Baytowne Wharf Art Expo

The Baytowne Wharf Art Expo begins today & runs through the weekend. This three-night festival will showcase hundreds of art mediums, styles and techniques by well-known and up-and-coming artists, several of whom are considered the best in their field. Baytowne Wharf will be buzzing with the creativity of world-class works of art including innovative live music in the Events Plaza. The event will be held from 5-10pm each evening at Baytowne Wharf.
The Baytowne Wharf Art Expo is part of the Beaches of South Walton’s Autumn Tides program.

Destin Photo Contest

The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce launched its 2007 Destin Area Summer Photo contest last week. Open to tourists and locals, the contest will be divided into three categories for judging, including Best Family Photo, Best Beach Photo and Best Harbor Photo. An overall winner will also be chosen. The contest ends Sept. 19 at 3pm. You may submit photos to http://www.destinchamber.com/. So, here is a call to all guests of Southern Resorts who may have stayed at the beach in Destin or surrounding areas. Send them your photo for the contest, and send us a copy, too. We may publish here on our site. Share with us your favorite vacation story, too on line here.

Cafe' Rendez-vous

For an enjoyable evening out try Cafe' Rendez-vous in Seaside, FL. From the eclectic music & atmosphere it is truly delightful. My friend Annette thoroughly enjoyed her Veggie Roll. She's not a huge Sushi Fan & her comment was "Wow, this is great!". I personally enjoyed the "Nick" Roll, it's wonderful. Cafe' Rendez-vous is a great place to visit with friends & relax. You can enjoy the outdoor seating, sit inside on one of the comfy red chairs or sit at the bar like we did and converse with the lively barkeeper Murphy. You will enjoy the superb service, I received a personalized avocado lesson from the Sushi Chef Nick. I've dined at Cafe Rendez-vous twice now, it's one of my new favorites. Don't forget that locals receive a 10% discount!

If you are staying in one of Southern Resorts Beaches of South Walton properties, the Cafe will be convenient to you, it's right off of 30-A in Seaside.

Annual Greek Festival this weekend

Experience Greek Culture & wonderful food this weekend at the 15th Annual Greek Festival. This area favorite for locals & visitors will be held in a new location this year, the Emerald Coast Conference Center. The fun will begin on Friday evening at 5pm with Peter Lambropoulos as bandleader. Saturday & Sunday there will be a special feature with the sights & sounds of George Antonopoulos & Joanna from South Carolina. The newly formed Greek Dancers of Saints Markella and Demetrios Church will also be performing. In addition to all of the wonderful food there will be Arts & Crafts booths with handmade specialty items & The Agora for other Greek souvenirs.The younger crowd will enjoy the Bouncer, Mega Slide & Train Ride.

The Greek Festival is a special event for the Greek Orthodox Church giving the opportunity to share the Greek Culture with the Destin & Ft. Walton Beach area. A portion of the proceeds of this fun filled weekend will go to the local Sharing & Caring food bank.

Festival Latino

This evening Saturday, August 25th the Emerald Coast Conference Center will be hosting the 3rd Annual Latino Festival. This fun evening will feature several different folkloric ballets, Flamenco Dancers, wonderful Latin American Food, games for the children & international music groups.


The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The conference center is located in Ft. Walton/Okaloosa Island, situated on the right hand side of the road after you cross the Destin Harbor Bridge.

llth Annual MBARA Kingfish Tournament

The Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association will be holding its llth Annual MBARA Kingfish Tournament on Saturday, August 25, 2007. A huge Captains' Party is on Friday night, August 24 at the El Governor Motel. For more information contact Ron Childs at echilds@bellsouth.net. Mexico Beach is just west of Port St. Joe, Florida and the new Barefoot Cottages. Bring your family and stay in these wonderful two and three bedroom cottages with lots of amenities including large community pool, hot tub, bikes and fitness facilities.

Wine Tasting at Ceruleans

For the next two Thursday Evenings in August Bill Evett will be performing at Ceruleans. His music is a fusion of Pop, Jazz and Rock. Ceruleans is a eclectic gathering place that is a mixture of neighborhood coffee shop, newsstand, wine bar, book store and performance and art exhibit space. Come and learn the art of wine & savor appetizers from Fish out of Water while you enjoy Bill as he plays his instrumental acoustic guitar.

