When old-world craft meets new-world technology, an unprecedented level of quality is birthed. At E. F. San Juan, the quality and long-term function of our woodwork are the keys to creating elements that will transform a house into your dream home.
Rachel Joseph, PA-C
Rachel is well known for her abilities in the Destin IV Lounge. Her clients include professional athletes and celebrities.
Better health is one drip away.
IV nutrient formulations go directly to where they are needed. Our IV cocktails are used for both therapeutic and preventative measures. Our most popular infusion is the NAD+ which enhances NAD enzymes found in every living cell to carry out their designated function in the heart, lungs, brain, skin and throughout the body. As we age, our levels of NAD decrease, thus leading to a decline in the function of our cells. NAD is now available in an IV infusion and is being termed by scientists as the internal anti-aging solution.
Please visit our website or give us a call for a complete list of our IV cocktail ingredients and benefits.
8 Major Benefits of NAD IV Therapy
Destin Plastic Surgery provides first-class services for patients in a safe, private, comfortable and welcoming environment.
Dr. William Burden founded Destin Plastic Surgery with a vision to establish a center of excellence. No wonder he has been voted Best of the Emerald Coast an unprecedented 18 times!
Dr. Burden is a best-selling author who has written books on Face, Breast, and Body surgery. His book, “Breast Augmentation With No Scar On The Breast,” made him an Amazon best-selling author. He has presented studies nationally and internationally on these topics. Surgeons from throughout the United States and Europe have visited his facility to observe his techniques.
The Team at the center is also highly acclaimed in their respected fields. Bill Edelman, is among the most experienced providers of fillers and Botox Cosmetics in the United States. He has earned the name “Botox Bill” as he has been nationally recognized and awarded Black Diamond status. The Black Diamond designation is awarded to an elite group of medical esthetics practices in the United States.
The Anti-aging Skincare Clinic offers the best in therapeutic and nonsurgical services and skin care and products. The Med-spa team of estheticians and nurses are passionate about pampering their clients so they look and feel youthful.
Sally Surgnier provides laser hair removal and ThermiVA treatments in addition to the finest skin care in the Destin area.
No other plastic surgery center of excellence exists in the region. See why people travel from around the world to experience the awardwinning staff and facility.
Trish Sgobba was voted the Best in Destin in the Esthetician category in Destin VIP magazine. She is well known along the Emerald Coast for her expertise and Instagram features in skin nutrition.
Melissa St. John was voted Best of the Emerald Coast 2022 in the Esthetician category in Emerald Coast Magazine. She has won this award for many years!
Her clients have benefitted from her expertise and treatments. She has advanced training in Medical grade esthetics. “Love the skin you’re in!” is her motto.
THE LIFE YOU’VE DREAMED AT LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE WATERSOUND!
Sunshine and cool breezes. Palm trees and margaritas. Welcome to Latitude Margaritaville, a 55-and-better community inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, built on food, fun, music and escapism. Escape to the place where fun and relaxation meet. Escape to island-inspired living as you grow older, but not up. Escape to Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, located on Hwy 79, less than 8 miles from the beach.
Emerald Coast Magazine and Rowland Publishing are excited to present the winning businesses in this year’s Best of the Emerald Coast readers’ poll. The balloting and culminating celebration at Grand Boulevard will salute retailers, restaurateurs, service providers and more who have carefully nurtured their reputations while providing customers with outstanding products and services and the kind of positive experiences that they are likely to tell their neighbors about. What’s more, the Best of the Emerald Coast event proceeds benefit the Children’s Clothing Project of the Junior League of the Emerald Coast.
compiled by EMILEE MAE STRUSSCapt. Fred Hunter lowers his shrimp nets into the waters of East Bay from the Miss Bennie as he has countless times before. The skies are clearing, and the seas are near calm. It’s an in-between time of year. Shrimp have begun to move from bays into the Gulf of Mexico, and Hunter can’t be sure how productive tonight’s drags will be but doesn’t often strike out. He knows these waters, he says, “like his front yard.” As he plies a channel, there is no one behind him. And there appears to be no one prepared to take the wheel when Hunter, nearing the end of his 43-year career, and other shrimpers pull their nets for the last time.
by STEVE BORNHOFTEXTERIORS Lighting, plantings and house colors all can play a role in enhancing an abode’s curb appeal. But central to such consideration is the front door.
23 PERFORMANCE
When she moved east from Utah, Laura Vida arrived in Nashville not as a “country cookie cutter,” but as a woman with range, as a singer and a songwriter.
City Beach’s promoterin-chief Dan Rowe sees the destination as a place that people visit not for specific reasons, but to “relax, chill out and have fun.”
Harvest, a nonprofit operating in Walton and Okaloosa counties, is dedicated to uniting food surpluses with hungry people. Lines at its pickup sites are long.
47 CITIZEN OF STYLE
This children’s clothier got her start designing bibs more fashionable than the typical plastic shield. Her Love + Grow fashion line has since expanded to include outfits.
52 FASHION Leather is surging in popularity well beyond motorcycle circles, especially given the development of vegan leathers not derived from animals.
Sample the treats at Santa Rosa Beach’s latest candy kitchen, pamper yourself at Beauty By Labelle in Panama City and stuff the latest fashions in a Sea Bag.
61 LIBATIONS The Kennedy, an upscale nightspot in downtown Pensacola, is a cocktail lounge that peacefully co-exists with a whiskey bar.
doesn’t look forward to those seasonal pumpkin lattes? But lots of folks save room for apple pie. 70 DINING OUT As small as they may be, shrimp can be flavor bombs. Boiled, fried, sauteed, baked, barbecued — the possibilities are endless, and so are the resulting flavor profiles.
111 ART In Panama City, Jason Kretzer of the Bay Arts Alliance, views buildings’ exterior walls as canvases. Hammerheads here, butterflies there are popping up all over downtown.
64 DESSERTS The fall of the year is often associated with orange orbs. Who GREEN
Even as insects prepare for winter, gardeners sow fall crops, and plants such as Virginia creeper emerge from once verdant surroundings and show off fall colors.
116 MOVIES Contributing writer and scary movie freak Hannah Burke lists the frighteningly good films that so startled, jolted, repelled and intrigued her that they made her Top 5. 122 BOOKS In Michael Lister’s 27th novel, recurring character John Jordan mixes it up with the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office and looks for suspects in the beating of his teenage niece.
129 INTERIORS Fall brings out colors earthy and rich; natural ingredients make for an easy way to convert a home’s interior to reflect the harvest season.
The Miss Bennie, piloted by Capt. Fred Hunter, heads for the dock in Overstreet where she is kept. Hunter has been shrimping for 43 years. HIs late father, George Hunter Jr., commissioned the building of the boat, which he named after his wife. Her fiberglass hull was unusual among shrimp boats at the time. Today, Northwest Florida’s shrimp fleet, decimated by factors ranging from natural disasters to government regulation, is a tiny fraction of what it once was. “And, there ain’t no one coming up behind me,” Hunter said.
(61),
johnnie-O now open on the Emerald Coast located in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin
From
fast casual to gourmet experiences, Grand Boulevard offers a range of eateries to please every palate.
Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic has broken ground on two new Panama City and Panama City Beach locations, expanding their impact westward.
Dixielectricar, retailer of E-Z-GO golf carts, has opened a new flagship store in Panama City Beach, giving the company a third location.
68 FAVORITE FESTIVAL That seasonal drop in humidity means that the always anticipated Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s Harvest Wine & Food Festival can’t be far off.
ARRAY
The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation hosts the Southeast’s premier art festival featuring over 100 artists from throughout the country at the 27th annual Festival of the Arts.
The Village of Baytowne Wharf’s calendar for October through January is brimming with events that align with the holidays.
All along the Emerald Coast, outdoor festivals and events abound. Make plans, too, to attend one of the area’s many theatrical and musical productions.
BRIAN E. ROWLAND
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MCKENZIE BURLEIGH
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft
MANAGING EDITOR Emilee Struss
SENIOR STAFF WRITER Emma Witmer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hannah Burke, Les Harrison, Lis King, Rochelle Koff, Thomas J. Monigan, Rebecca Padgett Frett, Wynn Parks, Liesel Schmidt, Evgeniya Stetsenko
VICE PRESIDENT / PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut
SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Saige Roberts, Scott Schiller, Shruti Shah
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas
PHOTO EDITOR Ariana Aubuchon
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alissa Aryn Commercial, Michael Booini, Jim Clark, Lou Columbus, Mari Darr~Welch, Mike Fender, Steven Gray, Hannah Marie Photography, Jacqueline Ward Images, Jennifer G Photography, Blake Jones, Land Air Sea Productions, Max Impact Photography, Modus Photography, Sean Murphy, Morgan Summers, Shelly Swanger Photography, Emily Veal
SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi
ADVERTISING SERVICES SPECIALIST Tracy Mulligan
FULFILLMENT SPECIALIST Ra-Nisha Reece SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Julie Dorr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Darla Harrison MARKETING MANAGER Javis Ogden INTEGRATED CONTENT MANAGER Don J. Derosier SALES
It pains me whenever humans are responsible for the disappearance of a species from our planet. I recently learned that the last living male northern white rhinoceros died in 2018, reducing the world’s population of white rhinos to just two females.
Najin and Fatu, the survivors, are cared for at a conservatory in Kenya, where they are protected by armed guards. While the male was still alive, attempts at artificial insemination failed.
Poaching is chiefly to blame for the rhinos’ near extinction. Traditional Asian cultures value powdered rhino horn as a treatment for fevers and other illnesses. Meanwhile, there is no scientific proof that it is medically valuable.
A week after becoming aware of the rhinos’ plight, I emceed Artopia, an art auction in Tallahassee that raises money for Big Bend Cares, a provider of housing, health care and more to HIV-positive people. I have been a supporter of this event and organization for about seven years.
I was thrilled to see that the auction included works by Emerald Coast artists Maxine Orange and Wes Hinds. I bid on their art and other incredible pieces, one of which seemed intended for me.
It was a piece by Starlene DeBord that depicts a northern white rhinoceros, one with colorful henna-like designs sprinkled about its hide. I was lucky enough to submit the winning bid.
Weeks later, the artist messaged me and shared her inspiration for the piece.
“I painted this canvas of a female northern white rhinoceros to raise awareness and to hopefully instill some of the sadness of her expression in us humans,” DeBord wrote. “The flowers and illustrations on her skin represent her life and memories that are fading along with her, as her time on Earth dwindles.”
DeBord’s inspiration for creating the painting was the same as mine for bidding on it. I believe this connection was not merely coincidental.
I am alive at a time when two northern white rhinos remain, but I almost certainly will outlast them. I know that over time, I will look at the painting and be reminded to make good choices for all living things.
It may be too late for the northern white rhinoceros, but it’s not too late for each of us to make changes in efforts to save other living things on our planet. Endangered species that visit our area include sea turtles, manatees, great white sharks and whale sharks.
Endangered sea turtles nest on our beaches, and I encourage you to learn more about measures you can take to help protect these animals. You can begin by not introducing plastic and other harmful waste to the marine environment.
Much love, MCKENZIE BURLEIGH, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com
VISIT THESE WEBSITES TO LEARN MORE: ghof.org seeturtles.org southwaltonturtlewatch.org turtlewatch.org worldwildlife.org
Take steps to protect our planet’s biodiversity
For years, I told myself that I would one day attend a meeting of the South Walton Writers Group. Unfailingly for months, the group’s president, Ronald Larson, had supplied me with reminders of monthly coffees held at the Beat Nook Cafe up on the highway.
Larson is a patient man. He grew up in North Dakota where life involves lots of waiting — for spring, for rain, for calves, for the harvest, for tractor parts.
Finally, I went. At the table, I joined a local historian, two novelists, a freelance writer, a magazine editor and Larson, who specializes in fantasy fiction, sometimes dark. Throw out the freelance writer and the group’s median age was surely north of 60.
Improbably, three members of the meeting, including myself, have ties to the Dakotas. Wynn Parks, a frequent contributor to this magazine, “studied, matured and got divorced” there. My father spent most of his boyhood in South Dakota, and I visited my Great Aunt Eva’s farm in Hope, North Dakota, several times when I was young.
Despite that disproportionate representation, we avoided, while sipping lattes, any mention of wheat or soybeans or pies cooling on windowsills. Parks saw to that by offering a stemwinder of a story about his efforts to authenticate a South Dakota legend, that of the Thoen Stone, named for the Norwegian brothers who discovered it, according to Parks, in 1887.
If longstanding assertions are to be believed, Ezra Kind was part of a seven-member group of men who traveled to the Black Hills in search of gold in 1833, some 15 years before the California Gold Rush commenced. Native Americans killed six of the men, who had trespassed illegally on their land. Kind survived and
documented the party’s success with an inscription, dated 1834, carved into a slab of sandstone.
“Got all the gold we could carry,” the inscription reads in part. Curiously, it was carved into the stone not in block letters, but in script, allowing for handwriting analysis.
Parks, who once worked as a geologist trained on the job, has conducted genealogical research, pored over public records and paged through bound volumes of brittle, 19th-century copies of the Sturgis Advertiser while on a mission to find information about Kind.
About the rock, itself, Parks had an epiphany.
Theorizing that the inscription was carved into the rock with a knife, Parks inspected the stone looking for tiny bits of metal. Finding them, he reasoned that if the rock could be placed beneath a spectrometer, an analysis could be conducted to determine if the trace metal were consistent with knife blades from 1834.
The problem was finding a spectrometer large enough to accommodate the stone. No such device existed anywhere near Spearfish, but Parks located one at the Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, Illinois. Yes!
But would Parks be permitted to leave South Dakota with the Thoen Stone, a cherished South Dakota artifact, poor man’s runestone and modest tourist attraction? Not a chance. Still, he would not quit. Kind eluded the Native Americans who killed his colleagues, but in Parks, he may have met his match.
Larson at last changed the subject — to lutefisk — before mentioning that he had submitted a scrap of flash fiction to 101 Words, an organization that publishes selected stories of precisely that length. While his submittal was rejected, he was pleased to receive it back with comments!
Inspired to take a stab at my own 101-worder, I have arrived at …
He used to keep a rooster, but today the only bird song is that of a keening osprey. I wade into Grand Lagoon. A hundred yards offshore, large predators bust the surface. They must be something other than dolphins — there is no rhythmic appearance and disappearance of dorsal fins. It may have rained ladyfish overnight. I catch one on every cast. A 12-incher jumps, shimmies and gashes itself on a treble hook. I recall that sharks can detect blood in water at infinitesimal concentrations — a part per million. I’ll come back tomorrow. He sloshes out to check his crab traps.
I’ll let you know how I fare. Mr. Larson, keep those reminders coming.
Be well,
STEVE BORNHOFT EXECUTIVE EDITORsbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com
A writer wants to know if the past has been rewritten
You can schedule important health screenings now — including mammograms — where it’s even more convenient for you. Ascension
Sacred Heart has opened Women’s Diagnostic Centers in Watersound and Santa Rosa Beach — close to home, with care teams that take the time to listen and understand you. Choose imaging, testing and care that’s designed and personalized for women:
• 3D mammograms and breast ultrasounds
• Bone density testing
• Pelvic floor rehabilitation
• A nurse navigator who connects the dots for any additional care
A 3D mammogram may require an additional fee if your insurance carrier does not cover the full cost. Please check with your carrier to determine if you will be responsible for any of the costs.
Appointments available now. To schedule, visit ascension.org/SacredHeartMammogram or call 850-278-3800
Ascension Sacred Heart Watersound Origins Women’s Diagnostic Center 75 Origins Main St., Suite 201 Watersound, FL 32461
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Women’s Diagnostic Center 179 Mack Bayou Loop, Suite 102 Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
We are giving away four-day passes for two to the 30A Songwriters Festival produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and scheduled for Jan. 13–16, 2023. Enjoy access to 250 songwriters performing in more than 35 dedicated listening rooms on Scenic Highway 30A in South Walton. One lucky winner will be selected on Dec. 16, 2022, in time to spring the prize on someone special at the holidays.
Enter to win today at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/giveaways.
Dermatology Specialists of Florida enables clients to be comfortable in their skin with state-of-the-art spotlight treatments. Learn more from the experts at the practice’s Panama City location here: EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ sponsored-content/beauty-links
From fast and casual to fine dining, you’ll find a delicious dining option at Grand Boulevard. Read a tasty story that touches upon much of the fine fare you will find there: EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ sponsored-content/culture-links
Foaming at the mouth as fall beer season moves into full swing? Take a look back at an Emerald Coast Magazine story about visits to some of our region’s favorite breweries.
EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ check-out-the-seasons-best-beer
Do you love the idea of receiving the Emerald Coast newsletter in your inbox but not sure how to sign up for it? We’ve got you covered right here: EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/contact-us.
Get your tickets today for the Best of the Emerald Coast, the mustnot-miss celebration of the fall season at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin. Don’t delay; ticket prices increase the week of the event.
850tix.com/events/2022-best-of-theemerald-coast-10-15-2022
For long months, Laura Vida, moved by love and gratitude, lived in the basement of her mother’s home in Park City, Utah. Thirty years earlier, Janis, satisfied that music was the key to her daughter’s happiness, had delivered Laura to Nashville in a Toyota Corolla.
Now Janis, ravaged by Parkinson’s disease, was deteriorating, and Laura returned to the Wasatch Range to serve as her caregiver until a move to an assisted living facility might become necessary. But with elevation came isolation and self-medication. Laura, removed from the community of musicians that had surrounded and supported her for decades, grew starved for her life’s breath.
“I took a hiatus, but I did not give up,” Vida said. Even before arrangements were made enabling her to leave Utah, a piano, she said, pulled from her a song, The Color of Music.
She wakes up in the morning, Puts on her favorite song, Takes her brush to the canvas, And a vision’s becoming so strong.
She finds inspiration from deep within And there a beautiful melody begins. The Color of Music is in the soul …
In again heading east from a mountain town where she once attracted ravenous eyeballs by wearing red heels instead of the predominant felt-lined pac boots favored by both men and women, Vida was further activated. Melodies stirred, words came together and Vida was on the move.
She sold her place in Nashville “at the right time” and landed in Blue Mountain Beach in Walton County where she shares a beautifully refreshed home with Karen Holder, a Realtor whom she relies upon as an advisor and manager.
“I am alive and back to writing like crazy,” Vida said. “Music is greens and blues and emerald. They are the colors of the sea and the most beautiful places in the world. Moving here and seeing the color of the water, it’s changed me.”
She plays for a visiting writer an anthem of independence, I Play My Own Kind of Blues, assuring him that he is the first person ever to hear it performed, and then proclaims, “It’s a hit.”
→ Laura Vida is a lover, and she says, “Lovers make mistakes, and I’ve made mine.” She has found that her trusting nature equates to vulnerability that leads to experiences of a sort that bring about the best songs.
Her music room is chockablock with a hectic assortment of personal artifacts — a 4-foot giraffe with a coat of gold leaf; a framed, typewritten letter given to her by Dolly Parton at the Wild Boar restaurant on Music Row in Nashville; a Buddha topped with a feathered turban; an outsized, Warholesque painting of Marilyn Monroe purchased at a Tallahassee art fair; oars from a crew boat; a raccoon stuffed by a taxidermist.
Along an interior wall is the piano given to her by her grandmother, who was perhaps the first person to recognize the irrepressibility of her musical talent.
“It’s a Knabe,” Vida points out, “one of the richest sounding pianos. Frank Sinatra favored them. Grandma had it in her restaurant, and the ivory keys became stained with smoke and one of them was chipped.”
Vacasa’s modern vacation home management makes the experience life-changing for your home and your pocket. Partnering with our local team in Panama City Beach means giving yourself and your guests the ultimate peace of mind under one personalized management fee:
Vacasa’s modern vacation home management makes the experience life-changing for your home and your pocket. Partnering with our local team in Panama City Beach means giving yourself and your guests the ultimate peace of mind under one personalized management fee:
Sophisticated digital marketing
Sophisticated digital marketing
Marketing and pricing tech that help keep your vacation home booked
Marketing and pricing tech that help keep your vacation home booked
High-standards of home care
High-standards of home care
Proactive inspections, plus fully-managed professional cleanings and turnovers
Proactive inspections, plus fully-managed professional cleanings and turnovers
Our homeowner app Easy-to-use tools to check your earnings, reserve personal trips, and beyond
Our homeowner app Easy-to-use tools to check your earnings, reserve personal trips, and beyond
Discover what our local teams can do for your vacation home.
Discover what our local teams can do for your vacation home.
Vacasa.com/pcb-fl | 850-605-2826
Vacasa.com/pcb-fl | 850-605-2826
↑ Laura Vida loves animals both wild and domestic. Her treasured cat, Henry, is round and has been around — he’s 14. Vida has heard reports of black bear sightings near her Blue Mountain Beach and would like to see the bruin — at a distance.
Vida was highly displeased when Grandma replaced the keys and failed to retain the ivory.
“We could have at least put them in a shadow box,” she said. To be sure, they wouldn’t be out of place in her music room; perhaps nothing would.
Henry, Vida’s 14-year-old, very plump cat, clamors for attention. “OK, this has gotta stop,” Vida says and tosses a couple of pencil eraser-sized treats along the tile floor. Henry, despite his impressive girth, bolts after them, and Vida talks about her early days.
“My mother made my very first recording session happen in Newport Beach, California, when I was 16,” she says. “They couldn’t believe that someone my age had the songs I had. One of my very first was I Can Make You Happy. To this day, it’s a great song.”
In California, she would play at the Balboa Bay Club and join in a trio with Lee
Ferrell, who for 27 years played piano, sax and Hammond organ for the Righteous Brothers. Ferrell mixed physical comedy in with performances, displaying, for example, strappy “musician’s underwear” that could be cinched up to the point where it made a man sing higher, or so the gag went.
“He was funny as hell,” Vida said about Ferrell, who passed along his gift for humor to a son, Will.
Nashville, when Vida arrived there in 1990, was small and quaint, a place that proceeded on the basis of handshake deals.
“You’d see Neil Young walk by,” Vida recalled. “I smoked a doob with Don Everly.”
She met and co-wrote songs with great talents, all of them men. She acquired as friends music makers Larry Henley, the lead singer for the Newbeats; Harlan Howard (I Fall to Pieces); Jim Weatherly (Midnight Train to Georgia); Stewart Harris (No One Else on Earth); Jon Ims (She’s in Love with the Boy).
“I wasn’t cookie-cutter country, but I could sing, and I went down that road to try to fit in,” Vida said. “I came to Nashville not knowing what the hell, and I was thrown into this mix, and it was amazing.”
She performed a showcase at the Ryman Auditorium. That night, she had Patsy Cline’s dressing room.
“Garth Brooks had a brand-new microphone in a case with a big gold G,” Vida smiled. “They walked it over to me across Music Row, and that’s what I used in my first session writing songs. My lips touched Garth’s microphone.”
When Vida recorded her first album, she did so in a large studio where Shania Twain, Sammy Kershaw and Clint Black also were at work. Backing her up were the Jordonaires, who backed up Elvis.
“You could talk to anybody and say, ‘Hey, man, let’s go write a song,’” Vida said. “A lot of things occurred spontaneously, and it’s supposed to be that way. Your best stuff comes that way.” Music is like sex.
“I saw a lot of people fold up in Nashville and go away, but I never did,” Vida said. “A lot of wonderful things happened, but I don’t base success on having a big record deal.”
Longevity matters.
“I’m still doing music, and what is so fun is that the dream is still there,” Vida said. “It’s really about the journey, and that’s something I’ve had to learn over the years. I have the privilege of being able to do what I always wanted to do.”
