Memorial Day

I hope everyone is enjoying a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend. Remember this day is to honor those who have and are protecting us allowing us to live in this great country.

Destin is now officially into the Summer tourist crush. For the next 12 or 13 weeks it will be wall to wall cars on Hwy 98 and the beaches will be packed. And if it rains don’t even think about getting on the roads. If the tourist can’t be on the beach they are going shopping. Consider yourself warned! lol

This past week was a little strange. Thursday night I stopped in at Landshark Pizza to listen to BT Turner play. A bunch of families were there with kids running around having a good time. BT can keep any type of crowd entertained. I stayed for a while as Jason came in with his little girl and Steve also can in. It was an enjoyable night.

Friday night Sunshine Cindy and I joined our Parrot Head friends for a phlocking at the Rotten Apple. It was a country themed night with Robert Wayne Walkup and the boys playing. A big crowd showed up in their best country wear. The Apple took good care of us. It was a great night of dancing and money raising.

Saturday morning Sunshine Cindy woke up sick. She had a bad fever and aches and pains all over. We had a Memorial Day party to go to at Bobby and Darla’s but Sunshine Cindy was not going anywhere. We had a couple of party platters on order at Publix that I picked up. I went to the party and Sunshine Cindy stayed home and basically slept all day. Her fever broke in the early evening and she got a good night’s sleep. The party was a lot of fun. This was their 22nd year doing this party to honor our service members. They do a crawfish boil, deep fry some turkeys and everyone brings a dish to share. Jeff and the Camaro’s played music and BT followed with his usual fun show! It’s a great time for a great cause.

Sunday Sunshine Cindy was better but still not up to going out. I got out of the house for a few minutes and went up to Landshark Pizza. Paige was working the bar and a steady stream of folks were coming in. I had a pizza and a couple of PBR’s. Traffic was heavy but moving. A small fender bender happened right outside Landshark that started to back up traffic but all in all it was not too bad in the middle of the afternoon. When I got back home Sunshine Cindy and I sat on the back patio and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

My sports teams were one and one this week. Tampa Bay Lightning lost game seven and missed out on going to the Stanley Cup finals. But the Cleveland Cavs blew past Toronto and are now in the finals. So all I can say is Go Cavs!

I want to remind everyone that we now have our Crab Island Mambo tee shirts and tank tops on sale for just $5 each. Supplies are limited as we try to sell them out. Click on the link to go to our merchandize page. I have the current inventory listed there too. http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-Merchandise.htmlhttp://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-Merchandise.html

 Have a great week. See ya next Monday!

The “Locals Last Stand” Week in Destin

Last week and this has been dubbed “The Locals Last Stand” week in Destin by musician BT Turner. I think that is a fitting way to describe the chaos we will soon be living with in Destin over the next 12 weeks or so.

Sunshine Cindy and I did our part in the last stand as we had a special day on Tuesday. It was our second wedding anniversary. How did we celebrate? By going to The Boathouse of course! BT plays on Tuesday nights at The Boathouse and we love listening to him and when Julie said she was going we decided we would head over for a while. With us having to work on Wednesday we didn’t plan to stay too long. Well, like all great plans that didn’t happen. It was almost 10 pm when we headed home but we did have fun. Suzanne and Carolyn were there. We had some tourist sitting with us and some others we knew by sight even if not by name.

BT did his usual fun show. There was not a big crowd at first. It looked like it was going to be a slow night then about 8:30 the place filled up. And it was still full when we left. You never know when a crowd is going to show up in Destin! Chrissy and Natalie took good care of everyone. It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary.

We didn’t have enough of BT so on Thursday we went to Landshark Pizza to listen to him. Julie and Wayne joined us for a fun evening. I had actually stopped in at Landshark a little earlier in the day. I had a few beers while talking to Brian. Then Pops and Randy came in. It was the first time I had a chance to really talk with Randy. He is a good guy who loves his sports too. Then I went back home and got Sunshine Cindy. A good crowd was there too listen to BT. He is making a name for himself in town. We ended up on the back patio with Brian, Dan from Harry T’s and a few of the servers.

