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The Winter Charm of Destin

Winter in Destin offers a peaceful escape, especially along Scenic Highway 98. Embrace the winter wonderland on scenic highway 98, where quiet beaches, cozy rentals, and stunning Gulf views await. Whether you’re seeking relaxation or winter activities, this scenic stretch is the perfect destination for your winter retreat. Moreover, staying in one of our vacation rentals along Scenic Highway 98 lets you fully immerse yourself in the peaceful beauty of the season.

Scenic Highway 98: Winter Serenity

Experience the serene side of Scenic Highway 98 as it weaves through the winter landscape. The glistening Gulf of Mexico takes on a different allure in the winter months, and staying in one of our vacation rentals along this route allows you to witness the beauty of the season in complete tranquility.

Cozy Retreats for Winter Bliss

Whether you’re seeking a romantic winter getaway or a quiet family escape, Skis and Seas provides a range of vacation rentals on Scenic Highway 98. Choose from charming cottages with fireplaces, spacious condos with panoramic views, and more, ensuring your winter retreat is both cozy and memorable. Learn more about our Scenic Highway 98 vacation rentals.

Winter Activities for Every Taste

Are you looking for a romantic winter escape or a quiet family getaway? Destin’s Winter offers a unique set of activities. At Skis and Seas, we offer a range of vacation rentals on Scenic Highway 98 to suit your needs. From charming cottages with fireplaces to spacious condos with panoramic views, we ensure that your winter retreat is both cozy and memorable. No matter what you choose, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect spot to relax this winter. Learn more about our Scenic Highway 98 vacation rentals.

 

Discover more about winter activities in Destin 

Seasonal Delights: Dining and More

Discover the seasonal delights of Destin’s culinary scene along Scenic Highway 98. Indulge in fresh, winter-inspired dishes at local seafood restaurants or enjoy a cozy meal in beachside cafes. Skis and Seas is here to guide you to the best winter dining experiences in the area.

Emphasizing Safety and Comfort

Your safety and comfort remain our top priorities. Skis and Seas takes extra measures to ensure that our vacation rentals are clean, secure, and ready to provide you with a worry-free winter retreat.

Ready to Experience Winter Magic in Destin?

Booking your winter retreat in Destin is a breeze with Skis and Seas. Our user-friendly website offers real-time availability and pricing, allowing you to secure your winter escape effortlessly. Our dedicated team is always available to assist you with any questions or special requests. Learn more about our Scenic Highway 98 vacation rentals.

Don’t forget to check out the weather forecast for Destin ahead of your trip.

Don’t miss the chance to create cherished memories in one of the most enchanting coastal destinations during the winter season. Visit Skis and Seas now to start planning your peaceful winter getaway!

4th of July Events

Rags to Riches Regatta

July 3, 7 a.m.  at Grayton Beach

The Rags to Riches Regatta is a 40-year sailing tradition where 30A locals and visitors gather to cheer on teams as they navigate 16-foot catamarans in a race from Grayton Beach (originally known as the “rags” side of town) to Seagrove (also known as the “riches” neighborhood). Presented by Crater Train Brewing Company, The 30A Company, and Tribe Kelley Surf Post, the race will benefit South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) and their mission to protect and preserve our local marine resources. It is one of the fun 4th of july activities.

Blue Mountain Bakery Block Party

July 3, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The Blue Mountain Bakery is celebrating two years of operation with a block party. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy live bluegrass music from Longleaf Drive. The bakery will be open for dinner and dessert. BBQ brisket and shrimp boil plates will also be available. Pre-orders are encouraged for larger parties. All proceeds will benefit a Blue Mountain Bakery employee’s grandchild recently diagnosed with leukemia.

Grayton Beach 4th of July Parade

July 4, 8 a.m. Starting at The Red Bar

Come join in the fun for the annual July 4th parade in the wonderful and funky town of Grayton Beach. Line up on Hotz Avenue next to The Red Bar starts at 8 a.m. with the parade starting at 8:30 a.m. Decorate your cars, jeeps, boats, bikes, scooters, etc. No registration is needed and everyone is welcome! After the parade meet up at Grayton Coast Properties for popsicles, watermelon and lemonade.

Rosemary Beach Fireworks and Field Day

All Day Event on July 4

Fireworks at 8:45 p.m.
The Fourth of July is an all-day event in Rosemary Beach. 4th of July fun activities for adults include bicycle decorating, a bike parade, and family-friendly field day events. End the day by bringing your blankets and lawn chairs to the beach to enjoy a star-spangled fireworks display at Rosemary Beach.

Seaside Fourth of July Celebration

July 4, 9 a.m. -11 a.m.

Fireworks at 8:30 p.m.

