For beach goers and sun worshippers, this is the place to go. What we were told about the white sands and emerald waters of Destin, Florida was not a lie. The sand is like white baby powder and the emerald waters are so beautiful that pictures don’t do them justice.

The weather was on our side for most of the week. But it did shower on us once while we were on the beach but nobody there even bothered to move. You know what they say about the weather in Florida: "If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes." Anyway we got lots of sun.

There are plenty of places to shop: Silver Sands Factory Stores, Super Wal-Mart, Baytowne Wharf to mention a few.

If you are looking for a place to eat, go no farther. Destin has every type of food you can imagine: AJ’s Seafood & Oyster bar, Hog’s Breath Cafe, ice cream shops, Chick-fil-a, TGI Friday's, Outback Steakhouse, Pompano Joe’s Seafood House, Applebee’s, and a lot of local seafood restaurants.

Baytowne Wharf is like a city hidden in a city. All the buildings are overlapping and all painted such pretty colors. We took the water taxi, the water was so calm and you could see for miles. It was dark on the trip back across the bay and the lights from all the building were reflecting off the water, it was so romantic.

We went on a dolphin cruse. We did not pick a very good time to go because the wind has been blowing out of the south pretty strong and the gulf was to rough for the cruse to go out there so the captain elected to stay in the sound. The water was a little dark because of the storms they have had there the week before. We only got to see a few fins every now and then. We saw the advertisement on the tourist channel on TV and the water was clearer and you could see the dolphins swimming along side the boat. Maybe the water will be better on our return visit.

Quick Tips:

If you want to go on a dolphin cruise, try to get your tickets early because they tend to fill up quickly. Dolphin Cruise, Southern Star // (850) 837-7741.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are looking for a place to eat, go no farther. Destin has every type of food you can imagine: AJ’s Seafood & Oyster bar, Hog’s Breath Cafe, ice cream shops, Chick-fil-a, TGI Fridays, Outback Steakhouse, Pompano Joe’s Seafood House, Applebee’s, and a lot of local seafood restaurants.

There are plenty of places to shop, Silver Sands Factory Stores, Super Wal-Mart, Baytown Wharf to mention a few.

The Track is real popular with the bumper boats and the go-carts. So there is something for everyone.

Best Things About the Resort:
The unit we had was just perfect for the whole family. Our daughter brought a friend with her and she had a wonderful time doing all the activities. She has never been to a beach before and we think we have spoiled her for life. After playing on the white sandy beaches and staying in this timeshare, she will never want to go to another beach or stay in a regular motel ever again.

All of the staff members at the concierge’s desk were very helpful with all our planning needs.
The activities were excellent and there were actually things that my whole family really wanted to do. We had so much fun doing the activities with the activity directors, Virginia, Vicki, and Pam. They went out of their way to make our vacation enjoyable. We went on resort tours and bike rides, beach walks, and played bocce balls on the lawn with Vicki and Virginia, and they were both very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the resort and the area. Pam did a wonderful job with the activities in the resort such as bingo, painting ceramics, making sun catchers, playing card games, and a lot more. They all get along really well with kids and it seemed they really enjoyed their jobs to the fullest.

Resort Experience:
The resort -- white beaches, emerald waters -- is a beautiful place to relax. The resort was easy to find and is located across the street from the Gulf of Mexico. The resort sits behind the Majestic Sun and is on Seascape property. There are five outdoor pools, one indoor pool, hot tubs, tennis courts, and golf course, and don’t forget the BEACH.

The resort is a 10-story building that sits perpendicular to the Gulf with a parking garage on the first three floors. All of the deluxe units have a Gulf view. You don’t have to bring a thing the units here has everything you will need. You can get beach towels from the front desk and you can buy umbrella and chair rentals from the concierge.

We stayed on the fourth floor. I think they are one of the nicest because they have the bigger balconies but the view is better from the 10 floor. We were in a two-bedroom deluxe. After parking the car in the parking garage, we took the elevator to the fourth floor. When we opened our door, we stepped into a tile foyer, which was nice so you could kick your shoes off and not track sand through the unit. There was a washer/dryer behind the door on the right and then a closet at the end of the foyer. One of the bedrooms came next and it had two double beds, 19" TV, Benches at the end of each bed. There was a bathroom with a two-sink vanity and a shower tub. The kitchen was on the left it had everything you could need, microwave, 12-cup coffeepot, stove and refrigerator. A large dining table with a bench seat on two sides and chairs on the other. The living area had a large screen TV, stereo, VCR, pull-out sofa, and a beautiful view of the Gulf out the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony. The master bedroom had a king size bed with a big TV, a lot of storage space to put everything, a large Jacuzzi and a very large shower, two-sink vanity, and a toilet in the closet.

We will definitely come back here again.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Here are a few things from the menu
Appetizers: Coral Reef Nachos and Reggae Rolls
Soups & Salads: Chicken Caesar Salad
Seafood Sandwiches: Fried Oyster, Fried Mahi Mahi, Amberjack, Grouper, Shrimp, Tuna and Crab Cake
Seafood Selections: Chargrilled Mahi Mahi, Chargrilled Amberjack, Chargrilled Tuna, Chargrilled Grouper, Fried Oysters, Fried Amberjack, Fried Shrimp and Fried Scallops
Joes Favorites: Snow Crab Fest (Grilled or steamed)
Kids Menu Yes, they have one.

On the day we went out, the water was rough in the Gulf so the captain stayed in the sound. We did not have a very good first time trip. The water was dark and all we got to see were a few fins come out of the water. You really had to be looking in the right place at the right time to see them.

The locals and the visitors that come every year say that the water is usually calm and clear. But this week there was a lot of seaweed floating in the water and the water was a little rougher then normal because of some storms out in the Gulf the week before we were there.