The Emerald Coast
Our DESTINation Vacation
Dahls…Labor Day is down, summer is coming to an end, everyone is pulling out their pumpkins and getting excited for fall and all I can do is dream about is our incredible Destin vacation we just had. Ok, so I’m about to make a bold statement… I was born & raised on the beaches of South Florida, I’ve lived on the beach in Southern California, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world like Hawaii, Bahamas, Cabo, Jamaica & Tahiti…and, with no disrespect to beaches of our hometowns of Ft. Lauderdale & Laguna…one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to, without needing a passport or a plane, was the breathtaking beaches of The Emerald Coast.
When deciding where to go to surprise my husband for his birthday, the beach was a no brainer! I’ve made no secret my man misses his California beaches & he’s got one foot out the door of this marriage for me making him move to a landlocked state hehe JK he loves it 😉 But I do have to give him his beach fix every now & then & whats better then the sugar white sandy beaches, perfectly warm emerald green waters of The Gulf Coast? Not much right at our finger tips!
Which brings me to the reason I wanted to share this experience with my dahls..where we hung our hats while we were there. We had the pleasure of staying at one of the most romantic Bed & Breakfast’s in America. #1 to be exact. I’m talking about our new favorite place…The Henderson Park Inn.We will truly make this a tradition for years to come. Let me begin by thanking the entire staff starting with Tammy, one of the Inns keepers. She & the entire staff took care of us like family. We felt so welcomed like we had been coming there for years. We walked in & instantly felt at home. Our room was filled with the sweet sound of soft beach music, roses, grapes & a complimentary bottle of wine.
Not to mention we had the most breathtaking view of the Gulf of Mexico. It was perfection.
And this charming treasure just so happens to be part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection so you know it’s got to be fabulous. A wine toast at the tiki bar during sunset to start the night was magical….a foodies favorite part…The dinner. Wow. The Beach Walk Cafe was mind blowing…from their award winning cuisine to the insane views…it had us hooked so much so we ate there both nights of our stay! We had the lobster tail & scallops that literally tasted like they were caught that evening & the desserts melted in our mouth. It’s located inside the Henderson Park Inn & it is Destin’s only fine dining restaurant where you can eat directly on the beach with your toes in the sand, sip champagne & stare at the sunset over looking the emerald waters. A MUST.
Take a bike ride or grab a picnic lunch & bring it to the beach….it’s all inclusive! Drinks & snacks available all day too. This luxurious, yet rustic Inn was voted the most romantic hotel in North America and I couldn’t agree more. Take a sunset stroll in the sand with your sweetie, have wine & dessert by the fire pit, fall more in love while falling asleep with your balcony door open to hear the relaxing sounds of the ocean waves.
It’s unparalleled perfection in our opinion and we can’t wait to go back!
THINGS TO DO IN DESTIN
Destin is called “the world’s luckiest fishing village” & there’s nothing like having a master chef serve you a succulent piece of fresh fish you caught yourself on the charter boat that morning.
Hop on a boat, paddle board or jet ski & take a trip out to Crab Island …this was by far one of the funnest things we did in Destin. We had lunch on the floating tiki bar & drank frozen drinks while floating around the biggest sand bar I’ve ever seen. You can do anything from go snorkeling, lay out on the boat, jump on a giant inflatable trampoline at the inflatable floating obstacle called Crab Island Waterpark, to partying with local bands playing on a floating stage. They even have “Boat-In” …like “Drive-In” movies where they set up a big floating blow up screen & play movies like Jaws..how cool is that?!
FLYBOARDING
This is AMAZING! I got my husband a fly boarding session for his birthday at this killer company that offers all kinds of water sports down in Destin called PowerUp Watersports. He said it was one of the coolest birthday gifts ever & he felt like he was flying over the water. The owner is #1 in the world at this sport & showed us some tricks of his own. Here is a video of my husband Braden fly boarding…
It was SO fun! You have to do this when you’re in Destin. Call Ben at Power Up Watersports to book your fly boarding experience. Mention the DD blog & he will give you a 10% discount!(850)-461-1034 powerupwatersports@gmail.com
Destin is the gem of the Emerald Coast. Make sure to check out Rocks The Docks at The Emerald Grande at Harbor Walk Village or down drive the coast to 30A Seaside & Rosemary to explore & have a drink or dessert on the beach at the Perfect Pig Gourmet Market, Old Florida Fish House, Cowgirl Kitchen, Louis Louis, The Red Bar, Bud & Ally’s or La Crema Tapas & Chocolate in Rosemary Beach. Don’t forget to do some shopping in Seaside while you’re there…the stores are one-of-a kind!
And I’ve been hearing that Alys Beach is the new “IT” spot down in the panhandle …there is an amazing restaurant there called Caliza you must check out too! It’s in between Seaside and the beautiful Rosemary Beach. Now drop everything, go getchu a “This Doll Needs A Vacation” shirt & hit the beach!
xoxo,
ND
- September 07, 2016
- 6 Comments
- 2
- Alys Beach, Baytowne Wharf, Beachside Private Dining, Bed and Breakfast, Bike Ride, Bud & Ally's, Caliza, Crab Island, Destin, Destin's Fishing, Destination, Dolphin Watch, Florida, Florida Beaches, Flyboarding, Fort Walton Beach, Jetski, La Creme Tapas, Perfect Pig Gourmet Market, Picnic, Power Up Motorsports, Romantic, Seaside, Sunset Cruise, The Beachwalk Cafe, The Emerald Coast, The Gulf Coast, The Henderson Park Inn, The Red Bar, Tiki Bar
Shannon Howell
September 17, 2016Hi Nanci,
You are quite a writer, very good. My name is Shannon Howell and I'm the Project Manager for Henderson Beach Resort, parent of Henderson Park Inn. We very much appreciate your recent blog and words of kindness for our staff. We are blessed with a great location and have some great employees that have been with us for many years.
Thank you for taking the time to post us on your site, we look forward to having you back next year.
shannon
Nanci Dahl
September 18, 2016Hi Shannon,
Thank you so much for the sweet words. I'm so glad you like the feature...I truly can't say enough amazing things about you guys & our time there. We are so excited to come back! xoxo Nanci
Katie
September 29, 2016Oh my gosh, took your advice and vacationed here. It was so beautiful & everyone was so nice. Thanks so much for the tips. Love reading your blog!
Nanci Dahl
September 30, 2016Yay! I'm so excited you loved it!
Briah Marie Sayegh
September 30, 2016"Just booked our trip there after reading this & drooling over these pictures. I'll let you know how our vacation goes. So excited!!"
Nanci Dahl
September 30, 2016You're going to be blown away. The beach is gorgeous & it's so romantic! Have fun!! Xoxo