Mon, 27 December 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Christmas on the Emerald Coast! Celebrating the holidays on the Emerald Coast seems to grow more in popularity each year. The holiday season has become a busy time. Visitors come down to experience the Emerald Coast's version of a White Christmas. There are many local attractions that put up lights and other displays for the holiday season. The Gulf Breeze Zoo puts on Zoo Lights each year.
Viridian Hotel coming in 2011! Seagrove will soon have a new hotel and restaurant called the Viridian or the "V". The hotel will be located at the intersection of 30-A and 395. The restaurant portion is the first part of two phases to open up. The restaurant will offer a relaxed and electic atmosphere with both inside and outside dining. The menu focuses on seafood that is locally fresh. The second phase that includes the hotel will open at a later date.
Tax-free shopping may come in 2011! For one weekend a month from the spring through the summer there is a possibility of a tax-free weekend. BP is considering a new plan that would eliminate sales tax for one weekend each month to generate business along the Emerald Coast. BP would fund between $16 and $25 million. There would not be a need for legislative action because BP is funding the tax-free weekend.
Panama City Int'l Airport is doing great! Recently, airport officials were disturbed by a story done by Associated Press. The story implied that the new airport was not generating a lot of business. From May to November the airport has serviced 446,000 travelers, which is over a 300 percent increase to 2009. More parking spaces are soon to be built due to the increasing demand of the new airport. There is currently 697 parking spaces. Over Thanksgiving almost 1,600 vehicles were parked.
The winter brings fickled weather. The winter months on the Emerald Coast see many visitors looking to escape cold and frigid temperatures up north. Though Florida is known for its mild climate, temperatures do fluctuate. Visitors coming down from December through March should prepare for both warm and cold days. An occasional frost is not unheard of.
Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is The Forrest Williams Band of Destin with their song Good Time Sunshine. Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 11 December 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Thanksgiving was warm for 2010! While many people bundled up and lived out the traditional holiday, those on the Emerald Coast experienced a nice beach day. Thanksgiving morning experienced temperatures in the 70's with sunny skies. The Back Porch saw many beachgoers by noon. Black Friday was hectic as always with crowds waiting in lines and busy traffic all over Destin. Vision Airlines coming to NWFRA! Vision Airlines recently announced it will begin offering low-fare, non-stop flights to Niagra Falls and Miami International Airport on Fridays and Sundays beginning December 17th. One-way fares will start at $79 to Niagra Falls and $69 to Miami. Flights will leave at 8:29 a.m. to Niagra Falls and at 2:36 for Miami. Wake zone will remain the same! The Destin City Council recently tried to increase the wake zone in East Pass. The increased wake zone was to increase boat safety. Another concern was erosion to the shoreline caused by boat wakes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard rejected a recent application from Okaloosa County for a "slow speed-minimum" wake zone in East Pass. Red light cameras coming to Destin. The City of Destin is looking into activating red light cameras. The traffic cameras would help reduce traffic violations and reduce pedestrian accidents. The city can only put up cameras on city owned streets. The intersections of Main St. and Legion Dr. would be one location that could possibly see a camera. As of now, there are no red light cameras in Destin. Stand-Up Paddleboards are a local favorite. Along the Emerald Coast many people are discovering the fun that comes with SUP. People ride waves on SUP's all over the world. Paddling in area waters and fishing from SUP'S is becoming popular. Bote Paddleboards in Destin has designed a board that makes fishing easy on a SUP. The new board company was recently featured on Florida Sportsman Magazine's website. Visit www.boteboard.com to view the new SUP for fishermen! Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Donnie Sundal of Destin with his song Sunshine and Moonlight. Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com About Us:We publish (broadcast) twice each month, filling you in on all the events that regular visitors and those with second homes or condos want to know about our amazing, growing area of the "Most Beautiful Beaches In The World." We thank you for subscribing to this newsletter and use it to update you each time we release a new episode. In each newsletter, you will find our show notes, links to things we talked about, and then have links to the latest news stories from our area that are of interest to you! Attention local Chamber leaders and business owners: We'd like to interview you for the show! Please contact us at DestinFloridaPodcast@yahoo.com You can listen to more of our episodes or find out more about us on our site DestinFloridaPodcast.com: 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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. |