Vida is a musical omnivore, an optimist with scar tissue, a vulnerable lover who is trusting to a fault. She can be pure or sultry or defiant. Her recordings reflect all of that. Her voice has the texture of what she’s been through.
“I can make you laugh, and I can make you cry,” she said.
Of late, she has been working on a lighthearted song, She’s In a Dude Mood, which like She Plays Her Own Kind of Blues, is an expression of female fortitude. She can’t help laughing as she reads her own lyrics …
Woke up this morning, smell the coffee on Go downstairs, my baby’s already gone. His favorite hat’s missing, boots nowhere in sight Looks like it’s gonna be a real long night.
Scratchin’ my head, don’t know what to do Look out, y’all, she’s in a dude mood.
Muddin’ with my friends, Hopin’ this day’ll never end.
They’ve grown comfortable now, Vida and the writer. She raises a glass of lemonade, invites a cheers.
At his suggestion that she can sound sometimes like a nightingale with a packa-day habit, she explodes.
“That’s hysterical,” she roars. “We’re gonna have to make that into a funny song, me and you.” EC
“A person with a lot of love makes mistakes and I have, but I hate to see people throwing their lives away on drugs and I hate to see women who think they need to be the size of the neck on that guitar, drinking vodka and Ozempic. I was thin when I was drinking, and I’m not a big person to begin with — well, I am now, but what the hell, more to love.”
Grand Boulevard’s array of restaurants has you covered. Whether you’re running errands and need a quick bite, possibly a fresh salad or wrap from everkrisp; or you’re celebrating a major milestone and decide to have a special meal at Emeril’s Coastal or Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar; or you simply need an afternoon pick-me-up, so you stop into Black Bear Bread Co. or Kilwins.
No matter the occasion, from fast and casual to fine dining, you would be hardpressed not to find a dining option you adore at Grand Boulevard.
“The great thing about Grand Boulevard’s restaurant options is
we’ve got the best of all worlds from locally owned to nationally known names,” said Stacey Brady, director of marketing and communications with Grand Boulevard.
With 16 dining experiences, whatever your tastebuds tingle for, Grand Boulevard likely has it.
Say you’re shopping and you want a sit-down experience with a filling meal, Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizza is noted as having some of the best slices in the region, with fans flocking to the meatball pizza.
The Craft Bar is a locally owned gastropub that’s a great place to gather with friends. Try out local, regional and
national craft beers paired with standout menu items like the hot chicken or an array of burger options.
Everkrisp’s tagline is “where farm meets fast food.” Diners enjoy farm-totable fresh salads, wraps and sandwiches to sit down or to-go. Everkrisp proves fast doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality ingredients.
Black Bear Bread Co., a locally owned company that opened its second location at Grand Boulevard, specializes in artisan, fresh-from-scratch bread and pastries. Begin the day with a pastry and coffee,
and in the afternoon, transition to a glass of wine and a baguette.
A favorite for breakfast, brunch and lunch, Another Broken Egg plates comfort food from benedicts to Belgian waffles to brunch cocktails. Speaking of libations, The Wine Bar and Vin’tij Food & Wine are known for their perfect pours and pairings.
The Wine Bar may present itself as casual, but the artisan, chef-inspired menu is anything but casual. The atmosphere makes for an ideal happy hour, date night or girls’ night out.
Vin’tij is an award-winning restaurant serving fresh foods from local purveyors paired with an extensive and impressive wine list. If you enjoyed the wine you sipped with your meal, you can head over to the wine shop to purchase a takehome bottle.
If your heart flutters at the mention of chips and queso, or you never miss a Taco Tuesday, Cantina Laredo should be on your radar. The menu is flexible with casual fares like burritos and fajitas or upscale options such as fish and steak. No matter what, the tableside guacamole is a must-order.
Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar came to Grand Boulevard as a first-inmarket dining option. The garden room and patio overlook the park providing pleasant scenery to enjoy island-inspired seafood, steaks and signature cocktails.
To impress family, friends or coworkers, Emeril’s Coastal and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar are prime locations. As a South Walton resident, chef personality Emeril Lagasse has a deep appreciation for the nearby coastal seafood, which is featured prominently on the menu. Diners have been known to see the chef himself in the kitchen from time to time. You won’t go wrong with an excellently cooked steak from Fleming’s delectable menu.
Nationally known chains Jimmy John’s, Starbucks, P.F. Chang’s and Kilwins promise speedy service and reliable food and beverage offerings.
“Ideally, we offer something unique to our market, something you’re not going to see elsewhere around here,” Brady said. “When dining and drinking at Grand Boulevard, you’re going to experience quality food, great customer service and a pleasant atmosphere.”
For a few years now, Visit Panama City Beach, a tourism promotion organization, has maintained a three-word brand position: Real. Fun. Beach.
It’s ambiguous. Is “Real” meant to qualify “Fun” or is it meant to signify authentic or genuine?
“It works both ways,” said Dan Rowe, Visit Panama City Beach’s president and CEO. “Real fun is not necessarily the
most grammatically correct, but it is true. Real stands alone, but it also amplifies fun. Those three little words are incredibly important as we look out into the world and the world looks into us.”
Rowe isn’t inclined to tinker with the VPCB motto — even if the practice of separating words in a stance line with periods so as to add emphasis to each word passes from view — but his outlook on the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches suggests that he wouldn’t object strenuously to the addition of Reliable.
“Panama City Beach for generations has been one of the truly all-American beach towns,” he said during an interview. “It goes all the way back to the 1930s. This has been a place that people have come to, year in and year out, because the quality of the experience is always so high. There are a lot of beaches in the nation that you go to for a very specific purpose, but this is a beach where you come to relax, chill out and have fun.”
↖ Visit
Sports tourism has become an important part of the visitation mix at the “Home of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” VPCB is working on plans for an indoor sports facility that will adjoin the sports complex’s existing fields of play and host gymnastics, volleyball and other events.
Rowe holds in special regard the early developers of Panama City Beach, including Gideon “Gil” Thomas.
Thomas recalls Harvey Jackson III in his fine history, The Rise and Fall of the Redneck Riviera, “bought a little over 100 acres adjacent to J.E. Churchill’s Long Beach Resort and named it Panama City Beach. Selling the project wasn’t easy, but Thomas’ enthusiasm was contagious. He raised the money, laid out the streets and made them passable with oyster shells brought in from Apalachicola. Then he built a two-story, 12room hotel along with a few tourist cottages. Gated with an arch, the development was so brightly lit at night that it could be seen
Any deficiency in a building project can be considered a construction defect, including improperly designed materials, poor workmanship, failure to follow construction codes, defective architectural designs, lack of planning and supervision, and more. If you are experiencing construction defects in your new or remodeled home, our attorneys will review your situation and evaluate the legal options.
from the downtown Dixie-Sherman Hotel, located across St. Andrew Bay.”
Said Rowe about Thomas, “When he opened the first hotel on the sand at Panama City Beach, people ridiculed him. His response was, ‘I’m not here to grow vegetables, I’m here to grow people.’ He had an insight that really helped define our destination.”
On, in, under Rowe spoke to the natural assets that account for Panama City Beach’s enduring appeal.
“The old adage is that when you get our sand between your toes, you’ll be back,” he said. “That has to do with the quality of the beach and the sand and the whole experience of being out on the Gulf. J.E. Churchwell came up with the tagline ‘World’s Most Beautiful Beaches,’ and it stuck because it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true. Our water is spectacular. When there is no weather system in the Gulf, it is just stunning. We don’t have the big river systems flowing into our bays, so our water clarity is phenomenal.”
That clarity makes Panama City Beach a Florida diving destination second only to the Keys in popularity.
“The beach is our No. 1 attribute, and we show up on best beach lists all the time, but we encourage everyone to get on, get in and get under the water while they are here,” Rowe said.
Amid the sun, the sand, the water and the salt air is fun, and that, Rowe said, “is the glue that holds it all together.
“You come here and you have a smile on your face. The definition of fun will change at different times of the year, but fun is always the centerpiece, whether it’s a family in the summertime, a jazz aficionado during the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, winter residents coming down here to beat the bitter Midwestern cold or a country music fan. Everybody is coming here to have fun. It is really cool to be able to market that because as the world gets crazier, people need to be able to reconnect and be able to put it all aside for a while.”
In Bay County, first Hurricane Michael and then a global pandemic
↑ Panama City Beach, in the estimation of its promoter-in-chief Dan Rowe, has been a quintessential beach vacation destination for going on 100 years. “There are beaches in the nation that you go to for a very specific purpose,” he said, “but this is a beach where you come to relax, chill out and have fun.”
reminded people of the preciousness of connections with others and the importance of good times “because there are some things that are out of our control,” Rowe said. “We’ve done quite well in the aftermath of the pandemic because our fundamentals are very strong: You can come down here, go outside, hang out on the beach, be socially distanced and make sense of the world.”
Even as the Panama City Beach area has begun to become home to largescale residential developments and is seeing a proliferation of branded hotels, Rowe said, its homegrown small businesses remain foundational to the PCB experience and the renewal of traditions each year among regular visitors. Dusty’s Oyster Bar, Goofy Golf, Half Hitch Tackle, the Shell Port and countless other owner-operated businesses are permanent fixtures of the landscape.
The summer months when children are out of school will always be peak season in
Panama City Beach and an area defined by Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville figures always to be its primary market.
“But we are now seeing a lot of visitation from up the I-65 and I-75 corridors — Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, St. Louis,” Rowe said. “And Texas is a very important market for us. One market that is interesting to me is Orlando. We get a lot of people who come up here from there. That’s a testament to the experience we provide. Because living in Orlando, you’re just a few hours from everywhere in Florida.”
Visit Panama City Beach’s marketing efforts have evolved and expanded over time in response to the ways in which people obtain and consume information.
“We are a digital-first marketing agency and as such, we’re able to introduce Panama City Beach to audiences that we couldn’t reach back in the days of TV and print media,” Rowe said. “Now, we can talk to a much larger audience much more efficiently.”
Given the resumption of international travel, Visit Panama City Beach is relaunching its marketing efforts in the United Kingdom.
The COVID-19 pandemic both disrupted and benefitted Panama City Beach.
On one hand, it forced the postponement of events owned and sponsored by VPCB. At the same time, people altered travel plans and extended their stays.
“If you are able to work remotely and your kids are going to school virtually, well, a lot of people chose to do that here,” Rowe said. “We have a safer environment than those in a lot of large metro areas. As an economic downturn, the pandemic for us lasted just about 60 days beginning in the middle of March 2020. When the governor reopened the state to shortterm rentals, we were able to get back to business in the middle of May, and we have been growing strong ever since.”
The pandemic meanwhile spurred the popularity of vacation rentals that enable visitors to “control their environment,” Rowe said.
“You can decide when you are going to engage, you don’t have to eat every single meal at a restaurant and you have more space. That sense of space and being able to get away from the crowd is incredibly important. Even though in the summer there are a lot of people on the beach, you still have the ability to enjoy your own little slice of heaven.”
For Rowe, Panama City Beach is an unpretentious place.
“Our visitors look like the average American,” he said. “People of different socio-economic levels come here — we have people who save up to come on vacation to the beach once a year, and we have other people who come here all the time and for whom money in no object. You’ll see Ford F-150 pickup trucks, and you’ll see Range Rovers. But this is one of those great places where everyone is welcome.”
Visit Panama City Beach owns the new Panama City Beach Sports Complex at the eastern end of an area that has come to be known as Breakfast Point, and it is working on plans to develop an indoor sports center that will adjoin the complex’s baseball diamonds and rectangular fields of play. That indoor facility — it will host volleyball matches
and gymnastics meets, and VPCB is looking at wiring it for e-sports — will contribute to making visitation in Panama City Beach less seasonal.
Panama City Beach doesn’t drive off a cliff when school resumes anymore, and that, Rowe said, is a change that has occurred gradually over time.
“It used to be that the 100 days of summer were it,” he said. “There was a reason why Panama City Beach got into Spring Break when it did. It was an economic development strategy so businesses could start to bridge the gap between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Now, we have more year-round businesses. Many shopping malls are having a hard time given the advent of online shopping, but Pier Park is an exception. It’s an attraction. Retailers there are doing well, and there is very low turnover from year to year.”
Where does Rowe, promoter-in-chief of Real. Fun. Beach. go to find his little slice of heaven? He fly fishes but not for pompano or bream.
“I prefer being in a cold mountain stream,” said Rowe, who grew up in the West as the son of a National Park Service employee.
“I lived off and on for a decade in Colorado and fished many of the trout streams there,” Rowe said. “I went to Colorado State, and the Roaring Fork was my home water. I have not fished any of the streams up in the Yellowstone area, and the Madison and the Jefferson are definitely on my bucket list.”
Rowe recalled a time spent fishing a pool beneath the Navajo Dam in the desert in southeastern Colorado.
“The trout — big ones — were eating little flies. It was hard to see the flies we were using, much less tie them on. You would see the fish and float a fly by them and all of a sudden, one of them would hit it and those fish would just take off and you would pop more of them off than you could turn. But it was so much fun.”
At his mention of fun, Rowe’s thoughts come back home.
“Panama City Beach has been tested, and we have weathered the storm and withstood the test of time,” he said. “The staff here are dedicated to this place because they love what they do, and they love where they are.”
So does Rowe. EC
Michael Boblitz, chief executive officer of Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC), is continuously seeking ways to serve patients best. In doing so, he took to a map of Northwest Florida to track the destinations they were travelling from to the clinic. Tracing map lines quickly became blueprints to two new offices in Panama City and Panama City Beach.
TOC was opened in 1974 by Dr. Doug Henderson and Dr. Tom Haney who saw the need for an orthopedic clinic specializing in sports medicine in a region with a wealth of high school and college sports teams. Today, between eight offices in Florida and Georgia, there are 32 physicians, 47 physician extenders and over 300 employees.
In October of 2022, the TOC Panama City office at 2011 Harrison Ave. will open.
The other new location, TOC Panama City
Beach clinic is estimated to be in operation by the fall of 2024. This will bring the total to ten clinics.
The organization is excited to announce that the TOC Panama City Beach location will be in conjunction with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Florida State University College of Medicine and The St. Joe Company. The 80,000-square-foot building will house TOC on the second floor with primary care on the first, cardiovascular on the third and surgical care on the fourth floor.
“Panama City Beach is growing by leaps and bounds with a lot of promising development happening,” said Boblitz. “It seemed like a great opportunity to open two offices to serve not only Bay County but the other growing adjacent counties as well, such as Walton and Gulf, to fulfill our promise to keep people healthy, active and strong through prevention, preservation and wellness.”
These offices will replicate the Tallahassee office over the next few years offering comprehensive care in the areas of joint reconstruction, sports medicine, regenerative medicines, diagnostic imaging, hand and wrist, foot and ankle, pain management, orthotics and prosthetics, shoulder and elbow, pediatric orthopedics, concussion, spine and back, trauma, physical therapy and more.
Boblitz is excited to welcome Eric A. Branch, MD, specializing in orthopedic sports medicine alongside Ryan Price, MD, specializing in pediatric orthopedics and Andy Borom, MD, specializing in foot and ankle surgery to the TOC Panama City location, beginning services in October.
With more doctors coming on board and an array of services, the idea is that patients receive total orthopedic care in one location rather than bouncing
from office to office, which Boblitz refers to as the “ping-pong effect.”
Alongside convenience, the clinic has a clear vision to be a trusted partner to all who cross theirs doors by becoming a leading value-based organization that embraces cost reduction, quality and clinical experience.
“Access to all is very important to us,” said Boblitz. “We provide easy access to high-quality physicians who practice affordable medicine.”
To achieve this goal, they’ve established themselves as the only clinics within a wide radius that accept all forms of insurance and Medicaid, along with instant access through the TOC Orthopedic Urgent Care Clinic, referred to as “TOC Now.”
Further, the TOC online scheduling service allows the community to avoid antagonizing phone calls by easily scheduling an appointment with any
provider of choice, 24 hours a day, from a mobile and desktop device (teamtoc.com). “Our $400 MRI, for example, saves patients with high deductible insurance plans about $1,600 (or more),” Boblitz said.
The money that is paid is often invested right back into the communities through nonprofit fundraisers, community events, clothing/food drives and disaster relief. Through the clinic’s sports medicine outreach program, they serve over 42 Big Bend schools and are the official team physicians of Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College.
“We look forward to serving the Panama City and Panama City Beach communities within their own communities by getting residents seen and treated with the aim of getting them active again,” said Boblitz.
Harvest combats food insecurity in Okaloosa and Walton counties
by EMMA WITMERDespite the United States’ status as one of the largest food-producing countries in the world, 38% of our nation’s population goes hungry every year. According to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks, Florida exceeds 2.2 million living with food insecurity.
Why then, in a country with an abundance of resources, is hunger such a pervasive issue? One answer (and possible solution) is food waste. In 2017, the USDA’s Economic Research Service estimated between 30% and 40% of the country’s food supply went to waste.
Destin Harvest, a nonprofit organization operating in Okaloosa and Walton counties, stops waste dead in its tracks, diverting surplus food from local grocers to more than 40 feeding programs across its two-county service area.
“We are a very small program,” said Destin Harvest Executive Director Chris Leavenworth. “At most, we may have three people, and we are distributing about 100,000 to 200,000 pounds of food a month. That all goes out to food pantries, soup kitchens, churches and more.” To qualify for assistance, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) or tax-exempt organization, the food must be offered for free and they cannot require the individuals to attend a service.
One organization that benefits from Destin Harvest’s services is CALM House. CALM (Crisis Aid for Littles and Moms) is a Christian faith-based program that provides secure housing, healthy meals, child care, counseling and classes to at-risk mothers and children. Thanks to Destin Harvest, CALM has drastically reduced its food spending, allowing the program to expand the services offered to its residents.
“I think the biggest benefit outside of here for our residents is that our past residents know that this truck shows up every Wednesday at noon, and if they are in need of groceries, they can come and (the driver) will give them food as well,” said CALM President, Chanie Erb.
Leavenworth got involved with Destin Harvest back in 2008, just one year after benefactor and current board chair, George Landegger, founded the organization.
Landegger is a successful businessman who frequently vacations in the area. Over the years, Landegger has leveraged his wealth to create surplus feeding programs like Destin Harvest in states such as New York and Alabama, but it was through his ties with the Destin waterfront restaurant, Harbor Docks, that Landegger first saw the need for such a program in Okaloosa and Walton counties.
“Harbor Docks has a free meal that they do every Thanksgiving,” Leavenworth said. “The beautiful thing about that event is you have a wide mix of people that show up. You have people who are well-to-do. They come because it’s an event that they look forward to every year. Then you have families that are genuinely in need of a meal that day, and they all eat together.”
Like any lofty goal, Destin Harvest started small. When Leavenworth came on board as a part-time weekend driver, the program had one large truck, which Leavenworth would use to pick up surplus ingredients from restaurants across the two-county area and deliver on the same day.
“The reality of restaurants is that they are really good at limiting waste,” Leavenworth said. “So, a lot of times you would be driving across Destin or Santa Rosa Beach for potatoes, and they just wouldn’t have enough.”
↑ Destin Harvest rarely stores the food it receives. When its drivers pick up a shipment, that food goes out the same day, ensuring that those benefiting from the program receive the freshest possible meat and produce. Due to rising food and housing costs, people are lining up at pickup sites in record numbers.
This challenge inspired the Destin Harvest board to establish a relationship with Feeding the Gulf Coast, which gave the organization access to surpluses from local grocery stores at the meager cost of one cent per pound of food. With this sudden increase in available supply came the need for additional transportation, and around 2009, Destin Harvest added two more trucks to its fleet.
“When I got started with Destin Harvest, I was very curious about what it was,” Leavenworth said. “I can’t say that I had a previous passion about hunger relief. That would be totally disingenuous of me, but once I got on the truck and started driving and meeting our programs and understanding what it was we were doing, I pretty much immediately felt connected with it.”
Today, Destin Harvest is primarily supported by Landegger and other benefactors, though many residents make small, monthly donations that help support the program. Leavenworth said that, as time goes on, Destin Harvest hopes to shift into a community-supported model.
“Just $18 will cover 100 pounds every month,” Leavenworth said. “If we were able to build that kind of organic community support, that would get us into a great place. Ultimately, that is what we are striving for, to secure our future in Okaloosa and Walton counties because who knows how long we can maintain getting support through the benefactors we have now? They aren’t going to be around forever.”
With every $100 in donations it receives, Destin Harvest is able to distribute over 700 pounds of food to feeding programs in Okaloosa and Walton counties. The organization also relies on the generosity of the community to meet expenses for truck repairs, fuel costs and other cost items related to food rescue and distribution. Destin Harvest provides an opportunity for all, both residents and tourists alike, to give back to the community. Visit destinharvest.org and click on Donate Now to make a contribution.
Long-term Growth Strategy’s annual performance the last five years, ending March 31, 2022, is 18.43% per year compared to 13.99% for its benchmark. Morningstar has it ranked in the top 3% in performance out of 448 similar strategies.
Amainstay of Alys Beach’s Town Center and favorite of locals and visitors alike, NEAT Bottle Shop and Tasting Room is tucked along 30A between George’s and The Citizen. Clean, smart design punctuated with bold red accents, NEAT stands out against the bright white architecture of Alys Beach, offering a cozy space to pick up items for imbibing elsewhere, or for enjoying onsite.
The Bottle Shop offers a curated selection of artisan spirits, wines, craft beers, and small-batch canned cocktails as well as a refined collection of barware and gift items. A knowledgeable team is at the ready to guide shopping selections or craft the tasting experience as the shop flows into the Tasting Room. The bar room extends into a light-filled space
for tableside service and also outdoors for an alfresco, café-style setting.
NEAT’s Tasting Room features a creative menu of seasonal cocktails, reimagined on the monthly; wines and beers; and shareable plates designed to complement the beverage experience. The weekly Wine & Song event brings live music performances and special wine features to the Tasting Room. Popup tastings and special tasting events benefiting charities are also in the NEAT events line-up throughout the year, with Thanksgiving holiday Whiskey Tasting benefiting Warrick Dunn Charities and Wine Down — Stocking Up benefiting the Point Washington Medical Clinic on the annual roster.
Through Alys Beach’s 30A Wine Festival and select pop-ups throughout the year, NEAT has built relationships
with small-batch producers, craft distillers and family-owned wineries from around the country, furthering the experience of the special and the intentional at NEAT. These relationships give an authenticity and depth to the offerings, adding a story of community and lifestyle, woven imperceptibly through the Bottle Shop and Tasting Room there in the heart of Alys Beach.
As any good business owner should, Colin Gorman, owner of Dixielectricar, knows his target market. After years of operating two stores in Santa Rosa Beach and Fort Walton Beach, Dixielectricar has opened its third location, a flagship showroom in Panama City Beach.
Dixielectricar has been a street-legal golf cart retailer since 1972, exclusively offering the highest premium product in the industry, E-Z-GO golf carts. Style, luxury and ease are all adjectives to describe the Emerald Coast lifestyle, which happens to be synonymous with the E-Z-GO name.
As the other two locations grew in sales, the region of Bay County was also expanding. Gorman noted that Bay County, in particular west Panama City Beach, was developing the community of Margaritaville that would cater to the golf cart lifestyle.
“There were many factors to consider in bringing a new store to Panama City Beach — new neighborhood developments, the new airport, an increase in not only tourism, but second homeowners and new residents — all of these factors equate to increased golf cart use,” Gorman said.