Friday was a rainy day in Destin. In the afternoon Sunshine Cindy and Tiffany went shopping. I was ready to get out and run a few errands so I headed out. I ended up at Island Wings. This place is on the north side of Hwy 98 so it is easier to get to when the tourist crowds jam the roads. The place is comfortable but loud. There is nothing to soften the noise. It was not bad Friday as the place was not too busy but during football games it can get loud. I know, I sound like an old man! I had my first taste of a Destin Brewing Company beer. It’s good. They are a local micro-brewery that has recently opened up. It went well with some chili I had.

Sunshine Cindy called while I was there. They were done shopping. We agreed to meet at O’Quigley’s for dinner. While she was talking to me on the phone some tourist from Alabama were waiting for her to back up thinking she was leaving right away. Someone got out and asked if she was moving. She told them no as she was on the phone. After we finished our conversation she then pulled out and passed the fat tourist who had to walk an additional 20 feet who proceeded to cuss her out. Needless to say Sunshine Cindy didn’t hold back. The nerve of some people.

We had a good dinner at O’Quigley’s. We always have good food and cold drinks there. This was another good “Locals Last Stand” place for us to stop at this past weekend. LOL

Saturday the skies cleared. Julie was having a small pool party that we went to. It turned out to be a perfect day. The water was a little chilly with the temp about 80. That’s warm for the north but cold for us in Florida. Wayne was there and he came back to our place after the party broke up. We ended up on our patio having an enjoyable evening.

And on Sunday we let the “Locals Last Stand” tour take a rest. We spent the day at the house doing things around the house. It was a good end to the week.

Some news from around Destin…The old Chili’s near the Commons that closed about a year ago will now be taken over by local restaurant Graffiti & The Funky Blues Shack. The plan is for them to be moved in by the end of this year, and offer lunch, dinner and late night atmosphere. As a side note Funky Blues Shack will be moving its location from Baytowne Wharf into this new location.

This past week the Gulfarium released a sea turtle that had been rehabilitated back into the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of people came to witness the release that took place at Henderson Beach State Park. It’s great to see people celebrate the release back into the wild a majestic creature. We tend to celebrate a lot of things in Destin and this is one of the cooler ones.

Photo from Destin Log

It looks there will be another hotel or condo project in Destin. This one will be between the Days Inn and Chick-Fil-A. They are looking to break ground in late fall or early 2017. Just something else to bring more traffic to town.

Over at AJ’s they are adding an observation deck above the first floor. It will be a standing room only space where views of the Fishing Rodeo and sunset will be visible. They are also adding a unique roof/side panels to Club Bimini which will help regulate the temps and keep rain off of folks.

The addition that Burrito del Sol is adding to the old Malibu Jack’s location is going to be large. The frame is up and it will add a lot of space when it’s done.

This coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend. We will be celebrating on Saturday at our friends Bobby and Darla’s house. They host a fun time each year to honor our service men and women. Plus Friday night the Parrot Heads will be at Rotten Apple for a Country Music night. Everyone be safe and have a fun weekend. See ya next Monday!

Another accolade for Destin

So, what cities do you think are the top 10 vacation spots in the world according to the 2016 Summer Vacation Value Report just released by TripAdvisor? Of course Vegas, Paris, New York City, Cancun, London are on the list. Guess who else made the list? Yep, little ol’ Destin. Miami didn’t make it but Destin did. Wow! Here is the list:

1. Las Vegas
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. Orlando
4. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
6. New York City
7. London
8. Destin
9. Paris
10. Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Destin is not that little sleepy fishing village any more. Another example of that is the announcement that a third tower at the Emerald Grande is ready to come out of the ground. As it has been dubbed, “The Baby Grande” since it will be only 9 stories high, the plans show a parking deck, hotel/condo units and retail space. The new building will be placed on a 9 acre lot at the Southeastern corner of Harbor Blvd. and Stahlman Ave. where a parking lot and Coyote Ugly currently stand.

