[YogaQueen]

My family and I want to vacation in Fort Walton during my daughter's Spring Break in March 2008 and I'm wondering about a few things:

1) What is the weather like? I'm hoping sunny and in the 80's most of the time
2) any recommendations on the good places to shop - particularly outlets in the area
3) Favorite restaurants? We like just about anything other than the national chain restaurants. We are looking for the really good "neighbourhood" types that the locals rave about!!

Any other information you'd like to share about attractions would be appreciated.

Also, - we will most likely fly from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Tampa. Anyone know the driving distance?

thanks.

p.s. I do yoga - so if you can recommend a studio, I'd like that too!

[TriMT7]

I vacationed in Ft. Walton Beach/Destin last year and it is a really amazing place! The water is exquisite, and if you get a chance, rent some jetskis or small boats on the bay!

1) The weather will be warm/hot and most likely sunny... BUT, it DOES get colder in North Florida than in South Florida, even in March, so if you're unlucky, you might come on a weekend where a cold front has passed through and it will be in the 50s, 60s, during the day and 30s at night.

2) If you're staying in Ft. Walton Beach, drive a bit East into Destin for a large outlet shopping mall, as well as an outdoor mall with national chain stores.

3) There are plenty of Restaurants available that aren't national chains. Fudruckers is a popular place, with baby alligators out front.


Driving Distance from Tampa to Ft. Walton Beach is about..... 5 or 6 hours. If you can, check out flights into Jacksonville instead, as that will shave an hour off your drive. Or heck, see if you can get a deal into Tallahassee (unlikely!!) or Pensacola and REALLY cut down your drive time unless the drive is part of your adventure!

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by YogaQueen

My family and I want to vacation in Fort Walton during my daughter's Spring Break in March 2008 and I'm wondering about a few things:

1) What is the weather like? I'm hoping sunny and in the 80's most of the time
2) any recommendations on the good places to shop - particularly outlets in the area
3) Favorite restaurants? We like just about anything other than the national chain restaurants. We are looking for the really good "neighbourhood" types that the locals rave about!!

Any other information you'd like to share about attractions would be appreciated.

Also, - we will most likely fly from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Tampa. Anyone know the driving distance?

thanks.

p.s. I do yoga - so if you can recommend a studio, I'd like that too!

TriMT7 gave an excellent preview of the area. You can fly to Pcola or FWB or Mobile Alabama. The best airline price is Air Tran is you purchase with sufficient time. The only fly to Pcola, but is less than an hour drive to FWB.

Weather is a bit tricky, but most of the time is in the 60's to 70' and is true will drop to 30's if we get a cold front.

Destin is a tourist paradise and offers more options in regards to accomodations. The Boardwalk is also a hot spot for visitors. Check the emerald coast web site and you can find more info.

Excellent that you are planning this far ahead.....