It’s still hot in Destin

Even though the calendar says it is now Fall, the temps are not reflecting that. We had another week of near record highs as we were in the mid 90’s all week. We should start to cool down to more normal temps this week if you can believe the weatherman.

Sunshine Cindy and I actually took it kind of easy this week. Friday was my regular Friday off. I got some errands run and even made stop at Barbary Coast for a haircut. Tim the barber started Barbary Coast over 20 years ago. I have been going there for several years. It’s a place for guys. I have never seen a lady in there except for the ladies who work there. About a year and half ago Tim had a stroke. He was bouncing back from that when he got another one. Tim is not doing well from that stroke. I found out one of the ladies, Kelly is buying the business and will keep running it as it is now. I hope Tim will get well enough to stop back in from time to time. And good luck to Kelly.

When I got back home Chaos and I washed and cleaned BadAss3. Actually I did most of the work while Chaos sniffed around the yard. But she was right there if I needed her! lol

The Parrot Heads had a meeting Friday night at KC’s Sandbar in Fort Walton Beach. Sunshine Cindy didn’t get home from work till almost 6 so we ended up missing the party. Oh well, next time.

Saturday morning Sunshine Cindy and I loaded Chaos into BadAss3 and we went to make a few stops. We hit Home Depot, Pet Smart and Destin Ice Seafood. Chaos loves riding in the car especially with the top down. But it was hot out and she was glad to get back home and into the air conditioning.

Later in the afternoon I headed to Crab Island Cantina and Charley’s BBB bar to watch some football. Johanna was working the bar. She got called in as they were shorthanded and had to bring her daughter with her. All I can say is kids can sleep anywhere! Charley’s has Edamame and it is so good. I had it with a few brews while watching some games. Carlos came by and we chatted for a few minutes. I have not seen Carlos in a few months so it was good catching up. I headed home and watched some hockey in the evening as Canada beat Russia in the World Cup semifinal game.

Sunday Funday had me going to Landshark Pizza to watch the Browns. Brian had sent me a message saying a couple guys from Cleveland down on vacation were coming in to watch the game. Jerry and Jack were great guys. Typical Cleveland guys. They love the Browns and love to party. It was fun hanging out with them. They stayed till the middle of the third quarter before they had to go back to their condo. The wives were wanting them back!

The Browns almost won. If our kicker had made a field goal we would have but it was not meant to be. As the game was ending B came and joined me. He told me Steve is in the hospital and not doing well. He had some surgery and did not wake up properly. They don’t know if he had a stroke or what but B said he can’t recognize people and does not remember even talking to folks right after having a conversation. That is so sad. He is a great guy who is well known in Destin. I pray for his wife to have strength at this time.

Things continue to happen on the Island. Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is planning an expansion. The addition proposes a wide range of family amusements, including electric Go-Karts and bumper boats.

The other big news from the Island is the owner of the Ramada is planning to tear down the Ramada and replace it with a Hard Rock Resort. Immediately people were crying about this proposed development. I doubt many of them read or heard the plans instead jumping to conclusions that this was going to be built on vacate land adding to the traffic problem and removing more beach from public use. I would like to see a slowing of the development around here too but this is just a wash as we replace one resort for a newer one.

It is going to be a busy crazy week in Destin. The Seafood Festival is this weekend with our friends The Southern Drawl Band performing on Friday night on the main city stage. The fishing rodeo kicks off this weekend too. Fall is in full swing in Destin.

Have a great week. I will have a full report next Monday.

The best time of the year in Destin

Without a doubt this is the best time of the year in Destin. Temps are down slightly, traffic is not a problem, the Gulf of Mexico is warm and the locals are out and enjoying all that Destin has to offer.

Friday evening Sunshine Cindy and I went to Landshark Pizza for a bite to eat and to hang out for a while. Julie joined us for a nice relaxing evening. We were surprised at some heavy traffic. We think there might be some “fall breaks” taking place as there were a few more tourist than usual for this time of the year plus a bunch of limo’s going up and down Hwy 98. Jason and Paige were taking care of us. Pops was there and Landshark filled up pretty good. I have been getting a small pizza with fresh jalapeno’s on it that is to die for. The jalapeno’s gives it just the right amount of heat for me!

Saturday the Parrot Heads had plans to go out to Crab Island on the Sun Venture. We had about 45 people sign up. We woke up Saturday morning to thunder and lightning and heavy rain. It did not look good as we were supposed to head out at 11 am. It looked like it might clear up a little about noon so the start time was pushed back to 1 pm. Surprisingly the weather did clear and we ended up having a fun time at Crab Island. There were only handful of boats out there so we almost had the entire area to ourselves.

We had several folks bring their own boats out there. Kenny and Becki kayaked over too so we had a big group. The tide was coming in so the water was crystal clear. There were a few Moon Jelly Fish but nothing too bad. It was a typical Crab Island kind of afternoon. On the ride back to the dock we went to East Pass. There were dolphins playing and jumping. They were swimming in our wake and have a blast showing off for us.

