We are into our normal summer pattern here in Destin. Hot, humid with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Last week we were visited by Tropical Storm Cindy…Not to be confused with Sunshine Cindy…Tropical Storm Cindy brought a lot of rain, flooding and a tornado to our area. Fort Walton Beach had a tornado skip through town touching down in several spots. Luckily there was only minor damage and no injuries.
The tourist traffic is picking up too although it is not real bad yet. With “yet” being the key word. The month of July is always the worse. I believe more folks are staying on the island or in San Destin for their meals and entertainment and not coming to Destin. The traffic patterns are always evolving.
We had a Parrot Head Phlocking at Rotten Apple on Friday evening. There was a great turnout and everyone had a good time dancing to the Dizzy Jukes Band. They played a lot of good old rock and roll songs. Sheri and the staff at the Apple took good care of us as they usually do.
When we left Sunshine Cindy and I stopped at Waffle House for a bite to eat. They were not on their game at the Waffle House. It’s not often they don’t do a good job but the service was slow, food overcooked and just a strange vibe to the place. I guess we need to be drunk when we go in there! LOL
Saturday was a bittersweet day for us. We had a going away pool party for Julie. She is moving back to St. Louis next week. She has become a good friend and we will miss her. But on the bright side we have an excuse to take a road trip to St. Louis now!
Sorry to say we never did meet up with Alan/Jackie and Kistin/Jeff while they were in town. The stars just never aligned. Oh well, next time…
I mentioned recently about a place called “The Gumbo Pot” that is going to be opening soon. I see it will be in the old location of Rotolo’s Pizza next to Moe’s. They will have a liquor license as they are advertising Hurricane’s and Daiquiris. They also say they will have a Cajun Breakfast. This sounds like an interesting place. I think they have an original place in the French Quarter.
This weekend is the Fourth of July weekend. This will be the busiest time of the year in town. The harbor and the Commons will all have fireworks shows. It will be crazy on the harbor. Get out and enjoy! See ya next Monday!
Monday, June 26, 2017
Monday, June 19, 2017
Summer showers
Here in Destin we are definitely into the summertime pattern of 40-50% chance of rain each day. The weathermen might as well just give us the forecast and say this is what it will be like for the next three months. Last week was a perfect example. Monday and Tuesday it poured buckets in Fort Walton Beach both days but nothing came down in Destin. Wednesday more monsoon rains hit Fort Walton and Destin finally got a little rain. Driving into work on Thursday the sun was out but a cloud burst came out of nowhere and soaked me before I could get Badass stopped and the top up.
Anyway, you get the picture. This week we will most likely get more steady rains as the tropical system is supposed to organize and bring a lot of rain to Florida, we just don’t know where yet.
Last week we really took it easy. I am still letting my bum knee heal. It is slowly getting better I am glad to say. I did go to Landshark Pizza on Friday for a few beers and a pizza. Brian was behind the bar. A decent late lunch time crowd was there. My pizza was awesome as usual.
When I left there I stopped at Island Wings. Sunshine Cindy wanted me bring her home a burger. At the bar I got to talking to a guy who just got back from the Middle East as a contractor. He is planning to head back soon. He was a Steelers fan but I didn’t hold that against him! LOL Then a couple came in and sat at the bar. They were from Charleston and had escaped from their family for a while. I guess they came with a big group and they needed some peace and quiet. They asked what was a good seafood place. Tristen the bartender and I both agreed they should try Harbor Docks. They made reservations so I hoped they enjoyed it.
Friday night Sunshine Cindy and I relaxed at home. And on Saturday I decided I needed to stay in and off my feet as much as possible if I ever want to get my knee better. She went shopping for the better part of the afternoon. In the evening we rented a PPV movie. It was a wild Saturday night in the ol homestead!
Sunday being Father’s Day saw us head to Niceville to spend the day with Sunshine Cindy’s parents. It was a beautiful day. A lot of boats were in Rocky Bayou having a fun day. We had a nice cookout and great day.
On Saturday our friends Mike and Bev, the owners of KC’s Sandbar in downtown Fort Walton Beach hosted congressman Matt Gaetz’s town hall meeting. It was on the news as a big crowd came to hear the congressman. Then on Sunday they hosted a benefit fund raiser for a good friend who is fighting cancer. We are praying hard for a full recovery.
Our Southern Illinois friends Alan and Jackie are back in town. We have not seen them yet but we hope to catch up with them this week before they head back home.
I saw a sign today that a place called “Destin Gumbo Pot” is going to be opening sometime soon. I bet they will be selling gumbo!
