Destin Harborwalk Village - Destin FL

Destin Harborwalk Village 
10 Harbor Blvd,
Destin, FL.

Website: Harborwalk
Admission Cost: Free

Time: 2-4 hours
Trev's Rating: 3.5 stars





Parking: 

Free parking is available in a surface lot near Coyote Ugly bar and the Magnolia tree entrance.  The Emerald grande offers free parking in it's public garage. On fireworks and special event nights the lot can fill up quickly.  Overflow parking is available on the North side of US-98 at the Destin Community Center or Fishing Museum.

Description:

The Harborwalk Village consists of shops, restaurants, amusements, specialty attractions and watersports wrapped around a corner of Destin Harbor.  The Harborwalk is the center of attention for things to do in Destin as it contains a plethora of activities and you'll probably find yourself in or near this area for a planned trip, excursion or dinner. The diversity of the 75 shops provide a time filler for people of all ages and interest levels.  

Map of Harborwalk Village

Click here for a downloadable and printable map

Filet o' Fish

Destin Harbor is home to one of the worlds largest fishing fleets and a stroll along the docks will entertain you seeing the boats, fishermen and catch of the day.

A few restaurants include the Crab Island Cantina, to Margaritaville to local bars, to a variety of kiosks offering tasty treats such as crepes, pretzels and funnel cakes. With upscale shops to souvenier stands or kiosks filled with knickknacks, you're sure to find something interesting.  Other unique attractions include "World Class attractions" who offer a short zip line, rock wall and free fall experience.  "Fun Spots" offers a mirror maze and shooting gallery and test your spy skills in the Vault laser maze.

Sea worthy activities include dolphin cruises, helicopter rides, fishing excursions and water sports including jet ski rentals, paddle boards and kayaks.

Special events include a Fat Tuesday parade, the red, white and blue heroes celebration fireworks every Thursday night (9:00 PM) and a "Rock the Dock's" free summer concert series located at the stage.

Take your time as you explore the area because there are alleys, nooks and crannies that contain various kiosks and unique experiences.  Fun for the whole family.

The Back Porch - Destin FL

The Back Porch Restaurant
1740 Scenic Highway 98
Destin, FL 32541
850-837-2022

Hours:
Daily: 11AM - 10PM

Website: The Back Porch - Destin

Description:

The Back Porch was highly recommended by previous visitors to the area.  The prime location is right on the beach offering multiple levels of oceanfront dining.  It started as a small A-frame building in 1974 and made a name for itself by serving excellent seafood straight from the Gulf with spectacular beach front views.

we arrived early (5:00 PM) and were immediately seated upstairs overlooking Destin beach and the Gulf of Mexico.  I ordered a refreshing draft beer and was disappointed as it was delivered in a small plastic cup instead of a frosty pint glass.  The menu featured Gulf to table seafood which all looked incredible.  They offer Grouper, Snapper and have perfected a char-grilled Amberjack sandwich. I chose the Golden Fried Sea Scallops with french fries. They were extremely tender and cooked to perfection however seeing some of the selections on the "From the Chargrill" and "House Specials" sections such as the Mahi Mahi, Yellowfin tuna or Grouper Destin, I regret staying in my dining comfort zone with the scallops.    

The Back Porch took time to include seafood selections on their kids menu with Popcorn Shrimp, Fried Fish Toes and Grilled Fish. It was nice to see more than just chicken tenders and a slice of pizza available.  Each kids meal is served on a souvenir take home Frisbee.

Upon exit the parking lot was full and dozens of guests patiently waited for their buzzers to flash as they took pictures in the large Adirondack chair.

Star Rating: 4.5
Price Range: $$$
Menu: Dinner Menu

FudPucker's Gator Beach - Destin FL

FudPucker's Gator Beach

Gator Beach from the upper deck

20001 Emerald Coast Parkway (US-98)
Destin, FL
850-837-4781

Website: Gator Beach
Admission Cost: Free to FudPucker customers
Hours: 11:00 AM - Close

Time: 60-90 minutes
Trev's Rating: 4 stars

Description: 

FudPucker's restaurant is a one of a kind experience who's brightly colored walls are covered with the graffiti of visitors names scribbled all over the place. The ratings and reviews I found weren't promising and we chose to only visit Gator Beach and not stay for the full dining experience.