As we got back into the harbor we passed a guy on a catamaran who was struggling to get back to shore. The captain and mate maneuvered our boat to push him to shore, then the mate got off to help secure the catamaran on the shore. That was a perfect example of boaters taking care of boaters! When we got back to the dock a group of us headed to Duck Duck for some cold drinks. No one was in the place so the bartender was happy to see us! It was the perfect end to a fun day that didn’t look like it would happen.

Sunday Funday had us at Tailfins to watch some football. A big crowd of folks were there to watch the various games. We met Donny and some of his friends to watch the Browns/Ravens game. A big group sat at the table right next to us watch the Bengals/Steelers game. Tony and Amy stopped in with some friends to watch the Browns game too. Amy is from outside Cleveland and their friends are from Cleveland so we had a mini cheering section. The Browns lost but at least they played a good game. They are trending in the right direction.

After the game we stopped in at Landshark for a while. It was not too busy but folks were starting to come in for the Packers game that was coming on later. We ran into Tony and Amy and their friends there too. Then Sami and Barry and some friends came in. Finally Judi and Richard came in with some friends too. It was a nice ending for Sunday Funday. When we got home we took Chaos out for a walk and we got ready for the upcoming work week.

A lot has been happening around town recently. The new breakfast, brunch and lunch place called The First Watch is open next to Publix in Destin. It looks like a nice place. We will be trying it soon. Also in Destin at Fudpuckers their new late night bar called “The Down Under” is open. This place opens about 10 pm and goes till 4 am. Definitely a place for the younger folks. In Ft. Walton Beach “The Spot” is open in the old Staff’s building. This is a jazz club. It looks like they have done a lot of work to the building. Staff’s was in business for close to 100 years so it is a historic location. We will have to go check it out.

Down on Okaloosa Island “The Gulf Okaloosa” is scheduled to open at the end of this month. This is a big place built on the bay back by the strip clubs. Their claim to fame is they use shipping containers for their building. It looks like a great place from the pictures I have seen. Yep, another new place for us to check out. Back in Destin Funky’s Blues Shack is moving from Baytowne and will be opening in the old Chili’s location near the Commons in January or February. And last but not least the 5 star resort, “The Henderson” is scheduled to open November 18th.

Over the past several months there has been a public spat going on between the owners of Tops burgers and their landlord. Tops is a greasy spoon type of burger that folks just love. They have been in Destin for several years just down from the Commons. They got an eviction notice from their landlord in the Summer and they had to close. Well, the landlord then opened a greasy burger joint called “Pops” that looked and felt just like “Tops.” That didn’t go over well. A war of words ensued. People boycotted Pops. Then last week it was announced they kissed and made up and Tops will be back in business at their old location. Go figure!

I want to give a shout out to Eastern Shipbuilders of Panama City. Last week they won a $10.5 billion contract to build Coast Guard Cutters. That was a great win for Eastern and Panama City as they beat out some big names. This will be a big boost to the economy of Panama City. Congratulations!

It looks like it is going to be another great week in Destin. See ya next Monday with a full report on the fun and games!!!

Destin Steve

Perfect weather in Destin

This time of the year is about as close to perfect as you can get in Destin. After Labor Day the tourist are gone but the weather is still great with the humidity down a bit and the temps a little lower too. The past week we had no clouds and postcard sunsets. This makes it paradise!

Sunshine Cindy and I got out and about a few times this past week. Tuesday evening we stopped in at The Boathouse to listen to BT. There was a good crowd of fun loving people there. BT always keeps the crowd engaged. He was retiring his beloved 12 string guitar as it is not able to be repaired. It was a party!

Thursday the Trop Rock world got more bad news. Our friend, David Crow who is the lead guitarist for Southern Drawl Band was killed in a motorcycle accident Wednesday night. Some lady fell asleep and crossed the medium. David never had a chance. Thursday afternoon Sunshine Cindy and I went to Landshark Pizza to toast David and share some memories. This was a hard time for us and all fans of SDB. It was a gut punch to lose someone so young and talented. Sail on David…

Friday I was off and ran some errands in the morning. Those errands took me to the shopping center where Island Wings is at. It was hot so I stopped in for a couple beers. Thursday when we were at Landshark Pizza I was paying $2 for a pint of Yuengling. The same pint at Island Wings was $4.25. Needless to say I won’t be back at Island Wings.

Friday night was our monthly Parrot Head meeting at Landshark Pizza. It was another fun time. Mike and Suzanne come up with some more fun games, the music was good and the beer was cheap. Lol  The Parrot Heads continue to raise a lot of money for local charities too.