Fri, 12 November 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Destin Festival of the Arts a success! The weekend of the arts festival at Henderson Beach State Park was greeted with perfect weather. The festival overlooked the beautiful white sandy beach. Lots of great works of art were on display for festivalgoers to admire. Along with great artwork, the festival had live music and tasty food present. The festival will take place in 2011 October 29th and 30th. Area oysters are looking up! Since the oil spill, area restaurants have struggled to provide top-notch oysters. Many restaurants served oysters that were small in size and shriveled. When area waters begin to cool oyster consumption heats up. Recently, area restaurants seem to be getting healthy looking oysters. BP oil spill claims a hot topic locally. As the media has come to a simmer with BP oil spill coverage many people are no longer paying close attention. The topic is still hot locally. Many business owners are frustrated with how claims are being handled. Individual claims are seeing more payouts than their employers. The final payment claim is what many locals are discussing. Its yet to be determined how the final payments will be done. Wal-Mart is coming to South Walton County! Wal-Mart has been given the okay to break ground. The new Wal-Mart location will be close to the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and West Hewett Road. The Wal-Mart will be part of the Topsail West. A new development the St. Joe Company plans to complete by 2020. The development is proposed to include more than 308,000 square feet of retail space, 5,000 square feet of office space, 190 senior-living units, 110 assisted-living units and 310 multi-family units. Camelia Grill at HarborWalk closes. The Camelia Grill branched out from New Orleans to the Emerald Coast in 2009. The business closure is due to a major decrease in business this year. There are no plans for the restaurant to reopen. According to Peter Bos, the location will be reoccupied with a similar concept come 2011. The Destin Fishing Rodeo doing good! For 2010, the fishing rodeo has experienced smooth seas, sunny skies and good fishing. Different fish divisions have seen some great weigh-ins. The speckled trout division is being lead by a seven pound fish. The wahoo division had a fish weigh-in at 98 pounds to take the lead. Visit www.destinfishingrodeo.org to view rodeo division results. Contact info for Justin Myers: Email: jmyers111@yahoo.com Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is The Cripple Lilies of Pensacola with their song Carnations Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Tue, 26 October 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Art festival comes to Destin! The Destin Festival of the Arts will take place October 23rd and 24th at Henderson Beach State Park. Admission to the festival is $3 for adults and children under 12 get in free. No onsite parking is available. Convenient parking with a free continuous shuttle is available at Emerald Coast Center located near Beall’s across from Henderson Beach State Park. Festival feather flags will lead you to the designated parking area to board air-conditioned motor coaches directly to the festival entrance. ResortQuest has new ownership. ResortQuest is one of the leading providers of vacation condominiums and rental homes. ResortQuest recently closed a deal with Wyndham Worldwide. Wyndham purchased the Fort Walton Beach-based ResortQuest for $56 million. The purchase will put Wyndham as one of the world's largest full-service vacation rental businesses, with more than 85,000 vacation properties in about 100 countries. The Destin Fishing Rodeo has big money! The Tourist Development Council gave the Rodeo $70,000 to be offered in prize money. There are now six TDC Bonus Awards worth $10,000 each with a payout at the end of the month of $6,000 for 1st place fish, $3,000 for 2nd place fish and $1,000 for 3rd place fish. Also, Shark Saturday will award $250 for the largest shark brought in on any Saturday. The Rodeo takes place the entire month of October! Area seafood is safe to eat! The oil spill is finally completely capped! Both locals and visitors are cautious when it comes to consuming seafood that comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists have been testing area seafood from Appalachicola Bay to Pensacola. Scientists are testing for hydrocarbons in the seafood. So far, there have been no significant levels found in area seafood. Testing will continue until the threat of contamination has passed. Real estate along the Emerald Coast is improving! Low-end markets are showing more stability. The high presence of military in the area is helping with the real estate market recovery. The area has seen more improvement than anywhere else in the state. Justin Myers is a local realtor that possess a lot of knowlegde about the local market. Contact info for Justin Myers: Email: jmyers111@yahoo.com Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Heritage of Destin with their song Natural High Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Tue, 19 October 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Labor Day weekend saw fewer crowds for 2010. The summer tourist season for 2010 will have to be called a loss. Due to the oil spill, the Emerald Coast experienced an abnormal Labor Day weekend. There was a lot of room in the sand for all beachgoers this year including Shaquille O'Neil who visited Sandestin over the holiday. De Luna Fest coming to Pensacola! Pensacola Beach will be the site of possilby the largest beach event to be held on the Emerald Coast. The weekend long event will host some big names in the music world like, Stone Temple Pilots, Willie Nelson, Bush and many more! Great weather along with great music will surely draw a large crowd. Visit www.delunafest.com for event details. The Destin Fishing Rodeo 2010 is about to begin! The entire month of October is when the Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place. Anglers from all over come to the Emerald Coast to compete for winning a prize in the rodeo. The first two weeks are great for watching the weigh-ins behind AJ's. Weigh-ins are everyday from 10 a.m. till 7 in the evening. Visit www.destinfishingrodeo.org for rodeo details. The Destin Festival of the Arts is coming soon! The Destin Festival of the Arts will take place October 23rd and 24th at Henderson Beach State Park. Over 100 artists will be displaying their works of art to compete for $8,200 in cash prizes. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org for festival details. Flights are down at Northwest Florida Regional Airport. Business is down at NWFRA by 7 percent for the first seven months of 2010. June and July saw the biggest downturns. June was down by 10.5 percent and July by 15.9 percent. Many local businesses are optimistic that fall months will see an upswing with word of recovery getting out. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Nik Flagstar and his Dirty Mangy Dogs of Fort Walton Beach with their song Hotdogs and Doughnuts Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Thu, 23 September 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:The Destin Seafood Festival is early. The Destin Seafood Festival for years has taken place the first weekend of October to kick-off the Destin Fishing Rodeo. The Destin City Council organized the festival for Sept. 17-19 for 2010 as a true fishing rodeo kick-off. The seafood festival always draws a big crowd with arts and crafts, seafood vendors and great live music. Starship and Loverboy took the stage as headlining acts. Neil Young is coming to the Emerald Coast! Neil Young will be playing a handful of concerts to benefit those affected by the oil spill. Tyson will be donating 100,000 pounds of chicken products. Concertgoers are being asked to bring non-perishable food items to the concerts. All donations will go towards the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves the communities in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. June grass is still present. The june grass along area beaches seems to come and go with the tide. During high tide the june grass gets pulled away from the beach. At low tide the june grass is close to the shore. Beaches that once had lots of june grass have cleared up. Okaloosa Island appears to be clearing up the most. High wave action is the best bet for clearing local waters of the green algae. Holiday Isle is getting sand! After a long wait for sand, Holiday Isle residents are finally getting beach restoration. Pending lawsuits and funds put a halt on all progress. Beach restoration will start from the rocks and come eastward past Inlet Reef Condominiums. Restoration should be complete by the end of October. Boat speeds may come to an idle in the pass. The Destin City Council is considering extending the no wake zone in the East Pass. Restoring eroded shorelines has been an issue along with increasing boat traffic and accidents. Lowering the speed limit will decrease boat wakes and accidents. Parasailing trips may also be decrease due to longer travel time to and from the Gulf of Mexico Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is The Ocean As Mistress of Mary Esther with their song suspension Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Fri, 3 September 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Labor Day looking down. Labor Day weekend is down for reservations. Many local businesses do not know what to expect. Property owners are optimistic that the holiday weekend could get busy with short notice. The Perdido Key Visitor Center is giving gift cards up to $300 to visitors that stay in Perdido condos and hotels. You Play, We'll Pay is a program to help rejuvenate tourism. Beach life is improving! Reports of oil on the beach are diminishing. Life is coming back to the beach. The month of June was the worst month for the Emerald Coast during the crisis. Both humans and birds left the beach. Locals have noticed the birds have returned to the beaches. Seafood is good at local restaurants! Many locals and visitors to the Emerald Coast have been skeptical of eating seafood from the Gulf of Mexico since the oil spill. Popular seafood restaurants are still getting seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. The seafood is coming from the southeastern part of the gulf, which has not been affected by the oil spill. The Navarre Pier is doing well! The Navarre Pier is now open after being closed for almost six years. The pier has been averaging 800 people a day. Despite oil conditions, fishermen have been casting away. Most of the business is pier walkers. About 75 percent of the business is people taking a walk. The rest are fishermen. The Navarre Pier has updates available at www.navarrepier.com. Beach weddings are down. The Emerald Coast is a beautiful backdrop for weddings. Each year, many couples tie the knot in the white sand. The oil spill has impacted the beach wedding industry. There have been many cancellations. Weddings scheduled for the fall should keep their dates. The status of the beaches is bound to improve. The fall season offers a great setting for beach weddings as well. Destin restaurants may allow dogs. Before 2007, Florida State Law prohibited animals in food service establishments, but a three-year pilot program was enacted that year by the state legislature to allow area restaurants an exemption. Okaloosa County already approved an ordinance to allow pets into restaurants. The Destin City Council would have to approve the ordinance for pets to be a go. Dog lovers are prevalent in the Destin area. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Coconut Radio of Niceville with their song Got It Good Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Wed, 7 July 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page.
This show is in loving memory of Harley's grandmother. She will be dearly missed.
