Support St. Joesph Bay Humane Society

The Paws in the Park & Bow Wow Bash events are on schedule for tomorrow September 29th. During the day from 9am-1pm bring out your best friends for Paws in the Park and enjoy various activities & contests such as doggy dunking for hot dogs, photos with Santa, Cake Walk & Doggy Picasso. Vendors will also be present selling pet niceties. If you or your pet are of the athletic set, join the 9am 5K Fun Run/Walk.

During the evening from 6pm-10pm the Bow Wow Bash will be held. It will be an evening of food, drink, dancing and a chance to win one of the cars above.

The Paws in the Park event will be held at Port St. Joe Centennial Park. All proceeds from these two events will support the St. Joeseph Bay Humane Society.

Don't forget when you are staying at Barefoot Cottages in Port St. Joe you can bring your pets with you in two select properties, Barefoot Cottages B17 & Barefoot Cottages B19.

Destin Seafood Festival Next Week

Take a weekend getaway to Destin for the annual Destin Seafood Festival October 5th - 7th, 2008. Some of the entertainment on hand will be headliners Telarc Recording Artist Tab Benoit, Ambrosia, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad. Local favorites, including Dread Clampitt, Chuck Lawson, Sal Salaz, and Jones & Company, also pack the entertainment line up. As for the food...The Back Porch, Café Grazie, Fisherman’s Wharf, Louisiana Lagniappe, and Pompano Joe’s, will return this year with great local seafood. They will be joined by three of Legendary’s local restaurants. In addition to live entertainment and local seafood, attendees may enjoy the arts & crafts area, the kids’ play zone, Live Bait for Life’s cast net contest, and more. The festival will be held at the Morgan Sports Complex in the heart of Destin. For more information visit Destin Seafood Festival on-line. Southern Resorts is a proud sponsor of this popular event.

Southern Resorts Moves into Panama City Beach

Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals opens operations in Panama City Beach with the inclusion of Splash Condominium. With vacation rentals in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, the Beaches of South Walton and Port St. Joe, Florida, this is a natural transition filling the gap along Florida's Gulf Coast. Once the spring break mecca for college students, with new developments in shopping and condominiums this area has emerged as a stronger family destination. Visit Southern Resorts and Splash!

Colors of Fall

Visit the Gulf Place Town Center in Santa Rosa Beach, located at the corner of 393 and Highway 30-A and across the street from Southern Resorts featured property Villas of Santa Rosa. On Oct. 4-6 it hosts the Colors of Fall, a unique celebration joining the community with Gulf Place merchants and artists. The event will include live music, an art show, Jewel Toffier Trunk Show, discounted lunches, door prizes and more. In the Beaches of South Walton, just east of Destin, this beach community boasts several festivals and events.

Final Installment of RadioLive

Enjoy the wonderful Destin weather this evening at the Village of Baytowne Wharf. RadioLive will present it's final installment tonight. Performing artists are Caroline Aiken, David Milam and Tom Feldmann & The Get-Rites. In a partnership with WUWF in Pensacola, this event will be broadcast live on 88.1 FM from the Events Plaza at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. Bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy a great evening under the stars. If you go early check out Acme Oyster House, Rum Runners or Sushi Rocks for a quick bite.

Sundancer Triathlon & Biathlon

As a proud sponsor, Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals is proud to support this Beaches of South Walton Autumn Tides adventure! The SunDancer Adventure Triathlon & Biathlon takes place this weekend 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.

New to Southern Resorts Rental Program

Azure 422 will be coming on to Southern Resorts Rental Program in a few weeks. Plan on a fall trip to Azure and enjoy the two beachfront pools & being walking distance from restaurants and area attractions. The weather the last couple of days has been wonderful, giving us a glimpse of what a great fall we will have. Make your plans to visit Ft. Walton Beach soon!

Dolphin Cruising

I was talking with one of my work mates today & she was telling me about the great dolphin cruise that she went on. Last week she went on the Southern Star Glass Bottom Boat with her family. Loraine said that her 70-ish Aunt Pat (see above) had an absolute blast feeding the seagulls out of her hand. They went on the Sunset Cruise & caught a gorgeous sunset, I will post one of her pictures for you soon. The two hour cruise was very relaxing & they enjoyed seeing a few dolphin families swimming by the boat.

Sunset cruises are one of the best ways to enjoy our awesome Destin sunsets.

Cheeseburger in Paradise Opens!

Cheeseburger in Paradise at the Silver Sands Outlet Mall in Sandestin opened this past Monday. It was definitely worth the wait for the opening. I went for lunch today with a few friends. One person ordered the trademark cheeseburger and another had the mushroom Swiss burger, they both said the burgers were very good. I ordered the Island Chef Salad which is one of their island favorites. My salad was awesome, it was a mixture of roasted chicken, candied almonds, raisins, pineapple and coconut. I know this sounds awfully sweet but it really wasn't.

We sat at the bar to avoid the slight wait for a table. The bartender asked our names when we sat down & introduced herself and the other bartenders. Throughout our lunch we were called by name & encouraged to call them if we needed anything. The staff was much too attentive to need to call them though. We were entertained while waiting for our food by bottle twirling and cocktails being tossed from one bartender to other. It was fun to watch, they didn't drop a one.