Saturday we were back on the beach for our last Crab Island Mambo / ECPHC beach cleanup of the year. We had about 40 people show up to clean the beach and then have a party on the sand. Mike did  a shrimp boil and they came up with some more fun games. The weather was perfect. The Gulf of Mexico was calm. It was a perfect day on the beach. As Mike and Clyde were working on the shrimp boil our lifeguard came by and asked what we were having to eat. He has stopped by in the past and we always feed him. He said he would be back when it done and asked if his girlfriend could also come and have some food. Of course she could! Not only do we clean the beach but we keep the first responders fed too!

Football is back. Sunday I went to Tailfins to watch the Browns. Ken, Cheryl and Donnie came to watch the Ravens. We have our own spot we take over to watch the games. Sunshine Cindy had a baby shower to attend. She didn’t get to Tailfins till after the game was over. But she didn’t miss anything as the Browns were the Browns. They have a real young team and it will take time for them to grow up. Bobby also came and hung out with us and even BT came to hang with us. Even if the game was terrible we have the water, harbor and sand to look at which makes it okay! And BTW, the Ravens won so those fans were happy.

Around town it was announced what is going in where we thought Dolly Parton might build some type of entertainment complex. This land is just down from our sub division and they will now be building another apartment complex. This is another example of the “Atlantafacation” of Destin. That is you build an access road and then put so many businesses and apartments on it no one can move on that road either. Pretty soon Commons Drive will be nothing but one big traffic jam.

Have a great week. See ya next Monday!

Destin Steve

Labor Day weekend in Destin

This past week in Destin the news was dominated by a tropical system. It was tracked for what seemed like a month as it crawled through the Caribbean never gaining enough strength to even be called a tropical depression. It finally worked its way into the Gulf of Mexico and finally became Tropical Storm Hermine. Early in the week it looked like we might get hit with the storm in Destin. But as the week went on the storm track moved it to the big bend area of the panhandle and that’s where it finally landed as a weak Cat 1 hurricane.

The storm made landfall late Thursday evening about two hours east of Destin. Thursday night Sunshine Cindy and I went to Landshark Pizza. It was turning into a beautiful night with no wind or rain. The storm was a non-event in Destin I am glad to say.

Friday we had a gorgeous day. Clear blue skies and hot and humid temps. We did some things around the house and prepared for a party on Saturday. In the afternoon Sunshine Cindy didn’t want to go anywhere but I headed to The Crust Pizzeria for a pasta dinner. Charley was there and I got to find out how the new restaurant in Ft. Walton Beach is doing. The answer is fantastic! They have been open for 3 weeks now and they are slammed. I am happy for Charley as he put a lot of time and effort into getting the new place opened. My Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage was great as always. I love that dish as it is one of the best values in Destin.

When I got home Sunshine Cindy and I sat on the back porch long into the night watching a lightning show and listening to Radio Margaritaville. It was a relaxing evening.

Saturday was spent at Julie’s for her annual Labor Day pool party. Dean came from Louisiana and cooked up a storm. BT played his usual fun music and everyone had a good time. We had some clouds for most of the day so it was actually comfortable too. We can’t thank Julie enough for having us over!!!

Sunday it rained…and rained…and rained some more. This was what we expected with the tropical system! lol  But the rain didn’t stop Sunshine Cindy and I from getting out. We went to McGuire’s and got lucky when a couple seats opened up at the bar. There were people waiting for tables so we were happy. We ran into James. He used to manage Malibu Jack’s. He said he sold out and Burrito del Sol is opening a new remodeled place there. They should be opening soon. Sunshine Cindy and I enjoyed good food, cold beer and popcorn! The bar was hoping with folks coming and going. McGuire’s is a gold mine but they know what they are doing. We enjoyed our time there.

When we left we stopped in at the Rotten Apple. Ed, Jimmy and one of the bartenders from McGuire’s were there getting ready to watch the Notre Dame/Texas game and the NASCAR race. Then a couple other guys who were sitting next to us at McGuire’s came in too. Finally Kerby came in. We have not seen Kerby in a few months. Kerby is a Destin character. He is a lot of fun to be around but he has no inside voice. I call him a human hurricane! We ended up hanging out there for a good while watching the action and talking to everyone.

This morning (Monday) we went to Asiago Skillet for breakfast. It was not too crowded. I know by next summer as the word gets out about their food the lines will be out the door like the other breakfast places in town but for now it is our secret! As we were leaving Joan and her husband came in. We have not seen them in forever. It was their first time at Asiago and we told them they would love it. When we got home we got Chaos and took her to the dog park. She ran and ran playing with the other dogs. She was wore out when we got back home.

Driving around Destin we noticed a new building going up behind the Goodwill store. I have no idea what that is going to be or if they are adding onto the Goodwill store. I will have to ask around to see if I can find out what it’s going to be.

Other than that, we are now in September which is one of the quietest months in Destin. The tourist are gone, the fishing rodeo is a month away and kids are back in school. We have the town to ourselves! It’s the locals time!

Have a great week. See ya next Monday!

Destin Steve