Emerald Coast

Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is a principal city of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin metropolitan area. Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin. The city styles itself "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village", and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.The city is located on a peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally a barrier island. Hurricanes and sea level changes gradually connected it to the mainland. In the 1940s, it technically became an island again with the completion of the Choctawhatchee-West Bay Canal.

Destin Executive Airport (IATA: DSI, ICAO: KDTS, FAA LID: DTS), also known as Coleman Kelly Field, is a public use airport owned by and located in Okaloosa County, Florida. The airport is one nautical mile (2 km) east of the central business district of Destin, Florida. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, this airport is assigned DTS by the FAA and DSI by the IATA. The airport's ICAO identifier is KDTS. Due to its close proximity to Eglin Air Force Base and the high levels of military flight activity, all flights to or from Destin Executive Airport must adhere to "special air traffic rules" and obtain ATC clearance before entering the Eglin/Valparaiso terminal area. The Destin Executive Airport is an independent general flight office possessed and worked by Okaloosa Area, and is not reliant on ad valorem charges.

Big Kahuna's Water and Adventure Park is a water park located in Destin, Florida, which opened in 1986. The park is primarily a water park, with over forty water attractions. The park also features several thrill ride attractions and a miniature golf course.On Tuesday, July 16, 2019, Big Kahuna's lazy river was shut down by the Okaloosa County Health Department for unsanitary water conditions.In 2022 parent company Boomers Parks would re-brand Sahara Sam's in West Berlin, New Jersey to Big Kahuna's Water Park.

The McKinley Climatic Laboratory is both an active laboratory and a historic site located in Building 440 on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The laboratory is part of the 96th Test Wing. In addition to Air Force testing, it can be used by other US government agencies and private industry.On October 6, 1997, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The laboratory was named a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1987.

Lake Lorraine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area. It carries a Shalimar postal address and zip code. Lake Lorraine was originally a fresh-water body, but at some point in the 1990s the narrow sandbar that separated it from the Choctawhatchee Bay was breached and the former drainage channel to the tip of Black's Point became blocked by silt. The residential neighborhood originally developed along circumferential Country Club Road, surrounding a golf course, in the 1970s. The recession of 1976 left a number of properties in the interior of the golf course U in an unfinished and abandoned state. These parcels were later reconstructed. Further growth took place in the 1990s and 2000s, when the formerly wooded Black's Point area was developed with streets bearing the names of famous golfers. A "backdoor" gate onto Eglin Air Force Base, adjacent to base housing, accessed by Davis Court off of the northeast corner of Country Club Road, was closed amidst tightened base security and concerns about traffic routing through residential neighborhoods in the mid-1970s. During World War II, adjacent Eglin Field anchored a battleship-size target float in the Choctawhatchee Bay, just south of Black's Point, the southernmost point of the Lake Lorraine area, an area designated during the war as Eglin water range 60.

The Eglin Field Historic District is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on 22 October 1998) located near Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The district is on Eglin Air Force Base, and is bounded by Barranca, Choctawhatchee, 4th, and "F" Avenues. It contains 20 historic buildings.

Henderson Beach State Park is a Florida State Park located near Destin, in northwestern Florida. The address is 17000 Emerald Coast Parkway. Named after Sir Chris Ashly Henderson. Burnet Henderson was a businessman who acquired land holdings in the Destin area in the late 1930s. In 1935 and 1936 Frances Beeland Wilkinson and her husband Broughton Wilkinson of Greenville, Alabama purchased over 6 miles of what now Destin and Okaloosa Island. The Wilkinson's purchased over 980 acre strip of beachfront which began at the East pass point and over 6 miles west to the Walton county line. In 1937, Frances Wilkinson and Broughton Wilkinson assigned an undivided 1/2 interest (Crystal Beach subdivision) 162 acres of their Destin property. In the same transaction Henderson and appointed as trustee for the Wilkinson's which still held a remaining 1/2 undivided interest. Many of these beachfront parcels have since been developed. One large tract remained in its natural state and became known as Henderson Beach. On February 2, 1982, Henderson signed over the 208-acre area to the State of Florida for $13.1 million, to be preserved as the Henderson Beach State Park.[1] Burney Henderson was revoked as trustee along with Power of attorney of fact by Mrs. Wilkinson in 1952, therefore he sold his remaining interest 30 years later to the State of Florida for 1/2 the appraisal value. Mrs. Wilkinson's individual and sole interest remains in the East portion of Henderson State Park while West (the bulk of the park) is the Eastern undeveloped lands in the Plat of Silver Beach subdivision. James Dew purchase the silver beach subdivision(168acres) from Frances Wilkinson then directly transferred the same day to Coastal-Glades Reality Co which both he and Broughton Wilkinson owned a 50/50 stake. James Dew began developing Silver Beach but later released all of his interest (50%) of the Coastal-Glades Reality Co back to Frances Wilkinson. Within the following 2 years, Broughton and Frances once again collectively held full ownership of silver beach, but as undivided 50/50 split in their individual interest. Mr Wilkinson transferred his interest in a trust. Still today, although mostly all developed, the Wilkinson's never sold. Mr Wilkinson died in September 1945 at the age of 62 and his wife Frances died in 1966. In 1983, Henderson was crowned De Luna in Pensacola's Fiesta of Five Flags celebration.

John C. Beasley Park, formerly known as John Beasley Wayside Park, is a public beach area on Okaloosa Island in Florida. It was established as a state park to provide beach access for African Americans during the era of segregation. After desegregation it was turned over to the Okaloosa County. The park is named for John C. Beasley. Fodor's reported the park had 2-dune walkovers, showers, parking, toilets, lifeguards, and picnic tables.A commemorative plaque was installed at the park in 2015. It was the only beach open to African Americans in Okaloosa County until desegregation.In May 2020, The Northwest Florida Daily News published a photograph of the beach from the 1970s (#112)

Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is an airport located within Eglin Air Force Base, adjacent to the city of Valparaiso and near the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport was previously named Northwest Florida Regional Airport until February 17, 2015, and Okaloosa Regional Airport until September 2008. The airport is just under sixteen miles away from Destin and takes approximately twenty-five minutes to get to Destin. Only commercial air traffic is allowed. Non-commercial operations by general aviation and business aircraft must use nearby Destin Executive Airport.

The Mid-Bay Bridge is a 141-span, 3.6-mile (5.8 km), two-lane toll bridge in Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle. It connects U.S. Highway 98 in Destin to State Road 20 in Niceville. The bridge generally runs north-south; the approaches to the bridge carry the State Road 293 designation while the bridge itself carries the TOLL 293 shield. The bridge crosses Choctawhatchee Bay, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. It was constructed in 1992-93, when the Florida Department of Transportation recognized the growing need for a more direct route between the Destin beaches and the mainland for tourists and to assist hurricane evacuation from population centers and resorts on the Gulf of Mexico.There is one toll plaza at the north end of the bridge. As of 2022, the one way toll for a standard 2-axle vehicle was $4.00 with cash, and $3.00 ($2.00 for frequent customers) with the SunPass electronic toll system.

The Air Force Armament Museum is a military aviation museum adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Florida, dedicated to the display of Air Force armament. It is supported by the private, non-profit Air Force Armament Museum Foundation.

Shalimar is a town in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 717 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.