Sandestin Guide and Travel Tips

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BY GEORGETTE

Hi, I am Georgette, a writer and artist (here's my website) based in Connecticut. I am also Johnny Jet’s older sister, who quite possibly ignited his first spark of interest in traveling to exotic places, when at the impressionable age of 14, he saw my trip to Australia last three years! This is the sixth time I have had the privilege of writing for JohnnyJet.com.

SANDESTIN BEACH RESORT, DESTIN, FLORIDA
Traveling to Florida this year? Looking for unspoiled beaches, less people, a more laid-back experience than many other Florida hot-spots? Why not try “the other Florida” located in the Northwest corner of the panhandle? I did, and I am excited to describe this beautiful, yet lesser-known part of Florida to you.

I flew from New York into Fort Walton airport (via Atlanta) to experience the Beaches of South Walton and The Sandestin Resort. Within two years, there will be an international airport in nearby Panama City, Florida, offering direct flights from around the country. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is located between Pensacola and Panama City and is unique because it sits between the Gulf of Mexico and the Choctawhatchee Bay. Thinking Florida primarily attracts snowbirds from the North, looking to escape the cold weather, I had no idea that the prime time for this area is the summer, when temperatures stay in the 80s. It is also great year-round, especially spring and autumn, when temperatures are mild and there are a lot less people. The sugar-white sand beaches were a welcome surprise and reminded me of some Caribbean islands. They call this spot the Emerald Coast because of the color of the aqua green water. With seven and half miles of beaches, four championship golf courses designed by three world-renowned golf course architects, 19 pools, 15 tennis courts, including several grass courts and plenty of premier shopping, there is something for everybody at the Sandestin Beach Resort!

WARM CLIMATE, WARM PEOPLE
The first thing I noticed about the Sandestin and Northwest Florida in general, was how friendly everyone is. That southern hospitality is no joke, and it made me realize that Northerners don’t often practice the same graciousness and respect, whether for lack of time or training. How refreshing it was to be able to have long conversations with everyone from the tram drivers to the directors of Sandestin. Everyone I met was really pleasant and not too busy to talk. Being from the hurried northeast, this made my experience very relaxing, reminding me I was on vacation.

STAYING IN SANDESTIN
The resort is huge, with 30 different village neighborhoods and a wide variety of accommodation styles, from houses and beach high-rises to hotels like the Marriott and Hilton, which are part of the resort. I stayed at Luau, Sandestin’s newest beachside Polynesian themed high-rise. It’s 20 floors high, and offers an incredible view from the observation deck. My super quiet room was a one-bedroom unit in the luxury condo, and on the ninth floor. I had a beautiful view of the Gulf and the Choctawhatchee Bay. The living room and dining room were spacious with wall-to-wall views and the bathroom was cream marble. The tub was very deep. Being a certified IAP (Italian American Princess), I have to say there was only one problem with my room; the sheets slipped over the slippery protective mattress pad and the pillows were thick foam. I asked if they had down pillows but they did not and apparently, have never had the request before.

I checked out The Marriott Hotel and was pleased to find out that they do offer down pillows and lovely beds. The rate is very reasonable and can include golf packages. The Residence Inn, which is Marriott’s answer to longer stays, allows pets. Check out the rates and special packages at Marriott.com. Despite my bedding complaints at Luau, the room was lovely, quiet and I slept well. Sandestin offers great specials too, and at the time of my stay, the one-bedroom unit was available for $179. They offer a variety of packages including golf and spa treatments and breakfast at Another Broken Egg. The on-resort breakfast spot has awesome breakfasts like raspberry grits and unique omelets. The best part about Sandestin? You can’t beat being so close to the beach like staying in the Luau. Plus, there’s a washer, dryer, and a full kitchen, which makes it ideal for family vacations.

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
Speaking of families, Sandestin has lots to offer kids. There are full-day camp programs for children aged 3 to 10 ($35 for half-day, $55 for a full day.) The resort offers golf, sailing, and tennis programs. The golf program has specially designed kid tees and its own kid-friendly yardage booklet. Parents can relax and leave their children with well-qualified staff. Besides these offerings, there are also lots of complimentary programs for kids such as arts and crafts classes and outdoor activities too numerous to mention. The telephone # is 1-800-470-7389 for reservations.

ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES
And speaking of complimentary, the resort offers free bikes, fishing poles, kayaks, beach chair and umbrella use, tennis court use and tram rides. One thing I love about Sandestin is that a tram ride is only a phone call away. Wherever you are, there are courtesy phones and when you call to order a tram it arrives within 10 minutes to take you anywhere within the resort. The expansive resort is 2,400 acres in all and considering the four golf courses, tennis facilities, pools, village shopping and of course the beach, the tram really is a necessity. In case you’re wondering what a tram is, it is a mid-sized bus with 20 seats along the perimeter, facing each other. The large windows give everybody a great view.

I experienced some of the fun Sandestin has to offer by borrowing a bicycle and riding around the resort back to the beach area where I engaged in a Segway relay race. These upright scooters took a little practice to navigate, but pretty quickly, I was going around the course like a pro, thanks to all the training (and watchful eyes!) of the friendly resort employees. I had a putting contest on the difficult putting greens called the Dunes course, suitable for adults and children, and like a child, I flew down the water slide. The inflatable water slide is over 25 feet high, and at the top there was a friendly Jamaican man named Davian. He hosed me down with cold water, assisting in the process of turning me into a flying ball of fearless fun. That is, until I was going down! It looked quite easy and judging by the other participants who looked like they were no more than 10 years old, not too difficult! Believe me, it was one of the scariest things I have done in a long time, especially crashing into the not-so-squishy wall at the bottom! These activities and Euro-bungee jumping on a trampoline are available daily for a nominal fee, around $3.50. I didn’t have time for golf but I did have a private lesson by the top pro at the Hank Johnson School of Golf, which really proved helpful. The golf courses looked amazing and not crowded. The tennis is in a private section and feels like a country club. They have grass, clay and hard surfaces and lessons available by knowledgeable pros.

BAYTOWNE WHARF
Baytowne Wharf is a 28-acre, pedestrian-only village on the marina of Choctawhatchee Bay. This lovely village has shops, restaurants and nightlife and you can actually access it by ferry. We arrived by tram to sample some of the restaurants including Jim 'N Nicks, a Southern-styled barbecue joint, and Acme Oyster Bar, a New Orleans-style oyster house.

At Jim 'N Nicks I had a pulled pork sandwich with collard greens and sweet potato fries. The next day for lunch we ate at the noisy and lively Acme Oyster Bar where we sampled raw, grilled, and fried local oysters. Luckily, I love all of the above, but you can always have chicken if you don’t! Graffiti Funky Blues Shack, is another fun restaurant/art gallery and features live music and an eclectic menu from Italian cuisine to burgers. All of the hundreds of pieces of art are for sale on the walls at Graffiti and the walls go up forty feet! It reminded me of my house! This part of Florida is known for folk art and local art and artists are abundant. (You will learn more about them in next week’s installment of this article). After dinner, we visited the Funky Blues Shack part of the restaurant and took in some of the local talent. I was impressed with the quality of all the musicians I heard at this resort. You really get used to hearing great live music all over the public places, from the pool by the beach to venues throughout the Baytowne Wharf. I loved the architecture in the village and learned that French, Spanish, and colonial antebellum influences are what make it unique. These new buildings seemed antique and I could have sworn I was in New Orleans. We also took in some of the boutiques, and one of the shops we visited called Paint’n Place is a hands-on pottery painting shop run by an artist named Denise Ives. The shop is cozy and a great place to visit on a rainy day. Plus they are going to ship my painted ceramic purple replica of my kitten, Ace, home for me! For info check it out at Paintn-place.com. Most days you don’t need a reservation.

MORE SHOPPING AND EATING!
Grand Boulevard is an up-and-coming shopping and dining center with many recognizable retail names centered on the pedestrian main street. Shops include Cold Water Creek, Orvis, and Tommy Bahama’s store and café. Other restaurants include Fleming's Steak House and P.F. Chang's. Many restaurants and shops are ready now and this new development will be completed by the end of the summer. At Grand Boulevard we checked out the fantastic Sandestin Wine World as a prelude to the annual Sandestin Wine Festival held in May. We had a private wine tasting and had fun while being educated. Our group learned all about red and white wines, as we sampled 10 different wines from around the world. Wine tastings are available every Friday night at 5pm or you can arrange a private tasting at Sandestin.com, (under Grand Boulevard).

Another great restaurant we ate at was the beautiful Finz, newly renovated and located right at the beach at Sandestin. The fresh fish was superb and the desserts were to die for. The best part about it was that it was walking distance to my room.

Lastly, Sandestin can serve as an awesome base for nearby destinations if you do feel like getting off the resort. In my next installment, we will be heading down scenic 30A to check out the beach communities of South Walton.

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