Getting There

Flights arriving at and departing from Okaloosa Regional Airport (tel. 850/651-7160) actually use the enormous strips at Eglin Air Force Base. The terminal is on Florida 85, north of Fort Walton Beach, and is served by Delta (tel. 800/221-1212), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322).

Avis (tel. 800/331-1212), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), and National (tel. 800/CAR-RENT) have rental cars at the airport, while Enterprise (tel. 800/325-8007) is located in town.

AAA Annie's Shuttle (tel. 850/978-2450) provides 24-hour van transportation to and from the airport. Fares for up to three people are based on a zone system: $26 to $30 to Fort Walton Beach, $40 to Destin, and $52 to Sandestin and southern Walton County.

The Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245) Sunset Limited transcontinental service stops at Crestview, 26 miles north of Fort Walton Beach.

Visitor Information

For advance information on both Fort Walton Beach and Destin, contact the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 609, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549 (tel. 800/322-3319 or 850/651-7122; fax 850/651-7149). The bureau shares quarters with the Okaloosa County Visitors Welcome Center in a tin-roofed, beachside building on Miracle Strip Parkway (U.S. 98), on Okaloosa Island at the eastern edge of Fort Walton Beach. Stop here for brochures, maps, and other information. This visitor center is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, 4484 Legendary Dr., Destin, FL 32541 (tel. 850/837-6241; fax 850/654-5612), gives away brochures and sells maps of the area. The chamber is in an office complex at the entry to Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club, on U.S. 98, a half-mile east of the Mid-Bay Bridge. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm; closed holidays.

For information on the beaches of South Walton, contact the South Walton Tourist Development Council, P.O. Box 1248, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 (tel. 800/822-6877 or 850/267-1216; fax 850/267-3943). Its visitor center is at the intersection of U.S. 98 and U.S. 331, in Santa Rosa Beach (tel. 850/267-3511); open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm.

Getting Around

The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Authority (tel. 850/651-7131) operates a free Island Shuttle trolley during the summer months along the entire length of Santa Rosa Boulevard on Okaloosa Island. The two trolleys run every 30 minutes Sunday through Thursday from 7am to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday from 7am to 1am. They also connect the island to the Uptown bus station, on Eglin Parkway Northeast on the Fort Walton Beach mainland.

For a cab in Fort Walton Beach, call Black and Gold Taxi (tel. 850/244-7303) or Yellow Cab (tel. 850/244-3600). In Destin, call Destin Taxi (tel. 850/654-5700). Fares are based on a zone system rather than meters, with a $5 minimum. Trips within Fort Walton Beach or Destin should range from $5 to $10.

How to Find a Street Address -- Don't worry about getting lost, since most of what you'll want to see and do in Destin and Fort Walton Beach is either on, or no more than a few blocks from, U.S. 98, the area's main east-west drag. Finding a street address is another matter, however, because even many local residents don't fully comprehend the post office's bizarre naming and numbering system along U.S. 98.

In Fort Walton Beach, U.S. 98 is known as "Miracle Strip Parkway," with "southwest" and "southeast" addresses on the mainland and "east" addresses on Okaloosa Island.

In Destin, U.S. 98 is officially known as "Highway 98 East" from the Destin Bridge east to Airport Road, and street numbers get progressively higher as you head east from the bridge. East of Airport Road, however, the post office calls U.S. 98 the "Emerald Coast Parkway" -- although locals still say a place is on "98 East." The highway is also known as the Emerald Coast Parkway in Walton County, but the street-numbering system changes completely once you pass the county line.

Adding to the confusion in Destin, "Old Highway 98 East" is a short spur from Airport Road to the western side of Henderson Beach State Park, and "Scenic Highway 98 East" parallels the real U.S. 98 along the beach from the eastern side of Henderson Beach to Sandestin.

In other words, call and ask for directions if you're not sure how to find an establishment here.

Time

The area is in the central time zone, 1 hour behind Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville.