Disclosure: I was invited by Destin-Ft. Walton Beach as a judge at the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament Restaurant Week (more in next post). Since 2021 I’ve attended their live virtual media events to learn about “Little Adventures” — interactive experiences offered after COVID-19 to get children and their families outside. The initiative was such a success that in 2024 they’ll offer 700 free classes through local businesses and four outposts. I’m convinced this is THE Florida beach destination laser-focused on children and conservation. They’re the experts at creating both a bonding family vacation and a summer camp experience for all ages. As always, the opinions here are my own.
Warning: Florida is home to wildlife in fresh and saltwater, in parks, and on beaches. Other possible risks can be weather and rip currents. Keep an eye on beach flags and see other safety tips.
Best of Both Worlds: Summer Camp AND Family Vacation
Since the 1940s, my mom’s family has vacationed in the Florida panhandle. My dad went with us. Once. He preferred camping and fishing with Mom, my sister, and me in Kentucky. Our den was full of his fishing tournament trophies, so — no surprise — on his first cast into the Gulf of Mexico, he caught (and released) a sand shark. I wanted to fish in the ocean, too.
I went to a Conservation Camp at Land Between the Lakes when I was eleven with my friend Sally. We won badges for archery, boating, swimming, and fishing, but cried every night in our bunks. Instead of gaining confidence from our new skills or feeling energized by adventure, we felt like wimps for missing our families. Some kids are ready for a week away from parents at that age. I wasn’t until I was a teen.
I signed up for Conservation Camp to please Dad. I figured I’d love it because I loved fishing with him. He’d crank the Mercury motor to a roar, then tame it to a growl as we glided through the No Wake Zone. When we took off full throttle, the bow bucked as we slammed across the waves. My sister and I laughed until we cried in the spray. When we reached his secret fishing spots, we’d troll into the brush and bait our hooks with minnows slippery and cold. I still like lakes — so much so that I live on one.
But since I was a kid, I dreamed of living on snow-white sand beside the emerald waters of Florida. I would have loved a summer camp where we studied creatures of the sea. When I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, I remember thinking: Meh. Space is cool, but I want to see what lives in the deepest parts of the ocean.
Dad passed away at 57. Too soon. I’m grateful for all the summers we fished in Kentucky and that wonderful week we spent on The Emerald Coast when he went, too.
Destin-Ft. Walton Beach Offers Little Adventures With BIG Payoffs
Many Experiences are Free.
I returned to Destin recently where I’d vacationed years ago with my daughter and son. We did a dolphin cruise there with their cousins, but now the area is THE Florida destination for LITTLE ADVENTURES with BIG payoffs. For parents stressed about choosing between the cost of summer camp and family vacation, here you get the best of both worlds: free classes in nature led by expert instructors (“scouts” much like camp counselors) AND SO MANY bonding experiences for the whole family. Most of the free classes last about an hour.
To help you decide which class or experience is right for your child based on age, interest, and other factors, they have online “scouts,” too — a Mom Squad (see chat box). In an age when most websites are run by bots, I can not stress enough how helpful speaking with local parents is. I chatted online with several of them who gave me invaluable intel. I loved staying at Henderson Beach Resort which provides bikes for Henderson State Park. You can also camp at the park. One of the Little Adventures meeting points is a short walk away.
Special thanks to Hayley Ardoin who emailed me this list of free family activities:
- Turkey Creek
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Snorkeling the Norriego Point tide pools (will pay for parking but rest is free)
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park ($5 vehicle entry but rest is free
Captain Leonard State Park
The Indian Temple Mound and Old School House Museum
Summer Camp and Family Vacation: Memories Across Generations
It turned out that while I was in Destin exploring Little Adventures, my cousins were having them — riding waves and building sandcastles with experts just down the beach.
Benefits of Playing in Nature: Family Bonding, Emotional Health, and Increased I.Q.
Traveling is therapy for adults and children. According to Dr. Margot Sunderland, child psychotherapist, author of What Every Parent Needs to Know, and Director of Education and Training at The Centre for Child Mental Health, family vacations make children happier and smarter. Time away from work, school, and other obligations gives parents and children time for “attachment play” — unstructured time together in the pool, playing miniature golf, or fishing. She says this is crucial for bonding and self-esteem.