This Friday the Parrot Heads will be at Lucky’s Rotten Apple as we party with a purpose. We hope to see all of our friends there.
Have a great week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
Anyway, you get the picture. This week we will most likely get more steady rains as the tropical system is supposed to organize and bring a lot of rain to Florida, we just don’t know where yet.
Last week we really took it easy. I am still letting my bum knee heal. It is slowly getting better I am glad to say. I did go to Landshark Pizza on Friday for a few beers and a pizza. Brian was behind the bar. A decent late lunch time crowd was there. My pizza was awesome as usual.
When I left there I stopped at Island Wings. Sunshine Cindy wanted me bring her home a burger. At the bar I got to talking to a guy who just got back from the Middle East as a contractor. He is planning to head back soon. He was a Steelers fan but I didn’t hold that against him! LOL Then a couple came in and sat at the bar. They were from Charleston and had escaped from their family for a while. I guess they came with a big group and they needed some peace and quiet. They asked what was a good seafood place. Tristen the bartender and I both agreed they should try Harbor Docks. They made reservations so I hoped they enjoyed it.
Friday night Sunshine Cindy and I relaxed at home. And on Saturday I decided I needed to stay in and off my feet as much as possible if I ever want to get my knee better. She went shopping for the better part of the afternoon. In the evening we rented a PPV movie. It was a wild Saturday night in the ol homestead!
Sunday being Father’s Day saw us head to Niceville to spend the day with Sunshine Cindy’s parents. It was a beautiful day. A lot of boats were in Rocky Bayou having a fun day. We had a nice cookout and great day.
On Saturday our friends Mike and Bev, the owners of KC’s Sandbar in downtown Fort Walton Beach hosted congressman Matt Gaetz’s town hall meeting. It was on the news as a big crowd came to hear the congressman. Then on Sunday they hosted a benefit fund raiser for a good friend who is fighting cancer. We are praying hard for a full recovery.
Our Southern Illinois friends Alan and Jackie are back in town. We have not seen them yet but we hope to catch up with them this week before they head back home.
I saw a sign today that a place called “Destin Gumbo Pot” is going to be opening sometime soon. I bet they will be selling gumbo!
This Friday the Parrot Heads will be at Lucky’s Rotten Apple as we party with a purpose. We hope to see all of our friends there.
Have a great week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
Monday, June 12, 2017
Drop Dead Dangerous kind of week in Destin
The ladies from Drop Dead Dangerous, Melanie and Kitty, spent the better part of the week in Destin working and playing. After playing at the Cantina the previous Sunday they were at Juana’s on Tuesday evening, The Boathouse on Wednesday, kayaking Crab Island on Thursday and finally playing for the Emerald Coast Parrot Head club on Friday night at Landshark Pizza. It was great getting see them a few times. They are very talented.
It was a busy week for us. I had a Parrot Head board meeting to attend on Thursday. Friday at the meeting at Landshark the club made two check presentations. $1000 to Food for Thought and $1597 to Children in Crisis which was from the Tailgates Down party from a few weeks ago. The club continues to Party with a Purpose!
Saturday was the first beach cleanup of the year but I had to miss it. I have sprained my knee and I knew I didn’t need to try and walk in the sand. So instead Sunshine Cindy and I went to the harbor for brunch at Harry T’s. While eating we saw Tommy kayaking by with a couple lady friends. We talked to them for a few minutes. It is always like old home week every time we stop at Harry T’s. Mama D came by to say hi, we chatted with Tim from Flash Flood and got big hugs from Michelle and Red.
After we were done Sunshine Cindy wanted to go home to do some work around the house but I talked her into going to Crab Island Cantina for a beer. Monica was working the bar. I saw Carlos across the room and texted him to come say hello. He responded to wave as he could see us on the security camera’s. He did come and say hello to us. He was thrilled with the turnout from DDD and I know he will have them back next time they are in town.
When we left it was now Sunshine Cindy’s turn to surprise. She suggested we stop at Jackacuda’s. Derrick was working the bar. He just got into town from Orlando for the summer. He was interesting to talk to. I didn’t get any sushi since I was still full from brunch. Next time.
On the way home Rotten Apple was mentioned so of course we had to stop there too. Tracy was working and Rosily was preparing to work. We have not seen her in a while as she just started at the Apple. They have done a lot of remodeling making the place even bigger. It is a late night party spot that packs them in. When we got home we spent the rest of the evening on the back porch.