The 5,000-square-foot Panama City Beach showroom opened in June of 2022 in Pier Park between Dick’s Sporting Goods and World Market. According to Gorman, this is the first store to exclusively sell golf carts in Panama City Beach.
Not just any golf carts at that. E-ZGO, including the new luxury Liberty line, is a standout in the market for the rapid-charge system and a 56-volt lithium battery that produces more power and range than other carts.
The showroom allows guests to view the options and see the exact
price they’ll be paying on the tag. In the spirit of efficiency and ease, all transactions are handled digitally. You’ll leave assured you paid a fair price and that your cart will be delivered to you.
Each purchase comes with an eightyear warranty and access to the Santa Rosa Beach service shop for repairs and replacements. The 30-to-40-minute drive is worth the customer service, expertise, same-day service and access to parts that competitors take weeks to obtain.
Gorman and his team intend for each interaction to be transparent, informative, easy and enjoyable.
“We appreciate our customers throughout the years because they are really the reason we’ve been successful and able to expand,” Gorman said. “We look forward to making new clients and friends at our Panama City Beach location.”
Shop designer brands with looks for the day and night, plus beachwear, activewear and styles for the little ones Browse designers like Lilly Pulitzer, Jude Connolly and Show Me Your Mumu for the ladies. For the guys, Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, and don't forget an amazing selection of children’s clothing and toys too!
Located in the Village of Baytowne Wharf | @ShopSandestin
36468
DESTIN
MICHAEL L. YANDEL, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist
JUAN C. ZARATE, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist
ANTHONY S. AL-DEHNEH, DO, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist
GEORGE A. YOUSSEF, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist
SHADY HENIEN, MD, MBA, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist
ANGEL D. MORROBEL, MD, FACC Invasive Cardiologist
AJIT H. JANARDHAN, MD, PhD, FACC, FHRS Cardiac Electrophysiology
IAN L. WEISBERG, MD, FACC, FHRS, Cardiac Electrophysiology
Creative ideas can sprout out of the most challenging situations. That’s exactly what happened when Lindsey Smith had to find a solution to her baby’s wardrobe and all the quick changes that babies need growing up. Her daughter was 9 months old and needed to wear bibs almost all the time. Right then, Lindsey realized she either must buy more bibs, or she could make her own bibs out of fabric, as well as matching dresses and rompers. All she wanted was for her baby to look cute in her matching outfits.
The idea quickly developed into a business venture, and Lindsey’s bibs started selling under “Bibly Baby.” It was doing well, but the creative juices kept flowing, so Lindsey started making matching outfits — dresses, rompers, sets for boys and girls, you name it! The brand started growing and shaping into its own thing.
Soon after, her husband Nick joined the team, and they took off on this exciting adventure together. During the pandemic in 2020, when everyone was shopping online, the brand gathered a lot of attention, and it was crucial to work as a team. He even came up
with the name, Love + Grow. More orders started coming in, and they got busier by the minute. However, there were more exciting things coming to Lindsey and Nick. In 2021 they moved from Atlanta to the Emerald Coast and decided to call this their home. Nick was originally from this area, and it was only natural to bring the new “baby” home.
After the whole family moved and settled, Lindsey decided that she wanted to open a store showcasing all the fun designs and introduce the local area to their brand. With heartwarming support and help from family and friends, they opened the store in March of 2022. Since then, they’ve added more staff to their team and fresh outfits to their inventory. The husband-and-wife duo share
responsibilities very well — Nick takes care of shipping, financials and the warehouse, while Lindsey takes on the creative role and handles the design and marketing part of the business.
↑ These young visitors to the Love + Grow retail outlet were pressed into service as impromptu models. By the looks of them, they’ve been modeling all their lives.
The coastal area helped the business expand into new designs, and their line of swimwear has quickly become their customers’ favorite. People travel to visit the store and get a chance to purchase exclusive in-store items that are not sold online. The local community response has been so great that it has been one of the biggest challenges so far to keep certain designs in stock.
Besides matching children’s clothing, Love + Grow carries outfits for main holidays like Christmas, Fourth of July and Halloween for the whole family. They are always a big hit! Their custom, handmade embroidered pajamas are one of the most requested items. One of the most popular prints for the brand is “Rainbow Hearts” in a Candyland pattern.
Lindsey shared how grateful she was to find a watercolor artist to create custom graphics for the fabrics and manufacturers overseas to help her grow her business.
The brand makes clothes for children ages 6 months to 12 years, both boys and girls, as well as men’s and women’s swimwear. Matching mother-daughter outfits and swimwear are hard to keep in stock, but this doesn’t stop the brand from growing. The unique designs and custom fabrics are the main factors why Love + Grow is so in demand. In the future, Lindsey and Nick are looking to expand into beach-specific items like beach towels, casual wear and more.
As of right now, the store is operating out of a location in Santa Rosa Beach. With the continuing support from the community, Lindsey plans to open a second location on 30A, still keeping the online store and expanding its merchandise line. The sky’s the limit here!
“I design everything with my heart, and I want families visiting this area to make great memories and look cute while they’re doing it,” Lindsey said.
Leather trends aren’t just for punk rockers and motorcyclists. With new eco-friendly styles of leather, such as vegan leather, the trend has resurfaced — even in subtropical Northwest Florida.
Laurie Olshefski, the owner of Coastal Casuals and Shimmering Seas in Bay County, said that leather never drops out of sight.
“It’s just like animal print,” Olshefski said. “There are times where we see animal print less, but it’s never truly gone — it always makes an appearance back with new trends, just in different ways.”
You don’t need to own a Harley or be given to a rebellious nature to wear leather.
Yes, rockers from Guns ’n’ Roses to Jimi Hendrix to Joan Jett sported the look, but the Neanderthals got there first.
Those early men would be perplexed that the “leather” often worn today is not derived from animals.
“Especially on the coast,” Olshefski said, “we see more vegan leather, and that’s led by the consumer. In New York and California, there might be more natural leather stores, but around here, it seems the more preferred leather is vegan and more sustainable. There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are that it’s more affordable, durable and politically correct.”
For fall, Olshefski said leather trends are popping up in jewelry departments.
“We’re seeing that chunky gold chain jewelry that has been popular in the past mixed with leather that is lightweight and made more for a fashion statement,” she said.
Leather jackets have long been popular. Leather bombers paired with casual pieces make for the perfect fall outfit to wear when out on the town at night or enjoying dinner with friends.
←↓
The coupling of a leather jacket with a T-shirt makes for a classic look made famous by James Dean and other rebels. But leather can be paired, as well, with a dress, making for a complicated but
It’s not just for bikers and rockers
↘ NOT JUST FOR BIKERS While synonymous with motorcycle culture, leather is also fashion forward. Still, it speaks ruggedness, cool and confidence.PHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS: LIGHTFIELDSTUDIOS (TOP), GUASOR (MIDDLE) AND SOLOVYOVA (BOTTOM)
↑ Leather pants are easily dressed up or dressed down. Here, they are elevated by a lacy top and a pair of statement heels. Opt for a more casual look by pairing them with a boyfriend T-shirt and sneakers.
Olshefski said current trends also include jeans with a throw-back boot-style leg and leather panels up the front of the pant.
“Those pants look really chic, and they’re becoming more popular,” Olshefski said. “The jeans are faux jeans, so they feel more like leggings, and they’re also very comfortable while still being stylish.”
Men or women wishing to ease into a leather look might try a leather jacket or leather bomber paired with a basic, neutral-colored top and their favorite jeans.
For men, a leather jacket works well with a classic straight leg or skinny jean with shirts ranging from a band T-shirt to a crisp button-down. While leather pants are less common, some may be prepared to unleash their inner rockstar.
For a ladies’ office look, pair leather trousers with a silk blouse or structured blazer. A leather miniskirt amps up your favorite fall sweater; complete the look with knee-high boots. For a casual look, consider leather leggings, a slouchy T-shirt and stylish sneakers. Tuck a white button-down into a pair of leather shorts for that transition between seasons. For date night, top a sundress or silk slip dress with leather outerwear.
Accessories need not include bandanas or chains, just a dash of confidence. EC
➸ Popular in the major metropolitan areas of the country, blow-dry bars have taken long-maned citizens by storm. Now ready to take on the heat and humidity of Northwest Florida is DESTIN BLOWOUT BAR, the town’s first dry hair styling salon. Bring on the volume with a classic blowout or treat your tresses to a special updo, deep conditioning treatment and hot heat styles.
➸ Engrossed in cosmetics since an early age, certified permanent and semi-permanent makeup artist and lash and skin care specialist
↑
A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast
by HANNAH BURKESEA BAGS, a Maine-based producer of handbags, home decor, accessories and apparel, has set up shop at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. Its specialty, vintage totes made from recovered sails and sail fabric, boast coastal-themed patterns, branddesigned graphics, vintage insignias or may even be customized by you.
The newest boutique for gents at Pier Park in Panama City Beach is MR. SEA’S MENSWEAR. For fellas looking to embody the motifs of the coast, the outfitter offers goodr athletic shades; hand-carved Bali necklaces; Flogrown, Champion and Hook & Tackle ball caps; and myriad tropical apparel and name-brand footwear.
Jay Figueroa has long yearned to empower women through beauty. She is carrying out her mission through her new salon, BEAUTY BY LABELLA, in Panama City. Open now, clients can book an appointment for formal makeup application; eyelash extensions; eyebrow waxing and microblading; scar camouflaging and body sculpting; and more.
➸ A departure from today’s hair salons, CHOP BARBERSHOP in Pensacola invites those of all ages and genders to take a step back in time to the vintage experience of barber’s poles, hot towels and straight-razor shaves and cuts. It is the vision of the small Southeastern franchise to curate a “pub-like” salon by supplying complimentary beverages, personable employees and an antiquated atmosphere. Whether guests seek a cut and color treatment, luxury shave or just a trim, the new salon promises “Cool Hair, Original People.”
➸
Another sweet stop, BAM! SNOWBALLS , has opened a second Pensacola location on Creighton
Road. Twin brothers and local entrepreneurs Jamari and Jamal Sharp attribute their snow cone business’s success to their high-quality shaved ice, attention to detail and innovative options, such as a line of ice cream-stuffed “hero” flavors named after comic book characters, and “The Blue Angel,” drizzled with blue raspberry and pineapple syrups.
➸ Liqueur-infused Southern pralines, nut brittles, chewy toffees and chocolatecovered pecans are among the collections of confections
available at PECAN JACK’S, Santa Rosa Beach’s newest candy kitchen. But owners Veronica and Tim Wyatt didn’t stop there. The sweet shop is part ice creamery, whose special flavors include banana pudding, peach cobbler and Kahlua espresso.
➸ HarborWalk Village’s latest boutique and gift shop is the DESTIN GIFT GARDEN , a collective venue showcasing the works of local artists and crafters. Among its ever-
rotating stock of special finds are handmade soy novelty candles, striking jewels and accessories, beauty products, home accents and gourmet spice rubs, teas and jellies.
➸ Like many before him, Brian Rabon was so taken by the beauty of Santa Rosa Beach, he wished he could bottle it. After apprenticing under best friend and distiller Dr. Thomas Soltau and seriously studying spirits, he believes he has. Rabon recently traded his software consulting career
to found 30A DISTILLING CO., the proud producer of community-themed bourbon, vodka, aged rum, agave spirit and gin.
There once was a time when using lasers in a medical setting seemed futuristic. While the technology is still considered cutting edge, it is much more common in dermatology offices. Lasers provide remarkable results for a variety of skin concerns.
Certified Physician Assistant Angela Danley at Dermatology Specialists of Florida, states that the most popular laser treatments include laser hair removal, tattoo removal, rosacea, warts and freckles.
In Florida, laser hair removal is common, with key areas being the upper lip, chin, underarms, bikini line and lower legs. For laser hair removal, patients are instructed to shave the designated area before treatment for best results. Lasers target the follicles below the surface using intense wavelengths of light to cauterize and damage the follicle, so it no longer produces hair.
Typically, patients will undergo 6 to 10 treatments because there can be hundreds of hair follicles in any given area, and each needs to be damaged to cease hair growth. Patients with more hair due to genetics may require more treatments.
Laser hair removal is highly effective on most people. However, it is not typically recommended on those with gray or light blonde hair since the laser cannot detect light hair. Instead, electrolysis is often recommended for those individuals.
Laser tattoo removal, as with laser hair removal, can be performed on a broad range of skin types. We
use a high-power laser with ultrashort pulses that shatters tattoo ink but leaves the outer layer of the skin intact. Once destroyed, the ink is naturally eliminated from the body. Over a series of brief treatments, most tattoos are eliminated.
Tattoo removal typically takes 10 to 12 treatments, with the ink blurring and fading each time. Older ink reacts better to the process than new ink. While the skin will not be completely restored to the condition it was in before the tattoo, from an average distance the skin appears untouched.
Patients suffering with rosacea can often find benefit from laser treatments, which reduce redness in the affected area.
Our experts recommend avoiding over exposure to the sun and wearing SPF daily to help prevent freckles and dark spots. Since pigmentation can occur even while taking these precautions, there are laser treatments available that can safely destroy melanocytes (those melanin-producing cells), like age spots and freckles.
To ensure patients are a good candidate for laser treatment, a consultation is required prior to the procedure. Numbing is typically provided to make the process more comfortable. On average, the entire treatment can take up to an hour, depending on the size of the area being treated. Laser treatments are not performed on those who are pregnant or have a sunburn.
“Lasers are highly effective in treating numerous conditions, and we strive to make sure our patients get their desired results,” Danley said.
Dermatology Specialists detail the variety of laser services they offer
When exploring the 2,400 acre resort, not only will you find your favorite vacation accommodations, you'll also find endless adventure! Perfect your golf swing on one of four championship courses or practice your serve at the award winning tennis courts. Afternoons spent shopping for the latest trend s, paddle sessions on the bay, or days spent relaxing on the emerald shores of the Gulf of Mexico From restaurants that serve fresh, locally caught se afood and craft cocktails with the most spectacular views to world-class seasonal events and more! Do it all or just come and relax. Whatever you're looking for Sandestin® has something for you!
→ Matt Nichols, the general manager at The Kennedy, is equipped to mix drinks both familiar and exotic. His favorite is a lowalcohol concoction called the Bamboo.
After years of success as owner of the Old Hickory Whiskey Bar, Katie Garrett has brought another attraction to the neighborhood with The Kennedy. Located at 1 South Palafox Place, The Kennedy bills itself as “Where Mid-Century Cocktails Meet 21st Century Libations.”
Bobby Switzer, the owner of Palafox Place, said, “The Kennedy draws in a great class of clientele, which contributes to the modern aesthetic of the downtown area. Its warm atmosphere and great martinis make it the perfect place to start your evening.”
The Kennedy is what Garrett refers to as “a new concept,” explaining that she’s always wanted a cocktail lounge mixed with a whiskey bar — not just one or the other. “I was approached by the building
owners who wanted to replace a previous business with an upscale bar on the corner of Palafox,” Garrett said.
Lessons learned from Old Hickory factor into Garrett’s plans for The Kennedy. “In the beginning,” she said, “the biggest advantage was knowing how to lay out a functional bar. When Old Hickory was designed, we had no idea the volume of cocktails we would be crafting on a nightly basis.”
It quickly became apparent to Garrett that an extension of the whiskey library and additional serving stations for bartenders were necessary.
“As you can imagine, this takes time and costs additional money knowing how we would need to address the volume at The Kennedy,” Garrett said. “In the design phase of The Kennedy, we knew exactly
It invites people to abandon their usual drinks of choice and to experiment with adventurous libations. Owner Katie Garrett, lower right, bellies up on the customer’s side of the bar.
how to create a bar that could serve guests in a quick and efficient manner but still look sleek and elegant.”
Beyond volume and flow, Garrett learned other key lessons from her past ownership of the Old Hickory.
“We learned how to listen to our guests and reexamine our operating systems a few months after opening,” Garrett said. “We started out with a larger cocktail menu and smaller, appetizer-style plates. Once we evaluated our guests’ opinions, we quickly learned a more concise cocktail menu would serve them better.”
Dinner and shareable plates were other items requested by guests. “Knowing how to grow with your clientele is extremely important in any business,” Garrett commented. “At the end of the day, we want to give our guests a space where they feel happy and satisfied after a day at work.”
Reactions have been positive from the start, according to the owner.
“When we first opened in September of 2019, our guests were excited to have a space where they could dress up and grab a drink before a date night or evening with friends,”
Garrett said. “At the time, our space was one of the only spots where you could enjoy drinks in a fancier atmosphere — a place where you didn’t feel you had to quickly drink your beverage while waiting for your table before dinner.”
The community has grown over the past three years, establishing regulars and new guests who step outside their comfort zones to try cocktails they’ve never heard of before. “Our staff enjoys helping people cross into adventurous libations,” Garrett said, “even with something that may seem as simple as trying a clarified Bushwhacker.”
Matt Nichols, manager and beverage director of The Kennedy, says his favorite cocktail is the Bamboo. “It’s low in alcohol but very complex,” he said. “I really enjoy the cocktail’s flavors, and because of the low alcohol content, I can enjoy more than just one a night.”
With a growing interest in fine whiskeys and cocktail menus, The Kennedy is a proper place for locals and visitors to try a more upscale take on a relaxed evening. EC
When it comes to fall flavors, pumpkin seems to overwhelmingly take the No. 1 spot. However, there is a contender that might eclipse the orange orb, and it’s apple pie.
“Out of our nine flavors, apple pie is a top seller as we move toward fall,” said Julie Gunn, the owner of the Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop at Pier Park in Panama City Beach. “It’s even higher than pumpkin.”
Recipe from Julie Gunn
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
cup all-purpose flour
tablespoon sugar
teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
cup milk
teaspoon vanilla extract
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
teaspoon ground nutmeg
cup unsalted butter
cup white sugar, divided in two parts
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon ground nutmeg
large tart apple (peeled, cored, thinly sliced)
Combine eggs, flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Next, add vanilla, melted butter and ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Let batter stand for 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Brush melted butter up sides of the pan. Combing ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle over butter in a skillet. Line the pan with apple slices, and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar over apples. Place pan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Gently pour batter over apples. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake 10 more minutes, then slide onto a serving plate to cool.
Recipe from Julie Gunn
INGREDIENTS
cups apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
cup all-purpose flour
cup sugar
teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
teaspoon salt
cup butter (unsalted, softened)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange apples evenly in the baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in preheated oven 40–45 minutes until topping is golden. Cool slightly and serve.
Gunn says at her shop they use Granny Smith apples that provide an optimal mix of sweetness and tartness, but no matter how you slice it, apple pie is a delectable dessert. Despite fancier flavors emerging from ovens nowadays, the apple pie is still the favorite in the United States, according to a Harris Poll.
As American as we like to think apple pies are, it turns out that they didn’t originate in America. Many of our fruits and vegetables originated in Asia and Europe. Jamestown settlers brought apple cuttings and seeds because the only apples the early settlers found in the United States were crab apples.
“In fact, the first recorded recipe for apple pie was written in England in 1381 and called for figs, raisins, pears, saffron and spices,” said chef and cooking teacher Millie Kelsey-Smith, who is from Northampton, England, and now resides in Northwest Florida.
Apple pies won over Americans as advertisers touted the dessert in the early 1900s. The pie’s place in our culinary world was well-established in the 1940s when fighting “for mom and apple pie” became a common refrain among World War II soldiers.
Apple type makes a difference.
Kelsey-Smith favors Bramley apples, which are from the United Kingdom, but a close second are Granny Smith apples, preferred by pie shop owner Gunn. EC
Prepare your palate for the delicious experience of the sixth annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival on Oct. 13-16, 2022.
The weekend of epicurean excellence merges refined wines and culinary creations to taste the finer things in life.
The weekend encompasses intimate wine dinners hosted in restaurants and private homes throughout South Walton. The main event, The Grand Tasting, with world-class wineries and culinary stations, concludes with a cocktail brunch on Sunday. Throughout, attendees have access to a silent auction with chances to win premier wines, staycations and luxury travel accommodations.
Produced by the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, each event ticket purchased and auction item bid on benefits 17 local children’s charities
that aid with homelessness, medical care, food insecurity and more.
In the spirit of making the most out of your Harvest Fest experience, Kate MacMillan, director of marketing and communications for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, suggests selecting a wine dinner to attend on Thursday or Friday, treating yourself to the VIP tent during the Grand Tasting for access to headlining wineries, and attending the cocktail brunch to round out a complete weekend.
The year 2020 changed the way that the festival proceeded, and in one specific aspect, for the better. With the arrival of smaller, intimate events came an increase in winemaker dinners and the addition of the Sunday cocktail brunch. In two years, both events have been expanded and improved upon.
In 2022, there will be four wine dinners on Thursday and another three on Friday. Thursday’s selection includes Ovid Napa Valley and Chef Fleetwood Covington at Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood; a sensory experience of vinyl records and pasta with Chef Craig Richards of Atlanta and Senses Wines; a multicourse wine dinner at Ovide in Hotel Effie; and a wine-paired dinner at Vin’tij Food + Wine.
On Friday, chef Kristen Hall of The Essential Birmingham will lead a lineup of female chefs in a multicourse dinner highlighting wines from Saint Helena Winery. Mimmo’s new 30A location will host the Reynolds Family Winery with perfectly paired dishes. A wine dinner featuring Tarpon Cellars completes the lineup.
Scenic Cerulean Park will be the site of the Grand Tasting boasting worldwide wines, seafood from our local shores and provision stations manned by the Southeast’s most prized chefs. The VIP tent, presented by Emerald
Coast Magazine, will serve elevated eats, boutique wine samplings, live music, a lounge and cocktail bar.
Culminate with cocktails crafted by Better Together Beverage. This year’s brunch will feature the hosts of the podcast Agave Road Trip who will take attendees on a journey through tequila tasting. Brunch will be concocted by Chef Phil McDonald of Black Bear Bread Company.
MacMillan advises purchasing tickets and lodging swiftly, as it’s a highly popular event attracting hundreds to one of the year’s best beach weekends before fall and winter settle in.
“We work hard to create a beautiful weekend in every way — the unbeatable setting of WaterColor, the boutique wines you can’t find in stores, the celebrity chefs from throughout the Southeast and money raised for charity,” MacMillan said. “All of this combines to create an experience that guests want to keep coming back to, bringing their friends each year.”
AMIKids
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast
Children in Crisis, Inc.
Children’s Volunteer Health Network
Emerald Coast Autism Center
Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center
Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation
Food For Thought
Habitat for Humanity of Walton County
Mental Health Association of Okaloosa & Walton Counties
Opportunity Place
Point Washington Medical Clinic
Shelter House of Northwest Florida
The Arc of the Emerald Coast
Westonwood Ranch
Youth Village
learn more and purchase tickets, visit HarvestWineandFood.com
More than $28 MILLION has been raised by DCWAF to benefit the following local children’s charities:
As small as they may be, shrimp can be flavor bombs. Boiled, fried, sauteed, baked, barbecued … the possibilities are endless, and so are the resulting flavor profiles. Naturally, being on the Gulf Coast, area restaurants have a ready supply of shrimp at their fingertips — and oh, the things they do with those tiny little treasures.
“Shrimp is a staple here,” said Celeste Lowery, assistant general manager at The Boathouse Landing in Valparaiso. “From starters to salads, lunch specials, dinner features, and Sunday brunch, they’re incorporated into every part of our menu.”
