Beach vacation~Destin/Gulf Shores?

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

We are going to take a year off from Disney and have a summer beach vacation. Could anyone give me opinons on the Destin/Ft.Walton area compared to Gulf Shores? We are a family of 5 that likes the beach, as well as some fun activities and yummy places to eat.

We almost did this last year, so I think I may have asked before, but I would love some more opinions. So far, I have been told by some family that Destin is much better for the kids and that Gulf Shores is more of a snowbird community with older folks? I have never been to either place so all opinions are welcome.

Also, if you could recommend places to stay that would be great as well!

 

[txtara]

I practically live in Ft. Walton every summer. Check out:
http://www.visitflorida.com/Destin for some great info. Destin will be considerably more expensive than Ft. Walton and Gulf Shores. It really depends on what you are looking for. Destin is a hopping place....Ft Walton is more quiet. Destin is wall to wall people in the summer....Ft Walton is more relaxed. Keep in mind they are only 10-15 minutes apart so if you are looking for quiet and attractions it is easy to find. I have never been to Gulf Shores but have heard great things about it. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

 

[ascwilson]

When we go to Destin, we stay on Okaloosa Island between Destin & FWB. It is a 5 minute drive to Destin, but so much less crowded and more laid back. We usually stay at Destin West Beach & Bay Resort and normally get a good deal through VRBO.com. Destin West is right by the pier which also has a good seafood restaurant. On the other side of the pier there is the Gulfarium which has some cute shows. Destin is a 5 minute drive from there with lots of shopping & activities too, but much more crowded.

 

[txtara]

Okaloosa Island is where I visit every year. I use FWB instead of Okaloosa Island as most people have not heard of Okaloosa Island. Anyway, I would highly recommend VRBO. We used to own property on the island and that is how we typically rented it out. You can get some much better rates that way. Destin West is in a great location, shopping and resaurants within walking distance. We love the atmosphere at The Boardwalk. A couple of great eateries (fancy and casual), the Gulfarium, miniature golf across the street, and of course all the souveneir joints. There are condos all along Okaloosa Island that are reasonably priced...newer and older...truly just depends on what you are looking for.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Thanks for the replies so far, I'm off to do some condo research!

 

[tidefan]

I'd vote Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area. It's just as hopping as Destin. Both have great beaches, lots of golf, and outlet shopping. Also, as a plus you are only about 15 minutes away from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola which is an awesome place to visit if you have the chance. Plus, it is the home of the Blue Angels.

And, if you are a Jimmy Buffett fan, his sister, Lucy Buffett, owns a great restaurant in Gulf Shores called Lulu's. Every now and then, he pops in unannounced and plays a bit...

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I'd vote Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area. It's just as hopping as Destin. Both have great beaches, lots of golf, and outlet shopping. Also, as a plus you are only about 15 minutes away from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola which is an awesome place to visit if you have the chance. Plus, it is the home of the Blue Angels.

And, if you are a Jimmy Buffett fan, his sister, Lucy Buffett, owns a great restaurant in Gulf Shores called Lulu's. Every now and then, he pops in unannounced and plays a bit...

I had forgotten about Lulu's! Didn't he do the show down there after the oil spill? I remember watching that not long ago. Yes, love Jimmy Buffett. Oh, the choices

 

[horseshowmom]

We've done both and found that we preferred the Destin area to the Gulf Shores area (we did enjoy Lulu's though). It was quiet and not terribly crowded when we were at Gulf Shores (had a condo near the state park). We just felt like there was a better selection of restaurants in the Destin area. I will say that the outlet mall was better at Gulf Shores.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

We went to Destin in June '09. We stayed at the Hilton Sandestin Beach resort. I would definitely recommend that resort if you have children. The rooms have an alcove when you first walk in that has bunk beds. It is a very large (and busy!) hotel though. But right on the beach!!!

My main complaint about Destin was there wasn't much to do for little kids. If yours are older and like mini golf (and things like that) it's a great place. I will say the shopping was wonderful though!

 

[horseshowmom]

We went to Destin in June '09. We stayed at the Hilton Sandestin Beach resort. I would definitely recommend that resort if you have children. The rooms have an alcove when you first walk in that has bunk beds. It is a very large (and busy!) hotel though. But right on the beach!!!

My main complaint about Destin was there wasn't much to do for little kids. If yours are older and like mini golf (and things like that) it's a great place. I will say the shopping was wonderful though!

We stayed at Sandestin (sandestin.com) in one of the beachfront condos. The resort can be pretty pricey, but they can also be rented on vrbo.com. We had a pretty good assortment of kids with us (two families - youngest 7 or 8, teenagers, and adults), and they enjoyed the activities over at the Village area (different things on different nights). We spent our days on the beach. They also have complimentary shuttles to get you back and forth (the resort is large and reaches from the bay to the Gulf).