I didn’t go anywhere on Sunday as I tried to rest my knee. I’m trying to get in to see someone about it. Rubbing dirt on it didn’t help! LOL
We are getting into full blown Summer Tourist Season traffic. The area by the Grande is packed with people and cars. Last week we had a person hit and killed there and the next day another accident had the intersection closed…all this at 6 am in the morning. It does not seem to slow down anyone from coming to town though. The rental boats going out to Crab Island on Saturday was amazing. One after the other going and coming.
It is supposed to be a rainy week. We shall see. Sunshine Cindy and I don’t have anything big planned other than Father’s Day. Have a fun week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
It was a busy week for us. I had a Parrot Head board meeting to attend on Thursday. Friday at the meeting at Landshark the club made two check presentations. $1000 to Food for Thought and $1597 to Children in Crisis which was from the Tailgates Down party from a few weeks ago. The club continues to Party with a Purpose!
Saturday was the first beach cleanup of the year but I had to miss it. I have sprained my knee and I knew I didn’t need to try and walk in the sand. So instead Sunshine Cindy and I went to the harbor for brunch at Harry T’s. While eating we saw Tommy kayaking by with a couple lady friends. We talked to them for a few minutes. It is always like old home week every time we stop at Harry T’s. Mama D came by to say hi, we chatted with Tim from Flash Flood and got big hugs from Michelle and Red.
After we were done Sunshine Cindy wanted to go home to do some work around the house but I talked her into going to Crab Island Cantina for a beer. Monica was working the bar. I saw Carlos across the room and texted him to come say hello. He responded to wave as he could see us on the security camera’s. He did come and say hello to us. He was thrilled with the turnout from DDD and I know he will have them back next time they are in town.
When we left it was now Sunshine Cindy’s turn to surprise. She suggested we stop at Jackacuda’s. Derrick was working the bar. He just got into town from Orlando for the summer. He was interesting to talk to. I didn’t get any sushi since I was still full from brunch. Next time.
On the way home Rotten Apple was mentioned so of course we had to stop there too. Tracy was working and Rosily was preparing to work. We have not seen her in a while as she just started at the Apple. They have done a lot of remodeling making the place even bigger. It is a late night party spot that packs them in. When we got home we spent the rest of the evening on the back porch.
I didn’t go anywhere on Sunday as I tried to rest my knee. I’m trying to get in to see someone about it. Rubbing dirt on it didn’t help! LOL
We are getting into full blown Summer Tourist Season traffic. The area by the Grande is packed with people and cars. Last week we had a person hit and killed there and the next day another accident had the intersection closed…all this at 6 am in the morning. It does not seem to slow down anyone from coming to town though. The rental boats going out to Crab Island on Saturday was amazing. One after the other going and coming.
It is supposed to be a rainy week. We shall see. Sunshine Cindy and I don’t have anything big planned other than Father’s Day. Have a fun week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
Monday, June 5, 2017
It’s Tourist Season in Destin
They’re back! Okay, the tourist never really left but they are coming back for the summer season in record numbers. It is shaping up to be a crazy summer here in paradise!
One thing the tourist (and locals for that matter) love to do is fish. With the largest charter fishing fleet in Florida and being only minutes to the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico, fishing is a major attraction in Destin. One of the most prized fish to catch is the Red Snapper. Red Snapper is one of the best eating fish there is. The season for Red Snapper opened June 1st. This year it is open for 49 days I think. Many people plan their vacations to Destin around Red Snapper season. Make your reservations for a charter now if you want to get out and catch your limit.
Another thing that comes with the summer tourist season that’s not fun is June Grass. June Grass is a form of algae that clumps up in big green smelly globs. Depending on the tides and wind direction you might have one day where the beach is covered in this stuff and then the next day it is gone. As it dries on the beach it smells bad. Well the June Grass is already coming. Driving home from work last week along the Island I could smell it. And at the harbor on Sunday we had whiffs of it too. We need a change in wind direction to blow it back off shore.
This past week was the famous Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival held in downtown Fort Walton Beach. It is five days of fun, music, fireworks, parades and of course pirates! The Saturday party on the water in the Sound is insane. When I lived on the island I would have a Bowlegs party at my condo that overlooked the Sound. There would be literally a couple thousand types of boats and water crafts descend on this small area. A big police presence is there to try and keep the peace. It sounded like this year’s party was a success.
Sunshine Cindy and I got out a few times this past week. Last Monday, Labor Day we went to Island Wings. It’s been a while since we stopped in there. We talked to the bartender about them needing to be more of a locals place. They have decent food but the prices for drinks is high for not being on the water. They do have a locals discount but you have to ask for it. We love that they are on the north side of Hwy 98 so we will be back. We did enjoy our stop there on Monday.