"Pearl" - A rare albino gator

Gator Beach is a free attraction in the water below FudPucker's restaurant.  Admission is free to restaurant patrons.  Gator Beach was a surprisingly fun time filler as we waited for the other half of our party to finish up some local shopping.  Access is though the entrance to FudPuckers passing to the right of the hostess station. Pass under the Gator Beach arch and look over the railing as you descend to the viewing balconies.  I was surprised at the size of the gator pond and 80+ gators basking in the sun on floating wooden docks and shipping pallets.  There are opportunities to have your photo taken with a two foot long live gator. Specially formulated gator food that has the appearance of large chunks of dog food is available in their "Gator Bait Shack".  You'll get a bamboo pole with a 10-12 foot piece of string that you can hang the gator bait off the end and feed the live gators.  A bag of 4 pieces costs $3.00.   As you round the pond take a tour of the small Gator museum containing exhibits of the natural habitat, large jaw bones and see a rare albino alligator named Pearl.


The restaurant and bar has a souvenir shop with various T-shirts and other unique gifts.  It's worth a quick stop if you're in the area.

A few of the 80+ alligators at Gator Beach

Children feeding live gators

More alligators

Xtreme H2O - Destin Florida

Yamaha 3 person wave-runner

Xtreme H2O
7 Calhoun Ave.
Destin FL
850-978-3060

Website: Xtreme H2O
Admission Cost: $115 for 90 minutes

Time: 2 hours
Trev's Rating: 5 stars

Description:

Xtreme H2O offers a variety of excursions for the adventurous thrill-seeker.  Para-sail high above the crystal clear water, rent a pontoon boat for half to a full day or take a wave runner dolphin tour.  They are conveniently located adjacent to Destin harbor and north of the East Pass bridge (Destin Bridge). The boat launch is directly across from Crab Island meaning you'll have little to no time riding in the no wake zones giving you ample free time to explore.

This post is related to the 90 minute wave-runner dolphin tour.

Our family discussed renting wave-runners. My personal thought was that I wouldn't get the value for the price.  $115 for 90 minutes seemed like a high price tag for the short duration.  As I internally debated about the value I justified the price as three people could fit on a single wave runner and per-person cost was equivalent to one of the chartered dolphin tours.  The value is one-hundred times better due to the smaller group and intimate connection to the dolphins. Our Destin native tour guide led us northeast in Choctawhatchee Bay and into Joes Bayou where we were immediately surrounded by a pod of 50+ dolphins. As we idled the dolphins breached all around the waver runners in all directions providing an up close and personal connection with them. Several dolphins swam directly under our wave runner and they would breach the surface close enough to reach out and touch (we didn't).  The experience was absolutely incredible.  Our guide pointed seven miles east to the Mid Bay Bridge and another 7 miles west to Brooks Bridge on Okaloosa Island defining our exploration boundaries and to be back by 10:30 AM. My jaw dropped in awe at the enormous area of square miles we were just given free reign.  I stayed with the pod of dolphins for several minutes before returning to the bay and getting familiar with the features of the wave runner.  Our guide explained that they are not governed (speed limited) and have a top speed of 50 MPH.  I don't think my speedometer topped 20 as I explored the bay returning to Crab Island to check out the various floating tiki huts, bounce houses and water fun.  We encountered a second pod of five to ten dolphins nearby that drew our attention and soon realized that there was about 10 minutes remaining before we needed to return the wave runners.  Time flew fat too quickly.

This was (by far) our best experience in Destin.  The fun-filled, awesome adventure was an extraordinary experience for the family at an extremely fair price. I will highly recommend Extreme H2O and will definitely be a return customer to Xtreme H20.

There are no hidden fees or fuel surcharges.  The rate price you see on their website is the price you pay.

My only complaint was access to a restroom.  A single person shared gender restroom is available however the line was three to four people deep and the facilities resembled that of an outhouse.