We really enjoyed ourselves because it was so very family friendly. The beaches are private, and we were very impressed. The only complaint we had was that the traffic could be really bad if you weren't careful about what time of day you left the resort (the rest of the day, it was fine).

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Thanks for the comments, I am still researching! This is much harder for me than planning for Disney..who would have thought! lol

 

[BigDaddyWill]

When our oldest was a pre-teen, we went to Ft. Walton every year. We have gone back a few times after that...we always loved it there (in fact he wanted to move there!) and still do.

Nothing like that bright sand on a sunny day! lol.

Will

 

[mrsklamc]

Just curious as I haven't visited a gulf beach...do these places all have powdery white sand and blue water- i.e. the opposite of an atlantic beach?

 

[quirty30]

I like the beaches of South Walton County, between Destin and Panama City Beach. They're more quiet & quaint; more low rise condos and beach houses of every size, rather than high rises. A lot of nice shops and restaurants. And if you want a little more action, Destin and Panama City Beach are less than an hour drive.

http://www.beachesofsouthwalton.com/

 

[quirty30]

Just curious as I haven't visited a gulf beach...do these places all have powdery white sand and blue water- i.e. the opposite of an atlantic beach?

Yes, powdery white sand, but the water is more of an emerald green; some call the Florida panhandle the "Emerald Coast." IMO the gulf beaches, from the Panhandle all the way to Key West are just gorgeous.

 

[DisneyMamaof3girls]

We love Gulf Shores!!! My DH proposed on a Gulf Shores beach and we also honeymooned there. We have gone just about every year and we always stay at the Beach Club. Lots of stuff to do and restaurants on site. We love it!

 

[arnie300]

There is a ton of stuff to do, beautiful beaches and some great restaurants. Check out King Neptunes a little hole in the wall but great food. Also a lot less expensive than Destin/Ft.Walton area. Check out vrbo.com vacation rentals by owner. Great site rent straight from the owners.

 

[*disgal*]

I know what you mean about research. I researched for months!! I really wanted Destin but I didn't want to spend that much so I opted for OI. It's just a quick drive over the bridge and you're in Destin.

I think Island Princess was the name of our condo place. Much cheaper than right in Destin and very family friendly. Beautiful beach! I mean, drop dead GORGEOUS! This place sold me on gulf beaches. Nothing else will do for me now. I have a shutterfly photo book that is filled with pictures of the water and the beach. I just couldn't get enough.

Ok, if you go to the Destin area you HAVE to go to McGuire's Irish Pub! Have you ever had smoked prime rib? I hadn't. I love beef but my favorite was not prime rib....until I tasted McGuire's. Oh.My.Word. Cool place and they also make their own rootbeer. My kids loved it.

Tons of shopping, we went miniature golfing, Sandestin is a great place to walk around the shops/maybe go to a restaurant. My kids LOVED the beach shops. I know, somewhat tacky but somehow much better than the ones we are usually at in North Myrtle.

And of course, you have to get a key lime pie from the Donut Hole cafe. And then there's Another Broken Egg Cafe. That place is SO unique. I bought a couple of their mugs and when I have my coffee in the morning I have a smile on my face thinking of when we were there.

Ok, I think I need to go back there again soon! Honestly, if it weren't for Disney, THAT place would be our "go to" spot.

Have fun deciding.

 

[MimiKay]

We ALWAYS stay on Holiday Isle. Lots of condos: Destin on the Gulf, the Aegean, the Inlet Reef, Oceana.... beautiful beach... water parks (Big Kahuna's) and by all means, rent a pontoon boat and go to Crab Island!!!! SO MUCH FUN!!! shopping, movie cinema, I LOVE DESTIN... Dont get me wrong, Gulf Shores is fun, but if you love the beach, Destin is the place to go.. The water is crystal clear most of the time.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Wow, you guys have given me more to ponder over! The thing is.. I think I would rather have a house than a condo. Also, I am not interested in crowds. So from looking at vrbo, it seems that the Destin area has higher priced houses in little subdivisions whereas the Gulf Shores area has lower priced houses right on the beach.
We would really prefer an uncrowded laid back place with 20-30 minute access to the fun and food. I found alot of reasonable houses in Fort Morgan, which seems rather uncrowded and about 20 min from Gulf Shores. Does anyone know anything about this area?
I think the pics of the Destin beaches are beautiful, but not the crowds! Also, I know that the SWalton area is supposed to be better in terms of crowds but how much better?