The wine tasting will be held from 5-7 and Bill Evett will be playing from 6-8pm.

21st Annual Sandestin Triathlon

The Sandestin Triathlon will be held this Saturday beginning on the beach behind FINZ restaurant. This annual event lures 700 participants each year for a half-mile Gulf of Mexico swim, a 20-mile bike along the coast, and a 4-mile run throughout Sandestin’s beach and bayside community. For some our Southern Resorts Beach of South Walton guests, the bicycle course will pass right in front of your accommodations. Bawdy Blue, Sunny Beaches, Full Abalone & Shell Shocked are some of those to name a few. If you get a chance go outside to cheer them on!

The Sandestin Triathlon is open to the public if you want to watch, the finish line of the race is always exciting!

For those going East through Destin & pass the Sandestin Resort early Saturday morning please be on the look out for these athletes!

Save 10% off Low Fall & Winter Rates in Destin

Stay in beautiful Ariel Dunes in Destin, Florida and SAVE 10% off your daily and weekly stays this Fall and Winter. With views of both the Gulf of Mexico to the south and the Choctawhatchee Bay to the north and boasting access to 11,000 square feet of pools and 2,000 feet of beach, this high-rise is a sure to please destination! Visit all hot deals and promotions with Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Port St. Joe and The Beaches of South Walton here.

Brand New to Southern Resorts Rental Program

Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals has recently acquired 2 Vacation Cottages in the Villages of Crystal Beach in Destin, The Emerald & Starfish. These vacation cottages are a short walk to the beach & they have tram service if you don't care to walk or if you are weighed down with a bunch of stuff as I sometimes am when spending the day at the beach. The pool at the Villages is fantastic, it is a zero entry pool with a great tropical feel with music playing to match. Either of these two cottages would make a great fall getaway.

5 Star Reviews in Destin

Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals implemented guest reviews on-line this year. We want people to know what actual visitors have to say. Here are a few that have had 5 Star reviews. Bella Blue and Jade East in Destin and Adagio 103B in Blue Mountain Beach. With properties in Destin, the Beaches of South Walton, Fort Walton Beach and Port St. Joe, we have lots more. Take time to visit our site and find a property you like. Then see how others that have stayed there felt.

The Scallop Festival is here!

Enjoy the arts, crafts, music, and most of all, SCALLOPS at the 11th Annual Scallop Festival! This annual celebration of the recreationally-harvested succulent scallop is one of the best events in this area. This year's festivities kicks off with a concert this evening featuring the Tip Tops, read more about this band here. They will be performing from 7-11 p.m. ET.
Saturday & Sunday, August 18 & 19 will be filled with fun and entertainment with more music, arts and crafts & children's activities. This year's event will be at Marina Cove, located just north of the Port St. Joe Marina, behind Bluewater Outriggers, in Port St. Joe. There will be something for everyone, so make plans now to attend & don't forget to take some scallops home for all of your favorite recipes.

Support St. Joesph Bay Humane Society

Support the efforts of the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society and have a great time! The organization will host a Wine Tasting this evening, Thursday, August 16, 2007 from 5-7 p.m. ET at Sunset Coastal Grill in Port St. Joe. It is only $10 to join in the fun and help out a great cause. Enjoy the wine tasting and light snacks and stay for dinner. Door prizes will be awarded and you can purchase tickets for the drawing of a PT Cruiser and a Mercedes. For more information, call 850-227-9157. Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals currently has 2 pet friendly units in Port St. Joe, Barefoot Cottages #B17 & Barefoot Cottages #B19.

RadioLive at the Village of Baytowne Wharf

RadioLive will again be broadcasting live from the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin this evening. For this mid-August show, the great Americana - Folk duo, Jeff and Vida return. They'll be joined by performing songwriter Carey Colvin, and an alternative group, Free Monica will round out the show. Come out early and enjoy a early dinner before the show at one of the Villages great restaurants. I personally would go for the Sushi!

The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. Admission, as always, is one or more non-perishable food items for the Caring and Sharing of South Walton.

The Village of Baytowne Wharf is convenient to Southern Resorts Destin & Beaches of South Walton properties.

Group Sales

Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals has created a Group Sales department to market our destination for corporate retreats, business meetings, weddings and family reunions. With homes, cottages and condos of all sizes and in several beautiful beach communities including the Beaches of South Walton, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Port St. Joe; we have the perfect venue for most events.

