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: 050_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:

Red snapper season may get shorter! Currently red snapper season is from April 15 to October 31. The season may be shortened by two more months from June 1 to September 31. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission believes red snapper are overfished and shortening the fishing season will reduce the harvest of the fish and help rebuild populations.

New Years on the Emerald Coast for 2009 will be another blast! The Baytowne Village in the Sandestin Resort will be the center of attention for ringing in 2009. Lots of entertainment will be present along with crowds. 2008 was great, but 2009 may be that much better! Making early reservations are highly recommended.

Navarre Beach will be rebuilding the fishing pier! Recently, the state approved the new permit for a new fishing pier to be rebuilt on Navarre Beach. The new pier would extend 1,500 feet. The old pier was 900 feet and has been unfishable since the Hurricanes in 2004 that damaged it heavily. The new pier is estimated to cost $8 million which, will be covered by FEMA.

Sabor A Mexico is one of the best Mexican restaurants on the Emerald Coast. Sabor A Mexico located in Fort Walton Beach on Eglin Pkwy, and offers authentic mexican food that has locals excited for! The prices are just as good as the food!

Ayinde Hurrey is bringing more performing arts to Pensacola! For a while Pensacola has been popular with the arts. Hurrey has been putting on productions in Pensacola that are getting great reviews! The director believes a city that is rich in art and culture will be more attractive to possible businesses and people looking to relocate. Having a great productions on a regular basis my help Pensacola's economy in the future.

Baytowne in the Sandestin Resort has ice skating! From now till February, sun or snow there will be an ice skating rink open to the public. The cost is $10 for everyone! The same ice ring was in Downtown Fort Walton Beach, but ended up relocating to the Sandestin Resort.

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 Chino of Fort Walton Beach with his song next in line please.

• Chino 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: 049_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:

Gas prices along the Emerald Coast have fallen to under $2! The first two weeks of December are two of the slowest weeks. Many rental properties, hotels and restaurants are running great specials. There is a lot of opportunity to save big for visitors coming to the Emerald Coast the next two weeks.

New artificial reef regulations have fishing captains worried on the Destin Harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville wants to change the thickness requred for metal on artificial reefs to half of an inch to prevent the metal from breaking and washing up on local beaches. A lot of artificial reefs created would not meet the regulations. More metal would mean higher prices to create reefs and more difficulty transporting it into the gulf. The artificial reefs provide structure for fish species and help underwater ecosystems flourish. The Destin City Council is trying to transfer the supervision of the Emerald Coast's artificial reefs from Jacksonville to Mobile, Al. Mobile does not support the half-inch rule.

Flounder fishing is at its peak here on the Emerald Coast. There are reports of flounder being caught in high numbers in the East Pass of Destin. Flounder are very good to eat and a local favorite. Also, sheepshead are on the move and take more skill to catch than flounder.

Fort Pickens is under construction. The road to Fort Pickens is under construction and parts of the major historical attraction will be closed. Fort Pickens is a famous landmark on Pensacola Beach and names like Geronimo were once help captive there. The fort is a great learning experience for anyone and can be an adventurous experience. Visitors can expect all the closed areas to reopen April of 2009.

More than a dozen parks in Florida are at risk for closing. Deer Lake Park might be one of the parks to close indefinitely. Deer Lake is one of the rare coastal dune lakes on the 26 mile Walton County coastline. Governor Charlie Christ directed all state agencies to cut 10 percent from proposed budgets of 2009-10. The cuts must be approved first, and if approved parks would start closing in July 2009.

T.C's Front Porch is Navarre's new place to go! T.C's has not been open for long, but has already attracted many local residents with some great local seafood. T.C's is located across Hwy 98 from the Navarre Bridge. The restaurant may not be on the water, but has a great view of the Santa Rosa Sound and Island.

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 This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb of Pensacola with their song This Is What I Want.

• This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb Myspace Page

Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com