How To Listen:

Listen online using the player at the upper right hand corner of this page (broadband) or click for the dial-up version.

You may also right-click to download the podcast: 036_Destin_Florida_Podcast.mp3 and put it on your portable media player or burn it to a CD and listen in the car!

iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page.

Some Of The News Covered:

Dredging in the pass has finished up just in time for the busy boat months of the summer. From 30,000 to 50,000 cubic yards of sand has been deposited just east of the East Jetty. The Destin City Council is now waiting for approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to approve the city's plans of using the sand on Holiday Isle to shore up the beaches before hurricane season.

Grand Boulevard has plans for a 4-star hotel, spa and more retail space. The continuation to Grand Boulevard will cost $50 million. The expansion is expected to be completed 2010. There's no word on what hotel will come to Grand Boulevard. There will be 40,000 square feet of retail space, another restaurant, meeting rooms and ballrooms.

Destin and Walton County recently were selected as one of the nations best restored beaches for 2008! The was presented by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association. Other winners included, Olympic Structure Park in Seattle, Washington, Boca Raton, Florida, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina and Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, Hawaii.

Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival is June 7th through the 9th! The festival is a local favorite and has been recognized as one of the really fun and great festivals during the warm months. Saturday is the day when the landing takes place and a massive boat parade takes place with water balloons and super soakers creating a war on water! On the shore vendors along with lots of food and entertainment will be present. A great time for the family!!!

May 28th through the 31st is the Boeing Golf Championship! The golf tournament in the Sandestin Resort has national and international television audiences with more than 58,000 spectators showing up for the course of the week. A must on the to-do list while on vacation!

The Destin Harbor will cater to Summerfest on the Harbor for 12 weeks starting June 1st! The festival is to celebrate what is unique about Destin and for everyone in town to experience it! Events will take place on Thursday and Friday nights. Everything from live music to chances at winning a trip for two to the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis. Sundays will be family involved. Local artists will be present displaying their works along with lots of other family oriented activities.

Links From This Episode:

Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at:

• Hammock Bay in Freeport, Florida
• Uptown Station in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

Music selection for this episode is Patricia Musgrove of Pensacola with her song 7 Ways.

• Patricia Musgrove Myspace Page

How To Listen:

Listen online using the player at the upper right hand corner of this page (broadband) or click for the dial-up version.

You may also right-click to download the podcast: 035_Destin_Florida_Podcast.mp3 and put it on your portable media player or burn it to a CD and listen in the car!

iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page.

Some Of The News Covered:

Cuvee Beach on Hwy 98 recently auctioned for $1.575 million, plus 10 percent for the auction company Roebuck Auctions. The winning bider does not plan on changing much, but the color scheme. Cuvee is known for its great wine selection and food. Cuvee has always been a favorite for locals when it comes to fine-dining!

The Tourist Development Council received its final permit needed for the parking lot of Pompano Joe's. Construction is expected to start after the summer when traffic lightens up on Scenic Gulf Drive. The new parking lot will cost $4 million and take about 180 days to complete. The parking lot will be built on concrete pilings so that water can flow underneath during high surf. The parking lot will also have 130 parking spaces.

Hurricane season is one month away and a tax exemption for one week may be possible. If approved, the tax break would be from June 1st till the 7th. Items such as, flashlights, portable radios, weather radios, tarps, gas cans and batteries will not be taxed!!!

Gas is running an average of around $3.56. Visitors should seek cheaper gas prices in Navarre. Fort Walton Beach is second to Navarre with gas prices. Destin is the highest!

Dredging is underway in the East Pass! For several more weeks there will be barges and massive floating pipes working on removing sand in the pass and relocating it on Holiday Isle and Norriego Point. Boaters are advised to idle and create no wake in the pass to prevent disturbing the dredging project.

Navarre Beach Road may be open July 10! State Road 399 that connects Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach is almost finished. The road is known for being very scenic and beautiful. The road was washed out in 2005 from Hurricane Dennis. Many locals look forward to the quiet beaches along Navarre Beach Road to open.

Beaches along Holiday Isle are heavily eroded. Behind the Islander on Holiday Isle there is very little sand for beachgoers to enjoy. Beach Restoration in the near future beachgoers should check out the beaches from the Holiday Inn eastward where the beaches have a lot more room and sand!

Links From This Episode:

Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at:

• Hammock Bay in Freeport, Florida
• Uptown Station in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

Music selection for this episode is Robert Royal of Ft. Walton with his song Dealing With Blue.

• Robert Royal Myspace Page