Moms Guide to The Emerald Coast {2026}

Destin is one of the most popular Spring and Summer Break vacation destinations for Louisville families! Seriously, it has been the past few years based on data from Google’s search engine. If you’ve been part of the Louisville Mom Collective community for a while, you’ve probably seen recaps from our annual Spring Break trips down there. We just came back from another fabulous week staying at Newman-Dailey’s Mediterranea property, and we cannot wait to present this 2026 Moms Guide to The Emerald Coast with all of you!

Travel to Destin

• Road tripping is feasible if you can make the drive all the way straight down. If you do go this route, make sure to stop at Buc-ee’s on your way! 
• We had such a great experience flying Allegiant last year, we booked them again for that direct flight straight from Louisville into the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. I’d also recommend booking your rental car during your Allegiant reservation process, because it’s just been so seamless two years in a row. We ended up with a Hybrid vehicle this time and only used an eight of a tank of gas the whole week we were there! That was a huge bonus on top of the great service and easy pick-up and drop-off right at the airport.
• VPS is still one of my favorite little airports. There is just something so fun for me about walking directly off and on a plane in the open Florida air!
• LMC Mom Pro Tip :: Remember that security is tighter being part of an Air Force base. Just be prepared if security does a more thorough bag check than you’re used to and be patient. Allegiant has its own dedicated terminal, and the lines are always short. TSA has always been overall pleasant in our experience as well.

Accommodations Along The Emerald Coast

• We’ve stayed on a couple different ends of Destin before, but we stayed in Miramar Beach this year for the first time! It’s definitely more laid back and quieter than the Destin and Fort Walton parts of the Emerald Coast. We really enjoyed it, even more as the week went on. 
• Newman-Dailey put us up in Mediterranea 410D. It’s been recently and beautifully renovated! It has a sophisticated feel with decorating that is exactly my style for a vacation home. There are 2 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths. You can sleep up to 6 guests with the sofa bed in the living room. Both bedrooms and the living room have Gulf-view balconies that we spent a lot of time on in the mornings and evenings. We had gorgeous views both during the day and at night. There is one tub in the queen room and a huge walk-in shower in the king room. Plus, there is a third toilet in the front, which was amazing! We loved that we each had our own bathroom at all times!
• There is a washer and dryer in the unit with plenty of beach towels as well. The complimentary laundry packs are such a subtle but wonderful touch. Newman-Dailey always provides a welcome kit with some essentials you need for your stay, along with fun branded surprises like the wine, bread, mints, and more we’ve gotten over the years.

• We were able to just walk across the street to Mediterranea’s private beach and take advantage of their complimentary seasonal beach service, which included an umbrella and two chairs. We were some straight beach bums our whole week down there! We spent every afternoon on the beach reading, listening to music, watching cute sand pipers run in and out of the tide, or we went splashing in the waves together. The hubby and I took a long sunset stroll along the beach one evening, letting the tide wash over our feet, while we embraced the peace and beauty of nature and reconnected without the stress of normal everyday life. It was the best part of the whole trip for both of us honestly.
• If you want a break from the saltwater, Mediterranea also has a pool and a hot tub. We spent part of an afternoon at the pool and one night at the hot tub after dark before the pool hours ended. 
• Mediterranea is a gated community, and you get 2 parking spaces – one in the garage and one uncovered in the lot. A valuable touch you don’t think about until it’s there are the food and luggage carts available by every elevator. We used those carts several times during our stay. 
• The condo has a great fully-stocked kitchen with really nice new appliances. There was even a craft ice maker in the freezer!!! They had fancy glasses, and we drank from those with the craft ice cubes every single day and felt like ballers. Our teen made fun of us, but we did not care one little bit. We cooked in the condo at least once every day. We got grocery delivery a couple times (that’s when those food carts came in handy!). We made all our breakfasts, some lunches, and a couple dinners there. We ate at the gorgeous dining table or out on the decks. I loved watching the sunrise and drinking my coffee in the mornings on those balconies. I used some microwave-safe to-go containers and made our final breakfast the night before so that everyone could just heat theirs up the next morning before check-out. This saved us a lot of stress and got all the major kitchen and trash clean-up out of the way that night instead of rushing around in the morning. I’m really glad I did that this year!

