Good times in Destin

It was another great week in Destin. Sunshine Cindy and I were on the go almost the entire week. Sunshine Cindy’s cousin Kari and childhood friend Kelly were flying into Destin/Fort Walton Beach airport from Minnesota on Thursday to spend a few days with us. Sunshine Cindy went out and loaded up on beer, food and snacks even getting some fresh shrimp. No one was going hungry or thirsty for their visit.

Their flight was coming in about 8 pm. Sunshine Cindy and I got to the airport about 7. We wanted to hang out at the Helen Back bar and have a beer and something to eat. The bar is a nice cozy place right where the folks who are coming off the planes pass by. Jessica was working the bar. There were several other folks there waiting for friends or family. One lady was waiting for her husband. They had transferred to our area and Thursday was his last day at work. She was not sure what shape he would be in when he got off the plane as he told her he started drinking Jim Beam at 7 am.

He was fine when he got to the bar. They had a bought a house in Bluewater and were talking to us about Crab Island and how they want to buy a boat. They were excited to be in the Destin area.

When Kari and Kelly landed we hung around the bar so they could have a couple drinks then we went home where they all stayed up very late catching up. This was the start of a fun few days.

Friday we all went to Landshark Pizza in the afternoon for some late lunch. They got to meet some of our friends. From there they walked down the harbor to Crab Island Cantina. We saw Alan and Jackie there. Then BT showed up. He was playing music at the Cantina on Saturday and wanted to check out the stage and set up. We all went to Margaritaville from there for a Parrot Head meeting. Believe it or not, this was our first time meeting at Margaritaville.

We packed the lower level of the club. The Calypso Nuts played music and a good time was had by all. In the “it’s a small world” category…A Parrot Head couple introduced themselves to Sunshine Cindy and I. We got to talking about Put in Bay and Phlocking of the Phaithful. It turns out they have family in Strongsville, the same town outside of Cleveland I grew up in. That’s pretty cool.

Saturday was the ECPHC Chili Cook-Off in Harborwalk Village. I love tasting chili and I always look forward to this event. There were 21 booths set up with mostly restaurants but a couple of individuals in the cook-off. I tried the chili from all the booths except one. No reason why I missed the one except it was busy there and I was moving on. There were some really good chili I had. There was also some not so great ones. One was so bad I had to spit it out. It smelled bad at the booth and the chili tasted as bad as the smell was.

My favorite was hard to choose. I ultimately picked Landshark Pizza’s ghost pepper chili as my favorite. But several others were right there too. A lot of it comes down to individual taste preference. The winning chili’s were all one’s I liked too.

During the afternoon BT was playing at Crab Island Cantina. A big crowd was there to listen and party with BT. He is a great entertainer and is working to make a name for himself in Destin. After his show BT learned Carlos has hired him to play each Sunday at the Cantina from 1-5 pm starting March 13th and running through September. Good for BT.

A group of us went upstairs to Harry T’s after BT’s show. Harry T’s won second place in the contest and Dan was showing off the trophy. Kari and Kelly were enjoying themselves. They did some shopping in the village and enjoyed some of the good drinks that can be had. When we left Harry T’s we headed home for the evening. The girls spent some more time talking about old times growing up back in Minnesota.

Sunday we had to get them back to the airport. It was a quick trip for them that seemed to go by way to fast. After we got back home from the airport Sunshine Cindy and I stopped at Fudpuckers for some dinner. The place was almost empty except for a few families eating and about 7 or 8 LOUD spring breakers who were at the bar. Oh boy, it is starting already. Ugh…

Since I mentioned Put in Bay, Ohio and Phlocking of the Phaithful, I want to remind everyone that registration is open to attend our 4 day Trop Rock party. It is only $75 per person to register. You get great music, a goody bag with an awesome tee shirt and some special surprises. Anyone who enjoys a good time and wants to “Embrace the Chaos” with us can attend. Here is all the information so you can get registered. http://crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-presents-Phlocking-of-the-Phaithful.html

It looks like the weather in Destin is going to be awesome this week. We have a lot of pollen coating everything but that just means it’s Spring Time! Enjoy your week. See ya next Monday!

Destin Steve

The start of Spring Break in Destin

As February winds down that can only mean one thing…Spring Break is starting in Destin! The first schools are off this week and it will gradually increase over the next few weeks. The sheriff of our county and the sheriff of Walton County have both put out letters stating a zero tolerance policy against underage drinking and wild house parties. If you break the law you will go to jail. They are trying to make sure our area does not become another Panama City Beach.

