By Lisa Thatcher Kresl, The Dallas Morning News
Aug. 27–OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla. — My husband and I are former Floridians who can’t go six months without beach time. Galveston is fine, but it’s just not the same as the Florida beaches we grew up with. As a result, since we moved to Dallas 17 years ago, we’ve made many a trip to the Florida panhandle for the chance to walk the white sands and swim in the clear Gulf of Mexico.
We’ve seen almost as many Texas license plates in Destin traffic as we do on Central Expressway, so we know we’re not alone.
We’ve taken flights into Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola for long weekends, but inevitably we find ourselves hitting the highway for that familiar 700-mile drive from Dallas to the Fort Walton Beach-Destin area.
Some things have changed. The whining toddlers in the back of the minivan have grown into subdued, iPod-wearing kids. But some things haven’t: that long stretch through Louisiana and the familiar sights along the way.
Here are our favorite driving routes, the best Emerald Coast activities and a quiz to keep the family entertained on the drive.
OUR EMERALD COAST FAVORITES
We’ve driven by gorgeous developments such as Rosemary Beach and stayed in beautiful Seaside, but we find ourselves returning to our old Florida haunts. I married a Choctawhatchee High School grad, so home is Fort Walton Beach, an area just a few miles away from what most Texans know as Destin. We have our routine, and the children (ages 10 and 8) like us to keep it. (Warning: I’m more of a Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival gal than a resort queen.)
Beach day near the pier on Okaloosa Island. Lunch at Angler’s on the beach (1030 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach; 850-796-0260; www.anglersbeachsidegrill.net). We eat fried grouper sandwiches (of course) while the kids play on the beach playground (photograph them in the plastic shark). Pay $1 to walk on the pier ( www.okaloosaislandpier.com), watch the fishing action and buy the kids a snow cone.
Afternoon at Gulfarium to see dolphin shows. It’s campier than the better-known SeaWorld at Orlando. Tickets are $18.50 (adults), $11 for children (ages 3 through 11). Contact: 1010 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, in Fort Walton Beach; 850-243-9046; www.gulfarium.com. Or see dolphins frolicking off the pier for less.
Seaweed or jellyfish rolling in on the Gulf? Head bayside to escape the flotsam. Gulf Islands National Seashore’s Okaloosa Area (in the center of Okaloosa Island, on the north side of U.S. 98; www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/okaloosa-day-use-area.htm) has calm, shallow water so you can get some reading in while the kids entertain themselves with mask and snorkel.
Deep-sea fishing in Destin. There are many charter boats. We like the New Florida Girls’ American Spirit (three-tenths of a mile east of Destin bridge). A morning half-day trip is just the right amount of time. We caught white and red snapper, and the hard-working deckhands filleted our catch and gave us a grouper. (They earn their tips, so tip well.) A five-hour trip is $45; 10 hours, $70. Contact: 850-837-1293: www.newfloridagirl.com.
Evening: Goofy Golf! There are many miniature golf courses, but nothing compares to Goofy Golf, an old-Florida original. Hit the ball into the snake’s mouth on the last hole and win a free game. Buy the kids a slushy. Tickets are $1 for children to age 12 and $2.50 for older. Contact: 401 Eglin Parkway N.E., Fort Walton Beach; 850-862-4922.
On Navarre Beach, you can rent three-seater Yamaha Waverunners at Juana’s Pagodas. A half-hour is $65; hour, $85. Contact: 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway, Navarre Beach; 850-939-2130; www.juanaspagodas.com/beach%20rentals.htm.
Crab Island, just north of the Destin Bridge, is where people anchor their boats. It’s a big party scene.
Dinner at Magnolia Grill, a family-owned restaurant in a 1910 house filled with historical photos of the area. Contact: 157 Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach; 850-302-0266; www.magnoliagrillfwb.com.
Offbeat find from my sister-in-law: taco pizza from the Pizza Hut at 421 Racetrack Road N.W. in Fort Walton Beach. Yummy after a day at the beach. Contact: 850-863-4470.
Each family has its own routines and finds. E-mail me with your Destin-area favorites ( [email protected]).
STRATEGIES FOR THE DRIVE
You can get to Destin two ways: south through Louisiana or south through Mississippi. We’ve tried both and find the Louisiana route to be faster.
LOUISIANA ROUTE
— Take I-30 east out of Dallas, then U.S. 80 east via Exit 53B toward Terrell, Texas.
— State Highway 557 Spur east toward I-20 East/Shreveport, La.
— I-20 east to Shreveport, La.
— Merge onto State Highway 3132 East via Exit 11 toward Alexandria, La.
— I-49 south toward Alexandria, La.
— Merge onto I-10 toward Baton Rouge, La.
— Merge onto I-12 East via Exit 157 on left toward Hammond, La.
Merge onto I-10 East, Exit 85C, pass through Mississippi, Alabama and then cross into Florida.
— Take FL-85 South (Crestview exit).
— Go east on State Highway 20 to Choctawhatchee Mid-Bay Bridge in Niceville to Highway 98 in Destin.
We’ve driven straight through and split up the drive by leaving after work and staying overnight in Alexandria or Baton Rouge, La. We’ve stayed at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Alexandria (6116 W. Calhoun Drive; 1-800-531-5900) because it’s easy on and off I-49. We’ve also tried the Marriott in Baton Rouge, La., (5500 Hilton Ave.; 225-924-5000) because it’s near the I-10/I-12 split.
