Those of you in parts of the country that are still covered in spectacle may find this hard to imagine, but the weather here in beautiful Destin, Florida has been truly excellent this week.
The beaches are as beautiful as ever, just a little less pure white sand looks a little less now that our gorgeous beach is covered in a handful of brightly colored towels, blankets, and bikini bottoms.
Everywhere I look I see license plates from everywhere. Many of them are from Tennessee, and some are from places relatively far away like New York or Indiana. Even Quebec is pretty well represented here this spring break. It’s clear that the area is becoming popular with people who are fed up with seemingly endless winters.
Local grocery stores are already selling their multi-colored inner tubes and floats. It’s nice to know that the seasonal economy is off to a good start after the sleepy winter lull.
Of course, it’s easy to understand why everyone is coming this year. Let’s be honest. It’s been a really tough winter for most people on the mainland and Destin is one of the best spring break destinations on the Gulf Coast.
With spring break comes some of the things that residents don’t enjoy as much. Traffic becomes a nuisance, as does parking. All of our favorite nightspots and restaurants suddenly come to life and are enticing late-night lines to get in unless you go early…or late.
Spring Breakers love the nightlife, so for all the Spring Breakers visiting Destin, I thought I’d add a couple of my favorite places to this article just for you.
First Up is AJ’s in the port. By day it’s a fantastic harborfront restaurant and bar with a great view and classic southern favorites like po’boys and fish tacos.
At night it transforms into one of Destin’s favorite dance spots for youngsters. You can dance the night away to the best DJs in town and it’s a great place to meet new friends.
Another dedicated and extremely popular party spot for college kids and the younger crowd is NightTown, which is not on the water, but is only 2 blocks and walking distance from AJ’s.
NightTown has great parties and all-you-can-drink events and they offer inexpensive dance nights. They also have great contests like bikini contests and wet t-shirt contests.
While there’s always a party to be found when you come to town, one of the best things about Destin is that it’s not just another party town.
Destin is mostly visited by families and if you’re interested in a more family-friendly or all-ages atmosphere, consider spending the afternoon at Harry T’s on the Harbor or Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, which opened a few weeks ago.
This is also the time of year that many couples come here for romantic beach weddings in Destin, Florida. You might see some blushing brides testing the waters if you come here in the next month or two. Getting married on the beach is the most common, but you can also do a personalized wedding cruise or celebrate your wedding in one of the special places in the area.