I don’t know how people will get to this addition as it’s almost impossible to move in that area in the summer as it is. Plus they are removing a big parking lot. The parking garage will most likely be for the Baby Grande only in the summer like the current parking deck is for the original Grande. Somewhere along the way they will kill the golden goose with over development I am sorry to say.

But until that day comes Sunshine Cindy and I will continue to enjoy all that Destin has to offer. Wednesday evening we took Chaos for a car ride as we rode around some of the neighborhoods of Destin while loving the beautiful evening. Chaos loves her car rides and she was in her glory.

Thursday evening we went to Landshark Pizza to listen to BT play. Jason took care of us. Courtney and Paige were also there and stopped by to say hello to us. There was a good crowd including about 20 service members celebrating the birth of a baby to one of the guys. They had a good time as BT got them involved. Something I had never seen before in Destin happened. As BT finished a song I heard someone from the back tell BT how much she enjoyed his music. It was a female sheriff’s deputy who was having dinner in the bar side of the restaurant. She then told everyone to be careful as she didn’t want to see any of us later…meaning on the street. That was actually a nice thing as it showed even cops are human.

Friday night was our monthly Parrot Head meeting at Landshark. Sunshine Cindy didn’t make it as she was waiting at home for her daughter to get in from Atlanta. She is spending a few weeks with us before her next semester starts. It was a fun time at Landshark. It was a 60’s, 70’s and 80’s throwback party. There were some great costumes too. The club continues to do a good job raising money for local charities. We “party with a purpose.”

On Saturday was one of those days that can only happen in a beach town and why I love living here. Saturday was the first Crab Island Mambo/ECPHC beach cleanup of the year. This is like my 10th or 11th year heading this up. When you get a great day weather wise like we had it makes it so much better. We started about 9:30 am and by 10 we had cleaned up the beach. It is really the cleanest beach I have ever seen I am glad to say. Then after the cleanup the real party begins.

We had a fun beach party with over 30 people there. Folks bring their beverages, food to share, drinks to share…Kenny brings a kayak and we have a fun time. Local musician BT came out too. He played for a while with Kenny backing him on his harmonica. Other people on the beach were even enjoying his music. Mike cooked some hotdogs to add to the party. At one point a lifeguard rode by, stopped and remarked about our party. We gave him a hot dog and a cold soda. He was appreciative. Our lifeguards are some of the best in the world as they seem to always win national and international competitions.

The party broke up about 4. I headed home to get a shower and meet Sunshine Cindy and Tiffany on the boardwalk. They had been doing mother/daughter things. As I was getting ready to leave I saw on FB Fishheads on the boardwalk was having a “Dogs Night Out” party. It was a fund raiser for the Destin Dog Park. So I loaded up Chaos and we went there so she could party with the other dogs. It was a lot of fun as there were about 30 or so other dogs hanging out with their humans.

Actually Sunshine Cindy and Tiffany went shopping early in the day then stopped at The Other End and Boshamps before meeting up with me. They enjoyed both stops. When they came walking up to Fishheads Chaos went crazy when she saw them. It was a nice end to a fun day.

We were moving slow on Sunday and didn’t do too much. I washed BadAss3. Sunshine Cindy did some things around the house but we mostly relaxed. In the afternoon I wanted to get out for a while but Sunshine Cindy didn’t so I went to Landshark for a pizza and to watch some sports. Paige was working the bar. Tony was there hanging out. Traffic was backed up on 98. Tony said there was a fire in an area off 98 where AJ’s stores things. I’m not sure how bad it was but there was some smoke over the bay for a while. When I got home Sunshine Cindy and I sat on the back porch relaxing talking about the snow our friends up in Ohio had earlier in the day. Yes, snow on May 15th. And people wonder why I moved. lol

We have about one more week before the Summer crush starts. As it gets closer to Memorial Day we see the traffic start to build. Then it is crazy for about 10 weeks. It looks like it is going to be another record breaking season as all advance reservations are pointing to a busy time. Time for patience…

Another fun week is in store along the Emerald Coast. I will have a full report next Monday!