The Boathouse’s star appetizer is the Crab and Shrimp Dip, an excellent starter for the table to share. Another front-runner and
The Boathouse Landing
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound fresh domestic bay shrimp
1 pound baby spinach
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
16 ounces softened cream cheese
Salt and pepper (for seasoning)
8 ounces domestic blue crab claw meat
Melt butter in a pot with a thick bottom. Saute peppers, onion and garlic over medium-to-high heat until soft and translucent.
Add shrimp and saute quickly until half cooked. Next, add spinach and lemon juice. Cook until spinach is mostly wilted. Add mayonnaise and seasoning and stir to incorporate fully. Slowly add cream cheese a little at a time until soft and melted.
Add cooked crab meat and heat thoroughly. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
And there’s no skimping on this Gulf Coast classic
crowd-pleaser is their Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos, a creamier version of the popular appetizer.
“Our shrimp are wild, domestic Bay shrimp that are hand-breaded, fried golden, and then tossed in a rich and spicy pepper sauce,” Lowery said. “The warm, savory shrimp are then tucked into soft flour tortillas with fresh lettuce, green onion and cheese. They’re crunchy yet tender, sweet yet spicy, and all-around delightful.”
Naturally, shrimp is the be-all, end-all at Floyd’s Shrimp House on Okaloosa Island, and their menu makes it obvious why it’s their claim to fame. “We do shrimp on everything at Floyd’s — after all, it’s in our name,” said kitchen manager Mike Rhodes, an 18-year veteran at Floyd’s Shrimp House and “chief of all things shrimp.”
With 28 menu items that all include shrimp in some way, Floyd’s Shrimp House serves nearly 100,000 pounds of shrimp each year. Of course, their all-you-can-eat baskets are easily a bestseller. Fried shrimp is a fan favorite at Floyd’s — it’s Southern comfort food at the beach. “We do it right — handbreaded and fried to order,” Rhodes said. “Our proprietary flour and cornmeal blend gives our fried shrimp the perfect satisfying crunch without sacrificing the flavor. I’ve been breading shrimp since I was 14, and it never gets old.”
While “crab” might be in the name at The Crab Trap Destin, they certainly know their way around some shrimp. “We offer a variety of shrimp entrees prepared in their own unique way,” said Clint Rogers, general manager and director of operations at The Crab Trap Destin and a 26-year member of the team at Saltwater Restaurants, Inc. “Our top three dishes include our Peel and Eat Shrimp appetizer, Fried Gulf Shrimp platter, and the Gulf Shrimp and Crab Pasta. Whether you’re looking for fried, blackened, broiled, sauteed or steamed shrimp, we’re serving it.”
With many ways to prepare shrimp, it all comes down to personal preference. For Crab Trap Destin, their Peel and Eat Shrimp places first — simply steamed, iced down and seasoned with classic Old Bay Seasoning. To top it off, their
handcrafted cocktail sauce is made with just the right amount of horseradish to give it that extra kick.
Clearly, the local chefs have shrimp dishes down to a science — but where it all starts is the shrimp itself, right? “Personally, my favorite shrimp are brown Gulf shrimp,” Rogers said. “They have a robust and forward profile that makes them stand out in any dish. White Gulf shrimp is by far the most popular at The Crab Trap because of their mild flavor and firm texture. Our restaurants have a strong relationship with local fisheries to continue our commitment to serving only wild, domestic Gulf shrimp.”
Rhodes agrees, “The best place to get shrimp really is right in our backyard. Shrimp thrive in the warm emerald Gulf water that’s packed with nutrients to give Gulf shrimp their sweet taste and firm texture. There’s something to be said about using locally sourced products in our restaurant. When people come
here, they want something authentic. If you want a deep-dish pizza, you go to Chicago. When you come to Florida, you want Gulf shrimp.”
If you notice a theme, it’s because the best dishes demand the best quality. “I believe the best quality and taste comes from wild, domestic shrimp,” Lowery said. “We source from the northern Gulf coast for our bay shrimp and the Gulf of Mexico for our large white shrimp. The more local, the better.”
Words to cook — and eat — by, to be sure. EC
FishOut of Water has long been synonymous with locally inspired, Southern cuisine that celebrates the Gulf Coast’s very best — all served up in an approachable setting that’s as ideal for a postbeach family lunch, a girls’ happy hour or a romantic date night. Housed within the acclaimed WaterColor Inn, Fish Out of Water is a go-to spot for anyone in a vacation state of mind. As one of 30A’s only large family-style restaurants and bars overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Fish Out of Water embodies the spirit of the WaterColor community: coastal, laidback, elevated and fun.
Fish Out of Water’s culinary offerings are guided by the world-class expertise of its culinary team and their commitment to authentic cuisine and impeccable flavors. The restaurant’s impressively varied Brunch Menu (available 8 a.m–2 p.m.) features guest favorites like Avocado Toast on the restaurant’s housemade sourdough, finger-licking handhelds that are the perfect beach lunch accompaniment (Gulf Fish Sandwich, anyone?) and Dinner Menu (available 4-10 p.m.) items include a signature pasta dinner dish, complete with Chardonnay lemon-butter sauce, mussels, shrimp and Gulf-sourced fish (drooling yet?).
In addition to Southern favorites like Smoked Gulf Coast Fish Dip and Carolina Pimento Cheese, Fish Out of Water’s daily Midday Happy Hour Menu (2–4 p.m.) provides the opportunity to catch the sunset while sipping on one of the restaurant’s inventive cocktails; choosing
from an eclectic selection of craft beers; or choosing a wine from the restaurant’s extensive on-site cellar — all while enjoying live music (available seasonally).
“Inviting and vibrant, Fish Out of Water specializes in coastal, Gulf-sourced cuisine,” said Executive Chef Blaine Wilkinson. “Our open-kitchen setting also allows our guests to admire their food being prepared in real time by our amazing culinary team.”
At Fish Out of Water, the best seat in the house is always guaranteed, thanks to glass walls that showcase breathtaking views from every seat and locally made wall art that elevates the restaurant’s community-centric vibe. Long after lunch, dinner or vacation has ended, guests can replicate the Fish Out of Water experience with an impressive, well-curated selection of rare spirits, specialty barware, WaterColor-branded merchandise and
more from the Package Store, located at the restaurant’s main entrance.
Fish Out of Water is open daily, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (seasonal hours apply). In an effort to seat guests more efficiently, the restaurant does not accept reservations. To-go dining orders may be placed online at foow30a.com. FISH OUT OF WATER | WATERCOLOR INN 34 GOLDENROD CIRCLE, SANTA ROSA BEACH | (850) 534-5050 | FOOW30A.COM
Talk to executives and owners of the biggest, most influential companies in Northwest Florida or to a person, and they will agree that the presence of small businesses in the region adds to the quality of life here. They have abundant respect for people who invest savings in pursuit of dreams. Indeed, big businesses are forever trying to emulate the service cultures that characterize small shops. We all can attest to the fact that interacting with someone who is personally invested in an enterprise is an experience often superior to that of dealing with a corporate or franchise business. The winners in our 2022 Best of the Emerald Coast readers’ poll work hard to build and maintain good outstanding reputations. They cultivate the respect and admiration of their customers by reliably and professionally providing products and services that exceed expectations. They groom their employees to be outstanding representatives of their brands and, by extension, the region as a whole. Together, they account for a special brand of Emerald Coast hospitality. We encourage you, our readers, to patronize and congratulate them.
In 2018, Estelle Grengs splashed onto the Emerald Coast arts scene when her painting, Lobstah, was the winning poster for the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Festival. At Estelle Studio and Gallery in Freeport, she exhibits her art for sale and teaches a variety of art media and techniques.
Freeport (850) 974-0112 estellestudioandgallery.com
DJ 30A understands that every event is unique. Through communication and close attention to detail, they create a vibe and atmosphere that is perfectly in tune with client needs and desires.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 225-1149 dj30a.com
Rain or shine, the Freeport Farmers Market runs the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month hosting space for 50+ venders with music, food and giveaways.
Freeport (585) 203-2029 freeportfarmersmarket.com
Golfers can elevate their game with this award-winning 6,900yard course, presenting drama and strategy on every tee.
Miramar Beach (850) 267-8155 sandestin.com/golf/raven-golf-club
This Texas-born, islandbeat performer has toured throughout the U.S. and internationally, singing about
marine life, including the Humuhumu triggerfish. Destin (850) 543-4602 ericchancestone.com
NIGHTLIFE/LIVE MUSIC VENUE Red Fish Taco
Chef-driven fish, shrimp and street tacos served with a casual and fun atmosphere makes Red Fish Taco the ideal celebration of “beach vibes.”
Blue Mountain Beach (850) 994-7443 redfishtaco.com
PLACE FOR A DATE Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar
Punchy cocktails and eclectic cuisine with a rooftop view in Rosemary Beach make Pescado Seafood Grill & Rooftop Bar an unbeatable spot for intimate gatherings.
Rosemary Beach (850) 213-4600 rooftop30a.com
PLACE FOR KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTY Urban Air
Where fun takes flight for kids of all ages (including kids at heart). Destin (850) 687-4178 urbanairdestin.com
PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS Emerald Coast Science Center
Science and movement mesh at the Emerald Coast Science Center with interactive exhibits that teach kids about cutting-edge technology while entertaining with irresistibly adorable animals.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 664-1261 ecscience.org
PLACE TO WATCH A SUNSET Barefoot’s Beachside
Barefoot's Beachside Bar & Grill boasts the best place to watch the Florida magenta-melting sun
set into the coastline with your choice of refreshments.
Miramar Beach (850) 267-9500 hiltonsandestinbeach.com
Weekday afternoons with Kevin McKay on 99ROCK promise to keep listeners entertained and in question of his interest in incarcerated individuals who smile in their mug shots. (Promises a free T-shirt with proof of photo)
Fort Walton Beach (850) 243-2323 wksm.com
It’s all sunshine and good vibes at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, especially for families with their available package discounts.
Miramar Beach (850) 267-8000 sandestin.com
A professional staff and 27 acres of masterfully designed courts make Hidden Dunes Tennis and Pickleball Center the premier place in Destin for the avid tennis player.
Miramar Beach (850) 269-2590 hiddendunestennis.com
Sea-to-table cuisine, premium amenities and timeless luxury make the Henderson Beach Resort an unforgettable experience.
Destin (855) 741-2777 hendersonbeachresort.com
One of Destin’s top awardwinning restaurants since 2002, Bijoux embodies “coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair.”
Miramar Beach (850) 622-0760 bijouxdestin.com
Domo Café is Fort Walton Beach’s place for family Asian fusion, with bubble teas and creative sushi rolls offered in a bustling, modern space.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 374-8799 facebook.com/domocafe850
The Red Bar made its grand comeback in 2020 after a devastating fire in 2019. Take in live music, great food and cocktails at this eclectic indoor destination.
Grayton Beach (850) 231-1008 theredbar.com
Family-owned and operated, Navarre Bakery & Creamery offers everything delectable, from pastries to sandwiches to ice cream.
Navarre (850) 844-9705 facebook.com/ Navarrebakeryandcreamery
From Pac-Man to Pinball, the Rad Bar is the spot for gamers of all generations to enjoy a full bar and classic games.
Fort Walton Beach theradbar.com
Anyone craving a savory evening is sure to be satiated at 98 Bar-B-Que with the “best fries on earth” combined with delectable barbecue and scrumptious gumbo.
Santa Rosa Beach*, Seacrest Beach (850) 622-0679* 98bbq.com
This Florida gastropub is as “craft” as it can get, with 30 beers on tap, artful artisans and handcrafted cocktails.
Destin*, Fort Walton Beach, Miramar Beach, Panama City Beach (850) 460-7907* thecraftbarfl.com
The Red Bar serves a range of delicious beverages, but there’s one item on the menu you won’t want to miss: Red Bar’s Bloody Mary is hearty, spice and full-figured — an experience visitors shouldn’t miss.
Grayton Beach (850) 231-1008 theredbar.com
Hearty comfort food entices all walks of life at the Donut Hole Bakery Cafe, serving the dishes that bring you home. Destin*, Inlet Beach, Santa Rosa Beach (850) 837-8824*
The first craft brewery to sprout in Niceville, 3rd Planet Brewing focuses on high-quality, in-house taproom craft beers in a comfortable environment with exceptional customer service.
Niceville (850) 424-4257 3rdplanetbrewing.com
Mama Clemenza’s brings traditional Europeaninspired breakfast dishes to the Emerald Coast all morning.
Miramar Beach (850) 424-3157 facebook.com/ mamaclemenzas
Dixieland Chicken Co. is where it’s happening for all things Creole and fried, from chicken liver to chicken pot pie — this spot offers all things “lagniappe.”
Destin (850) 672-2847 dixielandchicken.com
Farrington Foods is your chefdriven commercial kitchen, offering at-home and virtual cooking classes to home kitchens.
All Along 30A & Santa Rosa Beach (239) 572-1518 farringtonfoods.com
CHINESE
Dine-in, take-out and delivery options make Lin’s Asian Cuisine a delicious Chinese and Asian option in Miramar Beach for locals and visitors alike.
Miramar Beach (850) 424-5888 linsasianfl.com
Drop a line to Reel ‘Em In Fresh Seafood, and you’ll be hooked on their fresh shrimp, stuffed flounder, crab cakes, royal reds, scallops, corn and crab bisque, crawfish pies, ahi tuna and much more.
Panama City (850) 420-2240 reeleminfreshseafood.com
Born and raised in Louisiana, the owners of NOLA Boiling Co. bring the best in authentic seafood boils to the Emerald Coast with cooking styles passed down from generation to generation.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 672-2847 nolaboil.com
Navarre is the spot for anyone with a sweet tooth. Their apple fritters and selection of ice creams are a major hit; come for the sweets, and stay for the experience.
Navarre (850) 844-9705 facebook.com/ navarrebakeryandcreamery
Historic Highway 98 brings passersby right to Distillery 98, a place for people to connect and enjoy small batches from locally sourced family-farmed crops.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 919-2400 distillery98.com
Seagar’s Four-Diamond status brings together the secret to great ambiance, high-quality wines and private dining experiences under one roof. Miramar Beach (850) 622-1500 seagars.com
Bay Cafe is Fort Walton’s old-school eatery offering a
spacious waterfront deck with French cooking and fine wines.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 244-3550
FROZEN TREAT (ICE CREAM, YOGURT, GELATO, SNOW CONES)
Tom’s Main Street
Ice Cream Sweet service and ice creams are always available at Tom’s Main Street Ice Cream shop in Crestview, located right on Main Street. Crestview (850) 688-0888
Interested in ordering fresh seafood? Reel ‘Em In Fresh Seafood and Gourmet is the ultimate spot for an exceptional seafood experience.
Panama City (850) 420-2240 reeleminfreshseafood.com
In the heart of coveted 30A is Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar, offering casual fare and a panoramic view of the area with live music and views of the sugar-white sand beach. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 622-2733 shunkgulley.com
Dixieland Chicken Co. is all
about simplicity: If you enjoy Creole dishes, Dixieland is a place you won’t want to miss out on along the Emerald Coast. Destin (850) 672-2847 dixielandchicken.com
This Florida gastropub is as “craft” as it can get, with 30 beers on tap, artful artisans and handcrafted cocktails.
Destin*, Fort Walton Beach, Miramar Beach, Panama City Beach (850) 460-7907* thecraftbarfl.com
The word “amici” is Italian for “friends,” and that’s how the owners of amici 30A Italian Kitchen welcome their guests — come in, eat and leave as friends.
Inlet Beach (850) 909-0555 amici30a.com
With over 35 years of fine dining experience, Marina
Cafe is Destin’s most awarded restaurant with sensational food, attentive service, fine wines and breathtaking harbor views from the candlelit dining room.
Destin (850) 837-7960 marinacafe.com
Osaka Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse & Sushi Bar rolls with the freshest food, offering entertaining hibachi dinners and hand-rolled sushi to accommodate parties of all sizes.
Destin*, Panama City Beach (850) 650-4688* osakahibachiandsushi.com
Bursting with flavor and color, Mimmo’s is Destin’s most authentic Italian restaurant offering the ideal atmosphere and menu to enjoy a small slice of Italy along the Emerald Coast.
Destin*, Santa Rosa Beach (850) 460-7353* eatmimmos.com
At Cantina Laredo, it’s all about authenticity with a full Mexican menu and classic margaritas.
Miramar Beach (850) 654-5649 cantinalaredo.com
Café Thirty-A is known for its eclectic menu, fine wines and exciting martinis. It’s a favorite on the Emerald Coast, offering a special ’Tini Night on Tuesdays and Thursdays where martinis are just $6 all night long.
Seagrove Beach (850) 231-2166 cafethirtya.com
Live longer, eat like the Greeks! A Greek meal is best enjoyed in the company of family and friends. Enjoy
authentic Greek cuisine, beer and wine at their multiple locations.
Miramar Beach*, Mary Esther, Shalimar (850) 460-2728* aegeanfl.com
Pepper’s first location opened in Port St. Joe and has expanded to seven locations since 2005. Even with the expansion, Pepper’s Mexican Grill & Cantina operates as one family, one restaurant.
Niceville*, Crestview, Panama City, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach (850) 353-2625* peppersmexicancantina.com
The Great Southern Cafe mixes international cuisine inspiration with Southern homestyle cooking offering fresh produce from nearby farms and seafood from the Gulf of Mexico — an authentic experience in Seaside.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 231-7327 thegreatsoutherncafe.com
From ground beef to juicy shrimp and all the classic styles in-between, Pepper’s Mexican Grill & Cantina is the spot to gather ’round the table for delicious food and memorable conversations.
Niceville*, Crestview, Panama City, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach (850) 353-2625* peppersmexicancantina.com
Gulf favorites are available for tasting at Down Island Gulf Seafood Restaurant with wood-fired seafood and a raw bar — a
seafood restaurant with an outstanding creative spin on a classic attraction.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 777-3385 downislandsrb.com
Born and raised in Louisiana, the owners of NOLA Boiling Co. bring the best in authentic seafood boils to the Emerald Coast with cooking styles passed down from generation to generation.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 672-2847 nolaboil.com
North Beach Social is the perfect place to reflect natural beauty and enjoy the sunset overlooking the bay in South Walton while sipping deliciously handcrafted drinks.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 622-8110 northbeach.social
Boshamps Seafood & Oyster House is the dressed-down development following 40 years of white linen and bowtie elegance at the owner’s prior restaurant, The Flamingo Cafe. Destin (850) 424-7406 boshamps.com
Lemon, butter and garlic parmesan with fresh herbs are just the first descriptions on Shunk Gulley’s well-known oyster menu. It’s a big deal to be the “oyster spot,” and from naked to grilled, they’ve got what it takes.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 622-2733 shunkgulley.com
Helen Back Pizza is an
award-winning pizza restaurant in Fort Walton using the freshest ingredients and boasting an enticing atmosphere. Fort Walton Beach (850) 374-8603 helenbackpizza.com
Be sure to make a reservation at Firefly in Panama City Beach. This place fills up quickly and is known as the area’s premier casual fine dining experience.
Panama City Beach (850) 249-3359 fireflypcb.com
Restaurant IRON serves contemporary Southern cuisine fueled by local vegetables and herbs from the creative minds of true Southerners. Pensacola (850) 476-7776 restaurantiron.com
At George Bistro + Bar, food is the language of the soul and the heart of all they create. Once you visit George, you’re family.
Pensacola (850) 912-4655 georgebistroandbar.com
Clemenza’s at Uptown is a convivial eatery known for its choice of Italian fare, including wood-fired pizzas and brunch specials on the weekends.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 243-0707
Fine dining, led by acclaimed Georgia chef Hugh Acheson, is the center of Ovide’s impeccable classic technique fueled by a passion for sustainability and seasonality.
Miramar Beach (850) 351-3030 hoteleffie.com/dining/ovide
Ovide’s dimly lit ambiance is a space marked with celebration for special events, including birthdays and rehearsal dinners, available to be booked privately or reserved at Hotel Effie in Miramar Beach.
Miramar Beach (850) 351-3030 hoteleffie.com/dining/ovide
Destin Ice Seafood Market is the area’s premier market for ready-to-cook meals, wines, cheeses, dips, sauces, seasonings and expert advice on cooking your seafood to perfection.
Destin (850) 837-8333 destinice.com
Locally sourced,
right-off-the-docks catches served fried, grilled or blackened in a casual setting with two full bars and views of the Destin Harbor.
Destin (850) 424-7406 boshamps.com
SEAFOOD
Locally famous ribs, juicy steaks and quality seafood are the standout stars of Old Bay Steamer in Fort Walton Beach, a classic place for an exceptional evening.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 664-2795 oldbaysteamerfwb.com
“With a name like Stinky’s, it better be good!” Visit Stinky’s Fish Camp located in Santa Rosa Beach and find out for yourself; their shrimp has been named the best on Emerald Coast.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 267-3053 stinkysfishcamp.com
A family favorite since 1994, Shades Bar & Grill is the spot to turn friends into family with classic spirits, famous wings and daily chef features on 30A.
Inlet Beach (850) 231-9410 shades30a.com
Mouth-watering prime steaks from New York strip to filet mignon will leave you satisfied and craving more at Seagar’s
Restaurant located at Hilton Sandestin. Miramar Beach (850) 622-1500 seagars.com
First come, first serve — Sushimoto of South Walton is the place for sushi lovers to join this small, familyowned business and enjoy the delicious taste of fresh hand-rolled sushi. Miramar Beach (850) 424-5977 destinsushi.com
Burrito del Sol specializes in four signature styles, including Baja, chipotle, barbecue and Southwest. Take it from the locals: Their blackened shrimp tacos “Baja style” are the best around. Fort Walton Beach*, Destin (850) 226-8016* burritodelsol.com
It’s “Thai” time you come and try Thai Chiang Rai’s most popular menu items, starting with Lobster Pad Thai and Green Curry Chicken. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 213-3972 facebook.com/thai-chiangrai-restaurant
Sun, sand and seafood — need we say more? The Crab Trap is the spot for locals and visitors to relish in the ultimate beach dinner experience. Destin*, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola (850) 654-2722* crabtrapflorida.com
With 100% vegan cuisine off busy Highway 98, The Oasis welcomes guests to enjoy a private dining experience. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 401-9149 theoasissrb.com
Bud & Alley’s is South Walton’s oldest restaurant and favorite gathering spot for 25 years and counting. Come, rest, rejuvenate and enjoy the tastes of the seaside. Seaside (850) 231-5900 budandalleys.com
TIE WATERFRONT
Vue on 30a’s experience is world-class, with Jamaican executive chef Isley Whyte sharing spices and flavor combos developed in the U.S. mixed with ones passed down from generations in his family.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 267-2305 vueon30a.net
WEDDING CATERER
Book your stress-free fairytale wedding on the beach with award-winning SunQuest Beach Weddings.
Miramar Beach (850) 830-9359 sunquestbeachweddings.com
Casual fine dining in four convenient locations, The Wine Bar is the spot for ladies night out or a romantic evening with a partner.
Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Watercolor* (850) 231-1323* thewinebarfl.com
Classic bar food with some soul, Buffalo’s Reef boasts of “world famous buffalo wings” and aims to please all visitors’ palates. Fort Walton Beach (850) 243-9464 buffalosreef.com
De’France is Fort Walton Beach’s spot for finding the perfect antiques with vintage, shabby chic and repurposed collectibles and furniture for every spot in the antique lover’s home.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 314-7500 defranceantiques.com
From crib to classroom, Pink N Blue Avenue offers affordabilty, community and customer service to help nurture your child in every stage of development.
Destin (850) 424-5707 pinknblueavenue.net
TIE CONSIGNMENT/ RESALE SHOP
Consign and design with Ava’s Furniture, offering a broad selection of designer clothing, repurposed furniture and custom-painted furniture.