Some Of The News Covered: The Emerald Coast has great boating! When the Gulf of Mexico is not so inviting the Choctawhatchee Bay and Santa Rosa Sound can be a great resort. From the 331 bridge in the Choctawhatchee Bay west to Pensacola in the Santa Rosa Sound boaters can enjoy cruising, fishing and boating sports. Weekdays are best for avoiding heavy boat traffic. The Panama City Int'l Airport is open! The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is open and doing well. Numbers are already up from the old airport. Southwest Airlines may be the best deal for traveling to the Emerald Coast. With new direct the flights, the Emerald Coast will begin to see new visitors. Cheaper prices are available due to the competition among area airports. Navarre Pier is open! The Navarre Beach fishing pier is open for fishermen. The pier was heavily damaged by storms in 2004 and 2005. The new pier is 30 feet above the water and is 1,545 feet in length. The end of the pier was built in the shape of an octagon for comfortable fishing space. Funds for the pier came mostly from FEMA. The state and Santa Rosa County also contributed to the $8.43 million pier. Webcams are located up and down the Emerald Coast. The status of the the beaches can be seen first hand via webcams. Websites like, www.billabongdestin.com, www.fluidsurfshop.com, www.breakersfwb.com, www.navarrebeach21.com and www.innerlightsurf.com all have working webcams. A great website for monitoring the tropics and the movement of the oil is www.crownweather.com. The no fishing zone expanded. The no fishing zone was from Louisiana to Pensacola Bay. Now, the no fishing zone has reached Destin. Fishing is permitted only 45 miles out to the state and federal line. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has expanded the no fishing zone as a precautionary measure for seafood consumers. Lots of fish can be caught inshore in the intercoastal waterway and along the beaches. Crystal Dunes is suing the City of Destin. The homeowners association of Crystal Dunes condominium has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Destin, claiming its rights to due process and and equal protection under law have been violated. The lawsuit claims that the City of Destin has not enforced owners' private property rights and has allowed beachgoers to stay on the beach as long as they are within 20 feet of the mean high-water line. Oil Spill Effect on Florida Fishing
Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Heritage of Destin with their song Hawaiian Superman Jam Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 26 June 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link You may also right-click to download the podcast: 084_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:Oil is getting closer! Pensacola is the first of Florida's beaches to see signs of oil. Some tar balls and oil paddies have washed up on the beach. Alabama beaches are also seeing signs of the oil spill. No signs of oil on the beaches of Destin. Visitors are urged to view beach cams like www.billabongdestin.com to get an accurate beach report. The media has made false reports, which have caused reservation cancellations. Toll is going up for the Mid-Bay Bridge. The toll was $2.50 to cross the Mid-Bay Bridge. The toll has increased by 50 cents to $3.00. To avoid paying the toll drivers can take the 331 Bridge or drive through Fort Walton Beach to get to Destin. Margaritaville is coming to Pensacola Beach! Margaritaville is currently open in Panama City Beach. A new location will open on Pensacola Beach late May or early June. The new location is the first Margaritaville Beach Hotel. The hotel will have 162 rooms and be on the waterfront. The new hotel will take the location of where the Holiday Inn was once located. The Holiday Inn was built in 1972 and was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Fishing is still ok in Destin. Boats are still leaving the Destin Harbor to do fishing trips. The no fishing zone continues to grow as the threat of oil increases. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has declared no fishing from Louisiana to Pensacola Bay. Many boats will resort to helping with the oil spill if fishing is shut down in Destin. Oil Spill on Florida Beaches? We searched and found... Dolphins!
Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Monuments of Fort Walton Beach with their song Unleash the Fury Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? I love to hear from you and find out more that you would like to know about Destin and the Emerald Coast!
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Tue, 15 June 2010
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. Listen on your phone: iPhone, Blackberry, Cell Phone Listen Link iTunes listeners subscribe through our iTunes Destin Florida Podcast page. Some Of The News Covered:Oil has not reached the Emerald Coast! There have been many false reports of tar balls and oil washing ashore in Miramar Beach and Seaside. There is no oil on the Emerald Coast. Many visitors have cancelled reservations due to the false reports being covered by the media. Where the oil is going no one really knows. Until it reaches our beaches visitors are encouraged to keep their reservations. Maguire's is recognized for its unique menu! Maguire's Irish Pub is a favorite to locals and visitors as well. The restaurant offers some unique burgers. Along with the great food, Maguire's produces some tasty beers. Maguire's was featured on the television show "Outrageous Foods" on the Food Network. Aaron McCargo of "Big Daddy's House" brought camera crews to display some of Maguire's unique menu. Fort Walton Beach ranked number one! Restaurant and Business Magazine ranked Fort Walton Beach number one for best place to open a restaurant. Panama City ranked 11th. Like home loans, business loans are just as difficult to obtain. With the market down, there are many places available for new restaurants to open. Reality TV may come to South Walton! Five South Walton Beach locals are trying to put together a reality show called "The Beach Wives". The show would be based on five women and their daily lives on the Emerald Coast. The stars of the show would include an artist, a chef, a realtor, a singer and a flight attendant. The show would be a great opportunity for the Emerald Coast lifestyle to be displayed. Trolley coming to 30-A! In a month, 30-A may see a trolley system. Sunshine Transportation will start its first trolley. The trolley will be bright with color, have air conditioning, bike and surfboard racks, flat screens and music. The trolley will be a great solution to reduce traffic and allow beach goers to travel safely. Oil on the beach, We searched, here's what we found...
Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is The Steenos of Santa Rosa Beach with their song I've Been Missing You Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
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