Fort Walton Beach Hotel Guide

With its brilliant white quartz sand and warm gulf waves, Fort Walton Beach lures visitors with plenty of recreational opportunities, fresh seafood dining, and reasonably priced lodging. Part of northwest Florida's less crowded Emerald Coast, it is conveniently located between Pensacola and Panama City.

The beaches here are considered one of the world's top five shelling destinations. Numerous bayous, lakes, sandbars, reefs, and dunes add to the natural beauty. Okaloosa Island, the main beach strip of Fort Walton Beach, is a barrier island which protects the coastline from the Gulf of Mexico. The popular 1,200-foot Okaloosa Pier is lighted for night fishing. Choctawatchee Bay, one of the largest inland bays in the nation, extends 30 miles. This back-to-nature ambiance is the perfect antidote for families and lovebirds looking for an escape from the hectic every-day world.

But this multi-faceted town offers a myriad of other activities. Golfers will want to check out the Fort Walton Beach Golf Club, a 36-hole municipal course whose courses (Oaks and Pines) are considered to be one of the top public layouts in the state. Tennis fans will find nine courts at Fort Walton Racquet Club, as well as 12 lighted laykold courts, four racquetball courts, and practice walls at the Municipal Tennis Center.

Attractions include Gulfarium, Emerald Coast Science Center, Fort Walton Beach Art Museum, and Indian Temple Mound and Museum. Kids and adults will both love Gulfarium, the country's second oldest marine park (created in 1955). Coming a long way from its roots, it continues to innovate with dazzling displays of bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, penguins, and Ridley turtles.

Kids will get a kick out of the "hair-raising" experience they will get from electrifying exhibits at the interactive science center, dubbed a child's fantasy museum. The art museum contains Cambodian, Chinese, and Thai relics, as well as many other art objects. The region's ancestors are showcased at the Indian Temple and Mound Museum. Housing the nation's largest collection of Southeastern Indian ceramic artifacts (6,000 pieces), the museum explores 10,000 years of tribal existence. Standing beside the museum is the largest Indian mound discovered along saltwater, constructed in 1400 A.D.

The history of Fort Walton Beach goes back to 10,000 B.C., according to radioactive dating of found artifacts. It was a military outpost during the Civil War. With a current population topping 20,000, it's still a military town. The sprawling 700-square-mile Elgin Air Force Base, the world's largest, is here. Just outside the base's main gate is the free-admission Air Force Armament Museum, which displays weaponry, aircraft and uniforms from World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

If you have food on your mind, try Staff's Seafood Restaurant on U.S. 98. Considered the region's first restaurant (started in 1913), its popular seafood skillet combines grouper, shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat with melted butter and cheese served with a basket of piping hot home-baked wheat bread. Another tasty eatery is Pandora's Restaurant and Lounge, famed for its char-grilled tender beef and freshly caught fish.

Any time is a fine time to visit this northwestern corner of the Sunshine State. Its mild climate and southern winds make it a winner business or vacation destination. Prices are lower than in many other parts of Florida and lodging prices dip in the winter, the reverse of much of the rest of the state.

U.S. Highway 98, dotted with strip malls and other commercial development, is the main thoroughfare in Fort Walton Beach. Known as Miracle Strip Parkway, addresses are "southwest" and "southeast" on the mainland and "east" on Okaloosa Island. The beaches of the island connect to the mainland via Brooks Bridge over Santa Maria Sound. This area contains the majority of lodging, recreation, and amusement parks. On Okaloosa Island visitors will find restrooms, picnic tables, and outdoor showers with no admission fee. The main drags are Miracle Strip Parkway and Santa Rosa Boulevard.

Neighboring Destin, eight miles to the east, is a more upscale vacation destination that boasts several excellent golf courses. Nearby Seaside in South Walton is the storybook town of Victorian-style homes that served as the set for The Truman Show movie starring Jim Carrey.

If you are driving to this region, the main route is U.S. 98. For those of you who are flying in, the three airports serving the area are Okaloosa County Air Terminal (actually part of Elgin Air Force Base), Pensacola Regional Airport, and Panama City/Bay County International Airport. Rental cars are available at the airports and at other locations. Airport shuttles service, with fares based on a zone system, are also available. Several companies offer taxi service, with fares based on zones rather than a metered system, with a minimum $4 charge. Northwest Florida is in the central time zone, one hour behind Miami.

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