So, tap into your staff's ingenuity in a place like no other. Conduct or attend a meeting on Florida's Emerald Coast, staying with Southern Resorts. Discuss past results, develop future plans, or simply relax and unwind. With the beautiful beach and surrounding communities as your backdrop, and Southern Resorts as the destination, any occasion is sure to be a success. For more information on how we can assist you with your event or meetings and accommodate you and your guests, contact us at groupsales@southernresorts.com or call 800.737.2322.

Paris Luna at the Market Shops tonight

Paris Luna will be performing at the Cypress Green at the Market Shops of Sandestin this evening. This lively fun group is a true crowd pleaser. As always, face painting & balloon sculpture will be a hit for the younger attendees.

The concert will be held from 6pm-8pm.

The Market Shops are just East of the Silver Sands Factory Outlet.

Italian Dining in Destin

Carrabba’s Italian Grill will open its doors to diners at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 13 in Destin, Florida. Located at Silver Sands Factory Stores, Carrabba’s features Italian specialties made from original family recipes handed down over generations. The lively exhibition kitchen, fresh from-scratch food, and friendly, knowledgeable staff will make this a favorite neighborhood dinner destination seven days a week. In keeping with Carrabba’s commitment to its communities, the new restaurant will donate a generous portion of opening night sales to the Destin Family YMCA... See full story here. Family dining in Destin just got even better. With so many options, Destin and the Beaches of South Walton guests have quite a choice. Another great choice for vacationers is staying with Southern Resorts vacation rentals, with properties in Fort Walton Beach, Destin and the Beaches of South Walton.

Funky Blues Shack in Destin

Last night my husband and I stopped by one of our favorite Destin restaurants - Graffitis. Adjoining the popular restaurant is the Funky Blues Shack (where we were actually seated). The food was wonderful as usual. I had a favorite lobster ravioli and he had the grouper special. As an added treat, we ran into some friends and heard Dred Clampit, a local band perform their eclectic offerings of "newgrass." A wonderful night in Destin!

Junior Marvin in concert at the Village

Friday, August 17th will be an exciting evening at the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Junior Marvin will be playing. Junior has played with Blues Legend T-Bone Walker and Ike and Tina Turner, during this time he earned a reputation as an innovative and expressive blues/rock guitarist.

In 1977, Junior was invited to play with Stevie Wonder & Bob Marley and the Wailers. The first album he performed on with Bob Marley & the Wailers was "Exodus" which was voted "Best Album of the 20th Century" by Time Magazine. He is on all of Bob Marley and the Wailers albums since that time. He has continued to play with the Wailers since 1981.

Plan to take a long weekend and enjoy this one-time live performance at the Events Plaza at the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Junior will be performing from 8pm-9:30pm. Southern Resorts has many homes & condos to choose from to make your weekend perfect.

Come Sweep The Beach, Underwater and Above!

Come help out and have fun at The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Beach Sweep on Sunday, Aug. 26. This unique event needs volunteers from around the community to work together to clean up our beautiful beaches, underwater and above. The land based cleanup is at Beasley Park and at the foot of the Destin Bridge in Destin from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Underwater Emerald Coast Scuba is on board to assist the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge with the underwater beach sweep. The underwater cleanup is at the West Jettie in Destin and volunteer divers should arrive by 7 a.m. Clean up is from 7-9:30 a.m. For more information, call 850.650.1880. Learn more about the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge here.

Cooling Off On A Pontoon Boat

Yesterday I took advantage of a day off with friends in town and rented a pontoon boat from Destin Dockside. We were able to pick up the boat early in the morning and did not have to return it until 5 PM. We had plenty of time to take the boat along the intercoastal waterway down toward the Navarre and Pensacola Beaches and stop along many of the little islands as well as hit Juana's Tiki Bar on Navarre Beach for lunch. In the morning there were alot of jellyfish in the water, but as early as noon we noticed the absence of the marine pests. It was reported on the front page of the local newspaper that Destin had been the hottest place in the entire nation yesterday, but I have to admit that I had not even noticed the heat since I had a constant breeze against my skin all day long. As the temperatures will remain just as hot for the rest of the week and more than likely next week as well, I recommend getting on the water with a boat or a jet-ski and keeping yourself cool. Destin Dockside is located along the docks in downtown Destin right next to the Boathouse Oyster Bar and they can be reached at 850.428.3313 to make a reservation.

