That was my family’s reaction when I talked about taking a trip to Destin, Florida. It’s not a trip to Disneyland, but there are a lot of things that you can do around Destin (and you don’t have to wear a set of mouse ears):

• Henderson Beach State Park: 6,000 feet of white sand on the Gulf of Mexico. Admission is cheap at $3.00 for a vehicle with one person, $4.00 for a vehicle carrying up to 8 persons.
• Big Kahuna’s Water and Adventure Park: The name says it all. Try the Pirahanna and Humunga River. The adventure park features a mini golf, arcades, a roller coaster, and lots of other attractions.
• Fudpucker’s Gator Beach: This is probably the only place in Florida where you can feed a gator and not worry about losing your arm. Visitors are allowed to feed the alligators in a pond using a long cane pole, complete with bait. Remember, use the pole, not your arm!
• Destin Fishing Museum: With all the nice beaches around Destin, it should come as no surprise that Destin was once just a tiny fishing village. The Destin Fishing Museum shows what life was like for the Destin people before the tourists came.
• The Track Family Recreation Center: Bumper cars, bumper boats, mini-golf, go-karts, and — just perfect for the kids — bungee jumping! Some rides do have age minimums.
• Gulfarium: Located down the road in Fort Walton. See your favorite Gulf of Mexico sea creatures are here including dolphins, otters, sharks and sea lions. Live shows several times a day.
• Destin Commons: Loads of stores so the traveling shopaholic can get a fix. For the non-shopper, there is a movie theater, playground, and beautiful outdoor fountains.
• “The Pancake House”: Seems simple, right. There is nothing that my family looks forward to more than to head to the pancake house in Destin a few blocks west of the outlet mall. That’s right. There is the beach, parks, recreation centers – and the thing we look forward to the most is the unbelieveable breakfast at The Pancake House. It might not be the highlight of your vacation to Destin… but trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

There seem to be more vacation home rentals in the Destin, Florida area than anywhere in the country. Well, that means there are a lot of people that are there to have a great time. So, remember that it is a vacation and be sure to relax, beverage in hand, baking in the sun either poolside at the beach.