Posted on 2/18/2011
Ocean Reef is gearing up for the birth of a new season. After a long winter, many of our extended family of rental guests will flock here to visit their home away from home and enjoy the early arrival of spring. Although spring officially arrives on March 21st, here in Destin and along the Emerald Coast the weather has already begun to usher in one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is the season of rejuvenation and renewal. Spring here is summed up by the old adage: "The kiss of the Sun for pardon, the songs of the birds for mirth, one is closest to God in a garden, than anyplace else on Earth!" The camellias and Southern azaleas come into full bloom providing a peek of Heaven in this tropical paradise. The sun drenched gardens and shimmering white sands provide solace with lots of memorable family fun. Along the Emerald Coast, average temperatures during March and April are perfect. Highs range in the 70s with very low humidity. It's a great time to be alive, sharing memories and adult oriented activities. Our huge variety of unique, private vacation rental properties are oriented more towards family and adults rather than the college spring break party crowd.
In many ways, you could say that the Destin area is more like a kind of Disney World for adults, although the younger kids can tag along too for lots of fun. The picture-perfect villages of HarborWalk along the Destin Marina, Destin Commons near the Mid Bay Bridge and Baytowne Wharf, as well as Grande Boulevard at Sandestin certainly fulfill this mode. Charming boutiques, wonderful restaurants, and lively entertainment abound in storybook surroundings.
Related article:
The golf courses are absolutely gorgeous this time of year, festooned with abundant azaleas along with the ever-present tropical landscapes. As an Ocean Reef guest, we take care of one round of golf for every night you stay with us as part of our Free Amenities program at select clubs. Destin guests are able to enjoy the Bluewater Bay Club, which is located in Niceville just minutes away. Nestled upon the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay, this Tom Fazio/Jerry Pate-designed championship golf course has thirty-six holes. The lush, landscaped grounds are beautifully manicured and meander through forested fairways.
For those guests staying on or near Scenic 30A in the Beaches of South Walton, we provide a free round of golf daily at the Hombre Golf Club in Panama City Beach. This club bills it's three, interchangeable nine hole courses as "The Good", "The Bad" and "The Ugly" which refers to the challenges provided by each of them. The forests here are adorned with a myriad of color from the azaleas which usually peak sometime in March. Pristine wetlands, marshy bogs, assorted lakes and natural lagoons complete the setting. The Hombre Golf Club has the distinction of being home to the PGA qualifying school for up and coming golfers who compete for the tour in the fall.
If tennis is one of your favorite sports, Ocean Reef Resorts provides a discount at the Destin Tennis Club. Located at Seascape along Scenic Highway 98 in Miramar Beach, this tennis club recently received a national Five Star Rating. Their professional tennis staff is on hand to provide instruction to players of all ages with tournaments, round-robin events, and social hours.
A few of the special spring time events in the Destin area include the following:
Friday, February 25th from 11am to 4pm and Saturday, February 26th from 9am to 4pm there is the Fourth Annual Spring Craft Show at the Destin Community Center at 101 Stahlman Avenue. This is located across the street from HarborWalk Village with a show that will be featuring unique hand crafted jewelry, detailed wood carvings, water colors and paintings which are created by local artisans.
On Saturday, February 26th, the children classic Peter and the Wolf will be performed by the orchestra at the Mattie Kelly Art's Center. The concert begins at 7:30 pm. Over on Okaloosa Island, at the Emerald Coast Convention Center there is an old fashioned Barbershop Quartet times ten! Called The Magic of Harmony, this acappella group of forty men will be providing harmonies from 7 to 9:30pm.
February 26th also kicks off the Mardi Gras festivities at HarborWalk Village which start at 2pm. There will be a costume parade, floats, beads and live entertainment throughout the day as well as into the festive evening. Attendance is free of charge.
On the Grand Vista Level above the village, the Third Annual Wine and Food Classic will be held as a charity event for WSRE and PBS. Donations are $150 each which allows each contributor to sample great wines and delicious food created by individual chefs from four local, popular restaurants.
March 4th thru April 3rd is the Fifteenth Annual Destin Cobia Tournament. This will be held daily at the Destin Marina next to HarborWalk Village complete with bountiful, end of the day weigh-ins on the docks. This popular tournament has large cash prizes for the biggest catch in a number of categories and attracts hundreds of anglers from across the nation.
Saturday, March 5th from 11am to 2pm is the annual Destin Fish Fry which will be held as a charity event. A $10 donation provides you with a platter of fresh fried Grouper, hush puppies, baked beans and coleslaw. It will be held at and on behalf of the Destin History & Fishing Museum near the Community Center.
March 8th is Fat Tuesday so get ready to eat, drink and be merry! Mardi Gras is big down here, being the equivalent of New Year's Eve, so "Let the good times roll" as they say. Festivities will be held at both HarborWalk Village and Baytowne Wharf. Costumed street performers, decorated floats, and live musical entertainment is planned. Be sure to put on your cape or mask so that you may join in the revelry with autonomy. There will be lots of beads, trinkets and moon pies to catch.
Friday, March 11th is just before St. Patrick's Day and what could be more appropriate and fun than attending a special Rhythm of Dance at the Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center? Irish Celtic dancers will hit the beat starting at 7:30 pm and provide two hours of lively entertainment. Musical numbers will have everything from Irish folk lore to modern interpretations, including both ancient melodies and contemporary renditions.
Saturday, March 12th is the First Annual Grog Games and Irish Street Festival at HarborWalk Village. Festivities begin at 2pm and will go well into the night complete with Irish dancing, bag pipes, feasting and of course green "grog." If you have too much fun, don't be startled the next morning when you think you've overslept. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2am on March 13th, officially beginning the longer days of spring and summer!
More to do on Spring Break in Destin:
21 Destin Spring Break To-Dos
Sparkling sunny springtime temperatures here are just about perfect, with highs in the low 80s and lows in the 70s. We've been asked to provide a "To Do" List for fun activities while you're here, especially for your first time down. So here are 21 Destin Spring Break To-Dos!
On Thursday, March 17th St. Patty's Day finally arrives for sure. There will be a "Shamrock Parade" at HarborWalk with live entertainment and plenty of green beer, so be sure to wear a color coordinated outfit. There will also be happenings at Baytowne Wharf and don't forget McGuire's, which is probably the most Irish restaurant in Destin. If you're in the mood for great music, the Sinfonia Orchestra will be playing at the Emerald Coast Convention Center from 8 to 11pm. Their St. Patty's Day Pops Concert will be featuring music "from Broadway and beyond.
On Saturday, April 2nd there will be a Kid's Festival at HarborWalk. The Easter Bunny will be in attendance with treats and photo opportunities. Lots of kid events will be held including the creation of chalk sidewalk murals, jewelry making, kite construction, balloon art and kid karaoke.
On Sunday, April 24th, the joyous day of Easter arrives, which is late this year. There's lots to tell, so we'll update you on that holiday as we get closer to the date.
As always, it is our pleasure at Ocean Reef Resorts to share this Destin spring break paradise with all of you. It's always lovely here, but spring offers a heavenly type of beauty. Indeed, Mother Nature joins us to welcome our special guests by wearing her finest attire. Be sure to enjoy spring break in Destin for yourself in one of our Destin Vacation Rentals.
Plan your Spring Break!