Miramar Beach (850) 424-6767 avasatticIndestin.com
TIE CONSIGNMENT/ RESALE SHOP
Some treasures are better when discovered twice. Second Breath Styles is the area’s best consignment shop, for parents by parents, offering infant, teen and maternity styles.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 374-3252 secondbreathstyles.com
All-natural products made by hand, that’s the Honeycomb Hair Co. commitment, using the finest ingredients and eliminating environmental toxins and harmful chemicals.
Crestview linktr.ee/HoneycombHairandCo facebook.com/honeycombhaircofl
Create the space that indulges
the mind, body and soul with Stock & Trade Design Co., bringing serenity into every home. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 460-8990 stockandtrade.com
JEWELRY STORE
Explore the finest collection of jewelry and watches at McCaskill & Company, offering the most exclusive gems and diamonds for those most special to you. Destin (850) 650-2262 mccaskillandcompany.com
LOCALLY OWNED RETAILER
Visit the showroom, and furnish your outdoor dream patio — perfect for grilling, chilling and enjoying great company.
Miramar Beach (850) 269-4666 baybreezepatio.com
MEN’S APPAREL/SHOES/ ACCESSORIES Island Clothiers
Spend the afternoon seaside shopping designer brands and beachwear for the entire family at more than a dozen specialty stores for a little retail therapy in The Village of Baytown Wharf at Sandestin.
Miramar Beach (850) 351-1806 sandestin.com/shopping
OUTDOOR FURNITURE RETAILER
Create your ideal backyard entertainment with an assist from the pros at Bay Breeze Patio.
Miramar Beach (850) 269-4666 baybreezepatio.com
SPECIALTY RETAILER
Sunglass WorldDestin Commons
Sunglass World is a small, familyoriented company with a long history of cutting-edge sunglass styles. Starting in 1984, their long line of commitment brings customers back year after year
to find the perfect shades in the hottest region.
Destin (850) 460-7889 sunglassworld.net
SPORTING GEAR/ PADDLEBOARD RETAILER
YOLO Board and Bike is a growing lifestyle brand aiming to deliver fun, fulfilling the truth that “you only live once,” so it might as well be a good time.
Miramar Beach (850) 424-6852 yoloboard.com
WEDDING SHOP
Margaret Ellen Bridal believes that every girl deserves a relaxed and intimate wedding experience while finding “the dress” that she will never forget because, after all, it is the most important dress she will ever wear.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 641-0266 margaretellenbridal.com
Discover the finest jewelry at McCaskill & Company — dazzling men and women from Rolex watches to David Yurman select pieces. Destin (850) 650-2262 mccaskillandcompany.com
WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE
Barefoot Princess
Shop all things fun, colorful and chic with Barefoot Princess. They’re sure to have the perfect outfit for any occasion.
Miramar Beach (850) 351-1806 sandestin.com/shopping
Sunset Shoes & Lifestyles has become the footwear headquarters of the Emerald Coast — inspired by Destin’s beautiful beaches and relaxed environment. Walk right into comfort.
Miramar Beach (850) 837-5466 sunsetshoesonline.com
Combining expertise and experience, Coastal Accounting aims to be one of the leading firms in the area with their full-service firm licensed in the state of Florida.
Destin, Niceville (850) 654-9235 coastalaccounting.net
The Tortoise Clinic in Santa Rosa Beach is the area’s oldest and most decorated holistic health clinic, offering acupuncture, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage and more healing modalities.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 267-5611 thetortoiseclinic.com
Melissa St. John began her career working for one of the top-rated resort spas in Florida before transitioning to the clinical side of skin care. Since 2011, Melissa has partnered with Destin Plastic Surgery’s Anti-Aging Clinic,
and her passion for her work shines through in her patients’ glowing skin.
Destin (850) 654-1194 theplasticdoc.com
DAG Architects Inc.
Guided by devotion to great design for nearly four decades, DAG Architects is the largest architectural firm in the Florida Panhandle with an over-arching belief that the buildings they create will have a lasting impact on the communities in which they’re built.
Destin (850) 837-8152 dagarchitects.com
AUDIO/VISUAL PROVIDER Five-Star Audio Visual, Inc.
Five-Star is the home of evolution for meetings and events through their “Experiential Method,” where the primary goal is to help clients discover their desired message most effectively.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 275-4242 five-starav.com
David Scott Lee Buick
GMC has one goal: to help customers find their best vehicle in a stress-free process that saves time, energy and money.
Crestview (850) 682-2708 leebuickgmc.com
Capital City Bank isn’t just a place to bank. It’s a place with friendly and fast service taking care of all your banking needs.
Multiple locations (850) 553-0488 ccbg.com
At Bear General Contractors, the road to success is always under construction — specializing in commercial buildings for decades.
Pensacola (850) 435-4411 beargc.com
Make your dream kitchen a reality with Kitchen Tune-Up in as little as one to five days. Niceville (850) 678-9977 kitchentuneup.com
Emerald Coast Luxury Transportation has been in the business of treating customers as VIPs for the past 30 years, bringing locals and travelers wherever they’d like to go in top style. Serving the North Florida Panhandle (850) 774-8345 emeraldcoastluxurytransportation.com
CARDIOLOGY PRACTICE Ascension Sacred Heart
Ascension Sacred Heart provides personalized care when and where you need it most across 20 states, offering a wide range of doctors and specialists. Pensacola (850) 416-7000 healthcare.ascension.org
The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) is the area’s most recognized nonprofit working to end child abuse and provide safety for neglected and assaulted children.
Niceville (850) 833-9237 eccac.org
CHARTER BOAT SERVICE (FISHING, DIVING, ETC.)
Let SunVenture Cruises treat you to an eco-tour of the Destin area before
venturing to Crab Island for the day for an unforgettable underwater playground experience.
Destin (850) 424-6465 sunventurecruises.com
Zero Gravity is a competitive cheerleading and tumbling gym in the Florida Panhandle, offering specific technique training and mastery of this growing sport. Valparaiso (850) 307-0779 gozerogravity.com
PRACTICE
Growing Green Families is a wellness community focused on physical care from chiropractic to physical and massage therapy, led by Dr. Larissa Tenzycki, who has devoted her career to working with pregnant women and taking care of their families.
Valparaiso (850) 696-0363 gg-families.com
Clients benefit from the firm’s focus on all types of property located from Scenic 30A to Destin and its fundamental understanding of market trends.
Destin (850) 654-7777 somerscompany.com
COMPUTER SERVICES/ TECH SUPPORT CRC Data Technologies
CRC Data Technologies is one of the top trusted partners
in Northwest Florida for IT support, leading with confidence in developing new technologies and services.
Destin (850) 654-7262 crcdatatech.com
SURGERY PRACTICE Destin Plastic Surgery, William R. Burden, MD
Since 1995, Dr. William R. Burden has brought new technology and procedures to North Florida, creating a world-class plastic surgery facility that attracts people
on a global scale. Destin (850) 654-1194 theplasticdoc.com
COSMETIC SERVICES (EYELASH EXTENSIONS, NAILS, PERMANENT MAKEUP) Southern Roots
Managed in innovative fashion to generate high levels of customer satisfaction with services including facials, micro-needling and permanent makeup.
Niceville (850) 897-8900 southernrootssalonspa.com
Eglin Federal Credit Union makes banking a breeze, from tax scam information to user-friendly online banking and tips to preserve your spending power.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 862-0111 eglinfcu.org
CUSTOMER SERVICE Harris Insurance Services, Inc. Change how you feel about your insurance agency with Harris Insurance, offering
the largest selection of A-rated national companies guiding clients to their best possible quote.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 244-2111 harrisInsurance.com
Jeffrey Dental is a husband and wife dental team serving the Valparaiso area with advanced training in dental implants and cosmetic dentistry.
Valparaiso (850) 678-4151 jeffreydentalclinic.com
No need to cover up. Coastal Skin Surgery offers all the necessary treatments, from BOTOX to removing varicose and spider veins. They’ll have you feeling confident and happy in your skin again.
Miramar Beach (850) 654-3376 coastalskinsurgery.com
Anyone who travels to the Emerald Coast quickly notices the proliferation of golf carts. Dixielectricar has been a street legal golf cart retailer since 1972, supplying residents and visitors with the highest premium product — their E-Z-GO golf cart.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 269-0011 dixielectricar.com
Recognized as one of the best public relations and digital marketing companies along the Emerald Coast, Proffitt PR is a savvy boutique consulting firm specializing in making you and your brand stand out.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 460-7777 proffittpr.com
Dine, dance and cruise with SunQuest Cruises. Operating year-round from the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, they bring guests a majestic fusion of ambiance,
food and live music aboard the SOLARIS yacht.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort (850) 650-2519 sunquestcruises.com
EYE DOCTOR PRACTICE
Wells Vision and
Wells Vision Center, Destin’s premier eye exam and LASIK provider, has been taking care of families in and around the area with family-centered service and attention to the highest quality of optometry.
Destin*, Santa Rosa Beach (850) 424-6677* wellsvisioncenter.com
Eye Center South offers worldclass eye care close to home with an expert team of eye surgeons offering the latest technology to provide advanced treatment for common and complex eye diagnoses.
Destin (800) NEW-EYES eyecentersouth.net
FAMILY PHYSICIAN/ PRACTICE
As a patient-centered medical home, WhiteWilson Medical Center offers specialty care that you don’t have to wait for — with walkin and immediate care. These professionals are ready to meet your medical needs.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 863-8100 white-wilson.com
Krueger, Fosdyck & Associates’ mission is to understand you and what matters most. By leveraging the strength of one of the world’s leading wealth management firms, they can deliver results with the agility and intimacy of a family-owned business.
Destin (850) 269-7003 fa.ml.com/florida/destin/kfa
Tile & Stone Concepts has been serving the Emerald
Coast for over 20 years, offering quality flooring for residential and commercial projects with a large showroom selection.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 244-3085 tilestoneconcepts.com
FLORIST
rose & co. Gorgeous vases from standard to large-sized arrangements of flowers from rose & co. will make anyone feel special and seen when delivered from this fine gift and flower shop.
Miramar Beach (850) 496-0417 roseandcoflowers.com
Their name truly sums up the experience at Serenity by the sea Spa — with over 10 years offering guests a peaceful retreat from everyday life.
Miramar Beach (850) 622-9595 serenitybytheseaspa.com
GYM/HEALTH CLUB/ FITNESS CENTER/STUDIO Grand Fitness
Grand Fitness is the Emerald Coast’s best-known fitness facility for high-end equipment on an expansive 20,000-square-foot location with experienced trainers and world-class nutrition sure to make your experience GRAND.
Miramar Beach (850) 424-4301 grandfitnessfl.com
At Pure & Couture Salon, hair is their passion, and it shows when each client leaves looking fresh and up to date with the latest styles and trends.
Destin (850) 424-3935 pureandcouture.com
HEATING AND AIR SERVICE Gulfshore Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc.
Gulfshore Air is Niceville’s No. 1 trusted AC service company, handling all your air conditioning, heating, air purification and humidity needs.
Niceville (850) 897-6540 gulfshoreair.com
Hotel Effie is a luxury hotel unlike any other in Miramar Beach, with white sand beaches and the famous emerald waters of the Gulf Coast. Vibrant and elegant, these luxurious rooms are not to be missed. Miramar Beach (833) 873-3343 hoteleffie.com
INSURANCE AGENCY Harris Insurance Services, Inc.
Protecting Florida residents since 1965, their experience in working with auto, home, business, life, watercraft and more insurance types is extensive — making their past work for your future.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 244-2111 harrisInsurance.com
TIE INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM Baker Design Co.
For Libby Baker Speight, interior design is a very personal thing. Founder of Baker Design Co., she looks at her clients as creative collaborators and believes each design project should reflect the unique personality of the space’s owner.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 972-9193 bakerdesignco.com
TIE INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM Lovelace Interiors
Expect the unexpected with Lovelace Interiors. Their established design process has been tested and proven over 25 years, making sure clients are 100% satisfied.
Miramar Beach (850) 837-5563 lovelaceinteriors.com
LANDSCAPING/ LAWN SERVICE
With exceptional customer service, Danna Outdoor Services is one of the area’s top landscaping businesses bringing quality care to yards across the Emerald Coast.
Gulf Breeze (850) 905-8344
At Hand Arendall Harrison Sale, you’re known by name.
For more than 75 years, they’ve based their firm leadership on a fundamental commitment to creating long-lasting relationships and helping their clients negotiate and solve their most important legal matters.
Destin (850) 650-0010 handfirm.com
Based in Destin, Beautiful Lights provides locals with the finest décor from furniture and rugs to lighting, ceiling fans and outdoor arrangements. Destin (850) 650-9417 beautifullights.com
TIE
The Emerald Coast’s leader in high-performance sport fishing boats is The Ships Chandler — offering full services to support fishing across the coast. Destin*, Freeport (850) 837-9306* theshipschandler.com
Legendary Marine is the area’s full-service provider for all things boating. Whether you’re in the market to purchase or sell, their veteran sales team is ready and fully prepared to assist you.
Destin (850) 337-8300
legendarymarine.com
Resolute Marital Arts has a simple philosophy: Use karate as a guide to build character. Their exceptional instructors ensure that each student is given the tools to succeed in all areas of life.
Destin (850) 797-4434
resolutemartialarts.com
From the moment you walk through the doors, Ascension health care professionals are ready to serve you with hope and
strength. They start by understanding your needs and delivering a personalized care program that fits you as an individual.
Miramar Beach (850) 278-3000 ascension.org
White-Wilson Medical Center provides awardwinning medical care in convenient locations across the Emerald Coast, taking care of you so you can worry less about wellness.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 863-8100 white-wilson.com
Renew Aesthetics combines the top medical grade treatments in an upscale atmosphere. This full-service medical spa offers the latest non-surgical cosmetic enhancements making you feel and look your best.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 503-1060 renew-aestheticsclinic.com
Capital City Bank helps customers master their banking to-do list with fast and convenient services for personal, business and wealth management.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 553-0488 ccbg.com
From braces for children to Invisalign for adults, Stubbs Orthodontics is committed to giving each patient the smile the deserve.
Miramar Beach, Niceville (850) 678-8338 stubbsortho.com
Orthopaedic Associates is the region’s most preferred practitioner offering expert care for every bone, muscle and joint.
Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville (850) 863-2153 orthoassociates.net
OUTDOOR SERVICE
PROVIDER Danna Outdoor Services LLC
Treat your landscaping needs with respect and next-level management with Danna Outdoor Services LLC, bringing the highest quality of services.
Gulf Breeze (850) 905-8344
Coastal Pediatric Group is comprised of dedicated individuals who strive to make you and your child feel at home the moment you walk through the door.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 659-6556 coastalpediatricgroup.com
Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy is independently owned and operated, providing excellent service and
specializing in compounding prescription medications to customize each patient’s unique needs.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 622-5800 eccpharmacy.com
PHOTO BOOTH COMPANY Epic Photo Co.
Epic Photo Co. provides photo booths and portraits to capture your favorite snapshot moments at any event or special meeting. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 213-4434 epicphoto.co
Embrace your current season of life with Rachael Hill Photography, excelling in creating memorable magic with her elevated photographing process. All along the Emerald Coast (316) 519-7801 rachaelhillphotography. mypixieset.com
PLUMBING
Call someone you can rely on — Emerald Bay Plumbing of Destin. Providing top-quality plumbing and gas services that surpass customer expectations year after year. Destin (850) 837-1979 emeraldbayplumbing.com
All-female with a lot of hustle, Proffitt PR helps clients reach their target market — in heels. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 460-7777 proffittpr.com
Make your next project a stressless success with Copy Systems Business Center, offering a full-service business center with document printing, copying and graphic advertising. Santa Rosa Beach (850) 267-4552 copysystemsonline.com
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT GROUP
NewmanDailey Resort Properties, Inc.
For more than 35 years, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc. has extended warm welcomes to guests and provided an outstanding experience for property owners, real estate clients and homeowners associations.
Miramar Beach (850) 837-1071 newmandailey.com
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE GROUP
If you’re looking to sell your home, look no further than Breana, a 30-year local with a deep passion for connecting each customer with the perfect home at the perfect time.
Destin (850) 699-3974 listwithbre.phonesites.com
Specialty Roofers is one of the fastest-growing roofing companies in Northwest Florida, offering exceptional service to residential and commercial structures.
Northwest Florida (850) 974-ROOF specialtyroofers.com
Solar energy is made simple with Meraki Solutions, handling everything necessary from start to finish making their company exactly what you need to convert to solar power.
Destin (850) 739-2519 merakisolutions.com
SPECIALTY FITNESS (PILATES, YOGA, ETC.)
Inhale the beat and exhale by the beach with mindful movement workouts at Sculpt Studio on 30A.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 231-0010 sculptstudio30a.com
Pets deserve to be happy
too. At Paws N’ Claws, they treat your pet as their own with exceptional care and service as local pet sitters and dog walkers.
Pace (850) 619-5913 pawsnclaw.org
Need to store some stuff? Look no further than Extra Space Storage, creating space for everything you love.
Multiple locations (855) 773-7172 extraspace.com
Your legacy begins with LegacyHouse Title, available for buyers and sellers as well as agents and lenders alike.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 803-1150 legacyhousetitle.com
VACATION RENTAL COMPANY/SERVICE NewmanDailey
With an intimate knowledge of the Emerald Coast, Newman-Dailey’s
commitment to customers is personal — whether you’re looking to rent, sell, own, buy or manage.
Miramar Beach (850) 837-1071 newmandailey.com
At Barry Veterinary Hospital, Inc., they treat your pet as if he or she were their own, providing comprehensive veterinary care and pet boarding facilities in Miramar Beach. Miramar Beach (850) 837-7072 barryvethospital.com
With a military background, Land Air Sea Productions produces commercial and documentary films focusing on travel, fashion and lifestyle subjects delivering projects in a timely manner with ontarget precision. Emerald Coast landairseaproductions.com
WEDDING HAIR SALON
Brittany Sigler, the owner of Destin Mobile Makeup Box, provides a full-service on-site
hair and makeup artistry team with over 14 years of preparing for the perfect wedding day. Miramar Beach (850) 865-9698 destinmobilemakeupbox.com
WEDDING
Pure & Couture Salon takes care of women searching to look their best, from a date night out to an entire wedding party, their services are sure to wow individuals and guests alike. Destin (850) 424-3935 pureandcouture.com
Whether you’re looking for a wedding, engagement or maternity photographer, Jessica Winkler is the wellknown artist behind years of perfect shots capturing special moments. Santa Rosa Beach (360) 224-5586 facebook.com/ jessicawinklerphotography
Enjoy your special day
more with Kiss the Bride Weddings, offering a fullservice wedding planning experience along scenic highway 30A. 30A, Watercolor, Rosemary Beach (850) 376-8272 kissthebrideweddings.com
The sky’s the limit with WaterColor’s breathtaking 3,700-square-foot lakeside venue with cedar-lined walls and large windows featuring views of Western Lake.
Santa Rosa Beach (850) 231-7773 watercolorresort.com/groups/ weddings
WEIGHT LOSS
Offering QWO, the latest advancement in cellulite treatments, and Emsculpt Neo, which enables people to get slimmer and fitter with no surgery or downtime.
Fort Walton Beach (850) 503-1060 renew-aestheticsclinic.com
One of the largest firms in the region with more than 90 attorneys throughout northwest Florida and Alabama.
HAHS attorneys litigate, counsel, negotiate and advise to solve the most important legal matters for you and your business.
YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR LEGACY.
, life has never been a dragstory by STEVE BORNHOFT photography by MICHAEL BOOINI
↘
For the uninitiated, the rigging aboard a shrimp boat may appear random, tangled, even chaotic. But for shrimpers like Fred Hunter, the gear is as orderly and regular as the letters on a writer’s keyboard or the pigments on a painter’s palette. There is an art to what he does.
Fred Hunter relinquished the wheel of the Miss Bennie to Gary Adkison but kept a close eye on him, resisted for a time the inclination to coursecorrect his double cousin, and then could wait no longer.
Fred Hunter relinquished the wheel of the Miss Bennie to Gary Adkison but kept a close eye on him, resisted for a time the inclination to course-correct his double cousin, and then could wait no longer.
“You can’t just look at one marker; you gotta look behind ya,” Hunter advised, smartly but not angrily. In such a way, he reminded Adkison that a marker and the bow of a boat in a strongly running current do not a straight line define. While the bow remains pointed at the marker, the current may slide the boat right out of the channel.
Adkison could be forgiven. While he toiled aboard shrimp boats as a young man, he has worked for most of his adult life running framing crews for concerns including Taunton Truss, Inc., in Wewahitchka and now as a subcontractor for his homebuilder wife, Pam Palmer, a former educator who owns Hive & Home Residential Construction.
But for Hunter, who resides in Overstreet, shrimping has been a living and a way of life. His father, George Hunter Jr., introduced him to the work.
A Massachusetts Yankee, George Hunter Jr. was in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the USS Antietam out of Pensacola, when he met Fred’s mother, Bennie.
His military service complete, he remained in Northwest Florida, landing a job at the St. Joe paper mill in Panama City, where he worked for 13 years. As a sideline, he ran a bait and tackle shop in Highland View in Gulf County and had a small boat used to catch shrimp for use by anglers. It was on that little boat that Fred, then a boy, had his first net-fishing experience.
In 1966, Fred recalls, his father moved his shop to Mexico Beach at the site today of the Shell Shack, which deals in souvenirs, sundries and seafood. In the early ’70s, George built Bennie’s Tackle Box and Boat Marina, which offered wet and dry boat storage.
“It was a big thing for Bay County at the time, but he didn’t hang on to it for very long,” Fred said. “We did sea shells for a few years, and then we got back to shrimping. We bought another shrimp boat, and we started retailing shrimp out of the store, and it grew after that.”
Hunter said about his father that he was a great fisherman from whom he learned a lot. Then, Hunter went to what amounted to graduate school. He ran away from home, all the way to Land’s End, and got jobs on big Gulf boats.
“I was blessed to get hooked up with the people I met when I went down there because it was a fine
↑ IN THE WHEELHOUSE
Imprinted in Fred Hunter’s mind is a map of the seasonal movements of shrimp, the product of 43 years spent on the water and cataloging successes and empty nets.
bunch of fishermen,” Hunter said. “They traveled from Key West to Texas every year. I learned how to sew nets and splice ropes. You had to work hard, though. You had to do the job.”
George Hunter commissioned the building of the Miss Bennie, named for his wife, in 1979. The boat, with its fiberglass Linsey hull, was finished late in 1980. The old man turned its operation over to his son when Fred was 17. A few years later, Adkison joined him on board as a greenhorn mate.
For years, the Miss Bennie was deployed not just in pursuit of shrimp.
In the winter, Yankee George might strip the vessel of its rigging — no small job — converting it to use as a snapper boat.
“It was a lot easier to take it off than it was to put it back on,” Adkison recalled. Indeed, with its system of outriggers, stabilizers, winches, ropes and pulleys, a shrimp boat is an elaborate affair, bewildering to the uninitiated. About it, Rube Goldberg might have said, “You’re off to a pretty good start.”
There was a time when it was lawful to drag for scallops. Family members would gather round No. 3 washtubs to clean the catch, discarding the guts, saving the meat and turning the shells over to Bennie, who would fashion dolls, chickens and frogs and such from them for sale in the store. She was kitschy before kitschy was uncool.
“It was anything to make a buck,” Hunter said. “I’m glad those days are gone.”