Seaside will be celebrating the Fourth of July with a block party with decorated storefronts 9 a.m. -11 a.m. Enjoy nearby balloon art and stilt walking performances. End the holiday with Seaside’s spectacular fireworks finale over the Gulf of Mexico. Get the best seats from either the Seaside Amphitheater or anywhere along the beach in Seaside.

Red White and Baytowne
July 4, 6 p.m.
Fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Celebrate Independence Day at this family-friendly event at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. 4th of july activities for kids include crafts, face painting and balloon sculpting. Live music starts on the Events Plaza Stage at 7 p.m. and will feature Donovan Keith.

Restaurant Specials and Offers

Fourth of July Biscuits & Beer
July 4, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Celebrate Fourth of July – Scratch style! Join Scratch Biscuit Kitchen for food and beer specials and enjoy live music throughout the event. Open to the public; reservations are not accepted.

Prema Organic Cafe in Seagrove Beach

July 4 Weekend

From the best 4th of july menus, we’re offering a flag inspired smoothie bowl. Our ALL AMERICAN 100% Organic SMOOTHIE BOWL called the “RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRIES” is guaranteed to be delicious, satisfying and make you want to sing the national anthem. Red, white and blueberries will be offered the entire weekend. Come join us at our 100% organic, gluten-free, soy-free, canola oil-free cafe.

Swell Pops
July
Swell Pops will be selling their red, white and blue popsicles all month long to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Independence Day at Shunk Gulley

July 4, 11 a.m. -10 p.m.

Come celebrate our freedom and the Fourth of July at Shunk Gulley with live music, food and drink specials with stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Clouds building and rumbling thunder off in the distance that quickly turns into a stiff breeze and the inevitable Florida summer rainstorm. Sometimes they only last for 15 minutes, and provide everyone with a quick respite from the summer heat. Unfortunately, sometimes they last for three days right in the middle of your vacation and parents are left with the question, what are the things to do in destin fl or secret things to do in destin fl?

There is only so much time any parent will let their children play behind a screen, even on vacation, so we got some rainy day activities in destin fl to get everyone out and entertained on those less-than-perfect days.

The Rainforest Blacklight Mini Golf and Arcade is a unique way to mini golf, in the dark with black lights. Not only do they have the mini golf, but their arcade doesn’t just have screens where you sit and watch, but rather the games are interactive and encourage the players to move. So the players not only have more fun but they get some activity going as well. Also, the Rainforest has a special offer of $1 off each adult for Skis and Seas guests. The coupon can be found in the coupon section of our app. www.rainforestblacklightgolf.com/

Silver Sands Outlet Mall is a popular choice and many families try to save a trip to the outlet mall for a rainy day of their vacation. With almost 100 stores and great deals many families get a significant part of their back to school shopping done while they are on vacation. www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/silver-sands

Escapeology is Destin’s original premium real-life escape game experience! Located in the Market Shops at Sandestin, up to 6 players will be challenged in this new attraction by working together to find clues, solve puzzles, and pick locks that will free them from the game room. www.escapology.com/en/destin-fl/

The Thrills Arcade located at Seascape is more than just an arcade with the combination of skills games, Laser Tag and the Moo-La-La ice cream shop it makes for a wonderful afternoon of fun. www.thrillslasertag.com/

The Track with an arcade, amusement rides, mini golf and multiple go cart tracks will have something to appeal to any age group. The Track is Destin’s original off the beach happy place. www.funatthetrack.com/

The Surge Trampoline Park located in Fort Walton Beach is a great way to burn off some extra energy, and what is better than having the kids be totally exhausted and going to bed early on that rainy day? After just a couple of hours of jumping big and little kids will all be tired out and we finid that some of our most peaceful nights are those after going to the trampoline park. You can also check out some indoor Destin activities.

 

With the summer season just around the corner, we thought that we would put our perspective out there on the Destin news about current construction and Destin traffic updates. There currently is a huge project going on to widen Hwy 98 from 4 to 6 lanes. This project will be ongoing until late 2020, which we all know means 2021.
The heaviest areas of congestion are from Downtown Destin East to the Mid Bay Bridge and from just East of the county line West to Regatta Bay and Destin Commons. There is also heavy traffic around the Silver Sands Outlet Mall. Be prepared on rainy days and check-out days for delays.
On the positive side of things, the Sandestin area has been relatively free of additional traffic buildups and hopefully will remain that way. From Sandestin to the East, we have seen little to no additional traffic. With the new shops and restaurants opening in the Market Shops and Grand Boulevard, there is less and less of a need to fight the traffic and go down into Destin or out towards 30A.

As March begins, our winter guests are heading out and the Spring Breakers are counting down the days until they arrive. At the beach we have many things going on this year, Fat Tuesday is March 5th and there are many events around the local area the first week of March like the annual Baytowne Bash parade. It kicks off at 5 pm on March 5th at the Village of Baytowne Wharf and all ages are welcome.

