Vote for Destin to be Rand McNally and USA TODAY’s “Best of the Road”

It’s springtime, which means it’s travel season. Of course, we would prefer for you to travel by air, but Rand McNally and USA TODAY have created a team of road travelers who have been searching for the Best of the Road. We want you to check out what they’re doing.

Guess what; Destin is on their list. But we could be closer to the top…with your help.

The Best of the Road series allows people to explore small towns and points of interest from the locals’ point of view with recommendations, reviews, photos, and editors’ picks. These stops are especially popular among RVers, motorcyclists, and family roadtrippers looking for something authentic and less “touristy”.

This annual endeavor allows McNally and USA TODAY to crowd source possible Destin-ations (hint, hint) for people to visit. After the locales have been chosen, they then send amateur travelers out to explore the Best Small Towns in America. Among the titles available are Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun, and Best Small Town for Food. Through blogs, photos, reviews, and videos, anyone can take each journey, from the couch or cubicle. Don’t worry, we won’t tell your boss.

If you’ve considered visiting Destin and Ft. Walton Beach, or if you have been here, love it, and want others to discover your subtropical paradise, check out the Best of the Road’s website and vote for Destin in every applicable category.

For more information about the Rand McNally, USA TODAY Best of the Road adventure, watch this 2 minute video.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Best of the Road. Even more, we hope you’ll vote for and visit us here on Florida’s Emerald Coast. If you’d like to connect with us, we’re available on Facebook, Twitter, and at our website. “Is your town on the map?” Ours is. Explore and find out why.

Top 10 Things to do in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, Pt. 2 – the top 5

Recently we wrote about numbers 10 through 6 of TripAdvisor.com’s things to do in Ft. Walton Beach. Your response on social media was amazing. Thank you. Today, we present the top 5 things to do in Ft. Walton Beach. We hope you enjoy the list; even more, we hope you’ll go check some of these things out for yourself and let us know what you thought.

05: Cinema Plus – was built in 1940 and stands today looking largely as it did back then. The cinema offers movies for $4 or less in a comfortable setting. While watching the film, have a beer or cocktail and dinner (or lunch). It’s a restaurant with a giant screen at one end and a great time for the entire family. 

04: Grayton Beach – is an hour’s drive from Ft. Walton Beach, but it’s in Walton County and on TripAdvisor’s list, so we’ve left it in ours. It’s really worth the drive to visit Grayton Beach if you’re in the area. It is a quiet beach community that harkens back to a time before large hotels and chain restaurants dotted Florida’s Emerald Coast. Small shops, rental homes, bed and breakfasts, quiet streets, and pristine, roomy beaches are trademarks of this cozy town. 

03: Goofy Golf – was built in 1958 and for $3 a person (adult, $1.50 for children under 12) is a great way to spend time with family and friends. The facility has two 17 hole mini golf courses and a shared 18^th hole. Standing out front, bringing smiles to parents and kids alike, is Goofy Golf’s 23 foot tall T-Rex, Hammy. He was installed in 1958 when the courses were built and restored to his Jurassic glory in 2008 as part of Goofy Golf’s 50^th anniversary. 

02: Okaloosa Island – is described by visitors as an “amazing beach”, a “favorite vacation spot”, and “peaceful”. A barrier island, Okaloosa Island is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, Choctawhatchee Bay, and the Intracoastal Waterway and is connected to the mainland by bridges at each end. You may remember that the Okaloosa Island Pier topped numbers 10-6 of this list, making the island a double entry in this top 10. This should be an indicator of how worthwhile the island is as a part of your vacation planning. Apart from fishing, Florida’s Gulfarium, a great variety of restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, beautiful boardwalk, convenient public beaches, showers, and restrooms, shopping, and several water sport activities make the list of things to do on the island. 

01: Air Force Armament Museum – aboard Eglin Air Force Base is a journey through Air Force armament history. Static displays take guests from World War I to today’s high-tech fighting machines including the fastest warbird ever built, the SR-71 Blackbird. Inside is an extensive collection of weaponry including bombs, missiles, and other tools of defense and offense. Also inside are interactive displays to intrigue, entertain, and educate the entire family. Admission is free. 

Have you visited any of these places, or do you plan to? Hopefully we’ve given you some inspiration to fuel your next trip to Florida’s Emerald Coast. The splendors of nature and the comforts of modern life are just a few miles from the gates at VPS. We thank you for reading our airport blog. If you’d like to connect with us, we’re on Facebook and Twitter. 

Top 10 Things to do in Ft. Walton Beach, FL Pt. 1

Beautiful Ft. Walton Beach, FL

We have spent a lot of time (and words) here on our blog telling you about other places to visit. There is a lot to do right here in our area. Yes, beyond going to the beach. Today we would like to tell you about some of the great things to do in Ft. Walton Beach. For this two part piece, we’ll take the top 10 things to do in Ft. Walton Beach from TripAdvisor.com and tell you a little about numbers 10 – 6.

 10: The Emerald Coast Science Center – is a great place for parents and kids alike. There are a lot of great exhibits and learning opportunities. Want to see a skeleton ride a bike, make a bubble bigger than your head, or touch lightning? (Don’t worry, it’s safe.) Do you know how to make a car get 100 miles per gallon? These are just some of the things you can do at the Emerald Coast Science Center. The center is open 7 days a week. Admission ranges from $3.75 - $5.75.

09: The Posh Daisy – is a great place for the ladies (or men and children) to relax and enjoy some quiet time. Guests can come in for full service hair care, manicures, pedicures, advanced skin care treatments, massages, airbrush makeup services, and even two-week mascara. Prices range by service; appointments are available.

08: Indian Temple Mound and Museum – located in downtown Ft. Walton Beach is another chance for the family to learn about the Gulf Coast’s rich history. While there, be sure to read all of the plaques and experiment with the hands-on exhibits. The lifestyles of four southeastern American Indian tribes dating from the 1300s can be explored through artifacts and interactive displays. The entire museum is situated atop a ceremonial mound. 

07: The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island – has covered picnic areas, volleyball courts, outdoor showers, public restrooms, and ample parking…adjacent to the beach. Add to that over a dozen shops and eateries and you easily have a full afternoon of fun with varying levels of family friendliness. 

06: Okaloosa Island Pier – is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The pier extends 1262 feet into the Gulf of Mexico with an octagonal area at the end which greatly increases its fishing area. From the pier, Tarpon weighing in excess of 100 pounds have been caught. Additionally, tuna, king mackerel, cobia, and dolphin have been reeled in. Smaller species including redfish, bonito, jack cravelle, Spanish mackerel, whiting, and bluefish can be caught as well; the latter three being the most common.  Beverages, snacks, bait, tackle, and pole rentals are available. No fishing license is required to fish the pier. Daily fishing rates range from free for children under 5 to $7.50 for adults. Annual passes are also available.  

There you have it, the first installment of the top 10 things to do in Ft. Walton Beach, as reported by TripAdvisor.com. Check back with us in a couple of weeks to read about the top 5 things to do. We thank you for reading our airport blog. If you’d like to connect with us, we’re on Facebook and Twitter.