On this warm July night with nearcalm seas and patchy rain about, the Miss Bennie dragged a channel in East Bay. It was less a serious working trip than it was an excursion, carried out for the benefit of two guests — a writer and the photographer. Hunter dressed up for the occasion in a new Shell Shack T-shirt and a spotless pair of dungarees.
As a product of experience, Hunter learned long ago that it is effective to first work the bottom of a channel and then double back and run along its lips. Shrimp disturbed but not caught on the first pass tend to resettle on channel edges, he said. Here, then, is knowledge of a sort that cannot be pulled up with a Google search. And there is no Shrimping for Dummies book.
Hunter recalled his early days as a shrimper spent before he would learn unanticipated lessons the hard way.
“It was exciting; it was a way of being independent,” Hunter said, jettisoning chew into the drink. “A lot of people were doing it even though they didn’t make much money. To me, it was about the hunt and catching them — and having my freedom, that was probably the primary thing.
“When you get older and go to start a family, then it’s all about the money because you got some mouths to feed, but in the early days it was about catching ’em.”
Shrimpers never much calculate the risks they run.
“There was adventure on the water, and you were playing with your life, but I didn’t really think about that,” Hunter said. “It was all about just being here like we are tonight.”
Still, Hunter has had his close calls. One occurred when the Miss Bennie, which Hunter described as “the first brand new thing my family ever bought,” was just two years old.
“My old man turned me loose with her, and I went to Tampa Bay, and that’s a long, long reach,” Hunter said.
“I was trying to get back to St. Petersburg to my berth where I tied up,” Hunter began to recount a story. “Down under this ice hold, I have a mid-shaft bearing because the shaft is like 14 feet long. The bolts vibrated out of it, and when the bearing slid down
“It (shrimping) was exciting, it was a way of being independent. A lot of people were doing it even though they didn’t make much money. To me, it was about the hunt and catching them — and having my freedom, that was probably the primary thing.”
← “Shrimping is a dangerous profession, going out in rough seas with heavy gear and winches,” writes Jack Rudloe in Shrimp: The Endless Quest for Pink Gold. “Deckhands have fallen overboard, drowned, been eaten by sharks, or had their brains knocked out by blocks falling on their heads. Cables and winches can cut off a sleepy man’s arm, or worse.” Fred Hunter is ever aware of the risks of his profession, but a life of freedom, he says, makes taking them worthwhile.
↑ The Miss Bennie was an early fiberglass-hull boat when it was built in 1979. Such boats were not immediately popular. “Fishermen wanted either wood or steel,” writes Robert P. Jones in A Culture Worth Saving. “A bumper sticker popular at the time read, ‘If God wanted fiberglass boats, He would have made trees out of fiberglass.’”
the shaft, it knocked a hole in the hull. I was by myself, and I’m bucking those seas to get back to St. Pete and the engine starts surging. I said, ‘Damn, I must have run out of fuel or something.’ Then I lifted the hatch and all I could see was water.”
The Miss Bennie was sinking.
“Me knowing the boat was financed, I knew that if I lose this boat, everything is gone,” Hunter said. “The boat was about $75,000 — in 1980. It was expensive. My thought was I could never go home without it because the old man would have killed me. He was a mean bastard, pure Yankee. That’s just the way it was.”
Displaying grace under pressure that Hemingway would have admired, Hunter succeeded in converting a 12-volt wash-down pump to use as a bilge pump.
He managed to get two more bilge pumps working.
“The water level was starting to go down. I was overcoming it, and I sped up and got on into the dock,” Hunter said.
With the boat tied up, Hunter could hear the water running into the hull and could pinpoint where it was entering the boat. Fortunately, he had dive gear on board.
“I got a bolt and two pieces of plywood and I dove under there,” Hunter said. “I had a friend of mine hold the bolt on the inside while I put the nut on and tightened it.”
“… The bolts vibrated out of it, and when the bearing slid down the shaft, it knocked a hole in the hull. I was by myself, and I’m bucking those seas to get back to St. Pete and the engine starts surging. I said, ‘Damn, I must have run out of fuel or something.’ Then I lifted the hatch and all I could see was water.”
In November 1994, 70% of participating Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment that outlawed the use of commercial entanglement fishing nets of more than 500 square feet in state waters.
The law became effective in July 1995 and precipitated an exodus of many captains from a shrimping fleet that had numbered hundreds of boats in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties, alone, according to veteran shrimper Fred Hunter of Overstreet. Other shrimpers including Hunter, whose boat, the Miss Bennie, will turn 43 in December, made adjustments and carried on. “You put a shrimper’s back to the wall, he’s gonna find a way to survive; that’s what we do as commercial fishermen.” Hunter has found that even as shrimpers have become less numerous, so have shrimp, and that, too, has made his livelihood less attractive. He discounts the belief, held by some, that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is somehow to blame. The biggest factor, he said, is the deterioration of estuarine environments due to development, the hardening of waterfronts and the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
The patch worked.
Hunter recalled, too, a time in Tampa Bay when his father insisted upon shrimping despite a bad weather forecast and his son’s pleadings.
“I told him all of those boats over there are tied up for a reason, and he told me he had a boat payment to make,” said Hunter, who believes the Miss Bennie survived seas that night that would have claimed lesser shrimp boats. “She’s got nuts,” he said.
From 1988–95, Hunter worked as a merchant mariner and spent time on a supply boat off Iraq during Operation Desert Shield. It was his only hiatus from shrimping.
“I was wanting to do the Merchant Marine as a career, but the kids at home were getting to be teenagers and hard to handle, so I had to quit my job and go back to shrimping,” Hunter said. “But that was probably for the best because I really blossomed as a shrimper in the past 25 years. I’ve done well for myself.”
Hunter has a son and a daughter, Matthew and Sky, and a granddaughter, Amelia. He does a lot of babysitting, confessing that he “can’t go long without having a look at Amelia.”
There are drags when the nets, raised from the water, contain almost exclusively shrimp. This night was not like that. The bycatch included hardhead and gafftopsail catfish, mantis and milk shrimp, gars, blue crabs, skates and more. The biomass was spread out on a sorting table, Hunter and Adkison picked 50 pounds of keeper shrimp from the pile and then scraped the unwanted life forms into the water off the stern where dolphins had gathered.
Thankfully, there were no sharks, but Hunter said that increasingly they are tailing shrimp boats and tearing into gear.
“They are worse than ever. They will eat the damn nets right off these doors,” Hunter said, referring to the large wooden trawl boards that keep the nets open during a drag.
“They’re like a threshing machine. I don’t see them bad off of Panama, and I don’t see them as bad off of St. George
Island, but in between, they are awful. Their numbers are up, and if someone tells you they’re not, they are lying.”
The shrimper, Hunter concedes, is a dying breed.
“Boats are thinning out every year. There is only a handful of us left, and we’re getting older like myself,” said Hunter, who is 62. “I’m gonna be phasing out in the next couple of years, and there isn’t anyone coming up behind. Mine will be one more boat gone, and it’s going to get to be where the public won’t be able to get fresh shrimp caught in their backyard. It’s gonna come from Mexico or South America. It’s gonna go through a fish house, it’s gonna be washed and frozen three or four times and it’s gonna be treated with preservatives.”
Hunter carries his catches to the Shell Shack, which is operated by his brother, George Hunter III.
“We have the finest shrimp because of the way they are taken care of,” Hunter said.
Our exercise complete, the Miss Bennie heads in. The in-dash depth finder registers less than five feet of water, and while the boat’s draft is four feet, Hunter registers no concern.
“I know these waters like my front yard,” he said.
As we near the dock, the Miss Bennie’s lights cut out. Hunter figures that the fuel line to his generator may be kinked.
Maybe, it’s as simple as that. One hopes it wasn’t a sign. EC
↘
The monarch butterflies that adorn the Panama City Center for the Arts celebrate nature’s fabulous beauty and remind us of its fragility. Monarchs capable of migrations covering thousands of miles are endangered due to climate change and the disappearance, substantially, of the milkweed plants that are an indispensable part of their life cycle.
Morgan Summers, a lettering artist and muralist inspired by the sign painters of the ’60s, is leaving brush strokes all over Panama City Beach as part of the Bay Arts Alliance’s mural project, an ongoing push to expand the presence of public art in the city.
Perhaps the most notable of Summers’ contributions is a postcard-style mural commissioned by the alliance that lines the Bay County Chamber of Commerce. The mural, which features Summers’ characteristic limited color palette and mod lettering style, pays homage to the historic post office across the street as well as several notable landmarks throughout the city. Hidden among the letters in “Welcome to Panama City” are depictions of The Hathaway Bridge and the
←
Among the murals new to downtown Panama City is one created to mimic an old-timey postcard.
Martin Theater, sites that hold significance to both Panama City and Summers, herself.
“My favorite little detail is the facade of the Martin Theater,” Summers said. “It’s got a very distinctive logo in there as an Easter egg. I used to do talent shows and dance performances there, and they have been working on restoring it since the hurricane came through, but that has taken a lot of time. The view of the bridge is from a little park that I used to go to as a kid.”
Jayson Kretzer, the executive director of the Bay Arts Alliance, floated the idea to develop a mural walk in Panama City many times over the years, but there simply were no systems in place to get the idea off the ground until late 2018. The devastation of Hurricane Michael in October of that year instigated efforts from
“We want to make sure artists get paid for what they do; it’s really a win-win. It’s good for the business that gets the mural, it’s good for the artists and it’s a nice thing to look at when you are walking around.” — Jayson Kretzer
multiple Bay County organizations to not only repair the city’s damage, but to beautify the area’s urban spaces and invest in community-sourced talent.
“In a time like that, people wanted to see color,” Kretzer said.
It was no surprise then, that Kretzer found overwhelming support from organizations like Destination Panama City, the St. Joe Community Foundation and the Downtown Improvement Board. Grants help to cover the cost of materials and pay the artists for their work.
“Our mission is to help creatives,” Kretzer said. “We want to make sure artists get paid for what they do; it’s really a win-win. It’s good for the business that gets the mural, it’s good for the artists and it’s a nice thing to look at when you are walking around.”
The murals are not, as Kretzer emphasized, advertisements. He and the board at the Bay
Arts Alliance carefully select each artist for their unique style and personal connection with the area. The vast majority of muralists to contribute to the project have called Bay County home for more than eight years, though it did not start out that way.
“There weren’t a lot of muralists in the area at the time, so we brought in Cameron Moberg, who has been televised for his work, to paint our first mural,” Kretzer said. “Then we figured we would pay him to do a free mural workshop for our local artists to help get their chops up.”
Summers grew up in Panama City but fled to design school in Orlando to pursue an artistic career. Once there, however, she found the city’s arts community to be uninspiring. When she heard about the mural project happening in her hometown, Summers packed her bags and moved back, starting her first mural project, Small Town Walls, a series of murals dedicated to her favorite small towns around the country. This project, which is on display in Summer’s home studio, Uh Beautiful Mes, helped to hone her skills and prepare her to work with the Bay Arts Alliance.
“It was exciting for me to see that having a creative career in a small town is possible because I was looking to get out of the city,” Summers said. “It was an absolute joy to get in on that project and work with Jayson and Bay Arts.”
Today, dozens of murals decorate Panama City and Bay County at large. Many of the works, which depict natural scenes, animals, historical figures and a few recent abstract additions, are a product of the Bay Arts Alliance’s Mural Project, but not all. The efforts of Kretzer, his board and band of artists have inspired a wider movement among the community to invest in public art.
“Public art is important,” Kretzer said. “Our vision is to put art on every corner. We want to make art accessible to everybody regardless of their socioeconomic status. You may never notice that brick wall on your commute, but put art on that wall, and it can speak. I just think that those things are important to a community. It builds pride. It brings community itself.” EC
Regina Jaquess, Pharm D, a resident of Santa Rosa Beach since 1998, founded and opened Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy in 2010. She is recognized locally as a physician’s compounding pharmacist and works closely to meet the individual needs of each patient by recognizing the importance of their specific medical history. By creating a relationship between the patient, provider, and pharmacist, Regina is able to customize a solution to positively impact ideal therapeutic outcomes. You can also follow Regina’s international water skiing career at her website www.reginajaquess.com.
Regina Jaquess, PharmD; USA Water Ski Team member; 2022 World Games Slalom Champion; Ten time World Champion; World Records in both slalom and overall; member of Daughters of the American Revolution, West Florida Chapter.
While speaking with a coworker who shares a love for the macabre, we both realized our obsession originates from the same place — our horrible fathers.
Her father showed her Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho when she was 6 years old, and when I was that age, my old man thought it would be funny to show me the ’90s horror mockumentary phenomenon, The Blair Witch Project. Even more twisted, he insisted that it was 100% genuine footage discovered by the authorities and later released to the public.
Much to my mother’s chagrin, I was raised on the genre and embarked on a 20-year-long love affair with masked maniacs, scream queens and all manner of things that go bump in the night.
If you lack inspiration for your Halloween horror movie marathon, you may find something in the five films I watch annually.
Mention the third entry in John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise, and some of the more uncultured members of the horror community will turn up their noses and scoff, “Ugh, isn’t that the one without Michael Meyers?”
My favorite horror host and movie critic, Joe Bob Briggs, condemns it for this reason, but the standalone sequel explores something far more sinister than a dagger-toting monster in coveralls: consumerism!
When novelty manufacturing corporation Silver Shamrock debuts a catchy commercial for their new line of Halloween masks, kids can’t wait to get their hands on them. But when a crazed toy shop owner is admitted to Dr. Daniel Challis’ ward while clutching said mask and raving, “They’re going to kill us!” is murdered in his hospital room, the good doctor is thrust into an investigation of the wicked Irish company’s founder, Conal Cochran, who aims to eradicate the children of America by bewitching masks with ancient Celtic black magic.
Rife with plot holes, awful one-liners and grisly, ’80s-era special effects, this is, undoubtedly, my favorite horror movie of all time.
I may have a thing for threequels. Part horror movie and part procedural crime drama, William Peter Blatty’s third Exorcist installment takes place 17 years after the events of the original possession story and catches up with police Lt. William Kinderman and Father Joseph Dyer, who, on the anniversary of Father Damien Karras’ death, meet up to watch It’s a Wonderful Life
Now, the movie is worth watching for their comedic, old-married-couple banter alone. “I can’t go home,” the deadpan Kinderman says to Dyer, proceeding to explain how his visiting mother-in-law has purchased it with the intention of cooking a live carp that’s been swimming in his bathtub for the past three days. “Now, you’re standing very close to me, Father, have you noticed? I haven’t had a bath for three days. I can’t go home until the carp is asleep.”
But things take a turn when Kinderman begins investigating a new series of slayings that boast the same M.O. of the Gemini Killer, a serial murderer who was executed 15 years prior, and consults an institutionalized man who eerily resembles the deceased Father Karris. Now, I won’t spoil it, but the events leading up to the movie’s big revelation feature some of the most dreadful atmospheres and disturbing dialogue that, to this day, chills me to the bone.
Five classic films fit for a Halloween marathon
I could delve into the layers of subtext, social commentary and symbolism that make Tobe Hooper’s Chainsaw one of the best movies ever made, period, but, as my Texan relatives would say, “I ain’t fixin’ to go into all that.”
All right, let’s dial it in to this century with a movie I knew was going to be a staple of mine as soon as I left the theater: The Witch
Robert Eggers’ directorial debut stars Anya Taylor-Joy of The Queen’s Gambit fame as Thomasin, the daughter of English settlers who are banished by their Puritanical colony over an undisclosed religious debate and forced to build a life for themselves in the wilderness. But just as Thomasin, her four siblings and her parents begin acclimating to their Little House on the Prairie life, baby Samuel is seemingly snatched out of thin air.
Mother believes it’s Thomasin’s fault, as she was watching Samuel at the time, while Father says it “’twas a wolf that got him.” But twin toddlers Jonas and Mercy, who spend their time raising hell, singing creepy nursery rhymes and conversing with the family goat, Black Phillip, insist it was the Witch of the Wood. After all, Black Phillip told them.
The horror that unfolds is a slow burn, to be sure, but the 1630s Shakespearean dialogue, the stark, isolating New England landscape and the gradual unraveling of faith and family evoke a ceaseless dread that crescendos to a deliciously satisfying conclusion.
If you’re not familiar with the movie that shocked and appalled audiences globally, it follows young Sally Hardesty, her brother and their friends who, on the way to an old family property in the bowels of rural Texas, become terrorized by a cannibalistic family of madmen. Now, it’s not the gore of the subject matter that gets you; it’s the remorseless brutality. It’s the raw, impenitent portrayal of human depravity captured on that grainy, 70mm film that just makes it feel … real.
That was precisely what Hooper was going for. The picture’s low budget, cast of unknowns, native Texan actors and “based on a true story” prologue, which was nothing more than a marketing tactic, truly made a masterpiece that spurred on the American slasher genre.
I like to celebrate the return of autumn with a viewing. The film’s final shot — that dusky, orange sky, the roars of Leatherface’s chainsaw dying with the sunlight — is among the most beautiful in cinematic history.
For me, this is the ultimate comfort movie. It’s what I put on when insomnia strikes, when I’m uninspired or when I just need a good dose of nostalgia from my favorite childhood story. Returning to Rosemary’s Baby is like a steaming cup of chicken noodle soup and a cold ginger ale when you’re sick. Does that make me sick? Maybe.
For those unfamiliar, director Roman Polanski’s classic occult horror tale centers around a young woman and her aspiring actor husband as they move into a new apartment in New York City. The titular Rosemary, portrayed by Mia Farrow, is a stranger in a strange land. Surrounded by suspicious and meddlesome neighbors and her increasingly dismissive husband Guy Woodhouse, played by John Cassavetes, Rosemary’s paranoia comes to a head when she falls pregnant and begins to suspect that those around her belong to a Satanic cult, and wish to take her baby for ritualistic purposes.
The best part about this movie is Farrow. Watching her transformation from the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed newlywed enlivened by the prospect of motherhood to the gaunt, unstable and possibly delusional shell of her former self is a harrowing, unforgettable tale.
How do you frame up a festive, fall weekend on the Emerald Coast?
Come take part in Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s 27th annual Festival of the Arts.
With new artists taking part, this year’s event, set for Saturday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30 at the scenic MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin, again promises to be a true celebration of art, music, food and fun.
One of the Southeast’s premier art festivals, the two-day signature event features exhibits of nearly 100 artists from the U.S. as well as Europe showcasing a diverse palette of artistic styles in 18 different art mediums from oil, watercolor and glass art paintings to clay pottery, ceramics, metal sculpture, mixed media, jewelry art and much more.
Art lovers of all ages can watch Plein Air artists painting the landscape live, artists demonstrating their techniques in their tented booths, browse art from dozens of emerging new and student artists, and get hands-on in the interactive Kids ArtStop station.
Beyond the visual arts, the festival will feature two days of continuous live music and a sampling of the local culinary arts scene. Entertaining street performers, lively art drawings and the sale of colorful keepsake souvenirs — all create a familyfriendly festival.
Esteemed judges will award $10,000 in artist prizes in the juried and collaborative art categories. On Saturday, festivalgoers are invited to vote for the People’s Choice Artist Award by casting a ballot located at the main festival entrance.
One not-to-miss feature is the Collaborative Art Exhibit, which showcases the work of student and adult artists competing for the McIlroy Award.
Six sensational local and regional musicians and bands will perform live throughout the weekend on stage at the Dugas Pavilion.
The festival celebrates the art of dining, too. Foodies will enjoy samplings of savory cuisine and sweet bites from area restaurants and caterers along with adult
beverages in the wine bar and beer garden. Gather with family and friends to enjoy your meal seated at tables al fresco while taking in the festival scene and listening to the stellar music lineup.
Festival producer Deb Nissley guarantees there will be plenty of new surprises to enjoy. As for advice on how best to enjoy the festival, she says, “Plan to spend the day, and come prepared to see a lot of great art, hear great music, enjoy the outdoors and meet talented artists.”
The festival is open to the public and runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily admission is free! Proceeds from MKAF cultural events help fund ArtsReach — MKAF’s arts education community outreach programs serving K-12 students, children and adults with special needs, and the military community along the Emerald Coast.
For more details follow MKAF on social media channels and visit MKAF.org.
↖
Lister was born in Tallahassee in 1968 to a mom who taught grade school and a dad who was part entrepreneur and part hardware store owner. He grew up playing Little League baseball, but in high school switched to basketball.
“I’m only 6 feet tall, but I still get down on the court with my kids and grandkids,” he said. “I’ve got a killer mid-range jump shot!”
After high school, Lister earned two degrees in theology, instinctively specializing in myth and narrative, and served for a decade as a prison chaplain. Then, in 2000, Lister departed ministering and took up writing.
If Michael Lister books were films, they’d lean toward docudrama. His “Blood” series of 28 novels (Power in the Blood, Blood of the Lamb, et al) seems to reflect Michael’s sojourn spent spiritualizing with inmates at three different state prisons.
Author Michael Lister at his Wewahitchka home. For 25 years, he has been pumping out titles in his “Blood” series in which investigator John Jordan is the recurring main character. In Out for Blood, Lister’s 27th book, Jordan works to identify suspects in the beating of his niece and another teenager.
Michael Lister is not just a writer; he’s an enterprise! This Wewahitchka boy’s milieu, as a mystery-crime novelist in Northwest Florida, features the folks next door, characters from beach to bayou to piney woods.
Over the past 25 years, Lister has created two series of crime novels and recently has undertaken a third.
But wait, there’s more: a “Meanings” series of his own reflections on life, plus — fingers crossed — Lister has optioned the film script for his book Double Exposure to writer-director Jason Hreno. Lister also heads Michael Lister Charities and, if one cares to look, can be viewed performing original songs on YouTube.
Whether Lister’s fascination with dark tales from the American criminal justice system was induced by those 10 clerical years or his fascination with the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, cold cases and serial killers inhabit his “Blood” fiction world, presented through the eyes of John Jordon, a kind of Gulf Coast “Father Brown.”
Blood Work, the 12th book in the “Blood” series, opens with a prologue that traces serial killer Ted Bundy’s rampage through Florida from 1978 until 1989 when he was executed in Florida’s electric chair.
In Blood Work, some 40 years after Bundy’s murder spree, the reader encounters John Jordon, the chaplain for the Gulf Correctional Institution and consultant-investigator for the Gulf County Sheriff’s Department, in bed with Anna, his lady love.
A phone call interrupts the couple’s precious spiritual rites with a plea from a local publican — one to which
Go explore. Go visit monuments and mountains and make the mundane magical with adventure. Go forth to find new places and spaces. Go on to travel again. Because we’re still here—ready, willing and able to get you anywhere you want to go. iflybeaches.com/escape
↑ The prolific Michael Lister developed a love for language and Southern storytelling at a young age. Before becoming a full-time novelist in 2000, he taught high school, worked as a college professor and inspirational speaker, owned and operated a bookstore, wrote a popular syndicated column, served as a newspaper editor, operated a community theater, wrote plays and screenplays, and worked for a production company.
Jordon reluctantly responds and which takes him to a local watering hole where he removes his drunken brother Jake from the premises.
Out of work since his father “Sheriff Jack” lost re-election, Jake has become his dad’s keeper-in-misery. Jack is haunted by the disappearance, on “his watch,” of a local high-school belle, Janet Leigh Lester, who’d gone missing on her prom night. No body was found, only blood scattered on the inside of her car. At the time, because of a contemporary string of murders from Tallahassee to Pensacola and the girl’s victim profile, John Jordon’s old man, Sheriff Jack, had concluded that Janet Leigh Lester had met with foul play at the hands of one Ted Bundy.