Speaking of PCB…They are also cracking down this year. No drinking will be allowed on the beach during March. Reservations are down over 50% but most locals are in agreement something had to be done. It will be interesting to see how it works out for them.

In anticipation of Spring Break the local pontoon and jet ski rental companies are getting new crafts and getting them into the water. Many of the charter fishing boats are undergoing their yearly maintenance as they prepare for the start of Cobia season. Everyone is optimistic this is going to be a strong season in Destin.

This past week Sunshine Cindy and I got out a few times. Saturday night we went to Landshark Pizza for some brews and food. We like going to Landshark because we always run into friends. Pops and Jenny were at the bar when we got there plus Sue was on our side of the bar for a change. B came in then Steve came in. We had a fun time solving the world’s problems. Brian had a crock pot full of chili he was selling. This was his trial batch for the upcoming chili cook-off. It was so good I had two bowls of it.

On Sunday Sunshine Cindy and I took Chaos and we went to KC’s Sandbar in Fort Walton Beach. We met up with Mike and Suzanne from the PH club to talk about our upcoming beach cleanup dates. KC’s was busy with many bikers there out enjoying the nice day. KC’s is cool as you have bikers alongside yuppies and old farts like us. We saw some other friends there including Bonnie, Scott and Terry. KC was even working and took care of us. Chaos was enjoying all the attention she was getting. Everyone loves her!

Sunshine Cindy and I stopped at Crab Island Cantina on the way home for dinner. They have an outside area for folks with dogs. We had it all to ourselves. Josh took good care of us. Sunshine Cindy had a big burger while I had tamales. They were awesome! When we got home, Chaos had been on the go all day. She was so tired she couldn’t even jump up to watch Sunshine Cindy as she made her food. She ate and then was out for the night. Lol

Around town I see Gilligan’s has reopened for the season. They always seem to do a good business. A new restaurant has opened in the shopping center by Fresh Market. Everkrisp is locally owned and specialize in fresh healthy food. We have not been there yet but it looks like its busy when we have driven by.

This is going to be a busy weekend for the Parrot Heads. Friday night we have a meeting at Margaritaville. This is the first time we have been there for a meeting so it will be interesting to see how it goes. Then on Saturday is the Chili Cook-Off in Harborwalk Village. If you purchase your tickets from the club or on-line and use the promo code, “Parrotheads” the proceeds will go to the Parrot Heads charity, The Arc of the Emerald Coast. I hope you will come out and help this worthy cause and eat some fantastic chili.

We unveiled the logo for the 22nd Annual Phlocking of the Phaithful…What Could Happen??? trop rock event that will be held in Put in Bay, Ohio this June. This was Sunshine Cindy’s creation that she put in many hours to get just right. It turned out perfect. If you want to register for the event (and anyone can register) click the link for more information.
http://crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-presents-Phlocking-of-the-Phaithful.html

Get out and enjoy all Destin has to offer this week. See ya next Monday!

Crazy week in Destin

The past seven days have been wild in Destin. There was a home invasion, fires, a plane crash and many tourist in town. The home invasion was in the middle of the day but they arrested a guy for it. Not too much news about it so I am sure it was more than a random act.

The big news was a fire at AJ’s on Wednesday night. News spread on social media quickly as the fire was raging. The tiki bar Club Bimini burned. It looked horrible on some amateur video as the flames were shooting way up in the sky. But the good news is the flames were fanned by a strong wind and it was new palm fronds that were burning. They were recently put up on the roof and they had not fire proofed it yet. Everyone thought the entire building was going to be a total lost but they were actually open the next night with only the Club Bimini sustaining damage. There was no damage downstairs, not even water damage. Wow! We went to the AJ’s on Sunday and you would never know they had a fire unless you went upstairs.

Also on Wednesday there was a fire at the Matador Strip Club in Val-P. This was started in the attic by HVAC work. And last but not least at The Palms Resort in Destin a fire broke out on the fourth floor of the west tower. Luckily it was contained and did not spread.

Thursday evening when I got home from work Sunshine Cindy and I sat on our back porch. While we were back there we heard a bunch of sirens coming from the Henderson Beach park road entrance or so we thought. They were going on and off for quite a while. It turns out a small plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Two people lost their lives in the crash. Also on Thursday evening someone riding a bicycle on Commons drive was hit by a car and had to be rushed to the hospital. It was a crazy night.

Friday night Sunshine Cindy and I went to Landshark Pizza for our Parrot Head meeting. We had a blast. B.T. Turner performed for us. BT is a new performer in the Destin area but he used to perform in the Jacksonville area for many years. He said he was ready for change of scenery and moved to the Destin area. BT was great. He had the crowd going the entire night. He performed many oldies as well as many Trop Rock songs. This guy will be in big demand in Destin this summer.

