Destin, FL
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Our first stop on our way to
Jackson, WY was Destin, FL. Destin is on the extreme western part of the
Florida panhandle. The purpose of
our stop here was to spend two relaxing days on the beach. That desire was
accomplished as we became temporary beach bums. It was very relaxing
digging our toes into the warm snow white sand of the Destin beach. We
received more sun rays than we should have. I have not received a sunburn
in years but I was soon reminded that it can happen very fast especially to
someone who has not had the sun shine on many parts of their body in a while.
We
stayed at a very nice RV resort called Camping On
The Gulf. This is as close to camping on the beach without driving
directly onto the sand. Our motorhome was parked mere feet from the edge
of the sand. There is a beachfront line of RV spaces where you could
literally step out of your motorhome onto the sand. The view from our rig
was wonderful. The park is clean and neat. The folks that work here
are very friendly and pleasant. Just be ready to be crammed together like
sardines if you desire to park your rig close to the beach. To say it is
tight is an understatement. We loved our beachfront site, regardless.
Erika and I decided to head each night out to taste
some of the local seafood at the myriad of restaurants in the area. We
encountered a nice but typical restaurant the first night. We feasted on
fish, clams, fried oysters and raw oysters. Upon walking back to our car
after eating, we came upon something that really excited us. It was a
restaurant that was small, hung out over the water, and was very unnoticeable.
It was the perfect "locals" place that we routinely seek out when we arrive in a
town. We made a vow to come back to this new discovery tomorrow evening.
And so we did come back to "The
Boathouse Oyster Bar" the next evening.
The
Boathouse was a true locals place that the tourists thankfully seemed to have
overlooked. It is a restaurant, bar, and meeting place for, it seemed,
many of those returning from their day working on the water. As usual,
Erika and I walked into the place knowing no one. By the time we left, we
had made many new friends. The first thing we did to raise the eyebrows of
the locals was to order 6 pounds of steamed crawdads. Actually, it was a
mistake. We had no idea that 6 pounds was that much! Erika tried two
of them and said she was done. Little did I know that she had not had
crawdads before. So, I was faced with 6 pounds of crawdads with the locals
snickering. So I did what had to be done. I ate every one of those
dang crawdads myself. It was an amazing feat for someone who normally eats
like a bird. I don't think I will be eating crawdads again anytime soon.
Someone began to play various songs on a guitar.
We
decided to help him liven the place up so we grabbed tambourines and various
Cajun type instruments such as the washboard off of the walls. One fellow
brought a saw in a custom case and began to amaze us with his musical skill with
that saw. We loved it! Erika got up and sang some James Taylor tunes
for the now raucous crowd. We had a wonderful time singing, playing our
instruments, and meeting new and intriguing people. Look for the dollar
bill Erika and I stapled to the walls of the joint. It is right next to
the other thousands of dollar bills there on the walls. The night ended
for us by saying goodbye to all our new friends and thanking them for such a
great time. The Boathouse
Oyster Bar truly was "Destin's Best Kept Secret".We returned to our
beachfront rig, opened the windows, and fell fast asleep to the sound of the
nearby ocean waves. Our trip had started out perfectly. It only got
better as you will see.
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