Years later, the unresolved case still hangs like a dark cloud over the whole community, while protagonist John Jordon witnesses his father lost in an empty retirement, agonizing over whether his conclusion about Janet Leigh Lester’s fate had been too easy.
The old man’s sense of failure over time has led him to alcohol, and his relationship with his sons John and Jake has grown problematic. Thereby hangs not only a murder mystery, but the tale of how John Jordon, special investigator and dutiful son, revives the cold case of Janet Leigh Lester’s disappearance and comes to the aid of a father from whom he’s become estranged.
Essentially, Lister’s Blood Work is a tale with a Southern touch that unearths old mysteries, reveals generational secrets and that, at its best, reveres the notion of the circle being unbroken between generations.
Lister is unbelievably prolific. The New York Times puts him on their list as a best-selling crime-mystery author. His insights into the criminal psyche are often spot-on. Not exactly what the Beatles’ lyrics had in mind in Paperback Writer. Lister’s already made it there, in spades. EC
As the year nears a close, Emerald Coast calendars fill with events. Temperatures may cool, but The Village of Baytowne Wharf heats up with a roster of some of their most popular and memorable happenings.
The fall event season kicks off with the 14th annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival, presented by Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort on Oct. 7–8. Sample more than 200 domestic and international craft beers while listening to live music.
Wizards, witches, warlocks and more all invited to trick or treat at the merchants’ storefronts. Trick or Treat Street will take place from 6–8 p.m. on Oct. 31. All family members are encouraged to dress up for the costume contest. The night concludes with a spooky spectacular fireworks display.
The first weekend of November brings three days of music. Grab you blanket and lawn chair and enjoy the fall coolness during Tribute Weekend. Rock out to the tunes of tribute bands playing the classics you know and love. Bands will take the stage on Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, from 7–9 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 6, from 2–4 p.m.
One of the most anticipated Village of Baytowne Wharf events is the ticketed Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights event on Nov. 19 from 4–6 p.m. Attendees will be poured glasses from a selection of over 30 champagnes and served delectable appetizers from Village restaurants. The Village tree will be lighted, and carolers will be present to usher in the holiday spirit.
“The holiday season here is particularly special because we’ve put a lot of thought into making the decorations pop and the events especially memorable,” said Alan Meyers, executive director of the Village.
On Nov. 26, Santa is set to land his sleigh at the Village. At the Here Comes Santa event, you can meet the cheery fellow himself while enjoying face painting, kids crafts and a festive holiday fireworks display.
On Dec. 2, Florida gets a bit icy at the Icy Skating Extravaganza as the ice rink opens for the winter season. This event will feature performances by two professional ice skaters. Before and after the shows, skaters can lace up and join the pros on the ice.
Wednesdays are a winter wonderland at the Village. On Dec. 4, 14 and 21, children
can visit with Santa and share what’s on their wish list. Each week, a different high school band will perform Christmas classics.
Ring in 2023 at the Baytowne Countdown with two stunning fireworks shows at 8 p.m. and midnight. From 6-8 p.m., the event is family friendly with crafts, activities and live music. From 7 p.m.–1 a.m., dance your way into a new year with live music on the main stage.
“With these events, we want people to make memories and experience that warm holiday feeling no matter whether they live here or are visiting for the holidays,” said Kensley Brooks, events coordinator for the Village.
For details on all of The Village of Baytowne Wharf’s events, visit: Baytownewharf.com/what_to_do.com
←
Fall is the season for throw blankets in earthy colors. Apples, quinces, pomegranates, acorns and dried leaves and flowers make for nice accent pieces, especially when illuminated by scented candles.
Fall is the perfect season to focus inward on a home’s interior. After all, family-friendly holidays are right around the corner, and it’s nice to have a cozy space prepared for gatherings.
Decorating for fall can be quite affordable because it relies on natural elements found at farmers markets or local shops. Adding a few extra accessories shouldn’t break the budget by adding a little intriguing texture, ambiance and warmer colors.
Designer Andrea Maulden of Nest Interior Design in Panama City Beach said that one of the easiest ways to bring a house into fall is through scent. “This doesn’t have to mean exclusively pumpkin-scented candles,” she said. “Cinnamon apples, caramel and vanilla can take you straight to the holiday season. One of my favorite things about this time of year is lighting an autumn candle, turning on a football game and curling up under a cozy, plush blanket.”
Well-loved quilts or heirlooms are also fall-appropriate. Draping this simple piece over a sofa or chair, or using it as a table cover, can add the
perfect touch of color. “I’m personally not a big fan of fall colors, so, I like to incorporate neutrals that have a fall vibe,” said Maulden. “A tartan or plaid throw in ivory, khaki or taupe, as well as some faux fur pillows to curl up with is a beautiful way to get that cozy, fall feel.”
Also, a warmer color scheme isn’t limited to pumpkin orange. The classic colors of fall can transform into claret, cranberry and harvest gold, for example, and brighten up a neutral color scheme.
Inevitably, pumpkins pop into the center of one’s mind when envisioning fall decor. However, they shouldn’t just be limited to the porch or front steps. Pumpkins deserve their own space indoors, and there are many ways to enliven their decorative value. Andrea Manning, head of design for Michaels, tells of interior designers adorning pumpkins and gourds with paint, beads, pom poms, tinsel or glitter.
“A pumpkin might be treated to a pattern, painted solid gold or given another dimension with beads,” Manning said.
“I have seen a lineup of white-painted gourds on a mantel, a magnificent goldpainted pumpkin nestled on a console table among other keepsakes, and blue and white painted pumpkins as a centerpiece on a festive holiday table.”
This is not to ignore the decorative talents of pumpkins au naturel. Both the classic orange ones and their albino cousins are brilliantly decorative. Unexpected ways to use them include placing one in the corner of each step on a staircase, grouping different sizes on a coffee table or console, incorporating them as part of a bookcase display and topping candlesticks with mini versions. “However you choose to use them — even just some mini-sized ones in a wooden bowl — pumpkins and gourds can make an autumnal and very chic statement.”
Of course, fall doesn’t end with pumpkins. They’re only the beginning. Some designers prefer to use apples, quinces, pomegranates, figs, acorns, dried leaves and other fall-blooming flowers.
“A huge trend this year is using pampas grass as a decorative element,” added Maulden. “Cut a circle off the top
↑ THE NEW ORANGES Gourds, no matter their bumps and creases, can be made gorgeous when painted in stark white or metallic hues.
of a fake pumpkin and fill with pampas grass stems, line it along your mantel or dining room buffet table, or use a pampas grass wreath on your door.”
When it comes to fall foliage, good choices are the Florida maple, sweet gum, sugar berry and persimmon trees. Display branches in vases or collect leaves to be dried and displayed in a bowl or made into wreaths. If collecting the real thing is a little too time-consuming, paper cuttings can add seasonal foliage to spaces in a pinch.
Whatever your tastes, Manning and Maulden welcome all designing for fall to infuse their own personalities into the space. There is no better time to incorporate your favorite keepsakes, such as travel mementos, art, crafts projects and homemade candles.
Maulden likes to display her collection of seasonal dishware for family gatherings, while Manning shares that Michaels crafters have been known to transport homemade wooden toys, such as a toy truck, carrying acorns or mini gourds into their fall rooms.
Beyond the natural elements produced in the fall, candles are unquestionably stars in any room.
Manning shares that Michaels customers love them, both store-bought and homemade. The latter often displays lots of creativity and can be fun in the process.
Home candlemakers typically prefer oversized tapers and add elements such as crystals and floral elements to make the candles their own.
Finally, don’t forget the porch in your summer-tofall routine. Line up the pumpkins and fall flowers, bring on the throws and quilts, and set up lanterns and flocks of candles. Anything that encourages snuggling and lingering is comme il faut, perfect for crisper fall evenings.
The first impression of a home, the entryway, makes a statement — loud and proud or subtle and understated with degrees in between. When decorating for fall, entryway decor goes much further than pumpkins or gourds.
Chris Bailey, the owner of Maison 30A, says that adding fresh greenery, ornamental grasses in planters or rosemary are simple ways to recreate a fresh harvest look.
For 2022, mixing neutral tones and modern natureinspired pieces brings the outdoors inside. “A major trend for fall is using natural materials such as rattan, seagrass and handwoven ropes,” Bailey said. “Another major trend in design is bold, rounded and curved lines in furniture, art lighting and accessories.”
Decorating for fall can be easily affordable because it relies on natural elements found at farmers markets or local shops. A few extra
accessories can add intriguing texture and warmer colors without breaking the budget.
It’s helpful to picture an entryway as visitors will see it.
Bailey said entryway planters, accent pillows for outdoor furniture or monogrammed
entry rugs all can figure into plans to enhance entryways. Other design aspects such as lighting can help transform the home entrance feel.
“Changing out front porch entryway lights with linear glass lantern style lamps
↑ Advises Chris Bailey of Maison 30A, a home goods store in Panama City Beach: Repainting the front door with an on-trend color such as sage green helps give a home a fresh look.
looks great on all architectural styles and adds a modern look,” Bailey said.
Bailey recommends outdoor furniture, especially larger pieces, with UV and water-resistant fabric so that it will last for years. Smaller, less durable accent pieces are easier to swap out each season.
As to interiors, Bailey said the most requested items currently are counter stools and dining chairs.
“At Maison 30A, we have a large selection of dining chairs and stools in stock with modern handcrafted leather and teak designs,” Bailey said. “We have a French bistro collection, handwoven rattan and upholstered slip-covered designs that are all great options when updating your home for the holidays.”
Beyond the furniture and accessories, Bailey says a simple trick is to paint your front door with a fresh look using cooling tones such as olive gray, sage green, silvery eucalyptus and artichoke. Those colors are not only fitting for fall but also on trend for 2022.
No matter which design elements are swapped out or updated, Bailey mentioned that this year’s holidays will be ones to celebrate after pandemic lockdowns and restrictions.
“This holiday season, it’s more important than ever to share with your friends and family, and it’s the perfect time to refresh your home,” he said.
EC
↑ Add a touch of timeless elegance by replacing tired entryway lights with linear glass lanterns — a good fit for all architectural styles of home.
In the Sunshine State, we do love our rays. However, there are times we need a reprieve from the heat and glare that beats down on and into our homes. Well-planned window treatments are a trusted solution.
For over 45 years, McNeill Palm has outfitted indoor and outdoor spaces with custom shades, draperies and coverings. From South Walton to Okaloosa, McNeill Palm is the industry leader in window treatments that align both the style and function in finer homes.
Managing director, Brenda Hamrick, believes that properly designed window coverings are essential to control light, decrease glare and manage the temperature of your home, all of which result in a more enjoyable living experience.
Keeping out the sun doesn’t mean you have to obstruct your views. On the contrary, their team is equipped to create a solution that also allows your stunning sunrises and spectacular Gulf sunsets.
Whether building your dream home or updating your well-loved space, the process begins with a consultation. This can occur in the showroom or on-site. Allowing you to discuss your vision in detail is the first and most vitally important element. From this point, the McNeill Palm team will talk through the design details, from technology to timeline to pricing. Lastly, your installation will take place under the direction of skilled professionals with years of industry experience. “Window coverings last 10 or
McNeill Palm has you covered when it comes to window treatments
more years. We want to leave each client with design value they will enjoy for many years,” Hamrick said.
McNeill Palm begins each project with the knowledge that success requires planning and preparation. Toward that end, Hamrick encourages consulting with their team early in the process to ensure comprehensive infrastructure is in place to support window treatments that meet your wants and needs. This can include both structural and electrical planning.
“When assisting our clients, we focus on three elements — functionality, design, and technical needs,” Hamrick said.
Whether you want a totally dark room for sleeping, to reduce glare and UV damage, or want flexible privacy, the functionality will determine your enjoyment day in and day out. With design, the team considers the style of your home to develop a window
When assisting our clients, we focus on three elements — functionality, design, and technical needs.
“ ”
treatment that enhances the architecture and interior design. The technical elements determine what operating system you want: manual, automated with remote control, iPhone, or integrated into a smart home system. With these three key factors in mind, each window covering option is completely detailed to the specific window. “We stay abreast of new fabrics, trims, and technologies that are continually introduced. Our goal is to create fine design that will be timeless, including fabrics, trims, hard treatments, hardware, and technologies to ensure your enjoyment of your window treatments for many years. With a vast knowledge base, the team at McNeill Palm is positioned to provide personalized service to the most discerning homeowners.
Frenetic insect activity ensues during autumn around the home, especially near blooms. These creatures are desperate to prepare for the cooler months ahead.
Social insects such as European honeybees are working hard to collect nectar and pollen from autumn wildflowers. Goldenrods, partridge peas and many others are humming as the bees build up their stores.
Honeybees have another tactic for surviving the adversity of winter. The worker bees, which are all females, eject the drones, which are all males, from the hive. The drones scatter and are left to their fate. They cannot forage to feed themselves, so these bees without stingers starve or fall victim to hungry predators.
Most wasp colonies die away in the autumn, leaving only the young, mated queens. After feeding heavily during the fall, the queen leaves the nest to discover further resources. Satiated, she finds a suitable area to hibernate for the winter.
After emerging from hibernation in spring, the young queen searches for a suitable nesting site.
Many butterflies and moths drink the nectar of late-blooming plants during the shortening days of autumn. Some, like the monarchs, are preparing for arduous migrations to south-of-the-border locations.
Zebra longwings feast on the pollen of late bloomers to produce a sour taste to repulse predators. Other butterflies, such as the buckeye, remain and have enough surviving members to replenish the population in the spring.
Even the lazy and long maligned and fabled grasshopper’s cousin, the katydid, is enjoying the remaining warm days by snacking on available blooms. This member of the Tettigoniidae family is an indiscriminate eater, much like the grasshopper, but late-season flowers are delectable items on the menu.
Unlike Aesop’s grasshopper, they are not wasting a minute preparing for winter.
The Emerald Coast region is not known for brilliant foliage color during autumn. Still, there are two native vines that produce vibrant reds as the days cool and become shorter.
The leaves of Virginia creeper and poison ivy turn from green to red during the fall. The inflamed tones brighten the season and serve as an easily seen warning for anyone who might blunder into itch-inducing ivy.
Creeper, with five leaflets per stem, and poison ivy, with three leaflets per stem, easily blend into the verdant background most of the year. Many times, they are entwined and difficult to differentiate.
During this period, which produces ruby shades on these vines, poison ivy will still cause the skin to itch, for which it is notorious. The irritating oil on its leaf’s surface will remain for about a year after it falls from the vine in late autumn.
The red foliage is a warning to stop and avoid contact.
Onions are a fall crop that’s easy to plant and doesn’t require a lot of space. Seedlings can be planted in the small spaces between shrubs in a home landscape or as a border plant, which will remain green during the winter.
Locally, onions can be grown for both the greens and the bulb. Scallions or green onions will be ready for harvest in 30 to 45 days, but bulb onions will take until late April or early May to mature. For either crop, the bulbs should be planted just below the soil’s surface with a south-facing orientation to ensure enough sun exposure. Flowerbeds with rich, organic soil are an ideal site for planting. Mulching around the bulbs will also help maintain the soil’s moisture and adds a few nutrients to promote growth.
MADE EASYPHOTOS BY ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES: PAULINA WIETRZYK-PELKA (HONEYBEE), MOKA (VIRGINIA CREEPER) AND FLOORTJE (GREEN ONIONS) GREEN SCENE Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County extension director. GREEN
OCT. 1
The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation invites you to sit under the stars for a special showing of the cult classic, The Goonies. Bring your own snacks and drinks, or purchase from on-site food trucks. This is a family-friendly film series event.
mattiekellyartsfoundation.org
OCT. 1–31
The Destin Fishing Rodeo is a month-long event held each October. Nightly weigh-ins are held on the docks behind A.J.’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Significant prizes are awarded at weigh-ins, and children are encouraged to participate. All events are free and open to the public.
destinfishingrodeo.org
OCT. 7–8
The Village of Baytowne Wharf presents its 14th annual festive beer tasting featuring over 200 domestic and international beers, food samples, live music and more. Taste local brews while chatting with the brewers themselves.
baytownebeerfestival.com
OCT. 7–9
Seafood lovers flock to this festival for the freshest catches the Gulf has to offer. Eat and shop your way along the historic Destin Harbor and Harbor Boardwalk while enjoying live music, arts and crafts and children’s activities.
destinseafoodfest.com
OCT/NOV 2022
For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com
compiled by JAVIS OGDEN, REBECCA PADGETT FRETT and DON J. DEROSIER
NOV. 18–20
Join the Northwest Florida Ballet at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center on Nov. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 20 at 2:30 p.m. for the 43rd annual production of The Nutcracker. As the only full-length version of this classic holiday fairytale in the area, NFB’s The Nutcracker features a cast of more than 140 performers, including international guest artists and over 100 local children. Visit NFBallet.org/the-nutcracker for details and ticket information.
OCT. 15
→ Join us for an evening of celebration in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin as we gather to showcase the winners of the Best of the Emerald Coast for 2022. The 23rd annual event will feature food, fashion and fun and highlight the best restaurants, shops and businesses on the coast. Purchase tickets online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/bestofec.
OCT. 22
→ Join Sinfonia Gulf Coast on Oct. 22 at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village for The Bride of Frankenstein Film in Concert. As Mary Shelley would have it, the event will be a perfect one for mystery and horrors, and the air will be filled with monsters.
Tickets and additional information can be found by visiting sinfoniagulfcoast.org.
OCT. 22
→ The Market Shops will host its 7th Annual Bloody Mary Festival benefiting Habitat for Humanity of Walton County on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring unlimited tastes of the Emerald Coast’s most creative bloody marys, a bubbly bar, local brews, food, shopping, live music, cigar bar, streaming SEC football and more!
For more information on how to purchase tickets, vendor information, or to sign up to compete, visit themarketshops.com/ bloody-mary-festival.
→ Known as one of Northwest Florida’s premier fine arts shows, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s Festival of the Arts returns to the Cultural Arts Village in Destin for its 27th year this fall. This free celebration of art, food, family and fun draws hundreds of artists showcasing their original artwork in a range of mediums, two days of live music, kids creative activities, culinary fare, cocktails, beer, wine and more. Come out and cast your “People’s Choice Award.”
To learn more, visit MKAF.org/arts-festival.
OCT. 7–9
Ahoy, mateys! In celebration of the pirates who once roamed the Gulf, pirates will invade Panama City Beach for a weekend of activities, including a main parade, a kid’s parade, treasure hunt, costume contest, live music, food vendors, fireworks and more. visitpanamacitybeach.com
‘WEIRD
OCT. 9
Things will be getting weird at The Pensacola Saenger as Weird Al makes a much-anticipated return to the stage. Drawing on material from his 14 studio albums, no two shows will be the same, and antics are sure to ensue. pensacolasaenger.com
OCT. 13–16
Epicurean excellence awaits at the 6th annual festival which merges fine wines and culinary creations. The weekend features wine dinners, vendor tents, a silent auction and the notable Grand Tasting with over 400 wines from around the world. dcwaf.org/events/6th-annual-harvestwine-food-festival
OCT. 14–23
Filled with rhyme and rhythm, the storybook cat comes to life leading audience members on an adventure through the world of Seuss. Presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s Theatre for Young Audiences, little ones are sure to giggle at what the cat gets into. emeraldcoasttheatre.org/on-stage
OCT. 15
A part of the World Ballet Series presented by the Pensacola Saenger, Swan Lake will be performed live by a multinational cast of 50 professional ballet dancers gathered to bring the most famous love story to life. See the iconic Dance of the Little Swans, count the 32 fouettés performed by the Odile and immerse yourself in the magical music of Tchaikovsky. pensacolasaenger.com
OCT. 16–17
There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy, thousands of standing ovations and is now the No. 1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history. pensacolasaenger.com
OCT. 19
You’ll be the champion when you get to experience the expertise of the award-winning “Worldwide Best Tribute Band,” Killer Queen. You’ll be transported back to the ’70s and ’80s both visually and vocally. pensacolasaenger.com
OCT. 19–23
Rev your engines for five days of riding motorcycles along the scenic coast of Panama City Beach. The rally features demos, vendors, custom bike shows, rides, workshops and nightly concerts including big names such as 3 Doors Down, Shinedown and Dierks Bentley.
thunderbeachproductions.com/home/ rally-info
HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER? Send an email to sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com.
It is with deep gratitude in our hearts that we present Season 10! This momentous occasion has only been achieved with the generous support of our sponsors, donors, and patrons. We are being intentional about creating a place where children and adults alike can come and be connected in community. Whether it is our K-12 students involved in our weekly classes, our faithful patrons, our incredible volunteers, or our generous sponsors, our hope is that every person who walks through our doors is connected to our community— because the heart of ECTC is you! Whether this is your first time or tenth time joining us at ECTC, we welcome you to this community and thank you for your support.
→ The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of evocative music that will take your breath away. Travel to the steppes of Central Asia with Borodin, spend a night in the gardens of Spain with De Falla and trek the Silk Road via the melodies of Fazil Say. A favorite soloist, Adam Golka, will be among the tour guides. For tickets and more information, visit tallahasseesymphony.org
OCT. 27
Sex n’ the City: The “Super” Unauthorized Musical Parody follows our favorite single gals looking for love in the big city. Join Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha on a hilarious trip through New York in the ’90s. pensacolasaenger.com
OCT. 31
Bring your little ghouls, goblins, ghosts and princesses to trick or treat throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard. The event is open to the public and free of charge. grandboulevard.com
OCT. 31
Calling all trick-or-treaters to The Village of Baytowne
Wharf for a spooktacular extravaganza. This Halloween, trick or treat along Village streets and visit merchants for your favorite treat. A DJ will play frighteningly good tunes on the main stage. Face painting and balloon artists will be on hand. End the night with a spooky fireworks display. baytownewharf.com
Enjoy a spectacular celebration of place as the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra presents Schumann’s Third Symphony with its folk-like melodies and a genuine sense of joy, inspired by the monuments and natural splendors of the Rhineland. pensacolasaenger.com
NOV. 9
For generations, the music of Disney princesses has been the soundtrack to our lives. Now, for the first time in forever, a quartet of Broadway and animated film icons celebrate these beloved songs on stage in Disney Princess: The Concert. pensacolasaenger.com
NOV. 3–14
Foo Foo Fest is a 12-day celebration of culturally creative happenings, events and moments under one banner, attracting visitors to beautiful Pensacola. Foo Foo Fest is big fun, featuring events of high artistic and cultural caliber, all delivered with a hefty dose of Southern sophistication. From opera to graffiti, a variety of culturally
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
inclined events will take place at locations throughout Pensacola. foofoofest.com
NOV. 4–6
Rock out the weekend enjoying live music from tribute bands. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for a weekend of musical talent and vendors at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. baytownewharf.com
NOV. 9–12
Car enthusiasts get revved up for this annual event, which is all about classic cars. View thousands of hot rods, muscle cars, trucks and classics. The schedule of events includes cruise-ins, car vendors, concerts, parades and food. emeraldcoastcruizin.com
NOV. 10–13
Deck your halls with boughs of holly and other home goods thanks to Holly Fair, presented by the Junior League of Panama City Beach. Over 90 vendors will be selling apparel, jewelry, crafts and more. Proceeds from this holiday tradition help fund the Junior League’s many community projects. jlpanamacity.org/hollyfair
NOV. 15
The nine vocalists of Straight No Chaser enliven audiences with style, swagger and spirit while they belt
out R&B jams and witty banter. The fans, known as “Chasers,” will be moving and grooving all night long. pensacolasaenger.com
NOV. 19
This sparkling event will feature more than 30 champagnes and delicious appetizers at featured Village restaurants. Guests can enjoy the sounds of the season with carolers and a sneak peek of the first tree lighting of the season. baytownewharf.com
NOV. 25
Watch this holiday classic on the big screen during a special showing at The Village of Baytowne Wharf’s events plaza. baytownewharf.com
NOV. 26
Get swept up in the musical whirlwind and the glory days of Earth, Wind & Fire as Legacy Reunion reunites members of the EWF family to continue the tradition now spanning five decades. pensacolasaenger.com
NOV. 26
Cheer Santa on as he makes his way to Baytowne and lights the Village tree. Enjoy face painting, kids crafts and a beautiful fireworks display. baytownewharf.com
NOV. 16–17
→ EntreCon 2022 will feature engaging speakers and content to help you create a more engaging, resilient and respectful workplace. People thrive when they productively come together. It’s time to thrive at EntreCon 2022! Breakout sessions and keynote addresses will focus on helping you move on from that “in between” place you may be inhabiting as the effects of the pandemic linger. For registration and more information, visit entreconpensacola.com.