The pontoon boat was comfortable and well equipped for a day of fun. Bring along a cooler for drinks and snacks, beach towels and toys, sunglasses, sunscreen and your favorite boating CDs to play on the boat's radio. I hope to hear back from anyone who takes the oppurtunity to beat this heat and have a relaxing, cool day on the water.

2007 Festival of Life

The 2007 Festival of Life will take place at the Morgan Sports Complex in Destin, Florida on August 25th and 26th. The Festival of Life is a fundraiser that benefits Covenant Hospice and Miracle Camp in their efforts to help children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. A variety of activities will be available, including:

Petting zoo
Antique and classic car show
Boat show
Food vendors
Fine art, crafts
Hot air balloon rides
Rock-climbing wall
Moonwalk
Amusement rides

Local and regional entertainers will be on hand throughout the weekend. More information will follow as soon as it is available.

Famous Eatery Coming to Destin

Commander’s Palace, a famous New Orleans eatery that has been open since 1880, announced this week that it would open a restaurant in 2008 at Legendary’s HarborWalk Village in Destin at the base of the Destin bridge. Commander’s Palace, WaterGrille, Pat O’Brien’s and Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiri will join Jet Ultra Lounge and one of Southern Resorts' favorite partners Lucky Snapper at HarborWalk Village. Read the whole story by Patrick Donohue here. If you have not had a chance to see it, view the Emerald Grande property by Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals. It is beautiful and quite the landmark in Destin.

Beauty & the Beast Tonight!

The Seaside Repertory Theatre presents Beauty and the Beast tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Watercolor’s Marina Park amphitheater.
This adaptation stands out for its truth and elegant simplicity. Written in beautiful verse, this 19th century adaptation predates Disney's retelling of classic story, and remains true to the original storyline. Families will be touched, amused, and inspired by the Rep's rendition of this timeless tale.


Admission is free. For more information call the box office at 850.231.0733.

11th Annual Scallop Festival in Port St Joe

We have blogged about the great scalloping in Port St Joe, just two hours east of Destin, but now is time to celebrate it on August 18th & 19th. This festival of the recreationally-harvested scallop is one of the best events in this area. Indulge in all types of scallops and enjoy music, arts, crafts and more in the charming town of Port St. Joe. For more information call the Gulf County Chamber at 850.227.1223. While it marks the end of scallop season, the beaches are still beautiful and the weather is wonderful for a retreat to the coast and to the Barefoot Cottages by Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals.

Paradise Found in Destin

The Destin History and Fishing Museum presents “Paradise Found-Pages from a Family Album,” a pictorial history of Destin as enjoyed by the Calhoun family, circa 1931 -1970s. The exhibit grand opening was yesterday (Friday, August 3rd). It runs through Sept. 30th. Destin History and Fishing Museum is at 108 Stahlman Ave. For more information call 850.837.6611. Visit the museum for a delightful look at preserving and honoring the history of Destin, Florida, the "Luckiest Fishing Village in the World."

First Friday Concert Series & Fall Fashion Show

It’s time for the next installment of the First Friday Concert Series at Destin Commons. Enjoy the live sounds of a Jazz & Blues band as well as a Back to School fashion show. The kids & teens will hit the catwalk at 7 pm this evening. Other highlights for the evening include face painting by Ms. Jennifer, Zachary the stilt walking balloon sculptor, and other fun activities for kids. Lawn chairs and blankets welcome.

This event will be held from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Destin Commons Center Plaza.

The SunDancer Adventure Triathlon & Biathlon

Start training the family now. The SunDancer Adventure Triathlon & Biathlon take place September 22 at 6 am - 2 pm. Not your ordinary Triathlon, this SunDancer event consists of individual or relay teams of 2-person or 4-person, competing in a 9 mile Mountain Bike through the forest, 1.5 mile Kayak on Western Lake and a 5.5 mile Run along 30A bike path with the last half mile along the Emerald Coast Shoreline. This triathlon takes competitors through some of the most beautiful acreage in Walton County and along the gulf coast, just east of Destin. The Biathlon consists of a 2.5 mile Mountain Bike and 2 mile Run. For more information, contact 850.217.5121 or sundanceradventures@cox.net. Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals is proud to support this Beaches of South Walton Autumn Tides adventure!