On Saturday Sunshine Cindy and I had some errands to run. We went to the harbor so she could stop by Harry T’s and pick up some paperwork for Tiffany. We had Chaos with us and she was enjoying the harbor as well as the attention from people walking around. It was a nice day and the harbor was busy. With the holiday on Monday Destin was busy with tourist who came in for the weekend. After we had a Bloody Mary and walked around we headed to Fort Walton Beach to see our accountant Tommy.

The traffic in Fort Walton was like a summer day. It was backed up from the Brooks Bridge all the way to City Hall. It was nuts. After we got done with Tommy we headed to Niceville to spend some time with Sunshine Cindy parents. They just had their 55th wedding anniversary. We had a nice visit and Chaos enjoyed going to their dock to see the bay.

Sunday was our hockey watching party at Charlie’s BBB bar inside of Crab Island Cantina. Darla, Bob, Wayne, Alan and Jackie joined Sunshine Cindy and I. Jasmine took good care of us. We had a blast but Tampa lost on a bad call. Carlos was there and we talked to him about BT. We hope they work out some shows. When we left Charlie’s the harbor walk was almost empty. This is when we walked down to AJ’s for a nightcap.

Today we had lunch at Pepito’s. Good food and not too expensive. I went down to Landshark pizza after lunch and it looks like we will have Matt Hoggatt playing there on Saturday April 30th from 4-7 pm. Matt used to open for Jimmy Buffett and is a great story telling musician. It will be fun!

Okay, let’s see if things can calm down around Destin this week. I will have a full update next Monday!

Destin Steve

Living and Playing in Destin

The restaurant carousel continues to spin in and around Destin. McAlister Deli in Destin appears to have closed. They have been in town for many years but the building is now dark and the sign is gone so I would say they are done.

There are a couple of new places that will be opening in the near future. Asiago's Skillet is a breakfast place on the island next to Helen Back. They are getting ready to open a second location Destin. It will be on the harbor in the same building Landshark Pizza is in. They will be a late night place open from mid-night till 11 am or so serving just breakfast especially for the late night drunks on the harbor. LOL  No time frame on when they will open but I expect it will happen in a few months.

Down on the island on north side by the strip clubs there is going to be built a big two-story restaurant right on the bay. The Gulf Okaloosa is a new place from the folks that have The Gulf in Orange Beach, AL. The concept looks like it will be a fun place. This will take some time to build but probably by the end of the year they could be open I would think.

On the down side Mamma Sherry’s pizza and wings is having a hard time getting through the winter. There was a story in the Destin Log highlighting their struggles then the other night WEAR TV did a piece on them too. Wow…someone likes them to get them this much publicity. Sunshine Cindy and I have only been there once and it was okay but nothing special. We will have to try them again as we want to see everyone succeed.

This past Saturday was the big Mardi Gras parade in Harborwalk Village. Thousands of people lined the route while almost 100 floats took part in the parade. I walked with the parrot heads as we always have a big group in the parade. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time.

Before the parade I started the day at Crab Island Cantina with a Bloody Mary that was great. After the parade my first stop was at The Crust Pizzeria. Charley was there and Biker Joe came in at the same time I did. With the parade still going on no one was in the place. We all had a chance to talk and catch up. Charley poured us each a few shots of Fireball too. I like Charley! LOL  From there I went to Harry T’s where some of the parrot heads were partying. Then it was to Hooks on the Harbor. Sitting there I could listen to the music from AJ’s as they had a good Zydeco band.

Wayne joined me at Hooks and we went to the Boathouse. We ran into a bunch of friends there plus Wayne was filling me in on his trip to Belize. He had a great time down there. Last stop of the day was at Landshark Pizza to have a pizza before heading home. Landshark was busy with the evening dinner crowd.

Super Bowl Sunday saw Sunshine Cindy and I go to Charlie’s BBB Bar inside of Crab Island Cantina to watch the game. We had about 20 of our friends join us. Josh, Mike and the staff took great care of us. Julie and Alan were the last two in our Super Bowl Pool with Julie having Denver and Alan with Carolina. Not only did Julie win the pot she also won the big prize in the “squares” contest. She went home about $600 richer. Good for her!!!

Our pup Chaos keeps growing. She is up to 32 pounds now. She is now able to leap on and off the sofa too. We took her to the dog park a couple times this week including on Sunday. She loves the attention she gets from all the people there and she loves to play with the other dogs. The dog park is great as she can run and burn off energy.