A nearby dolphin

Dolphins close to our wave runner

Waterworld on Crab Island

Christiano's Ristorante - Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Christiano's Italian Ristorante
4942 US-98
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Phone

Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 5:00 PM - Close

Website: Christiano's

Description:

Upon deciding on Christiano's for dinner based on a couple Trip Advisor reviews and recommendations I hadn't planned on writing a review for a run of the mill Italian place located in a strip mall on US-98 however after eating an excellent meal filled with flavor I was thoroughly impressed and felt the place deserved a quality review for the quality dining experience.

Christiano's is described as a locally inspired Italian cuisine by Chef Chris Chirum. Each member in our party of eight (younger to older diners) all enjoyed their meal and had positive comments. The restaurant has several side rooms offering seclusion and privacy as leading to a main dining room. Soft light and white table cloths greet you as you peruse the Italian menu.  I ordered the Chicken Parmesan Milanese described as a breaded breast of chicken topped with our house made marinara, Pecorino Morano & provolone cheese served over spaghetti.  The marinara sauce was filled with home made flavor that will bring back memories of your grandmother's kitchen on pasta Wednesday nights. The chicken was cooked perfectly and serving of spaghetti was the perfect portion to accommodate the chicken. Chef Chris took the time to visit our table and answer any questions about the meal or local area.

Star Rating: 5
Price Range: $$
Menu: Dinner Menu

The River House - Portsmouth NH

The River House
53 Bow Street
Portsmouth NH
603-431-2600

Hours:
Open daily at 11:00 AM

Website: The River House

Description:

The River House offers both indoor and outdoor casual waterfront dining and our party enjoyed patio seating overlooking the Piscataqua River.  For a formal or more romantic experience or during hot, humid or inclement weather I'd recommend indoor seating.  Bar seating and a few tables are available downstairs.

The River House was voted "Best Chowder in New England" by New England Cable News (NECN) viewers for it's seafood chowder described as "A hearty, rich, creamy clam stock brimming with lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams, and haddock. A house specialty…and Gluten Free!"

I counted six shrimp in the 8 oz. cup of creamy broth filled with much more seafood than potatoes.  My only regret is ordering the cup instead of the bowl because I was scraping the sides to scoop every little bit and piece of chowder I could find in the small cup. 

For dinner I enjoyed the fried fresh haddock nuggets which were lightly breaded with light and flaky haddock pieces.  The golden finish on the perfectly fried fish tasted excellent.  Served with cole slaw, french fries and a house tartar sauce with a lemon wedge.  It was a great meal and highly recommended.

Star Rating: 4.5
Price Range: $$$
Menu: Dinner Menu

Granite compass outside the rear patio

The River House front entrance

View of the tug boats and Piscataqua River Bridge from the back patio

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Mirimar Beach Fl

Cheeseburger in Paradise 
10562 US 98
Mirimar Beach, FL 32550
850-837-0197

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11AM - 10PM
Friday - Sunday: 11AM - 11 PM

Website: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Description:

I've been procrastinating on creating this post entry searching for the right words to describe my experience and digging deep for something positive to share. The restaurant is located in the parking lot of the Destin Premium Outlets and I was drawn by the catchy Cheeseburger in Paradise name thinking this would be a Jimmy Buffet themed experience. My hopes were immediately crushed as I entered, saw the tacky wall hangings and standard restaurant furniture and the realization that I was in a cookie cutter chain restaurant and I wasn't going to have the Cheeseburger in Paradise I'd hoped for.  I would consider it a scaled down Applebee's but wouldn't want to insult Applebee's with the association. Perhaps a glorified tiki-bar would be the better description. The Cheeseburger in Paradise chain is owned by Luby's Inc (same owners ad Fuddruckers) and has a total of seven locations across the U.S.

The menu was fairly standard with a minimal selection. Being at a restaurant that specializes in Cheeseburgers and I was craving a bug warm bun with a huge hunk of meat I went for the Paradise Sliders described as four mouth-watering beer sliders topped with cheese, pickles and caramelized onions.  Upon receiving the plate with a kosher pickle and cold draught beer I though I'd just steered to a White Castle.  The burgers contained very little flavor and reminded me of the menu at a Holiday Inn.

I'm giving it a one star rating because I did enjoy the cold draught beer.

Star Rating: 1
Price Range: $$
Menu: Dinner Menu