She adds:
But holidays aren’t just about bonding; they also help develop a child’s brain. On a family trip, you get to exercise two genetically ingrained systems in the brain’s limbic area: for “Play” and for “Seeking” (terms coined by Professor Jaak Panksepp, a neuroscientist at Washington State University.) The Play system kicks in every time you bury your child’s feet in the sand; the Seeking system is exercised each time you go exploring together.
Once you activate these systems in your own brain and that of your child, they trigger neurochemicals which reduce stress and promote warm feelings. With both limbic systems firing, family members can refuel emotionally….Using the Play and Seeking systems well brings about growth in the frontal lobe, the part of the brain involved in cognitive functioning, social intelligence and goal-directed behaviours.
Dr. Sunderland also noted that scientists have proven that just 20 minutes of “Green play” in a natural setting improves concentration.
(Green play) calms the body, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels… enriched environments — those that offer opportunities for social, physical, cognitive and sensory interaction — turn on the genetic expression of key ‘brain fertilisers’ in the frontal lobe, enhancing functions such as stress regulation and concentration, and improving physical and mental health. The brain fertilisers triggered in enriched environments are also associated with higher IQ in children.”
Big Adventures for the Whole Family: Destin Inshore Guides
So about that dream I had of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico… thanks to Captain Josh and Anna Calhoun, owners of Destin Inshore Guides and Emerald Coast Bait and Tackle, and hosts of the new series on Waypoint TV, Goin’ Coastal, it finally came true!
Captain Josh and Anna Calhoun of Destin Inshore Guides offer Charters for Fishing with Kids in Destin-Ft. Walton Beach. Watch their adventures on Goin’Coastal on Waypoint TV.
Josh has worked on boats since he was 14. Since he and Anna were teens, the high school sweethearts have fished together. Now parents to two young daughters, they specialize in Charters for Fishing with Kids.
See Goin’ Coastal Episodes Here
Unlike most companies in Destin that require a 4-hour minimum, they offer two or three-hour fishing trips that are kid-centric. Moms know that the old adage, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” isn’t true. As Anna laughed, “Everyone knows the youngest child controls family vacations.” If children decide they don’t like fishing, no problem. Captain Josh revs the motor and off they go on a dolphin or sea turtle search. They are experts in making family time fun on and off the water. To their daughters’ delight, the couple recently bought Goofy Golf, a Ft. Walton family institution since the 1950s.
Storms were rolling in (later that night there was a flash flood warning and tornado watch) so though we could see schools of redfish, they weren’t biting. During our three hours of fishing, we spotted two dolphins and I did catch (almost) three fish. None were edible and the biggest, a ladyfish — you guessed it — was the one that got away. Smart girl, she flipped off the hook when I tried to get her into the boat. Still, fishing with this couple was the highlight of my recent trip to Destin-Ft. Walton Beach. It was such an adventure, and they’re the nicest people you’ll ever meet!
The Edge Restaurant and Sky Bar: Delicious Fresh Catch (Whether Yours or Not)
Fishing charters are gulf to table or catch and release. The Edge Seafood Restaurant was on standby to cook my catch. Anna called The Edge to say we were coming in empty-handed. I was thrilled to hear what they were frying up as Plan B — a whole red snapper with pineapple mango salsa and coconut rice — my favorite fish dish since living in The Dominican Republic! We pulled into a slip and headed upstairs to the Sky Bar for lunch with a panoramic view of Destin Harbor, East Pass, and The Gulf of Mexico and live music.
The award-winning local hangout is the best perch in town for watching 4th of July fireworks, Christmas Boat Parade, and the annual Blessing of the Fleet of the world’s largest charter boat brigade. I appreciated meeting the owners, Chris and Heather Thomas, on their way to their child’s graduation. Their family roots include local fishermen. The Edge, built over the water, is named for the popular fishing spot where the continental shelf drops off just a few miles off the coast. Downstairs is casual family dining. They have several parking slips for boats. Upstairs is adults-only where friends gather on couches and around fire pits and the spacious bar. The view was spectacular and the food and cocktail delicious.
Whether the weather and fishing in Destin-Ft. Walton Beach is typical or not, families go home with summer camp and family vacation memories. Children actually look forward to writing that first fall homework assignment — an essay on “What I Did On My Summer Break.”