Food Around Destin / Miramar Beach / Fort Walton

• We didn’t just eat at the condo. 
• As has become our annual tradition when we first get into town, we went back to our original Crab Trap that was closest to us in Miramar Beach to get their Green Egg smoked tuna, the best Beyond burger ever, and my favorite key lime pie!
• Last year, we went to Aegean on the way to the airport. They opened a newer one right down the street from our condo this year that we had to check out. Do NOT get their potatoes, but the french fries and everything else is amazing!
• We always pick a new restaurant to try when we’re in Destin, and Talay Thai Cuisine in the same strip as Aegean ended up being a great choice. They have gorgeous presentation, great service, and delicious food. I got tofu satay that I’ve never been able to find anywhere else. Their sauces are homemade, and we are definitely going back when we’re down next year.
• I’d never had rolled ice cream, but there was one we could walk to from the condo, so we got a couple of those and a smoothie on our last day of fun in the sun. It was a really cool experience to watch them make it!
• Newman-Dailey coordinated a couple new restaurants for us this trip as well!
  • Fudpucker’s & Gator Beach
    • We’d been over to Fudpucker’s Beachside Bar & Grill a couple years ago, but it was because we went to Fat Daddy’s Arcade attached to their building and had looked at all the tiny gators at Gator Beach. Fudpucker’s promises food, fun, and gators, and we got all three! Fudpucker’s is famous for their t-shirts with hilarious sayings – my stepmom still wears hers all the time – and the signing of their walls. We had signed our names when we were there last. We found our original signatures and added some 2026 versions in the same space of outdoor wall! 
    • It was nice and slow that evening at Gator Beach, so I got some gator bait and got to feed the baby gators this time, which was a blast watching them all go after the treats. The last time I held a baby gator was when I was my daughter’s age down in the Everglades on a pontoon boat. I have wonderful memories of that whole trip with my family, so I smiled extra big for my pictures with sweet baby gator, Liam. He was so soft and wiggly.
    • Then, we finally ate at Fudpucker’s! Their dirty sodas were a bunch of fun, and I saved our little plastic gators they put on top of each one. The portions are HUGE! The apps, seafood, and ribeye were all fabulous. We had good service and made a bunch of memories together.
  • Surf Hut
    • We’d heard great things about Surf Hut, and one of our former team members raved about the place a couple years ago. The service was fantastic, and we had so much fun with our servers, CJ and Theo. The manager on duty, TJ, took really good care of us. They’re apparently known for their cheese pull on the mozzarella cheese – it did not disappoint! Something new they have that I hadn’t had anywhere else were fried SWEET pickles! Surf Hut serves it with a sauce that had a slight kick, and it was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy that I love. That alone will get me back there for another visit! The parmesan cheese grits are another of my faves from them. The hubby and kiddo were geeked to try Surf Hut’s version of Green Egg smoked tuna. They loved it. The saltine crackers were different, and Ady loved the sliced cucumbers for her half of the tuna! The restaurant is right on the beach, so you can watch the sun set, play some cornhole (which originated in Cincinnati, if you didn’t know!), or take a stroll in the sand after you eat. It’s idyllic to say the least.

Activities in The Emerald Coast

• Mediterranea 410D had a book for guests to sign, which I love when rentals have those. It had a prompt for a message to the host, favorite memories/highlights, and places we recommend for food and entertainment. We love the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, so I had to write that down! We love GetOut Pass in Kentucky and found out right before our stay that they have one for the Emerald Coast, so we got passes – such a huge value – so we could do family activities like the Gulfarium and a lot more. Use code LOUMOMS for an extra $5 off whatever the current lowest price is on getout.com.
• The Destin area has huge sidewalks parallel to the beach that are perfect for walks or bike rides. We recommend renting bikes from Emerald Coast E-Bikes. We love that they deliver and pick up and have the best customer service. They also have e-bike trail guides on their site for every part of the Emerald Coast! My bike this year had a fun basket and was my favorite color! They come with bike cable locks, chargers, and helmets upon request. They also have Burley Bee Trailers for families with tiny tots and now offer golf cart rentals, which are extremely popular in the Destin area. Family night rides have become our favorite over the last few years. It’s one of the highlights we look forward to every Spring when we go down!

Shopping in Destin

• We went back to Silver Sands Premium Outlets like we did a couple years ago. It’s a really large outdoor shopping strip with options for babies all the way up to adults.
• We also went to Destin Commons, which we’d heard great things about but never been before. It is such a perfect outdoor mall for families! There is a play area and splash pad, plus restaurants, a movie theater, and fun selfie spots. I got to add to my tradition of putting my head in sharks’ mouths every year! We went there because Ady needed a Pandora charm to remember the trip by. They had a Florida charm and then two Destin ones to choose from. We were so excited. She used her money one of the grandmothers gave her for spending money and got a cute Destin one!
• We couldn’t be in Destin without going to at least a couple Alvin’s Island locations! We always find affordable and great quality souvenirs there. We added some new t-shirts to our collection this time around!

Things for the Teens to Do in Destin

• Before our trip, Newman-Dailey shared one of their blog posts with us, Top 8 Destin Hangout Spots for Teenagers with great recommendations for our biggest kids! We’ve done a lot of these and did some new ones this trip. The one we thought was super cool from the list was Fudpucker’s Tuesday Teen Night. “With entry for only $20, anyone 13 through 17 can enjoy a night of prize-winning competitions, hanging out with friends, and staying safe while still having a blast. Plan to be there on Tuesday between 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. to enjoy the fun.” Make sure to check with the restaurant before you go to make sure they’re still doing this when you visit Destin!
• There are so many options for teens as well with the GetOut Florida Emerald Coast Pass. We love that GetOut offers so many attractions for families with little tots, bigger kids, and teens!

Final Thoughts for 2026

• We’ve literally traveled all over the world, and Destin’s pristine beaches with soft white sand and tricolored emerald green and blue colors of their ocean are still our favorite. 
• There’s always something new to do down there, entertainment going on, or new restaurants to try. 
• We’ve taken something special away from each of our trips and hope you can look back at this year’s recap and our years past to find the best vacation plans for your own family down in the Destin area.
• The three biggest tips we can give you are:
  • 1) Book your stay with Newman-Dailey
    • They provide the best service, have a 24/7 concierge, and really know the area while putting the guests first. Make sure to book with them for your next Emerald Coast getaway at destinvacation.com 
  • 2) Get the GetOut Florida Emerald Coast Pass
    • They’re good for a full year from the time you activate them, and you get access to all sorts of attractions around the area from water parks to the Gulfarium to the Emerald Coast Zoo to bowling and so much more. Code LOUMOMS gets you that extra $5 off each pass!
  • 3) Remember to have fun and make memories! You don’t have to spend a lot of money or accomplish a long list of activities; sometimes it’s the simple things that have the most impact. The years fly by, so make the most of every moment with your kiddos you can!