Friday I made a run to Landshark Pizza. Sue and Paige were working the bar. Scotty came in and we talked for a while. Then B stopped in with a guy who works for him. I can never remember his name. We all solved some of the world’s problems. I headed home before the traffic got real bad. Later in the evening a guy was hit crossing 98. It shut down the westbound lanes till after 2 am. What a mess that must have been.
Saturday afternoon we stopped in at Hogs Breath. Rikki was working. A decent crowd was at the bar watching the traffic on 98. We split a BBQ pork sandwich. It was awesome. When we got home we ended up on the back porch for the evening enjoying a nice night.
Sunday the girls were back in Destin. Melanie and Kitty (Drop Dead Dangerous) were back in town to play at Crab Island Cantina. They are an awesome duo that you will be hearing a lot about in the future. They are talented and good looking…a perfect combination! There was a big crowd at the Cantina to listen to BT then the ladies. It was a fun time as the weather was perfect and a ton of boats in the harbor made for a nice backdrop. They will be in town all week playing at The Boathouse on Wednesday and Landshark Pizza on Friday for the Parrot Heads.
A new restaurant has opened just down Commons Drive from our house. Half Shell Oyster House is the newest addition to the Destin restaurant scene. According to their web site they have a New Orleans theme in their décor and food. They have other locations across the Gulf Coast. We will be trying them out soon.
That’s it for today. Have a great week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
One thing the tourist (and locals for that matter) love to do is fish. With the largest charter fishing fleet in Florida and being only minutes to the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico, fishing is a major attraction in Destin. One of the most prized fish to catch is the Red Snapper. Red Snapper is one of the best eating fish there is. The season for Red Snapper opened June 1st. This year it is open for 49 days I think. Many people plan their vacations to Destin around Red Snapper season. Make your reservations for a charter now if you want to get out and catch your limit.
Another thing that comes with the summer tourist season that’s not fun is June Grass. June Grass is a form of algae that clumps up in big green smelly globs. Depending on the tides and wind direction you might have one day where the beach is covered in this stuff and then the next day it is gone. As it dries on the beach it smells bad. Well the June Grass is already coming. Driving home from work last week along the Island I could smell it. And at the harbor on Sunday we had whiffs of it too. We need a change in wind direction to blow it back off shore.
This past week was the famous Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival held in downtown Fort Walton Beach. It is five days of fun, music, fireworks, parades and of course pirates! The Saturday party on the water in the Sound is insane. When I lived on the island I would have a Bowlegs party at my condo that overlooked the Sound. There would be literally a couple thousand types of boats and water crafts descend on this small area. A big police presence is there to try and keep the peace. It sounded like this year’s party was a success.
Sunshine Cindy and I got out a few times this past week. Last Monday, Labor Day we went to Island Wings. It’s been a while since we stopped in there. We talked to the bartender about them needing to be more of a locals place. They have decent food but the prices for drinks is high for not being on the water. They do have a locals discount but you have to ask for it. We love that they are on the north side of Hwy 98 so we will be back. We did enjoy our stop there on Monday.
Friday I made a run to Landshark Pizza. Sue and Paige were working the bar. Scotty came in and we talked for a while. Then B stopped in with a guy who works for him. I can never remember his name. We all solved some of the world’s problems. I headed home before the traffic got real bad. Later in the evening a guy was hit crossing 98. It shut down the westbound lanes till after 2 am. What a mess that must have been.
Saturday afternoon we stopped in at Hogs Breath. Rikki was working. A decent crowd was at the bar watching the traffic on 98. We split a BBQ pork sandwich. It was awesome. When we got home we ended up on the back porch for the evening enjoying a nice night.
Sunday the girls were back in Destin. Melanie and Kitty (Drop Dead Dangerous) were back in town to play at Crab Island Cantina. They are an awesome duo that you will be hearing a lot about in the future. They are talented and good looking…a perfect combination! There was a big crowd at the Cantina to listen to BT then the ladies. It was a fun time as the weather was perfect and a ton of boats in the harbor made for a nice backdrop. They will be in town all week playing at The Boathouse on Wednesday and Landshark Pizza on Friday for the Parrot Heads.
A new restaurant has opened just down Commons Drive from our house. Half Shell Oyster House is the newest addition to the Destin restaurant scene. According to their web site they have a New Orleans theme in their décor and food. They have other locations across the Gulf Coast. We will be trying them out soon.
That’s it for today. Have a great week. See ya next Monday!
Destin Steve
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)