The next time you are in Destin you should check them out, view their website here.

A Cruise for Every Occasion

Speaking of the Village of Baytowne, next time you are in Destin, Sandestin or surrounding areas, you have to try Southern Resorts favorite partner The SunQuest Cruises and dinner dance yacht SOLARIS. It is docked there at Baytowne and is the perfect venue for your next meeting, event, award banquet, V.I.P, function, wedding or rehearsal dinner aboard. While it is wonderful for large groups, it is open to the public for individual dinners, too. Visit Southern Resorts digital vacation guide for more information.

Saturday Night at the Village

I went to the Village of Baytowne Wharf with a few friends this past Saturday evening. We started off at Osaka Sushi Rocks for dinner. We were seated on the outside deck which overlooks the lagoon. The weather was great with a slight breeze. Don't let the name of the restaurant fool you, besides their wonderful sushi they also have menu items that are "cooked" as my friends inquired. There’s a full dinner menu, offering an assortment of appetizers, salads, noodles, tempura and teriyaki dishes. I had the Baytowne roll which is one of their specialty rolls. The roll is filled with snapper, salmon, asparagus, cream cheese, green onions, and spicy mayonnaise dressing, tempura fried on top, with additional baked crab, shrimp, and scallops.

Once we finished our dinner we ventured over to the Funky Blues Shack and listened to the band. They played a mixture of high energy music as well as blues. I would let you know who they were except the Funky Blues Shack website is not up at the moment. Once again we sat outside to enjoy the great evening, the deck area opened up to the bar & stage area.

During your next visit to Destin or the Beaches of South Walton, make sure you make time for an evening at the Village. For the best vacation rentals around check out Southern Resorts website.

Perfect Beach weather

We spent the day at the beach behind the Crab Trap public beach in Crystal Beach, Destin. The water was perfect. Smooth waves were excellent for body surfing or snorkeling. We found lots of shells. Right across the street are the Beach Villas of Destiny, only a walk away. Or, two houses down is the beach house Crystal Cabana. Southern Resorts manages both. So if you feel like a quick retreat to the beach, visit the website www.SouthernResorts.com; the perfect spot for vacation beach homes, cottages and condos in Destin, Florida.

Moonlight Martinis in Destin

Tonight from 7-10pm, Southern Resorts vacation rentals will co sponsor an eclectic Moonlight Martinis evening with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This event will benefit those who suffer from the life threatening disease, cystic fibrosis. Held at the Palms of Destin Resort, the hors d' oeuvres and cocktails will be catered by Trader Vic's. Both silent and live auction items will be available. Learn more about CFF.

Chuck Lawson performs

Enjoy Chuck Lawson this evening at McGuires Irish Pub in Destin. Chuck will be performing on the upstairs outdoor deck. He will be performing tropical, calypso, reggae, oldies & country music. You may check out his music here. He will be performing from 8pm-12am.

While you are enjoying the music you will have the Emerald Grande as your backdrop. View Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals Emerald Grande #423.

Beach Wedding in Destin

Looking for a location for a small beach wedding in Destin or the Beaches of South Walton? Look at the beautiful Lupine beach home in Blue Mountain Beach, Florida. Wonderful interior finishes, large decks and covered porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico provide the perfect backdrop for your wedding. Visit Southern Resorts vacation rentals for more possibilities to stage your wedding and provide guest accommodations. In Destin, the Sandtrap beach house and the Crystal Palace are other spectacular options for your wedding party. Beach front and spacious, they have it all!

I spent a bit of time on the beach in Ft. Walton yesterday. The weather is absolutely perfect. The beach has a sandbar right now about 7 feet away from the edge of the water that many were enjoying skim boarding on. Others were catching rays on the "island" & enjoying the refreshing gentle waves that flowed through. I overheard someone on their cell phone "It's perfect here, sunny with a slight breeze & very gentle water, you really need to come and visit". Southern Resorts will be more than happy to assist you in finding the perfect getaway accommodation, Give us a call or book online 24 hours a day!

ECWR Volunteer Recruitment Day

Visit with the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Animal Ambassadors this Saturday, September 8th. You will be able to learn about the exciting volunteer opportunities available with the ECWR. They offer volunteer opportunities in the areas of animal care, animal rescue, fundraising, education, and public relations to name a few. If you are not sure how you can help they will assist you, there are many ways to help.

Volunteering with the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge would be a rewarding experience, knowing that your contribution helped release animals back to their natural habitat by giving them the second chance they deserve & knowing that you are directly helping the wildlife in our area everyday.

The Animal Ambassadors will be at the Destin Community Center from 11:00am to 12:30pm. For more information call (850)650-1880.

Come Play and Learn in Destin

Come play at the Destin History & Fishing Museum at their Day Camp next Saturday, September 8th from 10 AM to noon. Kids in 1st through 5th grades will get to play games, conduct experiments and learn about the ecosystem, estuaries, wetlands and more here in Destin. Have fun with your friends while learning. To register call 850.837.6611. It is free to members of the Destin Fishing Museum and only $2 for non members.