This week we have a parrot head meeting at Landshark Pizza on Friday. Then Sunday we are having a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey watching party at Charlie’s BBB Bar. The game starts at 5. Come out and join us!

Have a great week. See ya next Monday!

Destin in the Winter

We are in the middle of the winter doldrums in Destin. The snowbirds are out doing snowbird things. The weather is kind of acceptable. It’s either wet and warm or dry and cold. But we did have a great day on Saturday…it was dry AND warm.

With the nice day on Saturday Sunshine Cindy and I decided to take Chaos to the harbor. This would be her first time down there. We want her to get socialized and there is no better place than the harbor to do that. Our first stop was at The Crust Pizzeria for lunch. We sat outside on the patio and it was actually hot sitting out there. I had a baked ziti dish with Italian sausage that is to die for. I could eat that every day! Sunshine Cindy had a salad and chicken. All the food was excellent and with lunch prices very affordable. Chaos sat with us and behaved while we ate.

After lunch we walked the harbor boardwalk. Our first stop was at Fishheads. Melissa was opening for one of the first times this season. She is ready to get the new season started. Chaos was becoming the star of the show. Everyone wanted to pet her and she was loving it. Chaos was good with other dogs too. She does not bark and if they get to rough she just walks away.

We left Fishheads and made our way down to Duck Duck. This is in the old Monkey Bar/KJ’s location. They did a nice job with this place rebuilding it completely. This was our second time stopping in there and the bartenders are friendly with a good mix of locals there. Chaos made several new friends there too.

Next stop was The Boathouse. It was busy and loud but that didn’t bother Chaos. Bree took care of us and even got Chaos a bucket of water. The GM, John stopped and talked with us for a while too. He was excited as The Boathouse had just won the Gumbo cook-off at the fishing history museum. I love their gumbo so it’s not surprising they won. We also saw and talked to Jack for a few minutes. We lamented how close his wife Lynn got to being in the final two of the Super Bowl pool. She had Arizona who got knocked out in the championship game. Oh so close!

Our last stop was up the hill to the Red Door Saloon. We were in the outside area with Chaos. Our friend Ken came in with Lisa and Brad and they all joined us. Ken loves dogs and he immediately took to Chaos as she did to him. He had her running around and biting his beard. They both had a good time. lol

By now Chaos was a tired puppy and we took her home. She fell asleep in Sunshine Cindy’s arms on the ride home. 

We also had a busy day on Friday. I received a phone call from Carlos at Crab Island Cantina. He said they were filming a commercial starting at 2 pm and he wanted us to come down to be part of “the crowd.” We got Alan and Jackie and Larry to also join us. It was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect as we had to act naturally while having some beers. We can do that! They filmed while we were sitting in the dining area, the bar and the outside dining area overlooking the water. They said the commercial will be on Beach TV starting in April. We can’t wait to see if we are stars!

After the filming we went inside Charlie’s BBB bar for some lunch. Sunshine Cindy and I split one of their burgers. These things are huge and really good. Alan and Jackie split some wings that were also big and looked great. Josh and Jasmine were working the bar but Jasmine went home sick. She didn’t look good so it was better that she left instead of getting everyone sick. Carlos was very appreciative of our support but we love going there so it was not work at all…lol…

The parrot heads were meeting up the village at Harry T’s so off we went. We had a blast with Jeff and the Camaro’s playing for us. He puts on a fun show. The place was packed. When the party was over a group of us went to the American Legion for Karaoke. Kelly and Judie got up and sang. We got a chance to talk with Steve and Becky from Oklahoma who were in town. They are good folks who get to Destin several times a year. It was a fun night.

Sunday we took Chaos to the dog park. Once again she interacted with the other dogs without a problem. Plus she was able to run as much as she wanted. The dog park is really a neat place in Destin. They have a side for smaller dogs like Chaos and a side for bigger dogs. We got Chaos good and worn out.

In the afternoon I made a run to Landshark Pizza to bring home some pizza. While there I sat with Alan and Jackie who were there. Steve, Jane and Jerry also came in and joined us. Austin was working the pizza bar as the place was filling up for dinner. I also got to say hi to Sue. She just got back from 3 weeks in Asia. Her trip was one of those once in a lifetime things. I can’t wait to hear some of her stories.

One bit of news from around town I heard is Alan Laird who owns AJ’s is buying the old Fudpuckers and current Oar House building on the island. I don’t know what he plans to put in there but I am sure it’s another type of restaurant that will also have entertainment.

Super Bowl is this Sunday. Crab Island Mambo will be at Charlie’s BBB bar inside of Crab Island Cantina. Come and party with us! Game time is 5:30 pm in Destin.

Have a great week. See ya next Monday!