Destin Steve

Destin is properly blessed

This was a week of everything and everybody being blessed in Destin culminating in the “Blessing of the Fleet” on Thursday. This is a yearly tradition in Destin where various members of the local clergy gather on the docks and bless the boats and crews for a safe and successful season. This year over 150 boats were properly blessed. It was followed up by a big fish fry sponsored by Brutula’s. When I came home from work and got on the Destin bridge, looking into the harbor all I could see were boats everywhere. It looked like rush hour on 285 in Atlanta!

Thursday night Sunshine Cindy and I checked out a new place. In the Destin Commons Smashburger opened a few months ago. We got a carry out order. It was good food. Sunshine Cindy had a burger and I had a chicken sandwich. You can get them a multitude of ways. We will definitely go back sometime as it is not fast food like McDonalds. 

Friday was my off day. I took Chaos to the vet then we stopped at the dog park. We were the only ones at the big dog side. Chaos ran and ran. She got a good workout in. After we got home I ran some errands then decided to head to the harbor for a while. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to be out enjoying it. I stopped at Crab Island Cantina. I wanted to see if they survived Cinco de Mayo on Thursday. Josh was working the bar and he told me he didn’t leave till almost 4 am and he was back bright and early on Friday. Even for mid-afternoon, the Cantina had a good crowd.

I then walked the harbor. At the Boathouse Kerby was there having some food. We talked for a while as I have not seen Kerby in several weeks. The old “Coaches” bar is being remodeled. He heard some type of Brazilian place is going to open there. It seems kind of odd as this is a full open air place but we shall see what happens. After leaving the harbor I made one stop at Rotten Apple. It was pretty much dead in there so I headed home.

Saturday was a big day. We (Crab Island Mambo) helped put together and sponsor the “Tequila Talking” tour featuring Brittany Kingery, Rob Hill and Melanie Howe. They are traveling the country doing house concerts and such. Our friends Bobby and Darla graciously agreed to host the party. Saturday morning Sunshine Cindy and I stopped at Island Wings. We wanted a Bloody Mary and some lunch. Well, we had the drinks but we ran out of time for food as I was heading to Bobby’s to help him prepare for the party. We completed the preparations and I headed home.

Sunshine Cindy and I finally got a chance to eat. We stopped at Callahan’s for some lunch before we headed to the party. Lunch was good and the party was a blast. The music was great, we had many friends show up and everyone enjoyed themselves. We always worry about the weather when we have an outdoor event but it was a perfect night. Not too hot or cold. Sunshine Cindy and I got home about 9 and we sat on the back porch for a few hours loving life!

Sunday was spent at her parent’s house for Mother’s Day. We had a nice visit. Chaos came with us. She loves their big back yard and walking out on their dock. It was a nice way to wind down the weekend.

It was a good weekend for my sports teams. My hockey team the Lightning and my basketball team the Cavs both won their second round playoff series and are moving on. I know they will break my heart at some point but I am enjoying it while I can. There was also a horse in the Kentucky Derby named “Destin.” And yes, it was named after our home town. He didn’t win but that was cool someone named a horse after our town.

Commons Drive in Destin is getting overbuilt. We live in a sub-division off Commons. In the Summer there are times we can’t get out of our neighborhood. Now they are cutting down more trees for another strip shopping center. They are putting in a Sleep Number bed shop and a restaurant. Plus the Destin Log is reporting the land that was going to be a Dolly Parton development that fell through is back under contract. It was split up into two parcels with one possibly being some type of residential development and the other a strip mall. Oh boy! There are still plenty of open storefronts in the Fresh Market center but some one feels the need to build more. Where will it end?

Also according to the Log, the old Malibu Jacks is being remodeled into a Burrito del Sol restaurant. A couple guys started out with a trailer on the harbor then moved into a building in downtown Fort Walton Beach across from KC’s. This is going to be a second location. I can’t wait as they do a great job there.

