It’s summer vacation time again and that means one thing – time to head south for the pristine beaches of Destin, Florida. Located on the Gulf of Mexico along the Emerald Cost, Destin is known for its white sandy beaches and family-friendly entertainment. While the younger spring-breakers prefer the action along Panama City’s Miracle Strip, Destin, Florida offers a more upscale atmosphere with plenty of entertainment options. There are many condominium and hotel options in Destin, but one of our favorite places to stay is The Resorts of Pelican Beach.
The Resort
Pelican Beach is located right on the water, just a boardwalk away from the white sands of Destin’s famous beaches. The resort features two towers. Built in 1997, the main resort tower stands 19 stories tall and offers 340 condominium units. The units are tastefully decorated and offer a full kitchen with appliances – great for stretching that vacation food budget! We enjoy shopping our first night there for some of our favorite meals such as homemade tacos, burgers and club sandwiches. The last night of our vacation is our splurge night where we enjoy one of the many outstanding seafood restaurants in the Destin area.
The Terrace at Pelican Beach is the second tower comprising The Resorts of Pelican Beach. The Terrace offers 95 two and three-bedroom condominium units along with its own fitness center, pools and meeting facilities. While the Terrace is set back from the beach, it does feature a beautiful lake with fountain that lights up at night that makes for a spectacular view.
Amenities
The Resorts of Pelican Beach offer three adult pools, including an indoor/outdoor pool. If you have little ones the shallow kiddy pool offers a safe place to splash around. Inside, Pelican Beach features a fully equipped fitness center complete with cardio equipment, a Smith machine and racks of dumbbells. With the fitness center located inside the resort it makes it tough to skip those South Beach Diet workouts! During the summer months guests may also enjoy a deli next to the pool that offers a variety of sandwiches and pizzas great for grabbing lunch on the run. A beachfront bar in the form of a Tiki hut keeps things cool with the occasional frosty adult beverage!
Pelican’s Playzone
For $20 a day kids ages 4-12 can participate in the Pelican Playzone. The Playzone features kid-friendly activities supervised by a professional recreation manager and college seniors. All recreational staff members are first air and CPR certified. Activities include theme days/nights such as Super Hero Night, Wacky Water Mania, Food Frenzy, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Poolside crafts and games are offered Monday thru Friday beginning at 2:00pm and are open to guests of any age.
Nearby Entertainment
You don’t have to go far to find fun while staying at The Resorts of Pelican Beach. Located just across U.S. 98, Big Kahuna’s Lost Paradise amusement park offers a wave pool, water slides, and a huge waterfall. Big Kahuna’s offers over 25 acres of water activities plus more land-based games at Big Kahuna’s Adventure Park. Here you’ll find mini-golf, go-cart racing, roller coasters and the Cyclone – a ride that spins guests around in a contraption driven by an 80-foot airplane propeller!
Pelican Beach is also conveniently located close to several area shopping outlets such as Silver Sands Factory Stores. A favorite back-to-school shopping site, Silver Sands Factory Stores offers over 100 factory direct stores such as Nike, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Bose, Coach, Liz Claiborne, and Tommy Hilfiger.
Hard Rock Café Destin is a must stop for an exciting meal. Located at the intersection of Highway 98 and Mid Bay Bridge Road the Hard Rock Café Destin is conveniently located to most of Destin’s lodging options. My daughter loves the music at Hard Rock and of course we have to take the obligatory family picture under the oversized Hard Rock guitar sign.
The Resorts of Pelican Beach are located on US 98, across from Big Kahuna’s Lost Paradise amusement park. Pelican Beach offers several packaged deals featuring golf, romance, or family vacation getaways.