March 17th is St Patrick’s Day, and we are all either a little Irish or want to be. Destin is famous for some of its Grog Marches and Pub Crawls. St Patrick’s Day without a march around Destin harbor and a stop by McGuire’s Irish Pub for one of their famous Wakes or Irish Car Bombs. Or if you’re like us locals just go during the week for one of McGuire’s lunch specials (My personal favorite is Wednesday) and a sweet tea.

March also marks the beginning of the Cobia season. These coastal migratory fish are in our area all spring and if you have never latched on to one of these fish, you don’t know what you are missing. They are a must on every angler’s bucket list. As an added bonus, Cobia is basically sea candy, and many local restaurants will prepare your fresh catch to your liking. One of the best places for a hook we cook special is Brotula’s Seafood House your biggest problem will be deciding between blackened and pan-seared.

By the middle of April, the Destin Spring Break season in emerald coast is ending, and the really nice time begins. Days and the Gulf are warmer, there is abundant sunshine, and the crowds have all but disappeared. The end of April and the first half of May are our favorite times to be here as it’s spring in Florida and they will be yours as well.

June 1st marks the beginning of red snapper season in the Gulf of Mexico. The 51 day season runs from June 1st until July 22nd and is sure to be fun. Red snapper are not only one of the easiest fish in the Gulf of Mexico to catch, but they are also one of the tastiest to eat. Catching red snapper is definitely a fun way to spend the day, and eating not only something that was swimming this morning but that you caught is one of the best ways to have a meal.

Many of the local captains think that this will be one of the best seasons for red snapper in some time. So far this year, they have experienced that many of the fish are on the move to new spots along the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. One of the benefits of having an extended off season is the fish move and spread out. As they spread, they repopulate many of the fishing spots so its not just little ones that can be caught, but some really big ones as well.
Recent reports from the docks are that the snapper are plentiful, one captain even reported throwing back over 100 from a charter last week. Not just little ones either, some were as large as 12-15 pounds. As someone who has fished quite a bit in Destin’s emerald green waters, I can personally tell you that if you catch a 12 pound snapper you won’t soon forget it, even if it is out of season and you have to release it.

Remember, when you are out on the water to bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen and the minimum size for a keeper red snapper is 16 inches, and the red snapper limit florida is two per person.

You can also learn more about types of snapper here.

All remaining March dates are 15% off. Must stay more then 4 nights.
Valid on new reservations only!

What Is the VRBO Service Fee and Why Do I Have to Pay It?

(Want to know how to avoid VRBO service fees? Skip to the end!)

We hear these questions all the time! With ski season in full swing and beach season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to clarify what the VRBO service fee is, why it exists, and—most importantly—how you can avoid it.

Understanding the VRBO Service Fee

The vacation rental industry has seen massive changes over the past few years. Major consolidations have reshaped the landscape: Airbnb skyrocketed from a small startup to a multibillion-dollar company, Expedia spun off TripAdvisor and FlipKey, and HomeAway acquired VRBO—only for Expedia to later purchase both VRBO and HomeAway.

With all these shifts, major online travel companies have found new ways to increase their revenue—often at the expense of both vacation rental owners and guests.

Why Does VRBO Charge a Service Fee?

Many vacation rental websites, such as Airbnb and FlipKey, charge percentage-based service or booking fees. Historically, VRBO and HomeAway operated on a subscription-based model. However, after Expedia acquired these platforms, they introduced a service fee to maximize revenue—without eliminating the subscription fees that owners and managers were already paying. This change left both owners and guests frustrated.

According to VRBO, the service fee helps cover the cost of running their platform, including transaction security, customer service, and their “Book with Confidence” guarantee. However, it’s worth noting that most of these benefits are already included when booking with a credit card, thanks to consumer protection policies offered by credit card companies.

How to Avoid Paying the VRBO Service Fee

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for—how can you skip the VRBO service fee (or similar fees on Airbnb and FlipKey)? The answer is simple: Book directly through the owner or property management company!

VRBO is no longer just “Vacation Rentals by Owner”—it has essentially become “Vacation Rentals by Expedia.” Like any middleman, they take a cut of every booking. But savvy travelers can avoid these unnecessary fees by booking directly with the owner or a reputable management company.

Most legitimate owners and management companies have an established online presence with verified reviews and their own website. If you find a property you love on VRBO, Airbnb, or booking.com, take a few extra minutes to search for the owner or company directly. This simple step could save you hundreds on your next vacation rental!

Final Thoughts

Booking directly not only saves you money but also allows for better communication with the property owner or manager. You’ll often get access to more flexible policies, insider recommendations, and even potential discounts.

At Ski Sand Seas, we believe in making vacation planning as seamless—and cost-effective—as possible. If you’re looking for a hassle-free booking experience with no unnecessary fees, explore our direct booking options today!

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