This week we have a beach cleanup on Saturday on Okaloosa Island. It’s one of four we do each year. It’s our way of making sure our slice of paradise stays this way! Have a great week. See ya next Monday!

Destin Steve

Destin in the Spring Time

It never ceases to amaze us how quickly our weather can change here in Destin. One day the humidity is down and it’s nice and comfortable then the next day it is hot and humid like a Summer day. I think this past week we officially went from Spring to Summer!

Sunshine Cindy and I had a slower week after all of the activities we had the previous week. But that does not mean we were hermits. Tuesday was Sunshine Cindy birthday. We went to The Boathouse to celebrate and listen to BT play music. Julie and Wayne joined us. BT made sure everyone in the place knew it was her birthday as he announced it about a dozen times. Next thing you know strangers are buying her shots. Sunshine Cindy loves her Jager and she ended up with 5 shots total. There is something about The Boathouse…everyone always has a good time there and this night was no exception. Somehow she was able to get up and go to work the next morning too! lol

Friday night I stopped at The Crust Pizzeria on the way home from work. Charley was there and the place was slow at that hour so we had a chance to catch up. The biggest news is Charley is going to open another Crust in June. This time it will be in Fort Walton Beach on Lewis Turner Blvd in the old Mama Rosa location. It will be a full restaurant where he will serve his pasta dishes as well as his pizza, wings and subs.

For those keeping score…Charley will now have the original Destin location on the harbor, the late night satellite location in front of AJ’s, the restaurant in Mary Ester by the mall and now this newest location. So much for slowing down like he said we was wanting to do! Check out any of his places when you are in town as he has great food!

On Saturday we helped promote a show at Landshark Pizza with Matt Hoggatt. Matt put on a great show. We had a decent crowd show up and everyone had a fun time. We want to thank Brian for bringing in Matt. He played from 4-7 pm but Sunshine Cindy and I didn’t leave till about 9:30 as we were BS’ing with friends. We were the last to leave with Wayne. Once again the last folks standing!

We got off to a slow start on Sunday. We had decided to head to the harbor for brunch but didn’t leave till almost 1 pm. We took Chaos as she loves to go with us. We stopped at Tailfins for brunch. It was pretty busy down on the harbor and Tailfins was busy too. We enjoyed our meals then decided to walk down to Crab Island Cantina. BT plays there on Sundays so we thought we have a beer, listen to BT for a while then head home.

Well…It was a great plan but we didn’t execute it very well. First there was a group of folks in our usual favorite spot. They were locals celebrating a birthday. They had a big dog that Chaos became friends with. There was a couple sitting at the bar that we had met a few weeks ago. They love listening to BT too. Next thing you know we were several beers into it and the time was getting away from us. We finally headed back to the car. Chaos was now a tired puppy too. Back at home we ended up on our back porch for several hours enjoying the last of Sunday Funday!

This past weekend was Thunder Beach on Panama City Beach. This is a big biker rally that draws thousands of riders. Okaloosa Island tried to get some of the action by having big tents in the parking lot of the Boardwalk with bikes for sale, a stage with music and a poker run. There were motorcycles everywhere in town. The bikers are a major economic engine for our area and are welcomed with open arms. Many of my friends ride too.

Construction is coming along on the breakfast place, Asiago Skillet that will be opening in the same building as Landshark Pizza. They should be open by Summer I would think. The old Malibu Jack’s is getting some major construction done. I have still not heard what is going on there but it would not surprise me if they are enlarging it as you could only put 7 or 8 people in there previously.

This week is Cinco de Mayo on Thursday. There are a lot of things going on at the harbor that day including the “Blessing of the Fleet” as the fishing boats get blessed for a safe and prosperous season. Saturday we have a house concert at our friends Bobby and Darla’s house. That will be a fun time for sure! I will have a full report next Monday as we continue to “Embrace the Chaos” in Destin!!!