Santa Rosa and Destin

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We slurpped our last Panhandle Oyster, put away our flip flops and sunscreen, stocked the freezer with pink gulf shrimp and grouper from Shrimers's Seafood Market on Route 98 and bid Florida adios! The Emerald Coast has much to offer; and we'll be back. On the restaurant side, Cafe Tango on Route 30 A in Santa Rosa Beach was impeccable. We started by sharing scallops, moved to wonderful salads with blu cheese dressing, and chose two entrees; one the grouper special with shrimp and the other rib eye with chimichurra sauce. We topped it all off with a nice bottle of red and finished with croissant bread pudding. A really memorable meal. Reservations urged at this tiny little chef owned jem. McGuire's in Destin Harbor was fun. We "sharpied" a dollar bill (one of over $200,000 worth) and stapled it to the wall. We drove to McGuire's with a couple of other Top Sail "campers" that we had met in St. George Island. We felt safe with John, an ex NYPD officer, at the wheel. Sue's "en croute" Irish Stew dish earned high marks. Joanne gave her pork osso buco an A+ rating. John and Wes had corned beef and cabbage, which, of course, could not live up to Bobby Dunn's highly rated ranking of the same dish! We all got a kick out of the restroom signage! On the day before we left for Atlanta, Wes and I had lunch at AJ's in Dustin Harbor and got the Schooner ready for a quick exit in the morning. Don't think I ever mentioned several trails in the Top Sail Park area. Great fishing, great bike paths. We are still amazed by the length - miles and miles - of soft as talc, white sandy beaches and the diverse dune and forest scenery. We checked out beautiful Henderson State Park in Destin for our 2010 foray.

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Photos

Picnic - Top Sail State Park
The dunes are protected, but we found this little spot on the trail.

The Last Oyster
There it is; decorated with lemon, horshradish and cocktail sauce; sitting in the middle of one of AJ's iced trays, and surrounded by 11 recently departed "friends." These oysters are the best!

Frozen Life Guards
These guys were dressed like they were at the top of Killington. Two red beach flags mean danger - no swimming; still there were surfers out on the Gulf.

He May Have Dressed Himself
We loved this little boy on an outing at Destin Harbor with his dad --- we'll bet his momma wasn't around when they got ready to go out that morning.

Tango
Wonderful Dining Route 30A - reservations a must!

Shrimpers Seafood Market
This family run business has the freshest seafood.

Posted Buck at McGuire's
When you get to McGuire's at Destin. This is stapled to the wall in the "middle room" at the last booth on the left to the left of the Strawberry poster.

Weatherall Gallery Route 30A
The western end of Route 30 A is one of those lovely roadways dotted with interesting galleries, restaurants and shops. The further toward Panama City you get; the fancier and the properties become. It's a matter of personal choice. Give us the Western end!

Stinky's Shrimp Camp
This is the new, sanitized Stinky's...no fears ... same wonderful food.

Moorish Architecture
The Moorish style of the Grand Hotel - straight out of Ali Baba - seems incongruous; but it sits in a beautiful area of Destin.

Comments

[Lauren Prock]

Oh My
Look at these beautiful pictures. You guys look like you're having a blast. HaH, I wish that Jeff and I could take a break and go on a long vacation like this. Can't wait to here about it all when you return!