Destin, Florida: Good Eats and Other Mentionables

Destin Harbor from the Emerald GrandeWhen I can, I enjoy traveling with my family.

With three children 5 years old and under, even a trip across town turns into an "expedition," but my wife and I really want the kids to experience new and interesting places so we stick with it.

Recently, we decided to stop by Destin, Florida.

We'd never been to Destin but had heard a lot about it.  We booked a room at the very nice and actually quite reasonable Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village, a property that my wife absolutely loved.  Next time we visit Destin we'll be staying there.  The rooms were nice, spacious, and not too expensive.  There's a pool and the Destin Harbor is just behind the property.

We also visited a couple of very good restaurants that I wanted to mention.

The first was right behind the Emerald Grande, Harry T's.  The seafood was excellent but a little pricey. However, the location is right on the harbor so the kids loved watching the boats go in and out to sea.  I had the tuna appetizer and loved it. Actually, everything we had at Harry T's was great.  

The second place we visited was recommended by a family friend.

On our way out of Destin, we stopped by Pompano Joe's, right on the water.

Pompano Joe's is actually in Miramar Beach, Florida, just a short drive from Destin.  The restaurant location is right on the beach and the food was awesome.  It was so relaxing eating lunch and watching the waves roll in (even with our young kids in tow).  

Pompano Joe's would be a great place for a fun dinner and while it's definitely family friendly, it would still be a good adult place too.  I was so impressed I bought a t-shirt to help advertise the place.

One more place my wife enjoyed:  Destin Commons .  A great place to shop with  a playground for the kids and a Bass Pro Shop for me.