Anastasia December 1, 2022
Dr. Benjamin Carson
February 16, 2023
Legally Blonde January 11, 2023
Kayleigh McEnany
January 19, 2023
MOMIX Alice March 4, 2023
On Your Feet March 30, 2023
Madagascar April 27, 2023
Kathleen Madigan April 29, 2023
Go to MattieKellyArtsCenter.org or call the Box Office at 850.729.6000 for tickets.
NorthwestFloridaWeddings.net
recently engaged or in the process of planning a
Whether they’re raw, baked, fried, lemon-squeezed, kicked with hot sauce, shucked at home or savored at a favorite haunt, Walton County’s oysters alone are reason enough to live here. It would be impossible to call out just one local business making life and the economy that much better when it comes to life on the half shell — it’s an embarrassment of riches all around.
Every neighborhood has its stars, drawing praise and revenue from across the country and around the world. The iconic oyster log at Stinky’s Fish Camp, packed with 36 styles, has become a Walton County must, as has the
tradition of enjoying fried oysters around the fire pit at The Bay overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay.
From foodie to comfort food, the choices are virtually endless. At Great Southern Café, Acadian, Rockefeller and Bienville-style oysters are accompanied by Chef Jim Shirley’s signature Oyster Juice, while authentic Florida infuses every bite at Barefoot’s Beachside Bar & Grill, where frozen cocktails meet raw bar. Vin’tij Food & Wine in Miramar Beach pairs their half-shell favorites with a stunning wine selection that would make any connoisseur’s day.
Named after a notoriously hard-tofind fishing reef in the Gulf of Mexico,
Raw oysters at Great Southern Café; This Page, Clockwise from Top Left: FOOW at WaterColor Inn, Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar, Oyster Log at Stinky’s Fish Camp, Seafood Tower at FOOW, Buddy’s Seafood Market 30A.
Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar serves some of the Gulf’s freshest seafood, while FOOW (Fish Out of Water) in WaterColor focuses on locally sourced ingredients, supporting the area with every plate that comes out of the kitchen. Grayton Beach’s Hurricane Oyster Bar & Grill brings in the best from around the world with oysters from Mexico, Japan and Germany.
North of the Choctawhatchee Bay, Café Nola’s Chef Ernie whips up New Orleans classics, delivering Crescent City flavor to Hotel DeFuniak. At Acme Oyster House in Seascape, a branch of the 1910 New Orleans seafood company, oyster enthusiasts
pour in from near and far to try out for a spot in the 15 Dozen Club (current record: 42 dozen). The classic gumbo at Surf Hut in Miramar Beach gets the full Southern-fried treatment, bringing in local fish, shrimp and scallops along with oysters.
Walton County extends the market for oysters beyond the restaurant industry with by-the-bag opportunities for locals and visitors to take home to shuck themselves. Options abound at markets like Buddy’s, Shrimpers and Goatfeathers.
Thank you for making Walton County taste so good and continue to thrive, oyster masters!
MAY 12 It was an arty Pop Up party. Artists, designers, gallerists, photographers, musicians, writers — even mixologists — gathered at Maxine Orange Studio + Gallery in Fort Walton Beach. A toast was in order, and thanks to Black Sheep Tequila, Timbercreek Distillery and Palm Folly, guests enjoyed delicious handcrafted concoctions by Michael Jones. The party celebrated the arrival of the April/May art issue of Emerald Coast Magazine, which featured fiber artist Nicole Hemmerly of Mosshound Designs on the cover.
BY MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY
1 Tilly Souriyaseng, Chanell Ruth, Thomas Dishaw with Jillian and Michael Lunsford
2 Jason Lindblad and Nicole Hemmerly
3 Rachelle Maillet, Nicole DiPlacido, Paige Aigret and Jacklyn Taylor
1
JUN. 22–26 The 20th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin® was one of the biggest yet with almost $2 million in prize money. Eighty-four boats competed including an Orange Beach boat, A Work of Art, whose crew boated a 638.7-pound blue marlin, the tournament’s largest.
BY MAX IMPACT PHOTOGRAPHY
1 Tiffany Clemons and Olivia Moore
2 2022 Official ECBC Fish Monkeys
3 Miller Hancock, Mary Jane Williams, Isla Forte and Jonathan Boone
4 2022 ECBC Overall Winners, Team sx
Hot wings and cold beer. 116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-9463.$ L D
American dining; enjoy steak and eggs for breakfast, a Southeast Cuban sandwich for lunch or lobster ravioli for dinner, among many other options. 10859 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach. (850) 353-2991. $$$ B L D
Atmosphere and service match an expansive menu including everything from sushi to pork tenderloin. 300 S. Alcaniz St., Pensacola. (850) 433-1275. $$ L D
Authentic Creole-style fried chicken, walk-up and drive-thru only. 4629 Opa-Locka Lane, Destin. (850) 353-2464. $ L
Located at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, the famed chef’s first restaurant in Northwest Florida combines Italian cuisine with the variety of fresh Gulf seafood and local ingredients. 435 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 608-7040. $$$ L D
Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. 535 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D
Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. 30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach. (850) 641-0017.
$$ L D
Husband and wife owners are driven by a passion to create exceptionally humble, ingredient-driven food, coffees and cocktails while treating guests like family. 6205 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola. (850) 912-4655. $$ L D
This all-day cafe puts a new spin on classic with a mix of international cuisines, Southern cooking and local food and produce. 83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 231-7327. $$ B L D
Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 432-5226. $$ L D
A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits and Cajun seafood gumbo. 775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D
Lucy Buffett’s funky hangout features cocktails, burgers and seafood, plus allergy-
friendly menus. 4607 Legendary Marina Dr., Destin. (850) 710-5858. $$ L D
Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 302-0266. $$ L D
Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-7778. $ B L D
Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine. 404 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-7960. $$$ D
Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola. (850) 912-8775. $$ L D
Favorites include the Great Southern Café’s famous Grits a Ya Ya, the Bay’s Bomber Burger, fresh raw oysters, and tune poké bowls. 24200 U.S. Hwy 331, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-8110. $$ B L D
Located inside the new Hotel Effie, acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson brings together classic Gulf Coast flavors and impeccable classic French technique. 1 Grand Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 351-3030. $$$ D
Buzzy, stylish locale serving gourmet, reimagined takes on Southern cuisine, plus clever cocktails. 22 N. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 912-4655. $$ D
Restaurant and lounge offers rich coastal flavors in its innovative dishes. 82 S. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach. (850) 534-0400. $$$ D
A 30A mainstay for over 20 years, Shades features 17 high-def TVs plus a menu of salsas, steaks, sandwiches and fish tacos. 10952 E. Hwy. 30A, (850) 231-9410. $$ L D
Enjoy a fusion of ambiance, food and live music aboard the SOLARIS yacht offering three decks of indoor and outdoor spaces. 9300 Emerald Coast Parkway, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-2519. $$ D
This coffee house and eatery specializes in handcrafted espresso, lattes and cappuccinos. For breakfast, try their omelets and acai bowls; for lunch, salads, wraps and flatbread pizzas are on the menu. 407 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 434-6300. $ B L
Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin. Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola. (850) 460-7907. $$ L D
Serving American cuisine for brunch and dinner. 3375 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 660-1594. $$ L D
New and improved and now reopened; get classic meals at one of the area’s most renowned locations. 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach. (850) 231-1008. $$ L D
A gathering spot for lunch or dinner, plus daily happy hour specials. Destin and Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 269-2902. L D
Fine New American dining in a modern, cream and beige waterfront spot with bar, lounge and views. 4801 W. Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-2305. $$$ L D
Offering fresh Japanese cuisine like sushi, tempura and hibachi dishes, plus a sake bar. 117 W. John Sims Pkwy., Niceville. (850) 678-0771. $$ L D
This Asian kitchen offers dozens of sushi options, including vegetarian, signature, fried and baked rolls. 1823 Hurlburt Rd., #3, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-6412. $$ L D
Offering a variety of authentic, fresh Chinese and Asian cuisine. 130 Scenic Gulf Drive Ste., #5B, Miramar Beach. (850) 424-5888. $ L D
Known for its sushi but serves a variety of dishes, including chicken, steak and seafood. 34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 650-4688 or (850) 650-4689. $$ L D
Family-owned casual eatery with a sushi bar offering up creative rolls, plus other Japanese fare. 12889 Hwy. 98, Ste. 103B, Miramar Beach. (850) 424-5977. $$ L D
Soups, curries and specials including Papa’s Crab Meat Fried Rice. 4942 U.S. Hwy 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 213-3972. $$ D
Award-winning barbecue, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take out, catering. 5008 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-0679. $ L D
This local smokehouse features made-from-scratch dishes and is stocked with everything from smoked meats to homemade sauces. 2260 W. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 744-0040. $$ L D
This family-run barbecue joint offers an array of smoked treats like ribs, brisket, pork and chicken, plus steak, burgers, salads and pulled pork nachos. 4419 Commons Dr., #101, Destin. (850) 353-2753 $$ L D
Lively brunch/lunch destination known for its French toast, rolled omelets and cheery ambiance. 2629 Thomas Dr., Panama City Beach. (850) 230-0014. $$ L D
Contemporary cafe for craft coffee, housebaked breads, pastries and sandwiches and all-day breakfast. 26 Logan Lane, Grayton Beach. (850) 213-4528 $ B L
Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin (also in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach). (850) 837-8824. $ B
Whether gluten free, low carb, vegan, no sugar or dairy-free, this bakery has the right bite for any dietary restriction. 80 Mc Davis Loop #1110. Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 598-7438. $
Old World family recipes. Multiple award winner. 273 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 424-3157, 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0707. $$ B
Goodies fresh from the oven: bagels, kolaches, scones, cinnamon rolls and more; sandwiches for lunch. 9914 Navarre Pkwy., Navarre. (850) 844-9705. $ B L
Casual and outdoor dining overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay, featuring locally sourced ingredients and sustainable seafood 158 Sandestin Blvd. N. (850) 267-7108. $$ B L D
This shaved ice truck spreads smiles one frozen treat at a time. Main St., Freeport. (850) 567-5057. $
Step out on the bay for authentic European cuisine, featuring fresh local seafood and decadent creme sauces. 233 Alconese Ave. SE, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-3550. $$ L D
Authentic Greek restaurant. 11225 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach (and Shalimar). (850) 460-2728. $$ B L D
Casual spot for familiar Turkish and Greek recipes offered à la carte and at a buffet, plus beer and wine. 550 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 986-5555. $$ L D
Traditional Greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther. (850) 302-0691. $ L
Easygoing pub providing Irish and American eats, a game room for kids and deck seating. 2298 Scenic Hwy. 30A, Blue Mountain Beach. (850) 267-0101. $$ L D
Burgers and pub grub and the famous 18-cent Senate Bean Soup. 33 Hwy. 98, Destin (Also in Pensacola). (850) 650-0000. $$ L D
for celebration. 12805 U.S. Hwy. 98 E., Ste. R101, Inlet Beach. (850) 909-0555. $$$ L D
In the heart of downtown, nationally renowned Chef James Briscione’s menu serves up rusticyet-elegant plates with an Italian coastal vibe. 101 E. Intendencia St., Pensacola. (850) 542-8398. $$ D
Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, private dining, cooking school. Multiple award winner. 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0707. $$ B L D
Featuring a clean-burning coal oven to impart a unique, full flavor to their pizzas, whole fish, steaks and roasted chicken. 24200 U.S. Hwy. 331 S., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-3871. $$ D
Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, specialty desserts, fish Fridays. Multiple award winner. Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-5980. $$ L D
Pizzas and calzones baked to perfection in their signature coal-burning oven, delivering experience not possible from conventional ovens. 780 Grand Blvd., Ste. 100, Miramar Beach. (850) 837-3095. $$ L D
The world’s finest hand-tossed pizza and cold beer in a sports bar atmosphere. 1826 Lewis Turner Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 374-8603. $$ L D
Authentic Italian dishes bursting with flavor and color. Located in Destin and Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 460-7353. $$ L D
Destin’s newest Italian restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine such as wood-fired pizzas, pasta, calzones, salads, chef specialties and nightly specials. 34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Ste. 114, Destin. (850) 974-5484. $$ L D
Artisan cheese, fresh salads, antipasto dishes, homemade soups, seasonal vegetables, hearty pastas and homemade wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-3113. $$ L D
Pork tenderloin or pan-seared grouper from the open kitchen. 80 E. Hwy. 30A, Grayton Beach. (850) 231-9167. $$ D
This Mexican restaurant serves fresh Bajastyle Mexican food, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more. 201-B Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 226-8016.
$ L D
A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites. 585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 654-5649.
$$ B L D
Serving award-winning authentic Mexican food with the finest ingredients available since 2000. Multiple locations: Destin, Niceville and Fort Walton Beach. $$ L D
Casual eatery with familiar Mexican dishes, including seafood and vegetarian options, plus
a full bar. Five Emerald Coast locations: Niceville, Crestview, Panama City, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 353-2625. $ L D
Featuring fresh takes on classic fare, such as street tacos, burritos, taco salads and quesadillas. 2052 W. Hwy 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 994-7443. $$ L D
Baja fish tacos, homemade guacamole, burritos and top-shelf margaritas. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-4781. $$ L D
This family-friendly waterfront estaurant overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay features Gulf Coast cuisine, sushi, a 12-draft beer system, plus wine and crafted cocktails. 24215 Hwy. 331, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-2291. $$ L D
Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7406. $$ L D
Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes. Destin Harbor, Destin. (850) 460-8900. $$$ B
Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-5900 $$$ L D
Since 1967, offering traditional seafood items,
flavorful salads and soups with a view of the marina. 5551 N. Lagoon Dr., Panama City Beach. (850) 234-2225. $$$ D
Award-winning seafood in a quaint house. 202 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-7525. $$$ L D
Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin. (850) 837-7575. $$ B L D
A modern casual restaurant serving Gulf South cuisine; chef-owned and family-operated. 2780 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 777-3385. $$ D
Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair. Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-5050. $$$ D
A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and great sushi. 538 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2506. $$ B L D
Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches. 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 460-2909. $$ L D
The perfect place for quality steamed seafood, outstanding steaks and incredible ribs. 102 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 664-2795 $$ D
Dining room, inside bar and outside rooftop bar
overlooking the Gulf of Mexico; extraordinary service and cuisine by Chef Brendan Wakeham. 74 Town Hall Rd., Ste. 4B, Rosemary Beach. (850) 213-4600. $$$ L D
Crab, oysters and grouper sandwiches in a casual beach bar and grill with steps onto the sand. 14521 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach. (850) 634-4884. $$ L D
This seafood and casual fare restaurant features classic coastal cuisine and genuine Southern hospitality plus live music daily inside the panoramic bar. 1875 S. Hwy. 393, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-2733. $$ L D
This seafood and wine mainstay promises Gulf-fresh fare. 5960 W. County Road 30A, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 267-3053 $$ L D
Beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico and fresh local seafood processed in the restaurant’s own facility. 3500 Hwy. 98 E., Destin; 1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach; 16945 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola. (850) 654-2722. $$ L D
Fresh seafood cuisine and Southern specialties in a setting overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Seville Harbor. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. (850) 470-0003. $$ L D
Home of the 102-foot bar, specialties include littleneck clams, raw oysters, clam chowder and jumbo shrimp cocktail. 125 Poinciana Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 842-3200 $$ L D
Located at the Henderson Park Inn, this award-winning fine dining establishment features a range of favorites including grouper Vince, pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna and seafood pasta Rockefeller. 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 650-7100. $$$ D
Fine dining coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair, Gulf seafood, prime steaks. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., #22, Miramar Beach. (850) 622-0760. $$$ D
Your new favorite spot for fresh oysters, cold beer and live music, right on Destin Harbor. 288 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-3645 $$ L D
Offering the best in steaks and Gulf fare, Café Thirty-A is also available for weddings and special gatherings. 3899 E. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach. (850) 231-2166 $$$ D
Inspired by traditional waterfront dining, Captain Dave’s features American seafood cuisine infused with a contemporary Gulf Coast twist. 3796 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2627. $$$ D
Locally inspired food and beverages in a beautiful waterfront setting, alongside a curated vinyl record collection. 284 Marler Ave., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 387-1300. $ L D
High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines. Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 469-9898 $$$ D
From crawfish and crab legs to chicken to sausage, these classic Creole and Cajun boils are perfect for groups and catering jobs. 47 Talon Court, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 672-2847. $$
Nestled beside Eastern Lake, find your retreat for oysters, fresh seafood fare, sushi and other classics. 33 Heron’s Watch Way, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 534-3045. $$$ L D
Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired. Silver Shells Resort, 1500 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 337-5108 $$$ D
Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar. Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 622-1500. $$$ D
Family-friendly seafood and oyster bar featuring locally caught fare and nestled in picturesque Baytowne Wharf. 140 Fisherman’s Cove. (850) 347-5060 $$ L D
Fast delivery of all the high-quality cuisine that 30A has to offer. Download their app on Google Play or the Apple Store, or visit 30agrub2go.com to get started. (850) 260-3139.
Fresh fish and seafood items, pastas, salads and side dishes, Buckhead meats, decadent desserts, wines, cheeses, spices and more. 663 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 837-8333. $$ L D
Offering full-service catering and prepared gourmet meals to go. 3906 Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 585-5979. $$ L D
Chef-driven commercial kitchen offering at-home and virtual cooking classes as well as private chef dinners and events. Santa Rosa Beach. chef@farringtonfoods.com. $$$ D
A chilled mix of fresh shrimp, lime zest and vinegar-soaked cucumber, red onion and sweet pepper, this is shrimp cevichestyle. 4621 Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 687-2810.
Delivering fresh Gulf seafood — fish, shrimp, crab and more — from Miramar Beach to Panama City. Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 420-2240. $$
This 100% vegan restaurant offers a cozy, speak-easy dining room, outdoor bar, patio, pizza bar and pool lounge area. 306 Bald Eagle Dr., Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 660-2000. $$$ D
Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/Restaurants.
Here’s a tale for the season of falling leaves, lengthening nights with pumpkin-hued moons, when dark reflections arise to haunt the human psyche.
On April 18, 1943, four English school boys in Worcestershire were poaching bird’s nests in Hagley Wood. Coming to an ancient Wych Elm, they climbed the tree and discovered a human skeleton in its hollow trunk. Police forensics determined that the remains were those of a woman and were complete except for a missing hand. The cops estimated that she had been stuffed into the tree around October 1941.
In those chaotic war years, investigations into the murder produced little. The overworked police developed two theories. One, based on local gossip, held that the skeleton was that of a prostitute named Bella, last seen being delivered home in an alcoholic stupor by acquaintances.
Investigators speculated that she had been put into the tree to scare her into seeing the error of her ways — a motive that would seem questionable, considering the missing hand.
A second theory speculated that the skeleton was from a German actress thought to have been parachuted into England as a spy. Then, in 1944, a curious graffiti appeared on a wall in Birmingham — “Who put Bella down the Wych Elm?” Given that strange coincidence, the spy theory was adjusted slightly. Now, the actress was said to be a Dutch woman by the name of Clarabelle, who had been killed for “knowing too much.” Still, there was proffered no explanation for the missing hand.
In 1945, anthropologist Margaret Murray of London’s University College proposed a radical theory based on her knowledge of an occult charm called the Hand of Glory.
The process of arriving at such hands begins with the archetypal task of visiting a gibbeted criminal at midnight and chopping off an offending hand.
According to The Petit Albert, the amputated hand must be marinated in a mixture of herbs, nitre or horse manure (a natural source of nitre) for three days. Other grimoires specify marinating for weeks. The exuding fluids, of course, must be squeezed out daily, with incantations recited over the Hand until it becomes a mummified and incorruptible blue-black.
The Hand of Glory has always been highly regarded by thieves for its ability to freeze all those in the thief’s presence, or to make its wielder invisible. By some
reports, simply knocking on a house door with a Hand of Glory can unlock it and either freeze all within or put them to sleep — a virtue that even Santa on Christmas Eve might appreciate!
In other reports, the fingers were lit in the way of a candelabra. Casting a subtle glow, the digits made the bearer invisible. Note: If the thumb won’t stay lit, it means that someone in the house isn›t asleep. Other Hand creators styled their charm in a fist shape to serve as a holder for a candle made from human fat, often from the original corpse, but baby fat is efficacious, too.
As self-congratulatory progeny of the Enlightenment, we might imagine a superstition like the Hand of Glory to be the preoccupation of scholars like Margaret Murray. Yet, in 1797, someone attempted to rob the Spital Inn in North Stainmore in the county of Cumbria, while employing a Hand of Glory. In 1935, fully 10 years before folklorist Murray proposed her witch-cult theory, a bonafide Hand was found in the wall of an old English cottage. Today it’s on display at the Whitby Museum.
Today, the Hand of Glory tradition is widespread in the Americas in such venues as the magic emporiums of New Orleans, while allusions to it — often strangely overlooked — can be found in Harry Potter novels and the Hellboy films.
As for the skeleton in the Wych Elm, perhaps there’s something to the spy theory advanced by Worcestershire police. After all, with a proper Hand of Glory, how easy would access to the CIA be? EC
I n t r o d u c i n g T h e C a s c a d e a t S a n d e s t i n ® , a l i m i t e d r e l e a s e o f n e w l u x u r y c o n d o m i n i u m r e s i d e n c e s w i t h i n t h e g a t e s o f S a n d e s t i n G o l f a n d B e a c h R e s o r t ® C o m m a n d i n g v i e w s o f t h e G u l f o f M e x i c o f r a m e t h e n a t u r a l b e a u t y o f t h e s u r r o u n d i n g a r e a
S t u n n i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e w i l l r i s e 2 4 s t o r i e s a n d o f f e r t h r e e, f o u r a n d f i v e - b e d r o o m r e s i d e n c e s w i t h t h e p e r f e c t b a l a n c e o f s e c u r i t y a n d r e l a x a t i o n P r i v a t e a c c e s s t o r e s o r t a m e n i t i e s w i l l b e y o u r s , a s w e l l a s a n u n r i v a l e d p o o l a n d p o o l d e c k t h o u g h t f u l l y p o s i t i o n e d o n t h e f o u r t h l e v e l t o c a t c h t h e g u l f b r e e z e s
P r e - C o n s t r u c t i o n p r i c e s a v a i l a b l e f o r a l i m i t e d t i m e 8 5 0 - 9 5 2 - 9 4 8 0 | b h h s p e n f e d c o m
