saturday is our Crab Island Mambo and ECPHC beach cleanup. We will be on Okaloosa Island at Beachwalk #2. We always have fun with the cleanup and then beach party afterwards.

Enjoy your week. See ya next Monday!

Back home in Destin

We are back….Sunshine Cindy and I are back home after a great trip north for a family visit and to run “Phlocking of the Phaithful” in Put in Bay, Ohio. Phlocking is a Trop Rock event that had folks from 17 states and even Canada come to the island to party with us. Put in Bay is on South Bass island in the middle of Lake Erie only a few miles from the Canadian border. It is called Key West of the north and for good reason as it is a beautiful place that is a big party spot.

But before we got to the island Sunshine Cindy and I spent time with my Mom. We were able to help her with some things she needed done around the house and to have dinner with her. We also spent time with my brother and his family and then my cousin where we watched a Cavs playoff game. This was a game that they won before eventually losing the series. It was great getting to see them all.

Finally we were on the Island Time Radio Show with DK and Amo. This is an award winning Trop Rock radio show that is broadcast from the BW college campus. There were five others crammed into this small studio with us. We had a blast as it was a Phlocking preview show. DK and Amo are huge supporters of Trop Rock and the Phlocking. Sunshine Cindy and I had a blast during the 10 pm to 1 am show. We all then went to a bar for an after show drink. That was a fun evening.

On Tuesday Sunshine Cindy and I got onto the island. We made all of our preps for the four day event. Mr. Ed’s Bar and Grill was the venue for all the fun. They were ready for us and helped make sure the entire event ran smoothly. There was a pre-party on the mainland in Port Clinton that we missed as the ferry’s from the island didn’t run late on Tuesday’s. But we did have a pre-party at The Reel Bar on Wednesday in Put in Bay. This was a big hit with Jerry Diaz and John Reno playing for us.

The actual party went from Thursday through Sunday. We had twelve musical acts entertaining the Phlockers and each one put on a fun show. We had meals on Friday and Saturday that everyone enjoyed plus Mr. Ed’s had a free drink for everyone. We had raffles and 50/50 drawings….A good time was had by all. Sunshine Cindy and I left the island on Monday morning and it took us two days to drive back home. It was nice to get back home.

When we got back to Destin it was hot as summer is in full swing. LuLu’s had their grand opening on June 15th. There was a soft opening a few days earlier where the Parrot Heads were all there to help get the place opened. The pictures I saw looked like the place is going to be a lot of fun. We could see people there when we came across the Mid-Bay bridge on our way home. It should be a big hit for sure.

So Sunshine Cindy and I missed LuLu’s grand opening. We also missed the grand opening of “Which Wich.” This sandwich shop opened their doors this past Monday in the new expansion area of Destin Commons next to World of Beer. We were invited to attend but had to miss this one too.

The Summer tourist season is in full swing in Destin. The weather is hot and the traffic is heavy. Yep, it is that time of the year again. No need to be in a hurry as you won’t get anywhere fast. Take a cab as you won’t have to try and find parking. LOL 

Have a great week. See you next Monday!

Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Finals

As anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows, I am a big hockey fan and especially a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have an exciting young team that just beat the Rangers in MSG in a game 7. The Lightning are going to the Stanley Cup Finals!!! They will play the Blackhawks starting on Wednesday night. Let’s go Bolts!

I watched the game 7 at Landshark Pizza. It was a great game that Tampa controlled but they could not get a puck past the Rangers all world goalie who made several fantastic saves. In the third period they got one by him and added an insurance score later for a 2-0 victory. I was the only one really watching the game there but everyone knew when the Lightning scored! LOL

Sunshine Cindy and I went to O’Quigley’s on Saturday night to watch the game 7 between the Ducks and Hawks. The place had a lot of Chicago fans there. We have a lot of Chicago friends so we were rooting for the Hawks too. Every time they scored a big roar went up. It was fun. We were at the bar. Mike and Becca took care of us. We talked to some folks around us as everyone was having a good time. As we were leaving we ran into Tom. We have not seen Tom in about a year. He looked good and we chatted for a while.

One of our tasks this weekend was to complete our preparations for our trip to Put in Bay, Ohio for Phlocking of the Phaithful. We got some raffle items for our raffle baskets from Landshark Pizza, Fishheads on the Harbor, The Boathouse Oyster Bar and Crab Island Cantina. We thank them all for helping us showcase Destin to the folks on the North Coast.

When we were at Crab Island Cantina we had brunch on Sunday. It was delicious as was the drinks. We were stuffed all day from all the food we got. We were able to talk with Judy at the Cantina too. We are helping her get some musicians for a special benefit she wants to do for a former bartender who lost her son recently. If you are in the area, come to the Cantina on Sunday, June 14th in the afternoon as all proceeds will go to help this person out.

When we left the Cantina Sunshine Cindy did some shopping. I was waiting for her when I saw a crawfish boil going on in front of Harry T’s. Dan, Clay and Brian were doing the cooking. Glen and Bruce were there too. I grabbed a beer from the Dave’s Dog stand. Dave was working the stand himself. He lives in our neighborhood and recognized me from driving Badass around. Small world for sure.

On Okaloosa Island the new Wild Willie’s Adventure park opened. It has been under construction for what seems like 3 years. They have mini golf, an arcade, a ropes course and a couple of restaurants. It is next to the convention center.

The saga of the old Twisted Palms building continues. Signs in front of the building now say they will sub-divide the building. That makes sense as it is a very large facility that has not been able to support the previous attempts to get a successful restaurant or club going there. We shall see how this does.

The next two weeks will be hit or miss on whether I can publish the blog as we will be on the road. Remember to join us in Put in Bay, Ohio next week for the Trop Rock event of the year! http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-presents-Phlocking-of-the-Phaithful.html

Have a great week. See ya when I can!