MISSISSIPPI ROUTE
— Take I-30 east out of Dallas, then U.S. 80 east via Exit 53B toward Terrell, Texas.
— State Highway 557 Spur east toward I-20 East/Shreveport, La.
— Merge onto I-20 East via the exit on the left toward Shreveport/Tyler, passing through Louisiana then crossing into Mississippi.
— Take U.S. 49 South exit, Exit 47A, toward Richland/Hattiesburg, Miss.
— I-59 south toward New Orleans/Gulf Coast.
— Merge onto U.S. 98 East, Exit 59, toward Lucedale/Mobile (crossing into Alabama)
— Merge onto I-65 South.
Merge onto I-10 East crossing into Florida.
— Take the SR-85 exit, exit 56, toward the Crestview/Niceville.
— Merge onto FL-85 South toward Niceville/Eglin A.F.B./Fort Walton Beach
— Go east on Highway 20 to Chocktawhatchee Mid-Bay Bridge in Niceville to Highway 98 in Destin.
D TO D DRIVE-BY QUIZ
Driving the route through Louisiana? Keep the family entertained and the driver alert by checking off these roadside sights:
TEXAS
1. What is the statue near the flags and the “Welcome to Forney: Home to the Jack Rabbits” tower?
2. What kind of food is served at the McDonald’s Cafe (exit 509)?
3. What kind of ranch is Toon Town?
4. What is the big animal in front of Robertson’s Ham?
5. Which town claims to have the best view of East Texas?
6. What is the population of Canton, according to the town’s sign?
7. On what TV show has Tiger Creek been featured?
8. What celebrity claims Lindale as her hometown?
9. Spot this sign and fill in the blank: “Don’t ________ with your eternity.”
10. Find this sign and fill in the blank: “Bodacious ______.”
11. What’s special about the tables at the rest stop at mile marker 573?
12. Call 1-877-770-STOP, according to many billboards, to stop what?
13. Fill in the blank: “Lake O’ the ________.”
LOUISIANA
1. Fill in the blank: “Bienvenue en _________.”
2. What looks to be the first gambling opportunity in Louisiana?
3. What looks to be the first Cajun dining opportunity in Louisiana?
4. What could be the cousin of Hotel California?
5. What’s the cute name for the highway named after football player Terry Bradshaw?
6. What Indian culture is showcased at this National Center off of I-49?
7. Which of these lovely names is a real I-49 exit?
a. Grand Bayou
b. Coushatta
c. Lake End Ajax
d. All of the above
8. Fill in the blank: _____ River Plantation
9. The name of this exit is also a famous composer.
10. What’s so special about Leah’s lunchroom, according to the billboard?
11. Which of these names is a bogus Louisiana exit?
a. Meeker Turkey Creek
b. Bunkie
c. Ville Platte
d. None of the above
12. Tune in to FM 101.1 KBON around Opelousas to hear what kind of music?
13. Check out the red barn on the left and fill in the blanks: _____ Barn ______.
14. What do you see on the roof of the mobile homes on the left at Atchafalaya Homes RV?
15. What is “Slap Ya Mama?”
16. How many miles does it take to cross the bridge over the Atchafalaya Basin?
17. Fill in the blank: “Grosse ______”
18. Ponchatoula is “America’s ________ City.”
MISSISSIPPI
1. What is named after John C. Stennis?
2. Fill in the blanks: “Mississippi: It’s like _____ ______.”
3. Mississippi is home to the U.S. Navy’s headquarters for what?
4. A long stretch of Mississippi billboards features celebrities and entertainers coming to play where?
5. What is the name of the Jefferson Davis home?
ALABAMA
1. What do you say when angry Alabamans honk at you in traffic for staying in the far right lane until you merge into the lane going under the Mobile tunnel?
2. What is the name of the ship at Battleship Park?
3. “Shelton,” a big red building on the right, sells what?
FLORIDA
1. What’s the fastest way to Destin?
QUIZ ANSWERS
TEXAS
1. model of Statue of Liberty
2. barbecue
3. “Texotics”
4. pig
5. Longview
6. 5,147
7. Animal Planet
8. Miranda Lambert
9. gamble
10. Bar-B-Q
11. shelters are shaped like oil derricks
12. gambling
13. Pines
LOUISIANA
1. Louisiane
2. Love’s Truck Stop-Casino, Exit 3
3. Becca’s
4. Motel California
5. It’s called the Terry Bradshaw Passway. Get it? PASSway.
6. Adai
7. d
8. Cane
9. Chopin
10. “Pie capital of Louisiana”
11. d
12. Cajun. (Ever heard “My Woman Is Mad”?)
13. Bike (Barn) Saloon
14. two pickup trucks (one red, one yellow)
15. “Real Cajun seasoning”
16. 28.7 miles
17. Tete
18. Antique
MISSISSIPPI
1. Space Center
2. Coming Home
3. meteorology
4. Beau Rivage
5. Beauvoir
ALABAMA
1. “We didn’t know. We’re from Texas.”
2. USS Alabama
3. fireworks
FLORIDA
1. Mid-Bay Bridge
—–
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